Blogging It with Katrina Strauss

Bishie Con article is live!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:20:00 +0000

I wonder if the mangaka behind Kuroshitsuji knows Sebastian and Ciel have arrived in the Midwest?

Yes, Bishie Con has made the front cover of St. Louis's alternative paper, Riverfront Times. I was one of several people interviewed for the article, and am paraphrased in all of one paragraph on page two. Actually, I was mis-paraphrased on one point -- if you've read my het, you know my heroines are ballsy babes who pursue as much as they're pursued -- but hey, my first-ever newspaper mention!!! Jessica Freely and Yamila Abraham are quoted as well. It's an interesting article overall that touches on everything from "What the hell is yaoi?" to the mysteries of duct tape and cosplay. The print edition comes out December 10, but in the meantime you can read the online article at:

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2009-12-09/news/girls-who-love-boys-who-love-boys-inside-midwest-first-celebration-yaoi-screaming-never-stops/

Back to work on my latest WIP, which happens to have been inspired, in part, by Kuroshitsuji...

State of the Ruin - 2009 Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:04:00 +0000

My year in review post is a few weeks early, but what the heck? For better or worse, 2009 was certainly different! I enjoyed more publications this year than last, though in all fairness, three of those releases were reprints. I also made my first public appearance as a guest of honor at Bishie Con and was interviewed for St. Louis’s alternative paper Riverfront Times. (Link coming soon!) I'll confess, however, that this year was a rough one for me creatively. A combination of personal and professional reasons has led to my decision to spend more time between books in 2010, so while readers will have to wait longer for releases, I hope to offer more thoughtful, quality work in exchange.

Looking back at 2009, new releases included:
* A Roof for the Rain
* Off the Beaten Path
* Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight

Reprints, including my first release in trade paperback:
* Eldritch Legacy 1: Secrets Revealed
* Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned
* Windswept (in both stand-alone e-book and print anthology)

I should also mention Sleight of Hand. While it debuted in December 2k8, it enjoyed its run this year and, thanks to the fabulous Anne Cain, won several "best of" cover awards throughout blog-land. (Anne also illustrated the covers for Eldritch Legacy 1 & 2, by the way.) I'm also grateful to have worked with Angela James, who accepted and edited Sleight of Hand while she was still at Samhain. I learned a good deal from Angela, and have taken what I learned from her with every book I've written since.

What's next? Already contracted for 2010:
* Eldritch Legacy 3: Fates Fulfilled
* A Forfeit Owed (first of the Eldritch companion series, Once Upon a Legacy)

As for those books I've vowed to spend more time and care with, I have a few projects to keep me busy during 2010 and beyond. This includes Blue Ruin 5, which may be the series finale, but I won’t know until I finish it. Also on the backburner is a kinder, gentler alternative to Blue Ruin featuring a certain silver-haired bishie and hot mechanic. I’ve got a few other projects in the works, but more on those as they see fruition.

On an industry-related note, the tipping point many of us have anticipated toward e-books is in full swing. Who knew we'd have Oprah to thank, in part, for that? I didn't foresee that recession-related budget cuts in the traditional publishing industry would play a hand in tipping the scales, and wish change could have come about under better circumstances. But transition is never easy, and there's no looking back. To my peers who've patiently sat in the roller coaster car with me while others pointed, laughed -- or worse, ignored us: Buckle in, because here we go! To my readers who've pushed the digital market more than anyone, I'm as excited as you to finally see consumer-driven choices fueling e-reader technology. I think the perfect e-reader we've been waiting for is in the works somewhere, but being kept under wraps thanks to the one element previously lacking from the mix: competition.

On a personal note, my household continued to weather the recession, as I know many of my readers and peers have. As some of you know, my husband was laid off twice last year, including from the job we moved to St. Louis for. He's thankfully continued to find employment in the hard-hit tech field, but this has meant working out-of-state under various contracts. He's seen a lot of the country, but hasn't seen much of me or the kids. My mother, who worked in the harder-hit tourist industry, more or less moved in with us, taking my office as her guest room while I moved my writing desk back to my bedroom. This made for a bit of an adjustment at first, but the groceries she's bought these past several months, combined with my royalties, have kept the kids fed while my husband and I regain our footing financially. On the positive side of all this, our family has re-evaluated what's important to us, and we've determined that it is this: each other.

Here's hoping 2010 sees a brighter year for all of us, with a better appreciation for the things in life that truly matter.

It's guy love! Between two guys!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +0000

The topic of "bromance" came up at the m/m panel I sat on at Bishie Con. I couldn't help but bring up this pair as a shining example of bromance:

Hey, it's guy love. Between two guys.

Blue Ruin 4 is out today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:33:00 +0000

Available now from Loose Id!
Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight

Blue’s summer is heating up in more ways than one. When he befriends Dusty Sterling, he sees the opportunity to give his master Derek their first true threesome. But first, Blue must meet a challenge issued by Derek.

Derek is content with Blue as his exclusive lover, but when offered the chance to bring the beautiful Dusty into their bedroom, Derek is definitely tempted. He agrees to Blue’s idea under one condition -- it’s Blue who must seduce Dusty.

Blind since birth, Dusty is proud, independent, and knows what he wants. In need of temporary shelter, he accepts an offer to stay with Derek and Blue. The fact that he finds them both attractive doesn’t hurt, but Dusty must let his hosts in on a secret – his unique and sometimes frightening way of seeing.

When Dusty’s nightmares reflect a pair of real life murders, Blue uses his connections with the police to bring Dusty in on the case. The friends grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, but their bond will truly be tested by the evil that lurks in plain sight.

*****

Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Available today from Loose Id!

Read an excerpt:
http://www.loose-id.com/excerpt.aspx?ID=1059

Buy the book:
http://www.loose-id.com/Blue-Ruin-4-Need-You-Tonight.aspx

*****

Bishie Con 2k9 -- Full report!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Allen of D.Gray-man plays PR bishie for my work. Find the link below for more pictures of the festivities!

I had a blast at Bishie Con 2k9! The staff did a kick-ass job on organizing the event, and it showed in the wonderfully receptive crowd. So many interesting people stopped by my table to chat about yaoi, anime, manga, m/m, writing, e-books, and more! I found warm, friendly company in Jessica Freely, who set her table up by mine and helped me with both of my panels. I also had the privilege of meeting Studio KOSEN and got to talk shop with Yamila Abraham. Jessica and I were surprised to learn four authors from Dreamspinner Press were in the dealer room, so we took turns meeting Connie Bailey, Rhianne Aile, Ariel Tachna & Nicki Bennett.

The icing on the cake had to be meeting readers Boylove Addict and Librarian, who came down from Chicago to show their support. They presented me with a "Got Blue?" t-shirt to help promote both Blue Ruin and The Manhole @ The Phade message board. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with both of these vibrant, intelligent ladies!

Other highlights included my interview with a reporter from local alternative paper Riverfront Times for their feature story on Bishie Con. The article should come out next month, so check back soon for more on that! I was also one of three judges for the crossplay contest (crossplay = drag cosplay) which made for an entertaining experience.

My first ever panel, "How to Query an E-Pub Without Sounding Like a n00b", went better than I could have hoped for, considering I was anxious as heck, but Jessica helped ease my nerves significantly while lending her own wonderful insights to the discussion. My second panel, "How to Write a Steamy Love Scene" for ages 18+ only, turned out to be good, raunchy fun. I was sort of drained at that point of the day and not sure how coherent I sounded at first, but I seemed to find my stride around the moment I threw out the word "vaganus" and the conversation took off from there!

I guess some of you might like to see some pictures, huh? I've posted my album here:

http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc215/katrina_strauss/Bishie%20Con%202k9/

No pics of me in there, although some should start turning up elsewhere. (Eep! How was my hair??? My makeup???) Jessica has posted several videos on her blog, where you just might find one of me in there with Team Blue.

My most humble thanks to the staff of Bishie Con for inviting me to be part of the Midwest's first yaoi convention. I especially appreciate that they offered equal focus to the Western side of the genre, as a lot of the patrons I spoke with seemed ready to give it a try. Here's looking at Bishie Con 2k10!

Bishie Con starts today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:51:00 +0000

Bishie Con officially commences at 5pm CST today! I'll be at my author table for a few hours this evening, so stop by for free postcards, bookmarks, and most importantly, lollipops! I'll be keeping company with Jessica Freely to my left and Studio KOSEN to my right, so you can't miss me! I'll Tweet throughout, so check for updates at: http://twitter.com/katrinastrauss

I'll also be taking lots of pictures, so check the blog again for photographic evidence! I'm off now to finish preparing for the festivities. Hope to see at least a few of you there! ;)

Another excerpt from Blue Ruin 4 -- the steamy one! ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:48:00 +0000

As promised in last week's excerpt post, here's a steamier teaser from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight. One of my goals with the Blue Ruin series has been to explore varying elements of what, exactly, makes yaoi, well, yaoi! Book one explores the seme/uke dynamic. Book two is all about the angst. Book three plays with high yaoi fantasy, or what those of us who love the campier aspects of the genre refer to as whack yaoi plot points.

So what's book four about? Besides hot threesomes with one seme and two uke this time around? I wanted to pay homage to shonen-ai, which is the cleaner cousin to yaoi and focuses more on the bond of friendship turned either sweet romance or forbidden longing between two young males. The term has apparently fallen out of disuse in Japan, but Stateside, depending on who you ask, shonen-ai has evolved to include both non-sexual romance and closed-door yaoi. Whichever term one prefers, I like a clean, sweet romance every now and then, believe it or not! So when I sat down to develop the friendship between Blue and Dusty, I thought I'd keep things innocent and shonen-ai for a while. Of course, this is yaoi, and we're talking Blue Ruin here, so things don't stay shonen-ai forever! But it was nice to create that build-up between these two beautiful young men, while allowing Blue the chance to explore something kinder and gentler than he's previously experienced in his love life.

I was also presented with the challenge of portraying a blind person with sensitivity, yet without being overly-sympathetic or exploitative. I read a few memoirs by blind people as part of my research, and one of the overwhelming sentiments shared between them was hey, we make mistakes like everyone else, and it's okay to laugh because that's how we cope with it! I also thought back to a young, gay blind man I knew years ago, and how he approached life. I bore this in mind as I wrote Dusty, and he turned out to be a good sport with a cheeky sense of humor. Hopefully readers will like this about him.

Enough blabbing about why or how I wrote this. Here's the turning point where things between Blue and Dusty start to look a little less shonen-ai and a little more yaoi. Plus it's fun to write about hot naked boys getting wet together. Enjoy!

*****
*****

**SLIGHTLY EXPLICIT**
Excerpt from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight:

The clothes put away, Blue opened the bathroom door and stood aside. Dusty brushed past, carrying with him a whiff of charred wood. Flicking his wrist left and right, the blond tapped the red-tipped cane against the travertine floor, sending short, crisp echoes through the room.

“Let’s see how good my memory is.” Dusty paused and touched the cane to the shower stall door. “There’s the shower.” He made his way across the room. “Sink…toilet…bathtub.” He slipped the cane into the oversized tub and tested the basin’s perimeter. “Wow. That’s pretty deep. Is it marble?”

“Yeah. It’s really nice. You want a bath instead of a shower?”

“A shower would be safer but…I’ve always wanted to take a bath in a tub like this.” Dusty canted his head toward Blue. “Want to take one with me?”

Blue took a second to respond. He gave a nervous laugh. “Seriously?”

“We’re all boys here. Jodi says Japanese men bathe together in public bathhouses.”

“I’m sure she has some wild ideas about what goes on between men in Japanese bathhouses.”

Dusty laughed. “Apparently so, judging from the direction the conversation took from there.”

“That’s our girl.” Aware that Jodi made for a convenient topic of discussion between them, Blue considered Dusty’s suggestion. The guy was basically homeless. It might be comforting to enjoy a little taste of luxury. “I guess we could hang out Jacuzzi style and relax awhile.”

“All right.” Dusty smiled. He collapsed his cane and passed it to Blue. “I think I’ve got the layout of the loft down. I shouldn’t need the cane so long as you keep the floor clean and don’t rearrange the furniture while I’m sleeping.”

“Don’t worry,” Blue said. “Derek is a neat freak and likes everything in its place.”

“Including you?” Dusty teased.

“Especially me.” Blue laid the cane on the counter by the sink, then perched on the edge of the tub’s platform. He started the water. Satisfied with the temperature, he rummaged through the selection of body washes for a scent that Dusty might like. “Here, smell this.”

He turned to see Dusty had stripped down to boxers with both thumbs hooked in the waistband. Blue felt his face go hot.

Dusty paused from tugging down his underwear and leaned forward. He sniffed the opened bubble bath. “Mmm. Lemon and eucalyptus.”

“You’ve got a good nose.”

“Not really. I just pay more attention to smell.” Dusty stood straight and shucked off his boxers with no display of shame or modesty.

Blue guessed that being sightless eased any taboo concept toward nudity. And as Dusty had pointed out, they were both guys. Bathhouse patrons aside, athletes showered together in the locker room, so what was the harm of Dusty and Blue taking a bath together?

I’m supposed to seduce him for Derek, that’s the harm, Blue thought, mortified, his face burning hotter. Yet even on a casual platonic level, Blue couldn’t help but stare at his friend’s smooth, pale body. His gaze drifted down Dusty’s flat stomach to the nest of hair, the curls tinged with that same strange silver hue as the hair on Dusty’s head. His cock lay flaccid, while Blue’s suddenly became anything but. Blue’s normal type or not, the other man was simply a sensual delight to look upon.

Dusty reached out with his hand. “Help me in.”

Blue caught a glance of Dusty’s ass before it slipped into the water, noting it was small but nicely rounded. At his errant observation, Blue’s prick elongated another inch. Thankful Dusty couldn’t see, then immediately berating himself for such a horrible thought, Blue slipped out of his clothes and joined his friend in the water.

Dusty pinched his nose, closed his eyes, and dunked under the water for a second. He popped back above the water’s surface with a splash. He laughed. “It’s like a miniature swimming pool.”

“Yeah, kind of.” Blue gave a tight laugh. Dusty looked really sexy with his hair soaked wet and plastered to his face. As Dusty raised his arms and combed his hair back, water glistened and dripped down his lean torso.

This is what Derek sees when he looks at me, Blue realized. Could this explain part of Blue’s undue attraction to the blond? That in assessing Dusty as a potential playmate for Derek, Blue was coming to see him through Derek’s eyes?

What would Derek do if he were presented with this beautiful, naked boy in his bathtub?

His cock now standing at full mast, Blue selected a bottle of shampoo and waded across the tub to Dusty. “Smell this,” he said.

Dusty took a whiff of the shampoo. “Is that the overpriced strawberry stuff?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Blue squirted a dollop in his hand and set the bottle aside. “It’s also the best thing we have for fine hair like yours. Turn around and tilt your head back.”

Dusty scowled. “I don’t need help washing my hair.”

Blue kept his tone patiently playful. “I know that, you goof. You can wash mine too.”

“Oh.” With a sheepish smile, Dusty turned and arched his throat. Blue lathered the shampoo between his hands and worked the suds through Dusty’s baby-fine hair. He took care to stand at arms’ length lest his wayward prick brush the other man’s ass.

And what if it did? Blue thought. He wondered how Dusty might react. No, that approach would come off as too obvious and bordered on sleazy. Dusty seemed to be the type to respond more to a slow, sweet seduction. Bearing this in mind, Blue took his time massaging Dusty’s scalp, his libido gradually cooling in the process.

“That feels good,” Dusty said.

“We spent a week on shampooing at school,” Blue said. “The masseuse instructor came in one day and showed us how to integrate elements of massage.”

“Should I tip you when you’re done?”

“You can pay me in ass,” Blue quipped.

“You wish,” Dusty shot back with a laugh.

Blue flicked on the showerhead and rinsed Dusty’s hair, then followed up with conditioner.

Dusty sniffed. “Spearmint? I’ll smell like a stick of gum.”

“That’s what I told Derek the first time he used this stuff on me. Is your scalp tingling yet?”

“Ooh, yeah. It feels neat.”

“We’ll leave that in for a few.” Blue nudged Dusty around by the shoulders. He pressed the strawberry shampoo into Dusty’s hand. “My turn.” He took a breath and dunked below the water.

“Make sure I don’t get any in your eyes,” Dusty said after Blue surfaced. “Don’t need the blind leading the blind.”

Blue chuckled at Dusty’s self-deprecating remark. He was truly coming to respect Dusty’s way of playing the cards that had been dealt him in life. With that respect was a growing sense of affection laced with attraction. Blue may have agreed to seduce his friend for Derek, but he was beginning to feel something deeper for Dusty, both physically and emotionally.

They laughed together when Dusty slapped a handful of shampoo against Blue’s ear, laughed again when he flicked on the showerhead and shot water across the room. Other than those two mishaps, the process went smoothly, until they’d taken turns rinsing the conditioner from one another’s hair.

“Back scrub,” Blue announced.

He slid his soapy hands in a circular motion between Dusty’s shoulders. The other man’s skin proved smooth to the touch. Growing aroused again, Blue considered making his move, but as he rinsed the soap away, Dusty gave a tiny shiver. Noting a slight chill to the water, Blue pulled away to unplug the tub.

At the sound of the drain opening, Dusty turned, a stricken expression flitting across his features. “Done already?” he said, his laugh strained with a nervous edge.

Blue found the reaction odd. “I’m letting some of the water out to run more hot.”

“Oh, okay.” Dusty eased back against the edge of the tub and slouched a little deeper into the water, his cheeks mantling with a soft rosy hue.

As the tub warmed, it struck Blue that Dusty had shivered from pleasure, not cold, and that there was a reason his friend didn’t want to get out yet. He turned off the faucet and plowed back through the water.

“Fuck subtle,” Blue said.

“Huh?” Dusty asked.

Blue dove in for the kill.

*****
-- Excerpt from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Coming November 24, 2009 from Loose Id
For more information on the Blue Ruin series, please visit:
http://www.loose-id.com/All-Books/By-Theme/Series/Blue-Ruin/

*****

Update on BishieCon

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:17:00 +0000

BishieCon is this weekend! A little bird tells me author Jessica Freely will be in attendance as well. In fact, Jessica and I will be pairing up our author tables (this is what we m/m, slash, and yaoi authors excel at -- pair ups!) so be sure and stop by to say hello! Jessica will also be lending her expertise to my panels "How to Write a Steamy Love Scene" and "How To Query an E-publisher Without Sounding Like a n00b", so please, do join us!

I also have it on good authority that Boylove Addict will be there promoting The Manhole @ the Phade message board. I'm also looking forward to meeting my fellow guests Amelie Belcher, Yamila Abraham, and Studio KOSEN.

Who knows who else may make an appearance? Will you? Check the BishieCon website for more information!

A sneak peek at Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Only two weeks until Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight comes out at Loose Id! As promised, here's a sneak peek to whet your appetites. When I briefly introduced the pretty blind boy at the grocery store back in Blue Ruin 3, I didn't expect the overwhelming e-mail I got asking "Who was that? Is he coming back? Bring him back!" Hopefully this excerpt will answer your questions, while you'll be happy to see that yes, his name is Dusty and I brought him back. You didn't think I'd slip someone that hot into the story just for the heck of it, did you?

Enjoy! (I'll post a racier excerpt next week, so check back!)

*****

Excerpt from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight:

Derek stood at the door, dumbstruck, his brain processing an unexpected piece of data. Blue looked up from where he sat cross-legged at the coffee table. "Hey."

"Hey." Finding his legs, remembering to breathe, Derek closed the door and strode to the kitchen counter. He set down the large bag of Chinese takeout and swept his gaze a second time over the attractive youths gathered around the table. There was Jodi with her purple-tinged ebony mane pulled up in ponytails, and April with her dark pink bob. And Blue, of course, his cobalt mop with its vein of white, his eyes smudged with a faint trace of kohl. All of them dressed with an apparent disregard for fashion, like a time machine had regurgitated the remnants of '80s chic meets '90s grunge, which was exactly what made the group's style so vibrant and fresh.

Not an unusual sight in Derek's apartment since the more sociable Blue had come into his life, but as Blue had informed him, the trio had acquired a fourth party. It was the silver-haired boy, the one Derek had seen in his recent dream, the one he'd racked his brain over as he tried to recall where on earth he'd seen this beautiful young man before.

With the boy right there in his home, it suddenly came to Derek. The grocery store. The blind boy he and Blue had seen that day at the grocery store…

His memory jogged, Derek flicked his gaze to Blue, his mind teeming with unspoken questions. Who is this? Where did you find him? Why did you bring him here?

Blue flashed his trademark impish smile. "This is Dusty. He's Jodi's neighbor. He's doing a rune reading for April."

The newly introduced Dusty smiled and cocked his head toward the kitchen. "You must be Derek."

The pleasant tenor sent shivers down Derek's spine. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "You must be Blue's new friend."

"It smells like you just brought in Chinese."

"Yes. Blue warned me the gang would be over, so I picked up a little something on the way home."

Dusty's smile widened, the effect simply dazzling. "Chinese is my favorite."

"Mine too," Jodi said. She rose from the table, her gaze lingering on Dusty.

She crossed the loft and stepped around the kitchen island. "Hey, Derek-sama." With a tilt of her head, Jodi batted her eyes and offered one cheek.

"Hey, sweetie." Derek leaned down and graced her with the usual kiss of greeting.

Jodi busied herself getting plates and utensils while Derek opened the bags and took out the various trays and cartons of entrees and rice. He considered setting aside the Kung Pao chicken for himself, given that he'd ordered from a place that prepared the dish with authentic Sichuan peppercorns, rendering it spicier than the Westernized version most establishments still served even after the ban on the imported peppercorns had been lifted.

On the other hand, it was entirely too fun to watch Blue eat spicy food. Grinning to himself, Derek set the Kung Pao in the center of the makeshift buffet.

He stood back and watched with curiosity as Blue directed Dusty to the kitchen with a gentle grip of the elbow. He observed how Dusty casually accepted Blue's help without asking for any. He noted how Blue described the menu selections and prepared a plate for Dusty without coming off as condescending. This told Derek a few things -- Dusty didn't like to ask for help but accepted that sometimes he needed it; Blue knew this of Dusty and respected that; and the two young men had developed an intimate, unspoken rapport between them in a relatively short span of time.

Interesting, Derek thought. Interesting indeed.

Blue prepared his own meal, pausing to sniff the Kung Pao before spooning a modest portion onto his plate. He took a seat at the coffee table beside Dusty. As their bared knees brushed, Blue flinched and pulled away, then relaxed and let his knee ease back against the other boy's.

Derek stood by in silence, taking it all in stride, when his head suddenly swam with the brilliant, beautiful vision of Blue and Dusty tumbling together onto the satin-sheeted bed as they tore at one another's clothes.

He caught himself gripping the countertop for support. "Jesus," he muttered under his breath.

When Blue rose from the table and made a beeline for the kitchen, Derek was waiting with a glass of milk in hand. His red-faced, speechless partner shot him an annoyed glance, then threw back his head and gulped down the milk. Derek chuckled quietly even as he reveled in the sight of Blue's slender throat stretched enticingly taut, his Adam's apple bobbing with each swallow.

Blue plunked the glass down in the sink. He glared up at Derek, his upper lip coated white. Derek laughed outright. "Step outside," he said, steering his brat toward the balcony door.

"It's hot out there," Blue said.

"It's hot in here," Derek murmured back. "Outside. Now."

It was moments like this when Derek wished he still smoked. He leaned over the balcony ledge and studied the roof garden atop the neighboring building, amazed to see a miniature orange tree ripe with fruit.

Blue stepped up beside Derek and propped his ass against the balustrade. "What's up?"

"You remember seeing him before, don't you."

Blue smirked up at him. "I love how you ask questions without question marks."

"What do you mean."

"There. You just did it again."

"Answer the question."

"Yeah, I remember him. How could I forget? You nearly tripped over yourself ogling his ass at the store that day."

"Why did you bring him here, Blue?"

Blue smiled smugly. "So you do know how to inflect a question."

"Blue…"

"Sorry." Blue kept grinning like the cat that had swallowed the canary. He turned and hunched over, crossing his arms across the balustrade. He stared down at the traffic. "You want him?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"The kind with, I don't know, a question mark at the end?"

"After Cameron and Sasha, I thought we'd purged this threesome business from your system."

"It would be different with Dusty, and you know it."

"Exactly. Which means the dynamic wouldn't be to your liking."

"It would be to yours, though."

"Blue, I'm not going to enjoy it if you aren't."

"I like Dusty well enough. I could deal. I suspect you could deal too." Blue stood straight and peered back up at Derek. Sweat beaded his brow. "Damn, it's hot out here. How come you're not sweating?"

"I'm not the one who ate Sichuan peppercorns."

"Asshole." Blue socked at Derek's arm with a playful punch.

Derek snatched Blue's wrist and pulled the boy into his arms. He looked toward the French doors, catching sight of Dusty through a part in the curtains.

"He's blind, Blue. Don't take advantage of that."

"Don't let Dusty hear you say that. He'd be offended that you'd assume he'd allow anyone to use him."

"Point taken."

"You still haven't answered my question. Do you want him?"

Yes, Derek thought. God yes, he wanted that boy, and with Blue, both of them together in his bed to do his bidding. And Blue was willing to make it happen so long as Derek gave him the word.

Finding his voice, he kept his tone level lest he betray his excitement. "If you want to bring Dusty to our bed, you approach him. You seduce him."

Blue's brow furrowed. "Me?"

"This is your idea, Blue."

"But I want to watch you in action. I want you to seduce him. The idea turns me on for some weird reason."

Derek gave a firm shake of the head. "No. You want to bring him into the fold, you do the work. That is, if you're up to the task."

Blue stiffened his spine, the sense of challenge that Derek loved so much sparking those blue-gray eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. And then what?"

Derek leaned in and brushed his lips against Blue's ear. "Then you'll be amply rewarded."

"In other words, you'll be waiting and ready."

Derek swallowed and looked back through the window. "Yes," he admitted. "I'll be waiting and ready."

He followed Blue back into the cool loft. It seemed the summer was due to heat up in more ways than one.

*****

-- Excerpt from Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight
Copyright 2009 by Katrina Strauss
Coming November 24, 2009 from Loose Id!

*****

New reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:22:00 +0000

I received two very nice reviews this weekend. Val of Obsidian Bookshelf has this to say about Off the Beaten Path:

"A terrific story about two extremely appealing characters... The sex scenes are extremely well written and emotionally engaging, and the overall writing is flawless. These are characters that will linger in your mind, and their story is satisfyingly plotted and laced with a lot of humor."

Read Val's full review here:

http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-off-beaten-path-by-katrina.html

And once again, m/m and yaoi reviewer Boylove Addict breaks rank and reviews one of my m/f menage stories, this time Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned. Here are some of her thoughts:

"I confess. I was addicted to historical category romance novels when I was a teen and the Regency period was my favorite. I loved those books, but they always left me wanting more, so much so that eventually I stopped reading them. Now, decades later, I picked up Katrina's Lessons Learned and found a Regency style romance that delivers everything I love about the period together with the kind of spicy, dark, explicit, genre crossing edge I always wanted, but never got. Yeah!"

Read Boylove Addict's full review here:

http://boylove-addict.livejournal.com/51084.html

Thanks, Val and Boylove Addict, for your kind words!

Deep Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:38:00 +0000

I considered titling this post “Fecal Matters”, but worried my blog would show up in search engine results for “scat.” (Oops, I think it just did…)

The first time I hung out with Brandy, we went to an underground dance club in the Deep Ellum district of Dallas. Brandy informed me, as we walked down the street toward our destined hotspot, that she was currently suffering from gas issues. “If you hear something strange come from my backside, just ignore it.”

Perhaps others might have found such an introduction off-putting, but as a 19-year-old punk grrl, I didn’t find farts too offensive. I shrugged “Hey, don’t worry about it. If we were guys, we’d make a contest out of it.”

Brandy laughed. “I’d probably win!”

I knew, right then and there, that Brandy and I were fated to be friends. It called to mind another introduction from high school a few years earlier. My lunch table boasted a motley assortment of punks, new wavers, band geeks, and indy kids. Jesse invited himself to join us one day. He plopped down in our midst, his preppy clothes incongruously matched with a Mohawk and combat boots, and asked all of us the most insightful question I’ve ever heard.

“I’m taking an informal survey. When you take a dump, are you the kind of person who looks in the toilet before you flush? Or do you try not to dwell on it?”

“I look,” I immediately blurted. Wasn't I a ray of femininity?

Oz raised his hand. I don’t know why we called him Oz; we just did. He was one of the rich kids, but you’d never guess it. “Me too. I like to know what’s going on with my body.”

Jesse nodded at us with a knowing smile. “I look. I want to make sure everything comes out okay.”

Oz and I laughed. “A good shit really makes my day,” Oz said.

“That’d be a good slogan for a laxative commercial,” I said. Did I mention I wasn’t exactly the most ladylike of girls?

“Deep thoughts there,” Melissa muttered from behind her orchestra notes. She and her boyfriend had gotten bored the previous weekend and played the oboe and violin in the streets of Ft. Worth for money.

“Hey,” Jesse said. “It doesn’t get any deeper than one’s bowels.”

“Gross!” said Audra, our resident Molly Ringwald look-alike. She lived in a trailer park, but dressed better than Oz. “I wipe, flush, and forget about it! Who wants to see that?”

Jesse studied her a moment. “If you can’t look at your own poop, you’ve got some deep-rooted issues.”

Audra stared. “I think you’ve all got some deep-rooted issues for even talking about this shit.”

“That’s what we’re talking about!” Jesse said. “Shit!”

Everyone laughed, even Audra, and Jesse was in. Yes, this was the kind of crap (haha) that my version of The Breakfast Club discussed. We were kind of weird.

This would be why Brandy’s advance apology for flatulence didn’t faze me in the least. I never did hear her fart that night, but then we were dancing to loud industrial beats so who knows if any strange sounds emerged from the vicinity of her backside. Our friendship grew from there, and I came to count on her for a blunt yet gentle honesty that I found lacking in most people.

Two short years later, I traded my Doc Martens for Stride Rites; late night partying gave way to late night breastfeeding. A mother of two about ten years before most of my friends followed suit, I didn’t exactly have a support group. Yet Brandy was the one I could call and regale with poopy diaper stories. She greeted my adventures in potty training with gut-busting chuckles. When my eldest son cracked his first official fart joke, I called Aunt Brandy to brag. She thought it was funny.

Brandy and I don’t talk as much as we used to. This damned thing called “real life” has gotten in the way. Maybe she and I will reunite someday in the nursing home, where we can share ladylike discussion about bowel movements -- or the lack of them. I can hear it now: "Pass the prune juice, girlfriend." "Sure, want some vodka with that?"

If you can’t laugh about the most basic and crude elements of humanity with your friends, what can you laugh about? In the words of the late Kurt Vonnegut, Jr: “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”

BishieCon Appearance this Month!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Less than three weeks to BishieCon, the first Midwest yaoi convention to be held in St. Louis this November 20th to 22nd. I'll be one of the guests of honor along with artist Amelie Belcher, publisher and writer Yamila Abraham of Yaoi Press, and Spanish mangaka team Studio KOSEN. I don't have exact times nailed yet, but here are some of the fun things I'll be doing:

I'll do the author table thing for a while on Saturday and/or Sunday. I'll be signing free oversized postcards of the Blue Ruin 1 cover for anyone who'd like one. (And, look in your registration bags for Sleight of Hand postcards, which I'll gladly sign, too!) I'll also be giving away lovely promo items from some of my fellow m/m authors, along with a free CD sample from American J-rock-ish band S.S. Hanami. (Yes, Western yaoi and American J-rock -- talk about cultural confluence!) If anything, stop by my table for the free candy, including imported Thai goodies from Silapa Jarun!

I'm also chairing two panels, one on How to Write a Steamy Love Scene, followed by How to Query an E-Pub without Sounding Like a n00b. I'll also be sitting on up-and-coming author Julie Hayes's panel Romance and the Male/Male Novel. Check the BishieCon website for exact panel times and room locations!

I've also been asked to help judge the cosplay drag contest, which I'm looking forward to! When I'm not at my table or on a panel, I'll be running around taking in the festivities, so who knows where I may pop up? I'll post more details during the next two weeks, so stay tuned! :D

Random gankage du jour

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Various stuff that has caught my attention in recent weeks:

If you liked Travis and Kyle in Off the Beaten Path, check out Hot Male Models Who Are Also Environmentalists!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/7-hot-green-male-models-who-are-also-environmentalists.php

Okay, seriously about to date myself here. Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls on the TV series version of Little House on the Prairie, comes full circle in her role as Ma in the stage adaptation:
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/goddess/melissa-gilbert-from-prairie-to-stage/283?nc

More "Death Note" cases popping up in various parts of the world. Clearly, manga and anime are teh ebil, so why bother looking into any deeper social ills that the Death Note series may reflect?
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-09-29/8th-grade-sydney-boy-reported-for-making-death-note

So you want to be a mangaka? Be prepared to sacrifice food, sleep, and this strange concept known as free time:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2009/09/11/mangaka-so-crayzay-a-japanese-comic-artists-demanding-schedule/

Hugh Jackman rocks:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/video-captures-jackman-chiding-cell-phone-offender-ap

New reviews and listings for Off the Beaten Path

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Off the Beaten Path is now available at Fictionwise:

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b95119/Off-the-Beaten-Path/Katrina-Strauss/?si=0

The story has also received 5 stars from Fallen Angel Reviews. The reviewer happens to be vegan and weighs in on the character of Kyle:

http://fallenangelreviews.com/2009/August/heather-offthebeatenpath.htm

And... Just Erotic Romance Reviews has given Off the Beaten Path their Gold Star Award, which is awarded when a reviewer feels the story exceeds the 5-star rating. Members of JERR's Yahoo group can access newsletter #159 at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/justeroticromancereviewsnewsletter/message/487

Off the Beaten Path is also one review shy of taking the number one position from Blue Ruin 1 on my Goodreads list:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1329007.Katrina_Strauss

I'm overwhelmed and encouraged by the positive reception to this book. Many thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and recommended it!

Cover art for Blue Ruin 4!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:41:00 +0000

PL Nunn does it again! I'm pleased to unveil the cover for Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight. The new boy would be Dusty, the white-haired bishie who briefly appeared in BR3. It seems he and Blue have become very close friends.

Although I must confess, I'm tempted to Photoshop a purple pimp hat on Derek...

Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight comes out November 24th. Check back during the next two months for some juicy teasers!

RIP Patrick Swayze

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:48:00 +0000

How many youngsters know Patrick Swayze actually sang this song?

Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze. You did Texas proud. You put up the good fight, and you were beautiful until the end.

Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned is out today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:15:00 +0000

Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned
Available now from Loose Id!

Camille Rocheford stirs controversy with a novel published under her true name rather than a male pseudonym. Yet despite her modern views, Camille is at odds with the carefree morals of her peers. Lured into summering at the home of an undisclosed host, she's shocked to meet the infamous Stefan Eldritch, the greatest scandal being her instant attraction to him.

Stefan Eldritch is known for his provocative verse, more so for his wild soirees. Born into wealth, the poet enjoys a life of excess, but one luxury eludes him -- the woman who can match him in both wits and in bed. Until he meets Camille.

An unlikely pair, Stefan and Camille fall into creative collaboration -- and unbridled romance. When the lovers stumble upon the lost path of the Magi, the power they unleash plunges them into a world of reckless abandon. But sinister forces lurk in wait, putting the power of the pen and a pledge of love to the test.

Note: This book is a revised, extended version of a title previously released by another publisher, and contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, light BDSM elements, menage and moresome (m/f/m, m/f/f/m, partner swapping), same-sex interaction (f/f), voyeurism.

Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned
Featuring cover art by Anne Cain
Available now from Loose Id Publishing!

Read an Excerpt:
http://www.loose-id.com/excerpt.aspx?ID=1007

Buy the Book!
http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Eldritch_Legacy_2__Lessons_Learned-1007.aspx

New cover -- dark Regency goodness from Anne Cain!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:12:00 +0000

I'm pleased to unveil the new cover for Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned, which will be re-released by Loose Id on September 8th. I think Anne Cain has outdone herself with her absolutely gorgeous take on my dark Regency:

Here's the blurb, in case anyone is interested in, you know, the actual story. ;) There's also a short prequel, Of Licorice & Decadence, available for free download here. Check back next week on Tuesday the 8th for an excerpt and purchase information!

Random linkage du jour

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Various links that have caught my eye the past month in between deadlines, promo, and such. Now that I have a moment to breathe, I'll share!

With the release of the Sony Reader Daily Edition to compete with Kindle, one blogger compares:
http://gizmodo.com/5345411/wireless-ebook-readers-which-onell-burn-down-the-bookstore

Ever wonder about those babies supposedly born at Woodstock? You're not the only one:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/15/mystery-of-woodstock-baby-lives-on-after-all/

Tim Burton to direct cinema treatment of Dark Shadows with, guess who, Johnny Depp slated to take on the role of Barnabas:
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-depp-burton-dark-shadows.html

How did Victorians see the future? While they were way off in some respects, they were eerily close on others. Steampunk enthusiasts should get a kick out of these:
http://tradecards.com/articles/100yrs/index.html

Hell yeah! Research shows swearing can lessen pain: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531977,00.html

OMG, women watch -- and like -- porn!!! This one isn't exactly news to me or half the women I know, but it's interesting to see others take note:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/07/24/o.women.watching.porn/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Conan O'Brien visits an anime voice-over studio. Hi-larious stuff, especially when he ad libs a voice dub for Ghost in the Shell:

Reviews are in for Off the Beaten Path!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Reviews are in for Off the Beaten Path! Some liked it a lot, others not as much, but the common agreement seems to be it's good for a light, sweet summer read. (It's certainly a departure from darker fare like Blue Ruin or Sleight of Hand!) To be fair, I'm listing all current reviews to lend potential readers varying perspectives.

Literary Nymphs:
http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2009/08/off-beaten-path.html

Cowboy Junkie:
http://cboy-junkie.livejournal.com/10409.html

Reviews by Jessewave:
http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/?p=4199

Elisa Rolle:
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/754701.html

Rainbow Reviews:
http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1691

EmmyJag:
http://emmyjag.livejournal.com/137958.html

I Love Books:
http://lily-ilovebooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/off-beaten-path-by-katrina-strauss.html

Various ratings and comments at Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6652347-off-the-beaten-path

Blogging at Fiction With Friction!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I'm guest blogging today over at Fiction With Friction. I'm talking shop on research and shared a little on the writing process behind some of my m/m titles. Check it out at:

http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2009/08/13/guest-blogger-katrina-strauss/

Many thanks to the FWF crew for inviting me to play today!

Whacky nocturnal musings

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:50:00 +0000

I don't dream about my characters as often as some people might think, but when I do it's usually something crazy. Like the time I dreamed Inga and Lord Eldritch were riding on horseback to camp so they could find an electrical outlet to recharge Inga's laptop...

So last night, I dreamed about Derek. Seems we shared the same floor in his apartment building and I caught him at the elevator. He'd gotten his hair trimmed -- not much, just a little, with some layers added in, leaving him to look like a real life version of Gundam 00's Lockon (which was HOT, btw). I complimented his hair. He told me he'd gotten it cut before he started work in what he termed "a more conservative environment". I asked where he got it cut. He told me some place down the street. I asked him, "Why didn't you just let Blue cut your hair?" He looked at me funny, then gently said, "Hon, Blue's not real. He's just a character in your books."

Mah brain, sometimes it hurts me. :P

State of the Ruin

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Well, state of the Blue Ruin anyway, as well as a few other things.

Readers can expect at least five more releases from me in the next year and a half. Already written, contracted, and simply awaiting edits are Blue Ruin 4, and Eldritch Legacy 2 and 3. Contractually, I'm obligated to write a fourth Eldritch book. Personally, I'm obligated to write the fifth and final Blue Ruin book.

From there? I have plenty of projects on the backburner, including a sequel, companion story, two offshoot series, and, wonder of wonders, a few stand-alones. Amber Quill invited me to submit work to them, so I'm currently weighing two of the m/m stand-alones for submission to the Amber Allure imprint.

As you can see, I'm not lacking in ideas, but I'm not exactly short on frustration, either. If I'm to keep doing this, changes are in order. At the risk of growing "obscure" in what's become a book-of-the-week industry, I'm shifting my focus from quantity to quality. This means that after 2010, readers can expect less yearly releases from me. In exchange for their kind patience, I hope to offer my readers longer, meatier, better-polished works that maybe, just maybe, have a little more staying power.

Please stay tuned. If you change the channel during commercial breaks, I'll be back on in a few.

RIP John Hughes

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:14:00 +0000

In the days before my generation was labeled with a big black X, we were just a bunch of kids trying to find our way through the purple haze that hadn’t quite blown over from the Summer of Love. Our self-absorbed, acid-baked parents didn’t understand us, but John Hughes did.

A white trash kid adrift in a sea of 80’s excess, I completely related to Pretty in Pink’s Andie when she told Blane, “Because I don’t want you to see where I live, okay?!!?” Amazing how a then-36-year-old male writer so perfectly captured my adolescent experience in one line of dialogue.

As a writer today, I strive to draw on human experience and observation like Hughes did in creating characters who may, on the surface, seem vastly different from myself and yet, hopefully, reflect the lives of at least some of my audience.

RIP, John Hughes. Thank you for inspiring me both then and now.

Available in print -- Loves Immortal Pantheon vol 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Available now in trade paperback!

Love's Immortal Pantheon, Vol. 2
Five stories. Five gods. Five wicked ways to fall in love with stories by Cara North, Cat Johnson, Dagmar Avery, Selena Illyria and Katrina Strauss. To love is still divine.

ISBN: 978-1-60767-067-4
Length: 238 pages
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Heat Level: Spicy to Flaming Hot!

Including Katrina Strauss's novella Windswept!

Full anthology available in trade paperback at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Order your copy today!