FREE ALERT: "YARIKON." A Ren'Ai Rensai Short

Amazon

For the next few days "YARIKON." will be available for FREE on Amazon! Grab it now while you can!

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!

 

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

"DAISUKI." is the #1 Queer Book on Amazon Japan

Yes, you read that right. Yesterday I made my first sale on Amazon JP (yay!) which granted me a rank and a spotlight. Nice! Today I woke up to find that I was number one in the Gay and Lesbian Kindle Category. Woohoo!





You can click that to make it bigger~

I'm pretty excited about breaking into the Japanese market for obvious reasons. ;)

OUT NOW!: "MITSUSHIN." the first REN'AI RENSAI short!

(Check out that awesome cover!) I'm warning you all right now, I've got THREE releases coming out this month! Don't worry, they're all shorts...and will all have amazing covers, so look forward to it on your dashes!

The first release is the novelette "MITSUSHIN." a companion story to "HATSUKOI." The blurb!

For their first Valentine's Day together, Aiko hopes her girlfriend Reina will finally woo her with a little romance. Instead their big date veers off in a strange direction when Reina decides it's time to initiate Aiko into the wondrous world of "Mitsushin," or "three hearts" as their foreign friend calls it. Will this inclusion of a third woman obliterate all the romance left, or will Aiko discover a new way to celebrate the love she has for Reina? A relationship legacy that will ripple throughout all of Shinjuku is about to be born.

"Mitsushin." takes place on February 14th, 1993

Yes it's about menage okay.

Unlike the full length releases, I'm going to try this month's shorts in Select. (Well, except next week's. You'll see why!) That means until at least March, "MITUSHIN." will only be available on Amazon. Non-Kindle users, never fear. You can still purchase on Amazon and convert the mobi file to the format of your choice (epub for Nook and Kobo) using the free program Calibre. I leave DRM off my books just for this very reason. If you have any questions or just can't get calibre to work, PLEASE let me know! We can definitely work something out.

Amazon - Amazon UK - Amazon CA

To Other Self-Publishers: Kindle Paperwhite Glitch May Make Your Ebooks Unreadable

Courtesy of Amazon

Unless you've had your self-publishing head beneath a rock lately, you've probably heard about one of the most infamous glitches to come from the new Kindle Paperwhite: depending on the coding of your ebook, it may be completely unreadable on the device. Specifically, users cannot change the font type or sometimes size of the ebooks they buy and download, and the ebook itself will be coded into TINY print. This doesn't just affect books published through KDP either - users are reporting the same issue with Big 6 (5?) trade published books as well. As you can imagine, this leads to unhappy readers and many returns.

What does this mean for authors? If you're self-publishing, make sure that you or whoever is formatting your ebook does not specify font size or type. Now, don't look at me. I haven't coded anything in yonks. Not like that, anyway. If you want more information on how to get started, I recommend starting with this thread at the Kindle Boards.

If you're like me, then you use Scrivener to compile your mobi files. I discovered that we may be affected as well (from the same thread I linked above). In order for your mobis to turn out correct for Paperwhite, you must download and replace your Kindle Gen with an older version. Specifically, this one.

Finally, for everyone else, or for anyone reading this and wondering if their books my be affected by this glitch, I can't recommend enough downloading the latest version of Kindle Previewer (that includes the Paperwhite) and making sure your books work as they sure re: changing font size and type. When I did this, I saw I suffered from the same cold fate, and have been fighting with Amazon KDP all day to update my files. Every time I see a buy today, I worry that the buyer has a Paperwhite! Noooo!

I hope this post may have helped you, or anyone you may know. And for others, have you heard of this happening? Did it happen to you? What lengths did you have to go to in order to fix your issues?

OUT NOW: "HATSUKOI." Book 2 of REN'AI RENSAI

Woo! It's here! After a lot of hand wringing with Amazon, "HATSUKOI." is finally here. Actually, it's up on every retailer except for Kobo (surpriiiiiise.)

Thanks to everyone who has supported me thus far, and please look forward to more REN'AI RENSAI goodness coming in the next few months!

Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
All Romance
Smashwords

Kindle Direct Publishing Breaks Into Japanese Market

Upon logging onto the Internetz today I have discovered that Kindle Direct Publishing now offers their Kindle Store via Amazon Japan! Of course, KDP's expanding markets are nothing new, especially recently, but I have a very special interest in the Japanese market, so this is really exciting news to me!

Some people are already selling their self-published ebooks in Japan as I'm writing  this, but I think it'll be interesting how it plays out for most people. Most people are probably selling works in English only, which can work throughout greater Europe, but not too much in Japan, which is one of the lowest ranking first-world Asian countries when it comes to learning English. (And I've worked in English teaching in Japan. I totally believe this position. Although I am surprised Hong Kong and Taiwan aren't higher.) Also, sorry guys, but Kindle is not a "thing" in Japan. In terms of the E-reading market, Kobo (shock!), Sony (another shock!), and even iPads (Japan loves their iPads and iPhones, although the laptops and desktops never seem to have taken off) seem to dominate the E-reader market. (Anecdote time: I remember when I first took my Fire back to Japan and attempted to find a cover for it in the giant, I mean GIANT electronics and accessories stores in Nagoya. I was finally told by multiple workers that Kindle gear isn't carried at this time.) In the beginning, I think we'll see most sales are coming from expats and maybe a small section of the Japanese themselves. But who knows! With the recent launch, it could go any way, really.

Now, for my personal excitement:  Japan is a market I would very much like to corner, and uh, not just because I happen to write stories taking place in Japan and featuring Japanese characters at the moment. (Although that is a good reason.) I have a few social connections in Japan that  could be quite beneficial to me, and have had emails from people asking me if they could buy my ebooks on Amazon Japan. Now  I can finally say I do! Hooray!

I suppose I should be off to translate my author profile and book description in Japanese. Just because I can. (Btw, here's my current book on Amazon Japan! Because it looks cool there!)

Weekly Writing Check-In: My First Weekend As a ~Real~ Author

Hey all! Well,here it is. Just as I promised last week, this week's check-in is my first as a "real" published author, even though BUGS ABOUND. For the most part, I have no complaints about sales or feedback this week, except for the part where Amazon's sales reports are completely bugged and B&N and KOBO apparently hate my epub files no matter what I do. Oh well. It'll slowly work itself out! (Famous last words dun dun duuuun.)

Also, I have a newsletter now! You can sign up at "Newsletter" page above. Newsletters will be about once a month and will share new releases as well as any exclusive excerpts I can't wait to share. You can expect the first newsletter to show up in November!

 As for this week, I'm finally getting to take a little break. Just a little, though. I've got Book 2 in Ren'Ai Rensai off to beta (not that that won't stop me from tweaking) and Book 3 started, but on the business front I've got the BLOG TOUR STARTING TOMORROW WOOOO and some more epub finagling to do. I also hope to get set up over at All Romance as soon as I can. And maybe, just maybe, Amazon will stop being buggy. Ugh. (Fat chance eh.)

Well, I'm out for another week. I think I may be coming down with the same flu the rest of the family has. A small break time couldn't come at a better time.

Weekly Writing Check-In: In Which I Look Super Productive

Woooo, what a week. I worked pretty much nonstop on writing crap, that I barely had time to get any exercise...or eat...or shower...or you know, do life stuff. That's how I am, though. Once I'm in the zone lol what is basic care of my body~

So, let's see what I did this week!

1. Finished second to last round of edits for "DAISUKI." Which lead me to-
2. Format it for Kindle! Took a couple days to get the hang of, but I'm not happy to report I know how to format for ereaders in Scrivener! So far I've only made a mobi and ported it to my Fire, and am now doing my last edits via reading on the Kindle. Do you know how intense it is to see your book all formatted prettily for an e-reader? It's awesome! And the cover is FANTASTIC on my tablet. ;) But now I've got the extra aggravations of my last edit, because the Kindle shows me just how repetitive some words / phrases may be.
3. Wrote three more scenes for the next book in the REN'AI RENSAI series. I'm now two away from finishing the first draft!
4. NOW FOR THE SUPER EXCITING STUFF! Friday I registered BARACHOU PRESS as my Doing Business As and received my first EIN from the IRS. So, essentially, I've started my own business. No press, book, to sell well and make me money to stay afloat. No pressure at all.

I like how those only break down to four points. But it was a lot! I feel quite accomplished today over what I accomplished last week, and look forward to this next week as well!

My goals for this week are to finish writing my new WIP and to finish the last edits of DAISUKI. I should have both easily done by Friday, assuming I'm not coming down with something. Only 15 days until release date!

Oh! And don't forget, yesterday I launched my very first (although co-run) blogfest, the Love, Differently Blog Hop coming up this November. Be sure to check it out and maybe sign up!

Weekly Writing Check-In: The Adventures of Victorian Governnesses!!!

Source: http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202

Nothing of note going on this week that I haven't already posted about. (See: blogfest.) Also gearing up for Rachel's next Platform Building event starting around the same time. Until then, I've been downloading some "free classics" for my Kindle to read when I don't have my BDSM porn Kushiel novels on hand to read. Downloaded both of Anne Bronte's (look at me being a bad girl without the dots) books and got through about 70% of Agnes  Grey today before I had to put it down because OMG SO BORING. Then again I don't care for many stories of the era. Shocker.

But from reading 70% of Agnes Grey and gearing up for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and knowing a thing or two about Charlotte and Emily...I feel qualified to say, "YES, THIS COMIC IS ACCURATE".

Anyway.

...

Guess I should get back to that writing, eh.

Weekly Writing Check-In: Christmas Squee Post~

All  I wanted for Christmas was a Kindle Fire and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

I got both!

First, obligatory YAAAAY about another Fairy Boy game that I will not be able to finish before I leave for Japan again. Playing so much Zelda is good for my imagination because it makes me want to write lots of fantastical stuff. Booyeah.

But nobody cares about my feelings for blonde boys in tights swinging swords and getting collagen lip injections. You care about my feelings for the Kindle Fire.

I've only played with it off and on all day - and by "played with it" I mean adding a last.fm app, syncing up my twitter and email, and buying one book, Amy Tan's novella "Rules for Virgins". But thus far it's super shiny, very bright, and OMFG I will have so much fun. Too bad you have to like, spend money for some stuff on it.

Tonight I'm ordering this fantastic sleeve and an equally fantastic bigger sleeve for it tonight. I have to order them tonight to make sure I get them in before I go back to Japan. As soon as I finish reading the two paperbacks I have with me I'll start delving more into the books on the Kindle. I figure that will be around February-ish. Until then I'll have fun with the wireless capabilities in places where my little laptop is just too much to use.

So, that all said, any good kindle recs? I'm particularly looking for writing-centered books at the moment, including grammar books and self-marketing. The freer the better.

Merry Christmas! It's certainly merry here~

"Seems like these days anybody can just upload their novel to the Tubes, like they're Hemingway or some crap."

Books take up space.  Viable space.  Space I could be using to store my multitude of CDs because I think they're nifty.  Also, books are made out of paper.  You know what that means?  If you're a voracious reader, you're killing a lot of trees.  As an Oregonian I am programmed to tell you that you are SICK.

But my biggest beef with books is that paperbacks are so easily ruined.  I get pretty OCD about keeping things looking new for as long as possible, and this includes my books.  Mends in the spine, dogeared covers...so gross.  People go on and on about "well loved books" being beautiful, but I want mine to look like they just walked out of Borders with a top hat and tails.  Because I paid money, that's why.

So you'd think I would be all over this E-reader stuff.  After all, I love my little electronics like my Preciouses, and think that the more things we can convert into digital the better - that means less "wasted" resources and more free space in my physical life.  (Says the woman with 300 CDs.)  And if I had an E-reader, I would name it Spock, because come on...they're so...Spocky. 

But I'm not.

When MP3 players first came out I was all up in that shiznit.  Cell phones are cool for convenience.  And yeah, I get why E-readers are so cool, because you can't use braille and we all know that the idea of John Milton trying to bask in his own glory with an E-reader would be hilarious to witness.  Plus the files are so cheap most of the time that it's almost criminal.  It makes buying the Penguin Thrift Edition of The Old Man and the Sea seem like a ripoff.  And yet I can't stand the thought.

It's all for purely selfish reasons, I assure you.  Do I want to live in the age when books become totally obsolete and everything is digital?  (I know, unlikely in my life, but humor me.)  Ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with books.  As in the actual physical aspects of them.  My love for the shape of a book was so hardcore that when I wrote my own stories, I would cut pieces of printer paper in half and handwrite on those...because then it was like a real book!  I loved going to the library and determining where my books would appear on the shelf.  I do not, however, like going to Amazon and determining where I would be on the search page.

I'm old fashioned, kids.  Books piss me off in their impracticality, but I have deeply ingrained into my subconscious that it's the ultimate form of my work.  I'll know that I'm achieving my dreams once I pull the first hardcover copy of my debut book from the box sent to me by the printer.   All those copies will then go into the trunk of the car and I will begin to loathe their existence, but damnit, I wrote a book!  I can look at my work in digital form whenever I want - all I have to do is open the original Word documents.  Actually seeing the dead trees and used ink means a lot more to me.  Those trees died for my novel.

But I'm not stupid, because obviously digital is the future and yadda yadda yadda.  Yet even when I see people reading from E-readers when at the park or on the bus, I think, "Man, would seeing somebody reading my novel on one of those things be as cool as seeing them read an actual book copy?"  I dunno.  Probably.  I guess it depends on how bored their faces look.

So what say you, readers?  E-readers.  Have one?  Want one?  Sworn them off and still using a pager to sort your life out?  As a reader have they changed the way you read?  As an author have they changed your view of your future publishing career?  Do you even know what an Amazon Kindle is?  I need to know, because I am nosy.

PS:  I am totally probably going to ask for one for my birthday.  In before anyone calls me a potential hypocrite, because I totally know.