San Francisco Surrender released by Phaze!

Summer is here and it is sizzling! And nowhere is it hotter than at Phaze. Phaze is featuring the Force line of HeatSheets; short, sharp & sexy forays into the world of men who protect you and me; of what they do in their personal lives to counter-balance the insane pressure that providing that protection creates.

It was once said by Tony Bennett that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. But in San Francisco Surrender , Will Belegon's new release at Phaze, heat is the least of the problems.

What happens when a good cop is asked to do the wrong thing for all the right reasons? Jen is the forbidden fruit. He's lusted after her, denied himself and struggled with his beliefs of who and what he is, all because of her. In the meantime, everything around him changed. Now that the garden is gone, there is no reason to avoid eating the apple. But can he bring himself to cross the final barriers inside his soul, to become the fantasy Jen has always wanted? And if he does, what happens if he starts to enjoy it? As he stares up at the old Victorian house from the streets of San Francisco, one veteran cop is about to take his first steps into a side of sex that only one woman could ask of him. And only for her would he say yes.

San Francisco Surrender is available now at Phaze.com for the sinfully sweet price of only $2.00. And this dark bit of sugar is far less fattening than anything from Ghiardelli.

So Tired of These Kind of People

So, a Christian group decided to picket tonight's San Diego Padres game. Seems the Padres had the audacity to actually allow *GASP* homosexuals to attend a game just like any other group. Oh, and to ask a chorus that is made up of gay men to sing the national anthem.

Horrors! Oh no, they are actually acknowledging that homosexuals exist and that some of them might be baseball fans! And that some of them can sing! Sing well, even! And sing something as Holy and Patriotic as the National Anthem!

Set Free Ministries excuse for this is that the Padres are hosting an event for San Diego Pride on the same day that there is a giveaway for children. Like the confluence is something evil and that it's all a horrible homosexual plot. Oh no! What if a gay man brushes up against my child and gets some "gay" on little Johnny?

Hello? News flash, you bigoted Pharisees! EVERY Sunday there is a giveaway for children... and every Sunday the Padres host a lot of groups. The Padres give tickets to the Marines every Sunday. Shouldn't you be protesting that the Padres are exposing your children to the violence of a soldiers life? They even play the Marine Hymn and everyone stands and applauds the young men who are willing to put their lives on the line for those of us who stay safe at home. But isn't that glorifying violence? These men are trained to kill! Didn't Christ say to turn the other cheek? Wasn't he *gasp* actually killed by *shudder* soldiers?

Thankfully, the Padres did the right thing. They ignored the idiots. I almost feel bad for giving the small-minded little rabble free press here. How is it that these people think they are actually in the right? How is it that they can justify this stance when their Lord and Savior told them to "judge not, lest ye yourself be judged."? Of course, he also told them things like to look at the beam in their own eye before the speck in their neighbors. To do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To worship in private, not pray on the street corner and make a public spectacle of their piety.

Damn, you people listen real well, don't you? Too bad so many "Christians" don't actually act like Christ.

To be fair, these people were working at the ballpark on a regular basis in order to support some public benefit programs that do extend a helping hand. They didn't show up today in protest. They have that right.

So, they don't sound like truly evil people...just a little misguided maybe. But they need to stop practicing a culture of hate. It's not like these guys were coming to the ballgame in drag or backless chaps or something. They were wearing caps and jerseys, just like everybody else.

Do me a favor... don't try to force your beliefs down my throat and I won't force mine at you. Because that would be as American as baseball.

Gwen Tagged Me...

I'm sure I've done one of these before, but I can't remember where it is posted.
So if you find it and I repeated myself, ignore please. If I contradicted myself, I blame the drugs.

We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
- Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
- People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
- At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
- Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I have two tattoos and I want more.
2. My TBR pile (To Be Read) is starting to affect local precipitation.
3. I have an ex-girlfriend who posed in Hustler after we broke up. So I can actually identify with that J. Geils song. "My memory has just been sold..."
4. The first yelling argument I ever had with that same girl was over the validity of creationism. I think her POV on the world changed *rolls eyes*
5. Circa 1986, I think I wore more makeup and used more hairspray than the girls I was dating did. AquaNet should have been sending me Christmas cards.
6. To prove I still have that vain side... My beard is kept thin and trimmed enough that I actually spend more time shaving than I would without it.
7. I've been at the controls of a plane for several hours while in flight, but never landed one.
8. I have more hats, jerseys and shoes than I have any rational need for...some chosen solely because I like the team's logo or colors.

I have no idea who I'll tag. I'll try to make it people I've never tagged before, but if I tag you and you've done one and CAN remember where, why not link to it and up your readership on the archives???

Screaming Paris Sent Back To Slammer

Paris Hilton is on her way back.

I feel slightly guilty that I smiled so much to learn of another person's misfortune.

But only slightly.

Paris Out After 5 Days? What?

Not much really makes me care about the antics of perpetually stoned underweight spoiled little rich girls who have one expression in every photograph. I am not a fan by any means, nor do I find Paris Hilton remotely attractive. Okay, maybe for about 2 seconds in one hamburger commercial, but I may have just been hungry and was reacting to the burger itself.

Contrary to some opinions out there, I wasn't at all upset about little miss whiner's 45 days in the custody of the authorities being pre-emptively cut to 23, because I know that it is standard procedure for non-violent offenders in a lot of California jails. That had nothing to do with the family money or celebrity. It's how you and I would be treated. So I was fine with that.

But today, America's most famous spoiled brat was released after only serving five days. The first reports I saw were that she was released for "health reasons" because she was having a "nervous breakdown". Apparently her back hurt and she was crying for her mommy.

Um, hello? YOU"RE IN PRISON! You're supposed to have nerves. You're supposed to be upset. Lot's of people cry for their mommy in prison. There are big, strong, dangerous men in prison who cry for their mommy in the middle of the night, and some of them are waking up with a lot more than their back hurting. Or at least the hurt is further south. And believe me, that didn't happen to Paris. No, that happened to those of us who feel that the law should apply to all of us equally.

The precedent that this sets is disturbing to say the very least.

Look, I understand that it was probably sheer torture for the guards and her cellmate to have to listen to her whine. I suspect her cellmate woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about trying to feed carrots to a blond horse who refused them and asked for another martini.

But that's no excuse for letting her go. After all, her cellmate was in prison too. Hey, nothing would scare me straight faster than the prospect of being locked in a 5 X 10 foot concrete box with Paris for a month... especially Paris without makeup. We lost a chance to really rehabilitate at least one prisoner.

Seriously, this is just sick. My only consolation is that the hordes of photographers will make sure she stays under house arrest. Because there must be a thousand paparazzi dreaming of catching a shot of her driving on her still suspended license to 7-11 for a pint of Ben & Jerry's to binge/purge after midnight. That would be enough to buy them 30 days in a much nicer room on a beach with a roommate who looks as good as Ms. Hilton thinks she does.

Come Visit Will & Alessia At Coffee Time Romance!

Welcome to June! June is a very special month for Alessia and Will. Why? Because it means summer is coming? Because it means the kids are almost out of school? (Banish the thought!) Because Will lives in Southern California, and June means it’s bikini season?

No. Well, maybe yes to the last one. (And we’re not talking about how Will looks in a bikini… or are we? Should we? Do you think he'll agree to wear one if we bribe him in just the right way?)

No, June is special because Alessia and Will’s book ArtiFactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique was chosen by Coffee Time Romance to be their Reader’s Retreat book of the month! Will and Alessia have had good reviews and even won the 2006 Preditors & Editors Poll for Best Mainstream Short Story (for Switch)… and Alessia won an EPPIE (for fine flickering hungers)… but they’ve never had this much of their work given this much attention in one spot. At least, not by anyone else. Both Alessia and Will feel very honored, if a little overwhelmed.

You see, not only has Coffee Time Romance created a forum to discuss ArtiFactual, it's dedicated a whole sub-forum to talk about ArtiFactual, Artistically Inclined, and the solo work of both writers. For the month of June, both Will and Alessia will be making regular appearances at the CTR forum to check in with anyone who has questions or just wants to discuss their work in particular or erotic fiction in general. Oh, and they’re gonna give some prizes, too. So come on over! Sure, talk is cheap…but you just might get something free, and free beats cheap every time!

Last but certainly not least… What the hell are we gonna have to talk about if all y’all don’t show up? C’mon, now! You all know that Will has a serious addiction to flirting, and if he doesn’t feed it… well, it gets kinda ugly. Alessia still remembers the last time he went through withdrawals. Says she hasn’t seen a man cry like that since the end of Field of Dreams.

Drop by and visit them on the Coffee Time Romance Forums:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=14

Martian Child

So, some of you know that I'm just a little bit of a movie buff.

Okay, so I'm a fan. A geek. I can tell you things about Casablanca most people never even noticed. (By the way, the most famous line from the movie never actually appears in the movie and the second most famous line is severely misquoted *grin*) And we aren't even talking about Star Wars or Indiana Jones yet.

And I don't even want to bring up Monty Python.

Anyway, I just watched the trailer for a new film. What I want to know is this. How can I get John Cusack to like my stories? Because John Cusack has the greatest eye for scripts I can imagine and maybe if he liked my stories it would mean they were well-written. Seriously. This man has a fantastic eye for scripts. He has a feel for great writing. Say Anything. Grosse Pointe Blank. Tin Men. Runaway Jury. Being John Malkovich. Serendipity. High Fidelity. You can argue it, sure. Point out things that weren't commercially successful. But John Cusack, though a little bit focused on romantic comedy and long trapped in teen angst, has an incredible feel for the great line.

Cusack is not the greatest actor of our generation. I hate to tell all of you that want to vilify him for Titanic, but DiCaprio will eventually wear that crown. Forget Titanic. What about Gilbert Grape? Catch Me If You Can? Gangs of New York? Romeo? The Departed? Blood Diamond? Quit being jealous of his looks and admit he can act.

But Cusack has an even better eye. "Just think of it as a bigger box". The man has a great eye for the great line. No famous last words. Top ten break ups. Think about it.

I want John Cusack to make a movie from one of my stories.

And The Winner Is...

Fellow paranormal author ROB GRAHAM with: "My soul's in quite enough danger already!"

Thanks for playing, Rob, and congratulations! In addition to your prize, we've arbitrarily decided that you get to explain to our readers exactly why your soul's in so much danger. Nah, just kidding! Readers, if you really do want to know why Rob's soul is in mortal danger, read his "Discovery" from Phaze or "In The Dark," his vampire anthology from Aspen Mountain Press. We were surprised to see Rob's entry, but hey... most of us were fans first. That's why we started writing!

And wait, there's more ...

We decided (since we got a LOT of loot at RT and since we got another entry we really liked) to give a prize to our runner up, Liz, who submitted: "You're afraid your reason would be posted as the winning entry, and then everyone at work would realize what you're really reading on your IPAQ during business meetings."

Both Rob & Liz will receive a box o' goodies including books and promo swag from our recent trip to the Romantic Times BOOKlovers Convention in Houston. Those will go out as soon as we get shipping addresses.

We'll continue discussing ArtiFactual in June as Coffee Time Romance has chosen it as its book of the month! We're very pleased to have the opportunity to get to know all of you better and hope that you will join us in the CTR discussion forum in the near future.

Thanks to everyone who made the effort to give us such great entries and for providing us with some fun along the way. Oh, and somebody tell Fag-Ash Lil that neither of us smoke...

Fantasies II Released by Phaze!

My latest is out at Phaze!

Mixed Blessings is the lead story in the new Phaze Fantasies II ! For a small price (a very affordable $6.50) you get not only my 30K word novella but also works from Stella & Audra Price, Petula Ceasar & Sarah Dickson! It's a great mix and a wonderful way for you to discover three new authors while also getting to read a fantastic work from an author that you already know!

Here is a blurb for Mixed Blessings:

Jim’s dreams have all come true.
Jim was a man that learned a hard lesson five years ago. Now he has recovered and built a business to be proud of and a solid foundation for his future. After five years of living in the dark, the lights have come on. The one thing that was missing in his life has been right in front of him the whole time. Now that he is no longer blind, he’s off to see if she can help heal the rest of him.
But Jim is about to find out that there is a reason some men wear dark glasses when they emerge into the bright California sun…

Happy Mother's Day!

To my own mother and grandmother, to the mother of my children and to all of my wonderful friends who sacrifice so much and give so much of themselves for their little ones, whether they be two years old or twenty. You are all an inspiration to me and I wish all of you a joyous and happy Mother's Day!

This Is All Carolan Ivey's Fault!

Another blog game, courtesy of author Carolan Ivey, a new friend from Romantic Times...

Directions - POST RULES

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


Eight random facts and or habits?

1. I remember when In N’ Out’s “secret menu” really was secret and I know how to create an “In & Out urge” bumper sticker.
2. I almost got expelled from high school for piercing my ear.
3. I’ve bought “reading copies” of my very favorite books so I can keep the originals in better shape.
4. I have a half-sister that I didn’t know existed until 1991.
5. I learned how to type on a manual typewriter and still “strike” the keys, meaning that I type much louder than many people I know.
6. I’ve considered myself a poet most of my life, but never felt like a writer until a couple years ago.
7. I love Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe.
8. Yes, I really did own parachute pants in the eighties.

Okay, I'll "tag" some people later... right now, it's off to the little league fields!

Contest Expansion and Extension

Back on the release date for Artifactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique Alessia and I decided to run a contest over at our joint site. What we didn't know was just how crazy and overwhelming RT was gonna be... and how it would affect us running the contest. Most of the things we collected are still in the custody of the US Mail. That includes some contest entries... Thus we can't fairly judge our entries and announce a winner yet. So we've decided to extend and expand the contest.

The details are covered below. The second entry down is the post Alessia did on the RT review so you can see what started it all. We'd love to get a few more entries. We have plenty of swag coming (I spent more money shipping free stuff than I did buying things) so don't fear coming up dry with a late entry. If you make us laugh, you'll likely be rewarded for it!

Contest: The Top Ten Reasons NOT to Buy Artifactual

UPDATE: Entry deadline extended to May 15th.

Okay, maybe we're being a bit snarky -- and we're aware that it's considered gauche for authors to rebut their reviews -- but our feelings about RT's review of ArtiFactual require some sort of response or we're just gonna explode. So, we're gonna have some fun with it in the form of a contest. We let off some steam, and our readers win prizes. Sounds like a silver lining to us!

Here's the deal: Below, we've listed nine of the Top Ten Reasons NOT to buy ArtiFactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique. We want YOU to give us the number one reason. Judging is entirely subjective. In other words, we'll decide the winner based on how hard we laugh. Ties and consolation prizes are possible, at our whim. No purchase necessary to win, but obviously we'd prefer you read the book before entering. That's the whole point, after all -- to increase sales.

Here's the prize: We're going to RT soon (April 25-29). There will be freebies galore -- books & miscellaneous swag (including our chocolate-raspberry San Diego Sunset body wash). We will collect as much of it as possible into one big prize basket. On top of that, we'll include an autographed CD copy of ArtiFactual and a $5 gift certificate to the Phaze store.

We'll announce the winner on May 1st, so you've 3 weeks to read ArtiFactual and send your entry to us at Artistically.Inclined.LLP [at] gmail.com. (Please put TOP TEN REASONS CONTEST in the subject line!)

Without further ado, here are the Top Ten Reasons NOT to buy ArtiFactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique:

10. They say it's paranormal, but there isn’t one vampire or shape shifter in the whole book.

9. Having your life’s work threatened is no reason to be rude!

8. You think Bruce should've ditched the Philly Cream Cheese tart and stayed in California with the hot gay environmentalist surfer-lawyer.

7. The words "mattress" and "picnic" should never be used in the same sentence.

6. Only homeless people are allowed to wander museums talking to themselves.

5. You think that Carrara diletto is made with olive oil, garlic and parmesan.

4. Female ghosts never go into the men’s room; it’s impolite.

3. A book set in Philadelphia and they don’t go to a single Flyers, 76’ers, Phillies or Eagles game? That’s just wrong.

2. Frivolous lawsuits are a perfectly acceptable way of denying homoerotic impulses.

1. YOUR WINNING ENTRY HERE!

CAUTION: Contents hot. May cause sexual arousal, romantic inclinations, and an appetite for sex toys.

Romantic Times Review Of Artifactual

ARTIFACTUAL: TALES OF THE EROTIQUE MYSTIQUE
by Alessia Brio and Will Belegon

RT Rating:
Category: EROTICA
Publisher: Phaze.com
Published: May 2007
Type: Erotica Fiction (E-book, Anthology, Fantasy)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These four stories follow the main characters as they discover the amazing time-travel properties of sexual artifacts, where they participate in consensual bondage, same-gender sex, masturbation and much oral sex. This fascinating premise is disappointingly undeveloped and the last story presents an anti-morality message that has the heroine appearing mean-spirited.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: n the first story, "Erotique," Mandy's great-aunt Vivian has passed on and left her the sex shop and museum, with the stipulation that she spend one night in the museum. Hands-on exhibits take on a new meaning when the magic they possess is revealed and Mandy shares the experience with her boyfriend, Bruce. In "Switch," a new sex toy apparently causes Mandy and Bruce to switch bodies. A trip to Easter Island reveals secrets about Aunt Vivian and puts Mandy and Bruce in danger in "Amichu." Then a lawsuit against the store places Mandy and Bruce at odds and "Closing Arguments" could destroy their relationship. (Phaze.com, dl $7.00)

—Susan Mobley

Author Targeted For Discrimination By Hyatt

Author Laura Baumbach was one of my fellow authors at Romantic Times in Houston last week. Unfortunately, her experience was far from Happily Ever After. Indeed, it would be far more accurately shelved with things like Richard Wright's Native Son or similar tales of discrimination. Indeed, the only thing "romantic" about it was the negative nostalgia it created for the bad old days of openly hypocritical and hateful behavior.

The exact story is best left to she who experienced it, especially since she writes it so well. It is, after all, what she does. You can find it here, at her blog.

The behavior of the Hyatt was despicable. They clearly discriminated against a specific subject. The area where the items in question were set up was deep in the heart of an area filled with the convention. There were no business meetings or public events happening in this area of the hotel. Their refusal to explain their actions to Laura indicates that they knew that doing so would create legal issues for them. I wonder just how prepared they are going to be to discuss them with the ACLU?

Please go and read Laura's account. Please post a comment to her blog showing your support and spread the word to others about this situation. A business the size of Hyatt only pays attention to one thing... money. If we can create enough buzz that they start fearing it will hurt them on the bottom line, we'll have done our job. Also, Hyatt spends a lot of money at the corporate level advertising to the gay community and seeking their vacation dollars. Let's make them spend some on damage control.

I for one will not stand quiet while they drag my neighbors into the shadows. Nor should you. There is a poem attributed to Martin Niemoller about the inactivity of German intellectuals against the Nazi's...


First they came for the Socialists and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left
to speak up for me.

Speak up!

Will Belegon At Romantic Times!

Hello, my long neglected blog... sorry if you felt abandoned. I've just been busy. For the last few days, I've been busy in Texas at the Romantic Times Booklover's Convention in Houston.

It's wonderful to be here. To steal a phrase from Madness, "there's always something happening and it's usually quite loud". I've made wonderful networking connections, especially with my fellow Phaze authors. I've also met and enjoyed the time I've spent with other authors like Tawney Taylor, Lillian Feisty and Ally Blue.

I'll try to keep notes and fill in when I return to the west coast... but I fear this is all going to end up a blur. Scattered memories of regal white-dressed Queens and dark, dusky fairies will remain... not to mention Can Can Girls and perhaps some saloon skulking Vamps from tonight's Vampire's of the Wild West party.

I'll also remember hearing that I was being talked about in the ladies rest room... I know it shouldn't affect my ego that much... but it does. My business cards (which feature the same image as this blog and my MySpace page) have apparently become quite popular. *Grin*

ArtiFactual Now Available At Phaze.com!

The writing duo of Alessia Brio & Will Belegon will see their latest release hit the 'net as Artifactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique becomes available for purchase from Phaze on April 8th. Soon after that it will hit bookshelves as Artifactual will be the first work from the team to be put into print by Phaze.

Included in Artifactual are Alessia's Erotique, the Preditors & Editors Poll winning Switch, the archeologically adventurous Amichu and the latest sexy drama to star Bruce Winfield and Amanda Long, Closing Arguments.

If you haven't read any of this dynamic team's releases, this is the perfect start. See why the notoriously hard-to-please Mrs. Giggles says "I believe these two authors are actually some of the few romantic erotica authors capable of writing erotic stories that actually make me curl my toes...."

Carrie White of Sexography says, "Hauntings, erotic, passionate scenes and intrigue are just a few of the treats awaiting you from one of the finest writer collaborations in the Erotic genre." Find out for yourself. Artifactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique will be available April 8th at Phaze.com.

Baseball's Back!

Yeah, I'm a fan of the grand ol' game. Always have been. I played it up through my mid-twenties when I found out that a slider that comes at you with the same speed you are used to seeing from a fastball is a very scary thing. Not because I was afraid of getting hit by one. But because I looked like a fool as I swung at them. Once opponents figure out you can't hit a certain pitch, you're done.

So now I indulge my baseball addiction as a fan. A fan of my local team, a fan of the game in general and a fan of my son. I coached his little league team last year, but with my new job that just isn't an easy option this year. So I'll stay an observer and try to restrain my competitive nature and let him enjoy the game without Dad screaming at him from the stands.

But at the downtown ballpark, I hope to be letting out a few screams. My team is the San Diego Padres. I've been a season ticket holder for ten years and before that I used to buy a chunk of my parent's tickets. Last year, my team won it's second consecutive division title, something that had never happened before. This year, our pitching is better and we've gotten younger. Are we better overall? Time will tell.

Baseball is different than the other sports. There are no gaudy winning percentages or records like 14-2 or 65-19. The very best teams still lose 40% of their games...at least. If you are successful in one third of your attempts in baseball, you go to the Hall of Fame. In football or basketball, you do that and they talk to you about "life after sports" and suggest you buy a car dealership.

Baseball is about perseverance, patience and dealing with failure. It's a team game that depends on a series of individual competitions. It's a game where you have to be able to take a long view, not allowing momentary setbacks to affect you. In football, if you lose a game you dwell on it for a week. In baseball, there are 162 games in six months.

No time limits, and no ties...you play until someone wins, no matter how long it takes. And you always have a chance to come back. My team won in the bottom of the ninth tonight. The most storied franchise in the game had the best player pull them out of a hole earlier. They were one strike away from defeat and A-Rod hit a grand slam. See, you always have a chance to come back while the game is still being played. No garbage time, no such thing as an insurmountable lead. If you're down by five scores entering the last two minutes in football, you're done. It's over, but not so in baseball. Because an out is equivalent to two minutes, seeing as you have 27 of them to play with...a football game is sixty minutes. But I've been present to see the Padres score five times with only 1/27th of their allotted outs available.

Three-quarters of the teams don't make the playoffs in baseball, like basketball and hockey. Four teams per league, and two of them are done after a maximum of five games. No second season that lasts two and a half months. Half of the teams gone in less than a week, after 162 struggles.

Bart Giamatti said "The game is designed to break your heart." He was right, and that's what makes the successes so special. I love it.

Damn...So, We Saw the Advance of the RT Review...

So...I was gonna do some whining and bitching in here. See, we got a look at the advance of our review for Artifactual from Romantic Times today.

It's not what I was expecting or hoping for at all...but in order to say why, I have to put the review out here. I need to tell all y'all whats blowing it for me. And I really don't want to do that until the issue comes out. Which will probably be good, because it will calm my indignation down. It's just common courtesy...if you give me a sneak look at something you're gonna publish, even if it's about me, it is wrong for me to publish it first.

So I'll wait. And tap my fingers. And tell myself that anger leads to the dark side.

We can talk about other things right? We can talk about Idol; how I'm even more in lust with Gina after those sweet-as-hell boots and the way she sang and her attitude. About how Haley has me thinking thoughts about her the last couple of weeks that certainly are not appropriate for television...at least, not network television. About how Blake is the one who is going to come out of this and sell the most records, because he can sing, he can beatbox and he has style. But I still say it's a race between Melinda and Lakisha, even with Blake and Jordin working so hard to put themselves in contention.

Sanjaya....*sigh* I can sing better than that. You sucked tonight, dude. Well, you've sucked a lot. But your smile and your hair have kept you around. Maybe this will finally end that...but I doubt it. You need to go, dude. It's just silly now.

We can talk about how I want to go see 300 and how I haven't because I don't have anybody to go along and I don't want to take the time away from my family or my other endeavors. My wife would spend the whole movie looking between her fingers, my daughter would hide under the seat and my son would either get nightmares or start chasing people with my 8" Chef's Knife tied to a pool cue. Neither option appeals to me.

Can we talk about how I can't seem to get rolling? I'm writing 250 words here, 300 there. No decent progress and none of the 2500 word spurts that happen when I'm at my best. Arrrrgh. I so want to get a couple of WIP's finished!

Baseball's coming...*Grin* Yes, I'm a sports geek. I admit it. I can't wait for opening night.

Okay...watch this space. As soon as that magazine hits the shelves, I'm ranting! I mean, imagine how Dan Brown would have felt if the the first major review he got was in the Vatican Observer. That's kinda how I'm feeling tonight. Like I opened a new steakhouse and they sent a Hindu vegetarian to do the restaurant review. Like Heath Ledger waiting to talk to Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson after they watched Brokeback Mountain for the first time.

I feel cheated.

I Admit It : I'm Hooked On Idol (& Gina)

So up until the finals last year I had never watched a single episode of American Idol. My greatest exposure to Simon Cowell was the bonus clip at the end of Shrek 2.

Now I'm hooked...a former co-writer of mine is going to laugh her ass off when she sees this because she only told me I would like this show about three seasons ago. I love seeing people's dreams come true, I love watching the way people react and grow. I'm not too fond of the "let's watch the train wreck" stuff in the early auditions. If I want to hear someone butcher a popular tune I'll record myself in the shower, OK?

I watch the guys and it's alright...I'm mystified Sanjaya is still around and I think that Chris Sligh has an awesome attitude, decent voice and one of the best senses of humor I've ever seen on a celebrity. The comment on the cut down day in Hollywood, where he walks into the room...the three judges are sitting there...they are about to dash his hopes or make his dream come true...as much pressure, as many nerves as any of us will ever have to deal with, ever. So he pulls the chair back and says, "I guess you're all wondering why I called this meeting..." Classic! This dude has cajones!

But let's face facts....except for maybe Blake, the girls are all stand 10 feet above the boys. Melinda & Lakisha especially. Those two are the best singers on the show.

But I do have one that is clearly my favorite all around, and I admit it has to do with more than her voice. And no, it is not the little girl from New Jersey whose continued presence on the show despite her weak talent has nothing to do with anything other than her conformity to some Cindy Crawfordian ideal of feminine attractiveness. My choice has more meat on her bones and ten times the appeal of little miss Antonella.

But she's edgy, she rocks and I fear she'll be gone soon. Her song choice tonight was so her, so energetic and so fun to watch. And maybe too close to the beloved demons of sex, drugs and rock & roll to get enough votes to outlast a girl with half her talent.

I'd rather have Gina in my bed for one night than a month of Sundays with Jersey girl. Gina would rock your world while Antonella would stare at the ceiling and do her nails over your shoulder. Gina would sweat with you, roll off the bed to land on the floor while never missing a beat. Pull out the handcuffs and the riding crop on a Saturday afternoon and show you that there is more action when you turn the TV off.

Antonella is heir to the throne vacated by Annette Funicello and Shirley Temple. Gina brings to mind Joan Jett, Janis Joplin and Courtney Love (when she was powerful instead of pathetic.)

Gina won't win. That's already a two person race. But she is way more genuine and sexy then the girl she's likely to get voted off in favor of.

For A Switch, The Academy Awards Rewards YOU!

What's a dollar buy anymore? A tall (means small) cup o' joe from Starsmucks? Nope. Need some silver. Candy? A Baby Bottle Pop is $1.39!

How about some award-winning entertainment? No, not a ticket to see the Best Picture winner. For a dollar? Hello, McFly? Someone has to pay for the black hair dye for Marty Scorcese's eyebrows! Besides, now that George is the only one of the old gang without a golden statue, they're gonna raise some money to pay the salaries for him to direct something set in England starring Kate Winslet in a corset and Leo with a new look in scraggly facial hair. Something without a Stormtrooper in sight.

No, I'm talking about the Preditors & Editor's Winner for Best Mainstream Short Story of 2006 . Thanks to the Academy and their choices, "Switch " is on sale for 50% off! Already own it? Check out the other Surges that were released along with it…they also are 50% off! This limited offer will expire Friday, March 2^nd…So act now!

Switch Is A Winner At Preditors & Editors

So, I'm at my niece's birthday party...completely overwhelmed by noise, overcarbed and needing an escape. We've done cake and ice cream, we've done Diet Coke/Mentos fountains, we've done funny animal balloons. I need a Calgon moment. I run away to my sister's bedroom and decide I'll kick it with the laptop and go to Lit and have some adult conversation...

And I follow a link...and I'm looking at the standings for Preditor's & Editors poll for General Short Stories...and I know that we had a shot at the top ten. But I didn't expect this.

Number One. I reload the page. Still number one. It's real. Wow.

I run to the other room, grab my phone, call my co-writer. She knew already, hers was the link I followed. It's almost 11 months to the day from when we learned that Switch had been accepted for publication. We laugh and giggle a little. She tells me how she had gone and looked and started to be disappointed, thinking we got bumped down. It didn't occur to her to look
above the banner at the top spot. I talk about validation and proof and she gently teases me about how I shouldn't need this to know how good we are together. She's right, of course. But it is a part of me to look outside for proof, just like it is a part of her to not need that outside point of view. Just one of the differences that make us a strong team.

Wow. This feels great.

What Does Price Say To You?

A discussion about e-books and promotion over at Mrs. Giggles blog got me thinking. (Yes, I am aware that this can be a dangerous thing to do during the work day. I mean, what if I actually accomplished something intelligent? They might *gasp* expect me to do it again tomorrow!)

At one point a comment is made to the effect that $3.00 for a 30 page read is on the pricey side. Admittedly, I bristled for a second because the comment seemed to cast a small shadow in the direction of my publisher and I am nothing if not loyal. But now I want other opinions.

Artistically Inclined is just over 13,000 words. At $3.00, that works out to 4,333 words to the dollar. Most New York publishing house novels run in the range of 80,000 words, I'm told. So we're talking $6.99 or $7.99...call it $7.50 and 80K? That is 10,666 words to the dollar. Double the value if you are relying on straight stats.

But any sports geek, and especially any baseball geek like me, knows what lies can be perpetuated by statistics. Mark Twain's line rings true here.

So the question comes down to the value in the words. A very subjective area at best. Personally, I think I give pretty good return on investment with my words. Certainly I don't feel as though I fit the profile of someone churning out stories to cash a check. Nor is there a lack of investment on my side. The new story in Artifactual (the Bruce & Mandy anthology to be released by Phaze in April) is about 30,000 words and took the better part of 10 weeks to write. True, I have a "real job" and have to write in my "spare time". But even so, there is a lot of "sweat equity" in my published work.

Do any of you have beliefs about the perceived value of an e-book based solely on it's price? Would you pass up a book because the $2.00 sale price tells you it must not be that good?

I've Been Giggled!

There’s always a certain mix of trepidation and anticipation to getting reviews. I’ve had plenty by now and although I have developed confidence in how my work will be perceived I still get a little bit of nerves.

But now I’ve been “Giggled”.

One of the more prominent reviewers in the e-romance genre is Mrs. Giggles. Actually, it’s not just e-books. The infamous one will take a shot at just about anyone. She’s tough, not afraid to speak her mind and has no fear of being passed over by publishers for giving bad reviews. (If you don’t think this happens then you aren’t paying attention. Even the worst movies find a reviewer to call them “exciting” or “stupendous”. It happens in publishing too.)

She’s the Simon Cowell of romance. And she just reviewed Switch. So I was nervous, especially because Switch is not a romance when viewed outside of the greater context of the Bruce & Mandy storyline. It’s a sexual romp, albeit with a twist. I knew she would mark us down for that. I think she did, a little bit.

But overall, I am very relieved and quite pleased. Hey, if I can take a Mrs. Giggles review and have this for the last line?

“Naturally, it succeeds in doing so, which is why this story is pretty cool.”

I’ll take that from an honest and tough reviewer EVERY time. *grin*

You can find the full review at www.mrsgiggles.com .

A Tribute To A Friend

Veteran Jazzman and long time music teacher Jimmy Cheatham left this world last friday after 82 years of lightening hearts. As I had not seen Jimmy in about six months, I found out only today when his obituary hit the paper.

Jimmy played with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, among many others, and the man with the spark in his eye and shine in his smile could make a trombone evoke a plethora of images and emotions. He was as talented as they come and he took great joy in helping others find the music they had trapped within them and bring it out for the world to share.

The lights of San Diego's clubs are a little dimmer without him and the music of the night is a bit more subdued. Jimmy would tell us not to mourn him, but to celebrate the love he showed and tell us how lucky he was to share joy with us and to have spent so long in the company of his beloved Jeannie. Jeannie has asked that if you know of Jimmy or his music and want to remember him, donate to those who help teach others to discover music's power.

Play on, my friend. The next world's band just had a huge boost in soul.

Jimmy & Jeannie Cheatham

Celebrating Creativity

If you saw and enjoyed the Saturday Night Live & Justin Timberlake song parody "My Dick In A Box" you might enjoy this.

Equal time for the sexes and, no offense Justin, but much prettier in my opinion. Really, J.T. man, don't take it personal...it's just the gender thing, OK? I mean, if I was gay I might choose you...ok, maybe after Johnny Depp and Adam Ant...and Ewan MacGregor...and A.B. Guye & Carson Sheppard...but you could be on the list somewhere. I promise, if it ever happens I'll find a place for you.

Oh, and reportedly, the major prop from the video is on sale at E-Bay now and the girl singing is from the U.K. and the girl in the video is from the U.S. That just makes the boy-band parody part more funny for me. C'mon, New Kids On The Block had so much more street cred, ya know? *wink*

Hey, I Missed This One!

Terrie Figueroa reviewed Artistically Inclined for RRT Erotic on October 25th and it took the detective work of my co-writer to notice it. Good review, too! Instead of the more common "star" system, RRT uses a more descriptive tag. In this case the story is rated "Multiple O's- Oh baby, I'd go back for more!". Now that's music to an aspiring pornster's ears there.

The review is not extensive, being part of what RRT calls their "Nibbles" but it is still nice to know that the work was appreciated and enjoyed by the reviewer. You can read the full test of what Terrie had to say here. She enjoyed the finish and she notes that she felt the sexual tension immediately.

Artistically Inclined is available from Venus Press for the incredibly affordable price of $3.98!

Happy Holidays!

No matter how you choose to celebrate...whether you are lifting a glass with family, herding children around the couch while playing basketball with wrapping paper balls and a trash bag hoop, warming your feet before a Yule log, lighting candles or just smiling while you think of absent loved ones...


I wish you all the peace and love in the world. May this day be one of light and laughter, and may your troubles recede into the background for a few hours.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

A Sale! A Sale!

Coming Christmas Eve !!!

It's Christmas eve...everything is finally wrapped, the bicycle is put together and the tree is decorated...the kids are snuggled up and dreaming desperately of morning. But you have to wait until you're sure their asleep and you've got time on your hands...why not snuggle up with a treat for your intelligence and your libido?

Or it's Christmas day...the kids are outside riding their bikes or deep into the Playstation 3 zone. Dinner is done and you just want to escape. The glass of wine or Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps is helping...but you want to find yourself on the beach in San Diego, or visiting Easter Island, or having a bedroom picnic...

Good News then. Phaze is having a sale! December 24th and 25th, got to the Phaze bookstore and enter the code SANTA50 and you'll get 50% off!!!!!!

If those days are just too crazy? But you still want to start the new year with a bang? From December 26th to the 30th, you can get 25% off by entering the code SANTA25!

So this Christmas, take a little time to treat yourself...and save while you're at it!

An Update of Sorts...

Just to let all y'all know what's going on out here in the southwest corner.

Alessia and I finished the new Mandy and Bruce adventure that will be the climax and key selling point for Artifactual, The Erotique Collection. The title of the new story is Closing Arguments and it is the longest and most complicated story in the Erotique universe so far. We introduce a couple new characters and explore in more depth some of the things about the museum and it's artifacts, things that really had not been touched on since Alessia wrote Erotique.

No exotic locations this time...except Philly. To some that is exotic. But lots of twists and turns and some very natural and realistic growth from the characters. I think that if you have enjoyed any of the earlier adventures you will love this. Plus you get all of the stories in one book.

I'm now writing a piece for a spring anthology for Phaze, my first piece for them solo. I admit I'm still going to Alessia for plenty of advice and support, but all the writing is mine this time around. I'll be interested to see how my Phaze audience reacts to solo Will.

Candace Gilmer is giving away a new version of the first Alessia & Will story as part of her Useless Movie Knowledge Holiday Edition, so check that out. The link to her blog is on the right over there and you can navigate to her web site from there.

Many of you are aware that I am a huge Charger and Padre fan. Actually, I write for both teams under a different name. Both have already had division championship seasons and the Chargers are still going, so that is also taking up my limited writing time.

Finally, I really do intend to finish not only many of my WIP short stories, but the novel that continually preys on the edges of my mind. I'll let you know when that happens.

Just in case I don't post again before Monday, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Happy Hannukah to those already celebrating. A Blessed Yule or a Joyous Kwanzaa! Or if none of those apply? Well, how about Happy New Year!

Be Naughty!
Will

San Diego Sunset Gets Four Hearts

Pam over at Love, Romances & More reviewed San Diego Sunset and enjoyed it enough to give it four hearts. It’s a great review, because Pam broke the story down and tells what she thinks about the plot, the characters and situations. It’s wonderful to see a review that shows the effort that reviewer put into it. It’s well written and it makes me think about my own work.

Too much more of this and I’ll be reviewing the reviewer…but I was very pleased to read her opinion.

You can read Pam’s review here. I’m going to make it a point to look at more on this website and from this reviewer in particular. Thank you Pam!

"San Diego Sunset" Brightens Your Winter

Whistling winds and freezing temperatures got you down? Tired of spending more time looking for a parking spot at the mall then you spent driving to the mall? Did you walk into your home office and find your Christmas List chasing your Budget around the desktop with a baseball bat?

Take a break. Make a cup of hot chocolate, pour in a generous shot of peppermint schnapps and open the laptop by the fire. The fire will warm your toes, the schnapps your tummy and San Diego Sunset's erotic romance your heart and, well, other regions...

Here's what Annie from The Romance Studio had to say about it:

San Diego Sunset
Alessa Brio and Will Belegon
Paranormal erotic romance
Available from Phaze
ISBN: 1-59426-567-4
December 2006

San Diego Sunset is the story of two individuals who are about to be brought together by destiny. He dreams several times a week of lying on an empty warm beach, post-intimacy, with a woman, and waking just before he hears her name. On the days following the dream, he is both more creative and productive, and also more stressed. She finds the dream to intensify in vividness at the end of each month, and most especially at the year’s end. Both are determined to locate the location and to find each other.

San Diego Sunset is a fascinating short tale of two souls on a collision course with Destiny and each other. I found my heart catching in my throat as the two worked their way toward each other and then at first, passed by like two ships in the night, close but without contact. But Destiny won’t be denied.

Overall rating: 4.5 of 5
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Annie
November 12, 2006

My Writing Partner...

...is running the Phaze Romance blog for the day. She is promoting our new release San Diego Sunset, which will be available from Phaze starting Sunday for the low Promotional price of only two dollars.

Currently the discussion has been primarily about dreams, their nature and how people treat them in their lives. Please click the link above if you want to join in the dialouge. Also, she used a picture I took from Sunset Cliffs here in San Diego on her first post of the day, so if you would like to view it (and possibly even compliment the photographer *hint,hint,wink,wink,nudge,nudge*)please give 'er a look.

Whispers Media Is Up & Running

So after a long wait I finally get a chance to hear what the gang over at Whispers Media has been up to...and it's quite a trip, actually.

Basically, what this company is doing is pushing erotic audio past it's grass roots beginnings and into a world of higher production values, superior voice talent and *ahem* excellent writing.

Now, I've heard the occassional worry from people...the same kind of thing you always hear when something becomes successful or gets noticed. And I've heard the worry about what if the big boys notice the value of what we are doing on the ground floor of honest and realistic erotic writing. The honesty will disappear...the raw power will be diluted and all the art will go out of it...

I disagree completely. Has it worked that way in rock n' roll? Was there only ever one or two garage bands and then no one else bothered or was willing to start one? Quite the contrary. Once it becomes possible to actually have a reward for your hard efforts...

Look, I love finishing a story just for the story's sake. I love it when my characters surprise me, when I say, "Now this will happen..." and Bruce or Mandy speak up and tell me there is no way in hell they would ever do that.

But it ain't gonna kill me if I can actually pay for my internet access by selling a story or two...if I'm collecting the occassional royalty check. (Those get bigger every month BTW *grin*)

This new outfit seems like a class act and I know they went out and found some good work to lay their foundation with...firsthand. The Voice is smooth and professional (I'll leave the judgment on sexiness to the ladies and occassional open-minded gent). The cost is affordable. I just don't see many negatives here, and I see a lot of potential positives...

...and if you intend to give them a try and download an MP3 or order a CD? Yeah, how about trying Track 2 on "Just The Two Of Us" under the Blue Moon Whispers line? This um, friend of mine would love to hear your reaction to it...

Perspective

All of my troubles, all of my worries...the hopes and dreams, the moments in both sun and shadow. Today they all seem less important and yet they seem all the more vibrant. Today I cherish even my pain.

Gabrielle was with us less than three days. She was born to a dear friend half a world away. I spent hours with her, but I'll never hold her hand. She has reminded me of the importance of love and life, but I'll never kiss her cheek. At least not in this world.

Gabrielle came into the world after 25 weeks in her mothers internal embrace...not nearly enough, but there was no choice. She touched lives all over the world in this brief foray into a larger, colder climate. The measure of her impact will not be known for many years, but more than 80 people in 13 countries lit candles for her and directed their healing thoughts and prayers towards her and her mother.

She is now a permament part of our community. In the words that she inspired, in the friendships she strengthened, in the hearts she touched she will live forever.

Goodbye little warrior. You will not be forgotten.

Two Things I Want To Talk About...

...But I keep having other things to get done. How dare my life get in the way of my Blogosphere!

I want to talk about Whispers Media, a new venture I was asked to write for back in the spring. It's an exciting concept and I'm pleased to be a part of it for many reasons. The audio potential of the internet is expanding greatly and I think that the team at WM have a great concept and that it is well executed. Currently that link is only going to take you to a preview site, but they should be up and running very soon. I'll give out a little more info very soon.

The La Jolla Writers Conference was this past weekend, and it was an incredible experience for me. My co-writer came out and we both took great advice and validation out of our interactions with the powerhouse lineup of speakers & instructors. Plus, in the time we weren't spending in workshops and classes we were able to get an amazing amount of plotting and scripting done for our next Bruce & Mandy adventure, which is really going to throw some readers for a loop. I think we showed that we are not afraid to do what we think the characters and story are telling us to do, even when it seems dangerous.

More very soon!

Well, I Did Star Wars, I Have To Do Firefly...

I love this show...I'm a Browncoat alright. I became one after I bought the movie Serenity. I had the movie about a week and I hadn't watched it yet and I mentioned this to a parent of one of the kids on my little league team. This provoked a reaction of, "No, Wait!!!!" and a demand that I borrow his DVD set and watch the Firefly series first. And I'm glad I took the advice.

Figures...very typical Will Belegon to fall in love with a TV series only after it's cancelled. See, I almost never watch TV...aside from sports and the History Channel anyway. I loved Firefly so much that I went out and bought my own copy. I dearly hope that somehow Fox can be persuaded to sell the rights back to Joss Whedon or to Sci-Fi or HBO or something. It will be hard enough to reunite the cast now...the longer it goes the less chance it will work.

So, I took the personality quiz, and this is what the result was...


You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)
Dependable and trustworthy.
You love your significant other and
you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.


Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

It's Strange The Way Things Affect Us

As word spread about a small plane crashing into an apartment building in New York today, I found myself rather uninterested once it seemed obvious it was an isolated incident. Not that I am uncaring about the people involved or that I didn't find the loss of life a little sad; just that it is, in the long run, a thing that has zero effect on my life...

Until I found out who was piloting the plane. Why does someone who outrightly rejects the "Cult of Celebrity" like myself still buy into it enough subconsciously that I am suddenly fascinated just because it was a MLB pitcher at the controls?

I don't want to belittle Cory Lidle or those who will be affected by this accident. It is, of course, a tragic thing for the families of those involved. Because fans do get emotionally involved with the people that play for the team they love, this does now affect thousands or even millions more than it would have otherwise. I recognize this and understand it. I felt the same thing when San Diego Padres outfielder Mike Darr was killed in a car accident during Spring Training a few years ago. I shared experiences with him...Even if I did it at the same time as 30,000 others. It was enough of a connection to make the accident "personal" to me...and Yankee fans are bound to feel the same way now.

There are obviously a lot of unanswered questions about this particular incident. I hope it was an accident, not deliberate. There are so many things that can go wrong in a small plane. Because of who it was, I'll be paying more attention then I would have otherwise. Whether because I've seen him pitch (I have) or because we share a nebulous bond as ballplayers, who knows?

Regardless, I hope that whatever does come out publicly is not something that makes the families feel worse...



...but I'll still be looking for The Onion to post a story about the Terrorist connections of George Steinbrenner and Joe Torre in the next few days.

There Are Other Things In Life...

Yes, I have have been a little slow to post anything new here for the last month or so...I admit it. But there's this thing that happens; You know, it's related to the old cliche about how every spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of...

Baseball, of course. And see, my team has been in an intense pennant race and now there are playoff games to attend and agonize over.

So relax. I'm not dead. I didn't go into hiding to avoid the DEA, who want to bust me for cough syrup because I don't like George Bush. I'm not on the run after being branded an unamerican terrorist for questioning whether a guy getting a blow job is really more dastardly than lying to start a war or letting millions of people go homeless because you're too busy to watch the Weather Channel.

And I most certainly have neither stopped nor even truly slowed the sexual calisthenics my brain goes through on a daily basis...

It's the playoffs, baby!

There are other things to think about besides sex ya know...really. Um, for a little while anyway. *wink*

TCM Reviews Liked Artistically Inclined

Robyn Ashford reviewed Artistically Inclined for TCM Reviews, and although there is no rating assigned she seems to have enjoyed the read...her final line is one that gave me a little shiver...

"Forget the candy and the romantic candlelight dinner. Start a new Valentine’s Day tradition."

Tell me that doesn't so sound like something that belongs on those first pages of a paperback edition where the publisher is trying to convince you not to put the book back down on the shelf!

Ok, I Almost Never Take These...

...but I admit to being a complete Star Wars Junkie, and with the original trilogy having been released recently on DVD in their theatrical form ( Han would NEVER wait for that slimeball to fire first!), why not play a bit?

Chewbacca

According to our patented JawamaticTM technology, you are most like Chewbacca in personality. Chewbacca epitomises the idea of a "gentle giant" -- someone whose stature is intimidating but who is actually very kind and caring. In many ways he's very similar to Han Solo, his best friend, but he's much more comfortable with his emotions. Chewie is, in a word, sweet. (The polar opposite of Chewbacca is Darth Vader.)

Link: The Star Wars Personality Test written by MiguelSanchez on Ok Cupid

"Artistically Inclined" Released By Venus Press!

Yes gentle readers, it's true...Someone other than Phaze has been talked into the ludicrous idea of paying me. I can understand paying Alessia...but me? I guess they don't realize just how starved for attention I really am...

Fictionwise

I'm beginning to get it...this idea that I really am a pro. Things like royalty checks and having to save receipts. Going to the "Authors" page at Venus Press and seeing my name an inch below that of Piers Anthony. The latest thing to trip that little trigger? I have a page at Fictionwise dedicated to my published work.

Feels good...

Reviews Are Starting To Come In

The reviews for Amichu are starting to arrive, with first one out coming from BareBack Magazine. Natasha Brooks from Bareback gave mine and Alessia's latest 4.5 stars out of a possible five!

Some highlights from her review:

"The writing duo Alessia Brio and Will Belegon are at it again with the third edition to the series started originally by Alessia."

"This story is filled with much more action and adventure than you can ever imagine. I sat in amazement after reading the enormous amount of creativity that was put into this ebook."

"The story ... starts off on a humorous tone, but then soon introduced an action packed plot and adventure for Amanda and Bruce as they head to South America to uncover the truth about an Incan artifact that was generously donated to Erotique, (Amanda's sex toy shop and museum) by a lover of Amanda's late aunt."

"One thing that I enjoyed about this ebook was that ... I could clearly and vividly visualize the story as I read it."

"In terms of the sexual heat of the story, it was well balanced, considering how well the story was written."

"One thing that I admire about the story is that the relationship and love between Amanda and Bruce seems realistic and is displayed in the skillful use of dialog between the two characters.

"The story was outstanding."

About the only thing Natasha didn't like was something that Alessia and I intend to fix if a hoped for opportunity comes in, so I didn't find a whole lot to dislike in this. Of course, that's why I want to crow about it here!

I Must Be Getting Really Frustrated.

Those of you who know me from discussion boards or author groups will recognize how rarely I become involved in political discussions. Rather than alienate a group of people with whom I share common goals (those being the continued freedom of speech and the press and fighting the demonization of healthy sexuality), I will sit on the sidelines and just allow peoples passions free reign. Those rare times I do speak up are usually when someone just goes too far to the extreme in making a point.

Yet lately, I find myself compelled to make very public the point that disagreeing with the foreign policy of a sitting President is not an exercise in sedition.

This nation was founded in part because we did not feel that it was correct to simply do what George said without speaking our mind about it. True, that was a different George. That one had the title that this one sometimes appears to desire. Also, neither George is an isolated entity making decisions unilaterally, although the propaganda of those in opposition has portrayed it as such in both cases.

Therefore, I find it bewildering to be accused of “acting un-American” when I question the wisdom or policies of a man who STILL can’t pronounce nuclear. On the contrary, I would say that our founding fathers would find the idea that we should accept the word of a political figure as truth simply because we elected him is the thing that is un-American.

As a certain segment of our population continues the attempt to push us further toward a Fundamentalist Christian theocracy and away from being comfortable when speaking with a dissenting voice, I suspect that I will feel the urge to shoot from the hip more often.

Let me make it clear that although I most certainly did not vote for him, George W. Bush is my President. I will make my opinion of his actions known when asked and I am not shy about demonstrating my disapproval of him, but he is the democratically elected leader of the nation I love. I am not in denial, nor am I unaware of how the process works. However it is both my duty and my right to disagree with the man and other members of his political party.

So back off! Don’t call me a traitor, or a terrorist enabler, or anything else that makes sense in your twisted little neo-con minds. Don’t tell me I don’t support the troops because I don’t think they belong in the middle of someone else’s civil war. I come from a family with a strong military tradition. My father slogged through rice paddies, my brother was special forces out of Fort Bragg before he messed up his back and I have cousins in the service right now, one of whom has seen more of Baghdad than he ever wanted.

There is nothing that makes us more American then standing up and speaking our minds when we feel people in authority are in the wrong. The price of freedom is eternal viligance. Thomas Jefferson said that. The name should be familiar.

Coffee In New York

Baileys, heavy cream and froth sprinkled with cinnamon,
rejuvenating,
intoxicating cup
on a windswept August afternoon
tendril’d heat
rising steamily
over the tan and green
of the vine’d tablecloth
a summer’s feast
tripping across tongues
laughter echoing against the windows
shared memories
imposing upon the silence
time to feel
the meaning of our friendship
time to make moments
that light candles and stars.

Phaze In The City

Last Friday night, I had a reading and signing in the Big Apple.

Really. People came and listened to my poetry and prose. Stood there in the dark, listened appreciatively. Laughed at the right times. Made interesting little noises at the right times. After my turn came I returned to my table and watched several others do the same and found myself seriously impressed with them. Then I wondered if they were thinking the same thing about me. I decided that they may have been, and that was just wonderfully fulfilling.

Then at the very end I went back up and finished off the night as I had been the one to start it, only this time reading in tandem with my co-author Alessia Brio. This time I know people were affected by our words and our performance. I could hear their breathing, hear the little intakes of breath and even a muttered "oh my".

We read a scene that happens fairly early in Amichu, and it was very well recieved. Afterwards, we were asked where we would be appearing next by one of the patrons. Is there any greater compliment then for someone to come up and tell you that he enjoyed that enough that he wants to hear more and perhaps bring some others to hear it too?

It was great to meet so many of my fellow authors from Phaze. Robin Slick, Bianca D'Arc, Petula Caesar, Cassidy Kent and Stella Price; I so enjoyed our time together and look forward with great anticipation to meeting you again. We had a wonderful time, didn't we?

The only sad things were that our compatriot Leigh Ellwood had her flight cancelled and a special guest that I was really looking forward to meeting after years of speaking with her by phone or email had an unavoidable situation keep her from attending. But even so, it was incredibly empowering and gratifying. To be applauded for the work of my imagination in such a manner wasn't bad for the ol' male ego either.

I am so doing this again!

"Amichu" Is Finally Available!

After delays caused by circumstances beyond our control, and due in no small part to the extraordinary efforts of my partner and one of our Phaze comrades, Amichu is now available for download here.

Amichu is the third in a series of adventures involving Bruce and Mandy and is the most far-reaching in terms of location and intrigue. I feel it is a solid work and will dearly enjoy hearing the responses from our readers.

Interviewed By An Angel

Well, a Fallen Angel anyway...I recently did an interview with Serena of Fallen Angel Reviews. The interview is posted at their website, here.

Serena asked a couple of fun questions and I always enjoy the banter, but I've gotten very little feedback from my interviews don in the past and I always wonder how people feel about what I had to say.

So...A Contest! A reader of mine has given me a wonderful suggestion for promotional bookmarks to use at signings. Because of the popularity of a couple of my avatars and the association with blue jeans that has grown from that, I will soon be cutting up a pair of my jeans into bookmarks for autograph purposes.

The first person to respond via email with a subject line of "Whimsical Fallen Angel Contest" that correctly can tell me the name of the first girl I kissed and the title I relish even more than "published author" will win one of these denim keepsakes, personally autographed by yours truly.

So let's see if anyone is actually paying attention out there...

The Fog of Memory

Sometimes places and people change dramatically with the distance of time...even if they don't change at all.

Perceptions of your reality all share a piece of common ground. They are your perceptions. Based on your environment, your memories, your situation. Everything we see throgh our eyes is subject to interpretation by our own brain. The curse of the perfection-seeking artist is that he can not control the perceptions of his audience. Therefore, he can never perfectly portray any thing...not a color, not a thought, not a sound.

The same holds true for the times we share in this world. You have pleasant memories of a place for many reasons, and not all of them have anything to do with the place.

Cover Proof

We got a proof of our cover for Artistically Inclined and I really like it. No offense to my Phaze publishers/editors, but I really like the actual photo better then the computer generated illustration.

As soon as we have a release date and a final version I will let you know, announcing it both here and at my Yahoo Group.

I will be on an author chat at Phaze.com at 9 pm eastern, a little over an hour from now. If you read this and have the chance, come on over and say "Hi!". I need to start announcing these chats a couple days before hand over the mailing list...instead of an hour and a quarter before it starts.

Not So Little Things

It’s often the small moments that make the most surprising impact. A graduation or a wedding, the birth of a child…all these moments are huge and you expect them to create huge emotions.

But sometimes a small thing can generate feelings out of proportion with its apparent importance. Such a moment came to me today, and although I was expecting it due to a conversation with my co-writer, it was no less sweet.

I go to the page titled “Meet Our Authors” at Venus Press, and there I am. And about two inches above me is Piers Anthony.

It takes an awful lot to make me quote Ashton Kutcher, but still…

“DUDE! That is sweeeeeeeet!”

Who Wants To Dance?

Alessia and I got news on Monday evening that Amichu, the next adventure in the lives of Bruce and Mandy, was selected by Phaze to be a part of their upcoming Samba line of HeatSheets.

The Samba line is a series of affordable novellas tied together by being set in South America. Alessia and I really wanted to be part of this line, but at first we were coming up empty on what to do with it. When the idea of Easter Island and its disputed connections to South American civilizations came up, our block evaporated very quickly.

Not only did we come up with what we believe is our best work to date, we also ended up with one of our biggest challenges; keeping it below the 12,000 word limit on the HeatSheet format. If every scene we had originally envisioned been included, this story could have easily reached 20,000 words.

Even just including the words we actually wrote would have put us near 15,000. The editing process was very painful at points, requiring both of us to let go of things we wanted to keep. However, the result is a story that reads like it is half of its actual length, a real page-turner. Action packed in more ways then one; it races to its conclusion.

The storyline introduces two new characters and gives us a glimpse into the past behind the creation of Erotique and the colorful life of its founder, Mandy’s mysterious aunt. It also introduces a new twist to the erotic magic that Bruce and Mandy are beginning to discover running through all of human history. Not only does Amichu give you more of Bruce and Mandy, it sets the scene for many possible adventures to follow.

Amichu will be released towards the end of July and will be available through Phaze.com at the low HeatSheet price of $2.00. I will certainly let you know when it is available for download.

Muse Re-Awakened?

So, after a dry spell of way too long, I am finally starting to find something when I sit down at my keyboard again...WORDS!

Since taking on my new day-job, which I am enjoying greatly, I had been pretty dry. However, my non-fiction was still flowing all right, so I did not worry too much. I've gone through this before and always come out the other side intact.

Then Colleen died. All of a sudden I couldn't write anything. Except apologies for not writing and internet posts. It scared me a little...

Sure, it was only like two weeks. But it was the longest time I had gone without writing since I rediscovered my "voice" a few years back. So I started to wonder.

Well, in the last three days I have finished a short piece of about 1800 words and put 1000 words down on another.

Whew!

Goodbye Red.

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We Must Always Be Vigilant

One of the greatest challenges of a democratic society is to provide for protection against what John Stuart Mill called the "Tyranny of the Majority".

As with free speech, this is most difficult when you are in opposition to the will of the individual or the minority. It is always easy to defend the rights of those with whom you are in agreement. To defend against the enforcement of a position you yourself endorse requires a greater morality then that taught in water cooler discussions, family experience or under the auspices of a religious institution.

Our legally elected President has endorsed the proposal of a constitutional amendment whose ultimate goal is no less then the disengagement of a portion of the population he is charged to protect from the basic rights asserted in the very formation of the nation he now leads.

This nation was formed around the idea of certain unalienable rights. To quote a document with which the President of the United States should be greatly familiar, "Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

It is the solemn duty of the government of this nation to protect it's citizens against the power and despotism of it's own population. Regardless of the intent or moral stance of the largest portion of the people, to actively pursue the limitation of a section of this countries citizens from their right to pursue happiness in a manner that does not harm the person or livelihood of another citizen is no less than the greatest possible dereliction of duty and can be characterized at worst as treasonous.

To legistate against a single person in a manner to restrict his or her liberty due to a belief that you know better then he what is good, right or moral for him is an affront against the Constitution of this great nation and an encroachment upon the claim which drove us to cast off the yoke of English monarchy. That claim being that we are free men.

It is a betrayal to be elected to the office of the highest single position of power over a nation of free men and then to wilt in the face of public outcry and endorse a limitation of the liberty of the populace with whom you are charged with protecting. Were it but a single person standing against us all, if his claim did no harm to another individual it would be the duty of the President to champion his cause and rally to his defense. Instead, our President has consulted the polls and decided to throw the christians to the lions for the entertainment of the masses.

I will end by once again quoting On Liberty by John Stuart Mill.

"the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. "

Mr. President, I call upon you to rethink your position and assume the true duties of the office to which you were elected. Show me the truth of your morality.

"Switch" Continues To Review Well

More reviews have been posted about my first release with Alessia Brio and the opinion continues to be positive! So far the harshest criticism has been that the reviewer felt it was too much of a playful romp and wanted more characterization and plot. *insert evil laugh here* Yes, I so hate to delve into the inner workings of my characters...

From Leola Brooks review at Eternal Night :

"This is highly entertaining story with delightful verbal interplay between Amanda and Bruce as well as a sizzling script for a very unusual, very hot picnic."

From Enchanted Ramblings :

"The two different perspectives from the male and female author worked well, and I would like to see something lengthier ... from this writing duo, as they have a great style."

All in all, I'd have to say I'm pretty pleased...and highly anticipating the release of Artistically Inclined from Venus Press.

It's Been A While Huh?

Sorry about the long gap here...wasn't really deliberate. Just got caught up in quote "real life" unquote.

My co-writer and I finished the sequel to Switch. I started a new job last week, one I like much better then the old one. It has much better hours and no weekends so I can still coach little league.

But my writing has slowed tremendously. I am telling myself it is just the new schedule and the adjustments I am having to make for that...and that I don't have that extra hour in the morning anymore. Besides, it is only the fiction. My sportswriting is still going strong.

I think I just need to get comfy...

"Switch" Has It's First Review

Shay over at Sensual Reads has given Switch it's first review, and I think she might have thought we did okay...

"For Amanda and Bruce, their time seemed to be spent with the operations of Erotique, a famous sex toy shop and museum. They never seemed to have time for one another. But with a shared kiss at the office, and a little pet and play, they made the time. A mattress picnic in their new apartment was the perfect plan. Along with a new toy to test.

"With the storm brewing outside, and the very pleasurable toy in place, Amanda and Bruce become lost in one another. When the power surges, that becomes the game. They have somehow switched bodies, and soon learn just what it takes to make the other burn. And they are both surprised at what they discover.

"Okay, I have to say WOW! Switch is one hot read that will have your temperature rising, and the play between the two laugh out loud funny. I now have a new outlook on just what my man may be feeling. And I will never look at nipple clamps or grapes the same way again. This duo of authors have a short but sweetly electrifying hot hit on their hands. Bravo! My smile will be in place every time the lightening strikes."

Guest Hosting Gig Thursday, April 27th

On Thursday, my co-writer Alessia Brio and I will be guest hosts for the Phaze Romance Blog.

We have plans to announce a little contest to reward those of you who shelled out the two bucks to actually buy a copy of Switch. After that, we really don't know what we will do. But I sure would like to have someone pop over there and play.

How about it? Want to come out and play?

It's Today! It's Today! It's Today!

"...But it's always today, George..."

Ok, please forgive the father of two for a Stuart Little reference. But it really is today. Today is the day that I can finally tell someone that I'm a published author. Because the easy question with the hard answer was, "Well, where can I buy your book?"




Yep, it's out! It's in the store and for half the the price of a Venti double mocha half decaf extra hot with a twist at Star-Schmucks you can now download your very own copy of Switch, guaranteed to start your blood rushing to places that wake you up. Only $2.00! Get yours now so that when Alberto Gonzales sends me to prison for corrupting innocent 36 year old bisexual meteorologists by introducing them to alternative jewelry, you can tell all your friends that you knew me when I was only a small boil on the ass of the Republican party instead of a threat to world moral conformity.

A Moment In Fatherhood.

Since I have time on my hands due to my unemployment, I have been doing something people have suggested I do for years. I have been helping coach my son's Little League team. My son has a love for the game similar to his father's and idolizes Trevor Hoffman of the Padres. He is his teams best pitcher, but in the league he is in as an eight year old, each pitcher is only allowed two innings. The team has come to expect two quick scoreless innings when he is pitching. This morning, it got a little challenging, and I had a chance to see how my boy would respond to adversity.

In his first inning, he struck out the first two batters. The next batter hit a weak pop fly to second. My son literally starts walking towards the dugout. Being Little League, the ball was, of course, dropped. Very frustrated, he walked the next batter.

Next batter hits a ground ball to second. The second baseman makes up for his drop of the fly ball by fielding it cleanly, trying to tag the runner going by, then turning to throw to first with plenty of time left. Unfortunately, the first baseman is standing there watching the second baseman, ten feet from first base. Everybody is safe.

My son gets more frustrated, goes to a 3-0 count on next hitter, then steps off the mound after finally hearing me yelling at him to do so. Takes a couple deep breaths, settles down, throws two strikes. On the full count the ball is hit to center field. Luckily, the right kid is there.

The one who always listens to the coaches and is our best athlete. The one who catches line drives galore in practice. The one who always uses two hands. The one who puts his glove up and has the ball go right in and out because for the first time any of us can remember he only used one hand. Two runs score.

My son puts his hat over his face. I know he is trying not to cry.

His focus gone, he throws eight straight balls, walking in a run. One of the other coaches goes to the mound to talk to him, because I am afraid to say anything for fear that I will just put more pressure on him.

Coach tells him to relax, to forget about the bases being loaded and to just stare at his catcher. He strikes out their best hitter on three pitches.

My son comes into the dugout, throws his hat, throws his glove and starts crying. I sit next to him and tell him to knock it off, why is he crying? He tells me he is crying because he walked in a run. (Proud Daddy moment. He is not blaming others, but focusing on what he could have done better.)

We talk about how things should have been, about how his job is to throw strikes and about how he can not control what happens behind him. He calms down, talks his catcher into going behind the dugout and throwing for a bit while his team bats.

He returns to the mound for his second inning. I am nervous as hell for him.

He strikes out the side.

VERY Proud Daddy moment.

I Can Feel You Shiver With Antici.....

Well, okay...actually I'm the one shivering with anticipation. My first real honest published work is due for release soon, maybe as soon as Thursday. They have not given us a schedule for which of the Surge novellas will be released on the first day, but the first couple will be out April 20th.

I will, of course, trumpet it here and through my yahoo group when Switch is available for download.

Baseball's Back!

My one true obsession besides sex is baseball. I like other sports, even love them. I have a lightning bolt tatooed on my right arm fer crissakes. But baseball is the one that really holds my attention.

I love it at least partially because I know it so well. Baseball is never boring to me because I see so much that the more casual fan misses. Not that I want to come off elitist or anything, but I did play the game for a long time and I tend to think and watch a game like I am still playing. I think about what pitch I would throw next, I look at an outfielder and think that he is out of position a pitch or two before a ball that should have been caught drops in for a Texas Leaguer. I love the game in person because on television I can't see the things that really intrigue me.

So I might be a little bit of a baseball snob, in the same way a person that really knows wine will be unwilling to drink something that the rest of us think is fine, or the way I just can't pick up an issue of Penthouse Letters because I know that there is so much better erotica out there on the web for free and if I am gonna spend money on smut I can read something by Gwen Masters or Leigh Ellwood or Colleen Thomas and get way more bang for my buck.