Saturday, April 27, 2013

OUT NOW: "Tokoiri." a REN'AI RENSAI SHORT

It's been a month since the last RR release, hasn't it? I think that's the longest we've gone since the time between the first two books! Well, time for a new one, isn't it? I'm particularly happy with this one. From the cover to the theme (and to the contents themselves,) I think you're gonna like it!

The big day has finally arrived: after traveling across one ocean and spending half her life savings, Aiko is about to marry Reina, the woman she has loved for over twenty years. The dress is perfect, the December day sunny, and Reina actually showed up, but there's one thing clawing at Aiko's nerves like a rabid beast - the "tokoiri," or consummation of their marriage that is to come that night. Although Aiko has spent most of her nights with Reina before, she is convinced it will be different now that they are married. From the nuptials to the late-night banter and everything in between, this "tokoiri" may fray the last of Aiko's sanity yet!

"TOKOIRI." takes place on December 17th, 2012.

Excerpt below!


            “I don’t want tonight to be half-assed!”
            Unclenching her fists, Reina stood straight up with a perplexed demeanor. “Tonight? Half-assed? What are you going on about?”
            Aiko rubbed her forearms with sweaty palms. “We have to tokoiri, you know.”
            Tokoiri? What are we? Some feudal straight couple?” Reina scratched her head. “Ha! I wonder who will come check the sheets tomorrow, eh?”
            “I’m serious!”
            Reina lowered her arm again. “Ai-chan…we’re not exactly new to fucking each other.”
            I know! She could kick the door right about now! Twenty years of having sex with Reina…of course she knew! But this was different. “I don’t want to lie on the bed and have you rut on me for two minutes before rolling off and snoring!”
            “Hey! It’s longer than two minutes!”
            “And I don’t want to sit in a hot tub or take a shower! I want to make love!” Tears she did not anticipate came running down her cheeks. She slapped her hands over her face to hide her embarrassment.
            After two dry sobs, Reina put both her hands on Aiko’s shoulders and brought her into an embrace.
            “I’m serious.” Aiko’s voice was muffled by her spouse’s jacket. “I want tonight to be special. We can’t consummate our marriage on mediocrity.”

            Reina rubbed Aiko’s back, fingers dancing between her dress and the bare part of her spine. “Is this like when you wanted to have perfect sex the day we moved in together?”
            “Yes.”
            “That’s a lot of pressure.”
            “You’re telling me!”
            Reina pulled away and stroked her wife’s wet cheek. “I don’t want you to be unhappy today. But I don’t want you putting that sort of pressure on the both of us as well! What if I can’t deliver what you need? What if no matter what I do you feel it wasn’t good enough for our wedding night?”
            “That’s impossible. You’re always good enough for me.”
            “Then what is there to worry about?”
            Aiko sniffed the last of her impromptu tears and turned away. “I want it to be romantic. I want to feel like we’re making love, not having sex for the sake of it.”
            Hands reappeared on her bare shoulders – Reina’s palms were as warm as the tears drying on Aiko’s skin. “With you, Ai-chan, it’s never sex for the sake of it. Making love to you is never just another thing to do.”
            Aiko laid her hand upon Reina’s and relaxed. “Do you promise?”
            Reina nuzzled her nose into her wife’s ear and exhaled a long, warm breath. Kisses followed along the edge of her face. “From the first time we did it, I’ve only looked forward to sex with you.”
            Aiko could remember that first time: Christmas Day, 1992. We’ll be honeymooning on Christmas. That was the day Aiko decided she was ready to lose her virginity, and not to anyone – to Reina, the woman she was on her fourth date with. How quickly life changed. Just earlier that same month Aiko had known nothing about her own homosexuality. Not until she met Reina, who drew it out of her like the sun brings out the core of a flower. Like one Christmas Day. Aiko’s favorite day.
           “I want to make love,” she said, turning in Reina’s embrace and clinging to her arms. “I want to feel everything I felt that first time we did it, and the second, and every time since then. I want it to be fast, and slow; easy, and hard.” With Reina it was always a little of everything. Sometimes a lot of everything. “Just you and me and our bodies, like it was that first time.”
            Jya, you know what you want, all right.” Reina cupped her hands around her wife’s face and kissed her forehead. “But what about what I want?”
            Aiko laughed. I can only guess what she wants. “What do you want, anata?
            Reina rubbed her hands along Aiko’s bare arms, testing the strength of her biceps and the dent of her elbow. “I want to make you happy. And I want to feel passion with you as well.”
            Something tumbled in Aiko’s groin as her spouse’s hands tumbled to her behind. Even now she still can make me blush on my wedding night. “Do you want romance?”
            “I want whatever we do.”
            Their next kiss could have been their last.

"TOKOIRI." is a Kindle only title that can be purchased here!
 

Friday, April 26, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: "Hyrule Historia," by Shigeru Miyamoto

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule HistoriaThe Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia by Shigeru Miyamoto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a huge Legend of Zelda fan, I had to grab a copy of this for myself one day. Sooner rather than later, I found a copy at the local bookstore and treated myself!

Although I had seen many of the scans before, I must admit that they pale to having the real thing. The sheer size of this coffee table book is enough to strike undying admiration in even the most casual Zelda fan. There are pages upon pages of never before seen character and scenery sketches, as well as a full explanation and outline of the confounding timeline. Although I already knew everything about the timeline, it was still a great trip down Nostalgia Street. The biggest surprise for me was the Skyward Sword manga at the back by the notable Akira Himekawa. Somehow this had gone under my radar. LOVED it. As always Himekawa's art is top notch, and the story (which is a backstory to Skyward Sword) was everything a Zelda story should be: poignant, courageous, and hopeful.

I recommend this book to anyone who is even thinking about getting it. You won't regret it!

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

OUT NOW! "Seikou." Paperback!

 Look what I just got in the mail! And it's gorgeous! As always I have my best friend and cover designer Lindsay to thank for this beauty. And we got it right on the first try! ;) Check out the summary below if you need a refresher!

For over twenty years Reina has sexually celebrated the women around her with a reverence only tolerated by her wife, Aiko. But when Reina misinterprets the fluidity of their open relationship, she’s backed into a corner where her gender dysphoria reigns supreme. In order to salvage her marriage, she may have to reanalyze the way she views the world, her life, and her experiences.

Just when she thinks she’s figured her spouse out, Aiko faces an unexpected transgression. Can she forgive her? Or will love finally give way to the fatigue that accompanies being with someone like Reina? A sick mother and unsympathetic sister are not helping Aiko’s dilemma.

Even the most passionate relationships sometimes fall asunder to “seikou,” the sexual character at the core of one’s identity. Will Reina and Aiko reunite with stronger hearts, or is it finally time to go their separate ways? And if they do split up, who will help them pick up the pieces – the stoic therapist, the desperate socialite, or the young couple who initiated this mess to begin with?

Createspace - Amazon (Hint, Createspace is faster!)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Weekly Writing Check-In: Back From Vacation!

Just popping in to say I returned from vacation today! Had a great time, and was DEFINITELY inspired for some future works. ;) Might do some work tonight, but as far as I am concerned, I'm still on vacation until I wake up tomorrow!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Weekly Writing Check-In: Off On Vacation!

With all the hub-bub over Amazon lately, I'm so, so glad to be taking a vacation up to Portland this week to see some friends! Leaving bright and early at 7am on a bus for an all-day ride, but I am convinced that it will totally be worth it. I'll be popping online every so often if I can, but otherwise it may be hard to reach me. Ah, hopefully I can snag some good pictures for some great blog posts!

See you next Sunday!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

FREE ALERT: "CHINSEKI.", Part 2 of "NANPAKAI."

FREE UNTIL THE 13th! (Seriously)

After watching her girlfriend seduce a stranger at a nightclub, Reina finds herself in the same stranger’s hotel room only an hour later. Girlfriend Aiko and her new friend seem ready to go for round two, but there’s one thing holding Reina back: this third wheel is more masculine than she’s comfortable with. Will Reina let go of her gendered insecurities and have a good time, or will her new friend’s request for “chinseki,” or “sleeping together,” be too much for her to handle?

“CHINSEKI.” takes place in September, 2012, directly after the short “NANPAKAI.”

CURRENTLY #3 IN THE LESBIAN CATEGORY! WOO!

Amazon.com - UK - DE

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

GoFundMe Project - Send Me On a Trip to Tokyo to Create an Ebook!

Shibuya (Photo By Me)
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TIME! I am both excited and absolutely PETRIFIED to announce that I have just kicked off a GoFundMe project to fund a trip to Tokyo this October and create an Ebook. And not just any Ebook. A Ren'Ai Rensai visual guide, complete with hand-picked photos showing off the inspirations of the series. Up on the docket? Ni-chome (both day and night,) Kita Ward, Minato Ward, and a myriad of other smaller places that make up the mark that is the Ren'Ai Rensai setting.

I have been itching to get back to Japan already, and I knew that the next time I went I would be creating this guide. It was originally going to be a surprise (surprised?!) but I realized...if I keep waiting to make enough money off of royalties and freelancing to go, I'll be waiting who knows how long! Thus I am both super excited about this crowdfunding project, and petrified. While on one hand GoFundMe lets me keep this open indefinitely and take out the money whenever I need, some things, like cheap airfare, are time sensitive. My current goal is $3000. Not impossible, but it could take a while to get there!

That's why I need YOU! to help me! Even if you can't donate any money (and every few dollars helps - once I reach $100, I will be searchable and available to feature on the GoFundMe site) I would really appreciate if you would blog, tweet, or share the link on Facebook. There are some great rewards, including complimentary copies of my Ren'Ai Rensai Ebooks,  so spread the word! More info can be found at the link above.

(Oh, and October is my birthday! So it would also bee a GREAT birthday present! ;))

Monday, April 8, 2013

Weekly Writing Check-In: Stare Down With Amazon

I forgot to check-in last week, mostly because I was in a flurry with "Kataomoi."'s release. But that doesn't mean OTHER interesting things didn't happen. Ugh, no. Do you know what a writer with two completely SEPARATE pen names fears most? Crossing the streams. Last week I was doing my weekly upload with my erotica pen name and...when it published, it published under my REAL NAME. God, talk about a nightmare! And then when I requested it to be changed (thinking it must've been my error) it STILL REPUBLISHED under my real name! *headdesk* Finally, after 24 hours of fretting and pulling it down, it finally went back up under my pen name. My beautiful, carefully selected pen name.

Ugh.

Then there was the freebie promo that didn't start until six hours after it was supposed to start.

Then there was the cover snafu with Kataomoi that couldn't get fixed fast enough.

Basically, not a good week for me and KDP.

Here's hoping this week is better. I'm one week away from a really great vacation I REALLY need and do not need stress from the self-publishing world Indeed! No stress allowed! It can fall on me after I get back from Portland.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: Saving Fish From Drowning, by Amy Tan

Saving Fish from DrowningSaving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, it only took two months, but I finished "Saving Fish From Drowning," the final Amy Tan novel. And one of my favorites.

So why did it take me so long to finish reading this a second time? To the point where I lost ALL WILL to read at all for two months?

Because this is a thick, slogging book of intensity.

"Fish" is not an easy read. Oh, sure on a micro level it is. There's not too many hard ideas and certainly no difficult words or sentences to trod through, but on a macro scale it's brain sucking mind-number.

The approach and basic gist of the story is simple: 12 American tourists, all immensely spoiled and unrepentantly Western go on a Christmas visit to southern China followed by Myanmar. During this trip they create every foreigner faux pas possibly, from peeing on fertility goddesses to getting mixed up with junta. (And a side of every sickness under the sun.) Eventually, they are absconded by a hidden Karen tribe that are convinced the young boy in their group is the second coming of The Younger White Brother, who will save them from the oppressive regime of Myanmar's militaristic government.

Sounds a bit...bizarre? It is. Because the tribe is convinced they are going to be saved by getting a hit reality show on American TV.

"Saving Fish From Drowning" is not the usual Amy Tan fare. And for that, I'm glad. There is a hint of the usual Chinese mother-daughter theme here, but overall it is a long, winding tale of American superiority clashing with Southeast Asian sensibilities. The thing that makes it really unique, both for Tan and modern literature as a whole, is the narration style. You see, the book is narrated by a ghost. Not just any ghost. An omniscient ghost, who can go into anyone's head at any moment. With over 12 characters, that comes in pretty handy.

Our beloved narrator is Bibi Chen, a recently perished art critic who was the original organizer for our Americans' Asian trip. Due to her untimely death (the circumstances of which remain a mystery until the end) the trip is handed off to one of the 12, who is, of course, completely in over his head. Nothing on the trip goes right from the beginning, and in the end, Bibi the ghost (who cannot communicate with the living world at all, only watch and report) is the only one who knows what's going on with either side. It's almost a comedy of errors. I say almost, because the comedy style is very dry and sarcastic (and sometimes downright black and bleak) while the errors could have easily been avoided to the point where you want to roll your eyes.

The biggest fault of this story comes with the narration style. It's very hard to do omniscient well, especially when it's very tempting to go into every single head and report for pages on end about what people are doing. I'm afraid Tan does fall into this trap. This story could've easily been cut down. But I do not feel that the extra length is a detriment to the overall story. Nor do I feel that this story falls into the Western Savior trap with the 12 Americans "saving" the oppressed Karen tribe. Because really, the Americans just make everything worse. Everywhere they go. From my own American point of view, I found this hilarious, especially as someone who has lived in Asia and seen American superiority ruin the most mundane things. And without giving too much away, the Americans don't really "save" the Karen tribe. But that's another thing I love about this story. The ending is not happy, nor it is "hopeful" or "tragic." It's just real. Some characters discover new points of of views in their lives, and others are completely ruined. Tan's dry way of pointing out rational American thinking is on point as usual.

As I mentioned above, this is not an "easy" read, unless you have a lot of time to kill. It's fairly time consuming. But it's a great read, full of hilarious scenarios and scenes full of so much second hand embarrassment you want to crawl beneath your bed covers and pretend you're not American (if you are.) Meanwhile, you will also be treated to amazing imagery, shockingly real dialogue, and, as they say, a whole lotta heart. Amy Tan outdoes herself in this book. But don't come into it expecting another Joy Luck Club. Come into it expecting a large, multi-layered story about the human condition's ability to have too much hope for its own good.

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