tc_blue

Hello and welcome to Worlds Within Words, one of TWO online locations for information from, by and about the writings of T.C. Blue.

The works mentioned here are all-male (aka slash) romances with erotic content which is sometimes quite graphic. If you aren't old enough to be here, please leave.

My current releases are all available from Torquere Press and can be found HERE

This is now mostly a forum to vent about writing, real life, and random thoughts.

Run while you still can. *grins*

UPDATE: I now have a blog located HERE (courtesy of the wonderful and multi-talented megleigh) where all my books and such can be found. I expect to at some point publish with more than just the one publisher, so this would be the place to find everything in one spot.

I will of course post here about new releases and such, as well as the aforementioned vents, harangues and other babble. LOL

~Tis

Seriously. WORLD of Weird. And I only just realized it.

First off, I've come to the conclusion that not only does my elderly Mum have gaydar, but more specifically, she has GAY-PORN-DAR!!! I mean it. Every time I've been writing a sex scene in the last three months, she calls me. Just when it's getting to the really good part. The conversation generally goes something like this:

( the latest conversation )

Second in the World of Weird is that I'm starting to think, for the first time ever, that I might truly be affected by the weather.

( depression alert )
* * *

Y'know, it seems I'm using LJ as a platform for venting. God knows none of you signed on for this. So I apologize and I promise to do my best to keep future posts less drama-centric. Hell, chances are, I'm alienating possible readers with the news of just how very sucky things are at the moment. So. On the bright side...

I have a Christmas sip AND a Christmas single shot coming out this weekend. And I LOVE the cover of my single shot. It's been ages since I've been able to say that I love a cover, so that's a good thing. Yay! :D

The sip is actually a sequel of sorts to "A Change of Plans" which is another sip that dealt with Nicky (former boyfriend of Cliff from Life or Something Scary Like That which is the first original story I ever wrote) and Brad, the guy he ends up with as a roommate. It's months after the first sip when Nicky has to mett the parents in A Change of Pace. Things don't go quite as Nicky thought they would. *hee*

The other Christmas story, Snow & Mistletoe deals with an entirely new cast of characters. There's Richard-- scarred from an accident in his youth and somewhat overweight-- his roommate Garrick, Garrick's girlfriend Selena, a bartender named Malik and Malik's cousin, Ty, who manages the bar Richard ends up working in.

There are anonymous gifts for Richard involved and tension of the unresolved sexual and otherwise variety. *grins*

I'm going to try to attach the cover here, but God only knows if it'll work because I'm remarkably UN-savvy with LJ, as well as other web-ery.






Isn't it lovely? *grins*

And that, I suppose, is all I have to say for now. It's a World of Weird and I'm stuck living in it.

Fortunately, this too will pass. Hopefully sooner, rather than later. I don't even know why it's hitting me so hard this year. It just is.

I swear I'll be fine once December is through. I'm not usually one for drama and angst, outside of the books I write. I just feel... I don't know. Fragile right now. So sue me.

~Tis

A year ago today, and you are still missed.

Too soon gone. Never forgotten.

I love you, honey. Always. And I hope you're in a good place with loads of ripped, toned boys whose thoughts revolve solely around making you happy.

I believe that you are. I have to believe it. You deserved so much better than what you got.

Much love for you, my darling. Be well, wherever you are.

~Tis

First off, many thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I appreciate it more than you know. Not just because it's nice to know you were thinking of me, but because...

( whinging this way... )

SO. Thanks again to everyone who's wished me happy, and thanks for e-cards, shiny b-day wishes here on LJ and for v-gifts! :)

You guys rock SO HARD! And I adore each and every one of you, even those who just read my posts and don't ever comment.

~Tis

Hello, my sugar-coated marshy-chicks and bunnies! Happy holiday season to all!

As the subject states, I have a question for you guys and I'm really hoping someone can answer me. Well, make that two questions, really.

Firstly... the snowflake cookie thingies. Anyone know where to find them? Because they don't seem to be in the virtual-gifts store. Am I blind/stupid/delusional? They really do exist, right?

Secondly... used to be I'd get email saying when someone had replied or commented to a post here on LJ, but for the last couple days, I haven't. People have replied to stuff I've said here and there, but nothing in my email to let me know. I didn't even know I'd gotten virtual-pressies until I went looking for something in my user info and saw them there.

(And, btw... thanks, princesslanie, elisa_rolle, andy_slayde and ali_wilde! Ali, I was so gonna send you a penguin but you beat me to it and they don't have CHEESE in the store, Gods know why! *pouts*)

So okay. Those are my questions. Any answers? *hopeful smile*

( writing stuff )

( real life stuff )

~Tis

Believe me, the post title applies in so many, MANY ways. *hee*

Cut for length:

( writing stuff )

* * *

Also cut for length:

( Crazy RL shit )

* * *

Sorry, the last part turned into something of a rant. Didn't mean it to. Feel free to skip it all, though I DO feel better for having said it. :)

~Tis

Not sure that's how to spell it, but yes, I'm making a post about pirates. The electronic sort.

Honestly, I'm pissed. Not in the sense of being drunk, though that's not far from true, but in the furious sense.

I'm not sure that Live Journal allows enough space in these posts, but I've posted "An Open Letter to Pirates" over on my site, a post which I'm cleverly calling An Open Letter to Pirates.

As I say in the post, I don't expect it to have any effect, but I feel a lot better for having said it. *grins*

I doubt anyone will want to repost, but feel free if you do.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled lives.

~T

Okay, still not a movie reviewer, so feel free to move along and ignore. Also, not feeling terribly witty tonight, so make of these what you will. :P

Now, as I may have mentioned before, I rarely ever GO to the movies. I'm a DVD girl, all the way (which makes my life easier because honsetly? Going to a theatre to watch gay porn? Gets me the STRANGEST looks. Thus, I'm used to watching ALL movies at home, not just porny ones).

Tonight, I'm offering up my opinions on three films, if you can call two of them films. Is it just me, or does the word FILM seem more appropriate to things you actually LIKE, while MOVIE is broader? *shrugs* Anyway... I'm putting reviews under cuts, so it'll be easier to scroll past this entry or just avoid spoilers. LOL

First up is Every Little Step
( Chorus Line Movie )

The second movie I'm mentioning is Dragonball Evolution.

( Manga Abuse here )

Finally, my thoughts on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
( NOT more than meets the eye )

So, there it is. My thoughts. *grins* Grain of salt, anyone? *heehee*

~Tis

... well, not entirely meh, I suppose. I did have the good reviews and such, so that's good.

It was a halfway decent day, as well, so I don't know why I feel so blah. I got some writing done. Maybe 3,000 words or so on a new project I just started the other day.

Word counts are boring, I know, but it helps me to feel accomplished, so... feel free to skip this part.

In the last week, I've managed 3,636 on the vamp thing I may have mentioned before (still not sure about whether I like it, so I might not finish it and probably not by the 31st), 1,728 on the third book of the Conventions series (I need to write way more on this, as it's only around 7,000 words at the moment), and 5,813 on the new, as yet untitled story (it seems to want to be something other than a romance, so God knows what I'll do with it when it's done, but whatever).

All told, that's 11,177 keepable words (meaning I won't be changing them until I finish the stories and go back to do rewrites and polishing). I'm reasonably satisfied with that amount, especially after two months of writing nothing new. *hee*

I'm still waiting to find out whether "Life Changes Everything" (sequel to Life or Something Scary Like That) will be accepted for publication. This shouldn't surprise me since I only sent it in five days ago. Seriously. I JUST sent it in and I'm anxious, aka impatient, to know. *chuckles* Yeah, I'm really not good at waiting, am I?

The editing schedule for my book with Total-e-bound has been pushed back to November, but I've been reliably informed that this won't have any effect upon release date, so I'm good with that. LOL

Okay, I'm off to watch the latest episode of Fringe over at hulu, so have fun guys. Maybe I'll have something that's actually interesting to say, next time. :P

~T

I just found out that Conventional Wisdom was reviewed by Lisa over ay Joyfully Reviewed, and she not only liked it, but has named it a recommended read! *is stoked*

Read the review!

See my pretty button?



Also, the lovely boylove_addict has reviewed my new story, Making Lemonade on her LJ, HERE! Much love, my dear. Much, much love! *bounces*

And in a final note, the wonderful Carole at Rainbow Reviews has given my book Making It Up 4 STARS! You can read that review HERE, if you're so inclined, or read Jenre's review, posted at her Well Read blog, HERE. *does a little dance*

All these and others are available on my author page at TQ, of course. :)

Okay, shameless self-pimping done. I'm just excited, is all. :P

~Tis

Lambda Literary:

They have every right to do what they choose with their awards. That said... according to their website, the awards have been going on since 1988. It seems a little odd to me that they've suddenly decided to change the criteria for entering. Not that I had any plans of submitting anything to their awards, oh... EVER. Just saying.

By the same token, they may (quite legitimately) have figured nobody who wasn't gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered would ever be writing in what has been considered in the past a somewhat taboo genre. This may simply be their way of trying to reaffirm what they thought their awards were about all these years.

I can't say that it particularly bothers me on a personal level, to be honest. I mean, I don't write literature. I write romances with sex. I hope people enjoy them. I'm not in it for awards.

On the other hand, I can totally understand why their new stance seems exclusionary and somewhat prejudicial. I can see how it comes off as "we don't want you straight women taking up spots that could be given to actual GAY people" and I understand why people are up in arms.

Bottom line... the Lambda Awards purport to be for the best gay BOOKS, not the best gay AUTHORS. I don't personally think it should matter whether the books are written by gay men, straight women or monkey with typewriters. But apparently it does, so... *shrugs*

As I've never considered entering my books for a Lambda Award, their decision/announcement/whatever really doesn't impact me or my life. I wish them luck.

Roman Polanski:

The man is a sicko. This is my opinion and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but that's how I feel.

He raped a 13 year old girl after plying her with mind-numbing substances. He got his rocks of by penetrating her vaginally and anally. Then he admitted it, though he claimed it was consentual. He plea bargained down to a ridiculously small sentence and when it looked like the judge might not accept the plea bargain, he fled to France amidst claims of unfair trial.

Now, MY understanding of the legal system is that a plea bargain is entered into by the defending attorney and the District Attorney's office. It is presented to the judge but is NOT binding upon that judge. It is merely an agreement between the defense attorney and the D.A.'s office that this is the sentence they feel is reasonable. The judge is allowed to disagree, within the boundaries of the law.

To those claiming insane things like... it was 30 years ago and it's not like he killed someone?

It was 30 years ago. He was guilty. He ran away. He's been caught now. He should be punished.

He may not have killed someone, but he for damned sure murdered that 13 year old girl's innocence and ripped away her childhood. And I get that she just wants it to be over, and yes, there was a monetary settlement of a civil case that ended up benefiting the girl financially, but that doesn't make it okay for him to just go merrily about his business. The fact that he PAID such a settlement in the first place pretty much tells ME that he knows what he did, knows it was wrong and for some reason thinks money makes it all better.

Honestly, I hope he goes to prison and finds out just how unimportant it is to be anally raped against his will.

There's even a petition floating around somewhere for people to sign that counters the "let him off" petition. It says "put the child-raping bastard in JAIL" (okay, I'm paraphrasing, but same diff). I say good.



Okay, not really my usual sort of post, but I figured I'd just get it out there. That's all I have to say on either subject. Take it as you will.

~T

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything, but between my last post and this one, I've been to Dragon*Con, had the evil con sickies from Hell (still not really better yet) and had two different stories come out.

Sort of having a yay moment about the last. lol

The first of these two stories was a novel called Making It Up, which I'm VERY happy to say has received a 4 star review HERE at Rainbow Reviews! Many thanks to Carole for her lovely words! Oh, and this is the cover! *hee*



My other new release is just out today, and shares the honor of being first in Torquere's new 'color box' line with Sean Michael. Good company, right? *grins*

My story is called Making Lemonade and I'm totally pimping it over at the TQ LJ today, so stop by if you can.

The cover:


And the blurb: When Gray Latham's uncle Will, dies unexpectedly, Gray travels to Connecticut to pay his respects to both Will's memory and Will's long-time girlfriend, Eva Monroe. Imagine his surprise when Eva turns out to be Evan -- tall, lean, too attractive and completely in mourning Evan Monroe.

Evan's expecting a quick visit from his lover's uncaring nephew, but when Gray shows up at his door he finds much more than that. Between the instant attraction and an ill-advised, Margarita-fueled kiss, Evan isn't sure what to make of the Montana rancher, especially with Bill so recently and suddenly gone. With emotions running high and interfering friends and family sticking their noses into things, can the two men find a way to accept life's lemons and make lemonade?

These books, as well as my others, are available HERE-HERE-HERE!

* * * * *

Okay, obligatory pimping done. Swear.

Other news about my exciting life. *ponders*

I'm thinking I may need to buy a new refrigerator soon. Mine's not working well or even consistently. Sounds like fun, right? Bleh.

Mum, in her infinite wisdom, has decided that she wants a new kitchen table. Seeing as she's not terribly mobile, it looks like I'll be heading out to Pier One tomorrow and taking pictures of what they have in-store so I can then take said pictures to Mum and let her decide which one she wants. Presumably, I'll also go to buy it for her and bring it to her place, then put it together if it should require assembly. Yay. *groans*

I love her to bits, but I swear I'm just not that handy. Try telling her that, though. LOL

I've finally started writing again, now that I've finished the first-round edits on another new novel and the second "Conventional" novella (this one is called Conventional Education and is due out in November. Can't recall the exact date at the moment), as well as pre-edits for the book I have coming out with Total-e-bound in February.

Not sure whether the new story will actually be any good, but after two months of no writing due to travel and illness and edits, it feels pretty good just to be writing. To have the urge. I'd started to think I was tapped out but apparently not.

Now if I can just get my butt in gear to finish book 3 of the Conventional series, book 3 of the trilogy (the first book is the one coming from TEB and the second is finished), finish the other book that's sort-of connected to the Conventional series, and do pre-sub rewrites on the sequel to Life or Something Scary Like That (currently titled Life Changes Everything, though that may change), I'll be in good shape.

Still reading and watching movies and such. Might even have another installment of Tis's Half-assed Movie Reviews sometime soon. We'll see. There isn't much I've seen lately that I've liked OR hated enough to warrant making the effort. Most films are just kinda MEH. *shrugs*

Nothing new on the job front. I'm thinking about changing professions if a cheffing job doesn't come along soon. Not sure to what, but... something.

I guess that's it for now. More later.

Peace, my sugary marshy-chicks! *hee*

~T

Well, my trip to upstate NY and Maine ended up lasting longer than planned, mostly due to copious amounts of driving which led to Tis being tired like a dead person would... if dead persons were tired, rather than otherwise. In any case, point is: Tis can no longer drive more than 8 hours without being wrecked on the other end. LOL

So. Upstate NY, to see best friend and her family. Kids were the same as usual, which isn't surprising since I was just up there at Christmas time. lol Left my place around 1 a.m. and got there around 9:30-ish in the morning. Hung about for a day and a half, then it was time to pile kids, stuff, best friend and best friend's Mum into cars, and off to Maine!

Okay, serious question. Why does New Hampshire have no street signs? Because we got SO lost there. *hee*

Finally got out of NH and made our way to Maine. Spent 4 days in Wells with temperamental kids and so on, but it was fun. *grins* Then more driving back to best friend's house.

Best friend's Mum got bit by something while we were on a whale watching boat, apparently, because a few days later, her hand was all swelled up and red and painful, so off we went to the ER... she's okay now. Got many antibiotics and such, so the swelling should go down.

Then... you guessed it. More driving! Yay! :P

Just got home last night and I had very little access to the 'net while I was away, so I'm sorry about that. Still, I'm back and alive, though exhausted.

Why is it that I always seem to need a holiday to recover from my holidays? LOL

Writing news: didn't write a single word. Seriously. There was way too much going on. But I did reread a couple rough drafts and such, so that's good.

Also, had a new short story come out on Saturday, while I was away. "Destiny Takes a Holiday" is the thrid in what seems to be a series of short stories. *rolls eyes at self* Me and the sequel bug have gotten real close, of late. :P Oh, and I have a novel coming out on Wednesday, so I'll be over at the TQ LJ doing my thing that day.

How about you guys? Any fun stuff happen while I was gone?

~T

As promised, here is the saga of cars and such.

Feel free to skip it. :) In fact, I'm putting in a handy cut to make the skipping that much easier.

( Trauma, Cars and Angry Mum )

Well, it's been over a week, which only tells me that time flies.

No news on the pursuit of an EDJ, but all sorts of craziness going on in writing. LOL

I finished the first draft of Life Changes Everything, and it comes in right around 65K words. Need to let it sit a week or so before I look at it again, though. I need fresh eyes to catch inconsistencies and so on.

Does anyone else do that? Just wondering.

I've also dusted off something that I thought was going to be a novella, but as it's near 40K words and only about 2/3 finished, it may be a novel instead. It's kind of strange because it was meant to be a prequel to something that's already available, but I've let it sit for so long, I think it might be better as a stand alone. *wrinkles nose* Not sure, but I hadn't even opened the file since beginning of March and I've discovered that I like the story again (I'd lost interest for a while there), so... either way, it's going to be finished. Yay.

MOVIES:

I saw Coraline, and it didn't suck but it seemed to drag on forever. Then again, that could be me. Wouldn't watch it again. *shrugs*

Idiocracy is one I'd seen before, and I have to say it was even funnier this time. I have an odd sense of humor, though, so maybe it's just me. :P

Hamlet 2. *hee* Rock me, SEXY JESUS! (He kinda did. *snerk*)

Watchmen? I think I should have read the graphic novel (it's based on one of those, right?) before watching it. I sort of felt like I was missing a lot of backstory. Still, it didn't suck.

OTHER stuff:

New novelette (single shot) came out at Torquere Books on Saturday. The cover rocks! :)

Anyone who's interested can check out the blurb and such HERE.

Oh, and this is the cover. *hee*




That's pretty much it, for now. Tune in tomorrow, when I'll have fascinating car-stories to share. And when I say "fascinating", I really mean "incredibly boring and of no interest to anyone but me." LOL

Later, my sugar-coated marshy-chicks (yes, I really DO find that more amusing than saying PEEPS. :P)...

~T

... is the title of my new novella, available now from Torquere Books! Whee!




It's the story of what could happen if a B-list syndicated TV actor met a hot Goth gaming-geek at a science fiction convention.

For a longer blurb, or to buy the story if you really want to (which I hope you do), go Here, where the pretty cover lives!

In other news, I had a lovely day driving the bus at the Torquere Social LJ yesterday. There was a contest and excerpts from coming stories, and even a brand new short story created in response to prompt words.

The new short is called "Suddenly, Finally" and tells about how Charlie and Peter disagrred, then made up. I've posted it in the Free Reads section, at my WordPress site. (The stories are listed UNDER the heading "Free Reads" by name. Click the title to get to the story. LOL)

I'm back at work on Ben's story, LCE, and hope to have the first draft finished within a week or so.

Aside from that, I'm trying to get the spare car running again so I can sell the damned thing. It needs a new battery right now and nobody drives it, so it seems silly to keep holding on to it.

And that... is all the news from my world, sadly. LOL

Laters, all. Peace. *grins*

~T

YAY!

I've an interview up over at the Book Wenches site, in which I talk about writing, what I'm working on, stuff coming out... and oh, yeah. My weird collecting habits. *hee*

Interview is RIGHT HERE for those who are interested.

YAY!

I've added pages at my site where my reviews are all listed (the ones I know about, anyway). Again, for anyone interested, check it out HERE .

NOT so yay...

Spent the last two days going over a book I wrote a while ago... probably finished it in November, I think. For those who've been keeping up with me, it's the one I'd mentioned submitting a while ago to a certain publisher who shall remain nameless, which was eventually declined.

Going through it again, I'm rather embarrassed to say that I probably would have rejected it, too. Plot holes, illogical reasoning, and things that I know in my head happened but that never made it into the MS. *blushes* Not anything terribly hard to fix, but also not as coherent as I like to believe I usually am in my writing.

SO... I put LCE (Life sequel, starring Ben) on the back burner while I tweaked, polished and formed this particular book into a cohesive whole. I'll finish LCE soon and let it sit until I've gone through the sequel to the messed-up book and checked it for brain-farts and random stupidity on my part. Because yes. The sequel is done. And the third in the series is about 2/3 written, so I really NEED to get 1 & 2 sorted.

YAY!

My new novella "Conventional Wisdom" comes out Saturday the 25th and I'm on the Torquere LJ on Friday, pimping. I always have fun when I'm driving over there, so it's something of a high point for me. A thing to look forward to. Especially if I've finished the not-yay above. LOL

YAY!

AKM Miles -- fellow author, truly patient soul, and a valued friend -- talked me through using photo shop for the first time the other night, and now I have a design to use for postcards, as well as banners for my currently available books. Some day, I figure I'll even learn how to post said banners. LOL

Final tally:

I'm 4 yays for 1 not-so-yay, so I guess I really can't complain. Beats the merry hell out of the reverse. *grins*

And that, my marshy-chicks, is the story for today.

Peace out, man. Like... totally groovy.

~T

But don't get too excited. LOL

Just posted two short-short stories in the Free Reads section of my WP site.

One came from a prompt call June 30 at Torquere's Social LJ, and the other was a response to a picture posted by GS Wiley today.

The first is called "Seek and Find" and is sort of Halloweeny (yes, I know it's July. Deal. :P), while the other is called "Past, Not Prologue" (wee bit of angst, there. Shocking, I know. *snorts*).

In any case, if anyone's interested, they can be found HERE HERE HERE. Just click the story title in the tabs on the right side of the page.

Other news... instead of being a mart Tis and working on LCE, I started another story. Yes. ANOTHER ONE! Not sure I'll ever actually finish it, but it's being interesting so far. Still need to figure out how it's going to get from where it is to where it ends, but I guess that's part of the fun? *ponders*

Rigged the fridge so it's working for the moment, and that's a good thing. The longer I can put off buying a new one, the better. LOL Sadly, the same can't be said for the car.

Um, not that I'm getting a new one, cuz I'm poor, but I don't think the repairs can wait very long, even if it's running at the mo'. So. I think next Monday is gonna be car-day. Wonder how much blood... I mean money, it's gonna take to make things right.

Whatever, it'll be worth it, just so I don't have to worry about all the lights on the dashboard every time I go anywhere. *heehee*

Yes, my life really IS this exciting. I don't blame you all for envying me. *snorts*

Later, my sugar-coated marshy-chicks!

~T

Okay, so it's been a nasty week or so for me, what with random illness, car issues, refrigerator problems, Mum... you get the idea. LOL

I woke up today feeling all pouty because I haven't been able to spend as much time writing as I would have liked (regardless of the truly ridiculous 4500 words the other night, which was... yeah. INSANE). So I sat down to write around I don't know, whatever time, and finished for the day a few minutes ago. 2520 words, so not bad. WAY more than I've been managing, night-o-insane-word-count aside.

Then I looked right here on my LJ to see what sort of progress I've actually made in the last 2 weeks. Hah.

I've mostly been working on LCE, which was the story I was using the 25K in 30 days challenge for. That challenge ended 06/30 (or 07/01, whichever) and at that time, LCE was at 39,586 words, which meant I did complete the challenge.

Currently, LCE is clocking in at 52,994. So, yay, me! LOL

Granted, more than half of that was in the last few days, and it's definitely a first draft, but still.

If I can keep that sort of pace (13K words in 2 weeks), I MIGHT have the whole 1st draft MS done in as little as another month; maybe less!

*sighs* God, I'm a dork for being excited about this because first draft finished means I'll be doing rewrites for fuck knows how long, but still. Always nice to pull something out of the wip file and put it in the finished-now-fix-it file. LOL

Oh, in other news... nice little review on my latest sip "Change of Plans" over at Rainbow Reviews HERE!

Pretty exciting. *grins*

Laters, all!

~T

Heh-heh. I'm not a movie reviewer, obviously, so this is more like "What I saw and what bugged me about it" because DAMN!

So I was at my local Blockbuster and rented two movies: PUSH and KNOWING.

My thoughts on the first under this cut. *points*

( PUSH )

The second movie, Knowing, stars Nick Cage. Now, granted, anything with him can be sort of hit or miss. It'd be interesting to see which projects he picks when ON his medication and OFF.

Don't get me wrong, because I love Nick Cage. I'm just saying. He seems to be all over the map.

So this movie was automatically a shot in the dark for me. You pays your money, you takes your chances.

My thoughts on Nick's latest masterpiece under cut. *points*

( KNOWING )