Blogging It with Katrina Strauss

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!

Cute baby animals!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:37:00 +0000

If you've read Off the Beaten Path, then you'll know why I'm posting this. This video popped up on my Yahoo!News feed a few weeks after I'd submitted OtBP to my editor. The first thing I thought was "Randy and Reba!" From there, I was prompted to add "sound effects" to OtBP during edits, since my kits had previously been a little quieter. (I must also confess, I'm inspired to write a hot romance about the "Skunk Whisperer" now. Be sure and read the back of his T-shirt; it's priceless!)

Young Raccoons Saved from Pepsi Machine @ Yahoo! Video

Blue Ruin 4 coming this Fall!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Loose Id has accepted Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight and given me a tentative release date around October/November. Now that I'm not afraid of jinxing things, here's the blurb for those of you who've asked what's next, not to mention all of you who've inquired as to a certain grocery store extra:

*****
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 requirement 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 can’t resist. 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.
*****

Yes, as you can see, Derek and Blue are due for their first truly cooperative threesome, and with a pretty uke at that. Funny how that works when Derek's the only seme or Dominant in the picture, eh? I think he deserves it, and I hope readers will agree. As for Dusty, I hoped to portray a blind person sympathetically yet without being overly-sympathetic to the point of exploitative. Researching and writing his character certainly made for writer growth. And while I won't give too much away, I'll say that resolution with Cameron is achieved once and for all, but you'll have to read the book to see how. ;)

I'll announce an official release date for BR4 as soon as I have one. In the meantime, I hope readers will enjoy my latest m/m offering, Off the Beaten Path, which just released yesterday!

Off the Beaten Path is out today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Available today from Loose Id:

Off the Beaten Path
Hot M/M Summer Romance from Katrina Strauss!

ISBN: 978-1-59632-982-9
Length: Novel (40,000 words)
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Heat Level: Spicy

Read an excerpt:
http://www.loose-id.com/KSOTBPex.aspx

Buy the book:
http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Off_the_Beaten_Path-982.aspx

Gay athlete Travis Bell doesn't hide his sexuality, but he won't be defined by it, either. When he covers for a friend’s misdeed, he’s forced to negotiate his future without losing his lacrosse scholarship.

The last thing he plans on is a wilderness vacation with Omega Beta Pi, aka Off the Beaten Path, a fraternity devoted to gay rights and environmental causes. Worse, Travis must share a tent with Kyle, an opinionated activist who also happens to be the hottest guy Travis has ever met.

A proud activist, Kyle Schafer disapproves of Travis’s indifference toward issues affecting the environment and gay community. To his greater annoyance, Kyle finds himself attracted to his shallow tentmate on a purely physical level. Travis goes against everything Kyle believes in, but that doesn’t dampen the chemistry that sparks between them.

In a battle of wits and libido, Travis and Kyle venture into the uncharted territory of their deepest desires... and learn the path less traveled can lead straight to the heart.

Available now from Loose Id at:
http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Off_the_Beaten_Path-982.aspx

Guest blogging today at Jet Mykles's ComputErotika

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:37:00 +0000

I'm guest blogging today over at Jet Mykles's place! I even brought along an excerpt from next week's m/m release, Off the Beaten Path. Get the scoop, and feel free to comment, at:

http://www.jetmykles.com/2009/07/guest-blogger-katrina-strauss/

Many thanks to Jet for letting me play at her blog today. ;)

Genderbend du jour... or, thank god for YouTube and bless the Japanese

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Many thanks to Violet Glaze for bringing this one to my attention. As she describes it: "A Japanese TV show where high school student boys are transformed into pretty girls, and then teen idols decide whether they want to go on a hypothetical date with them, all for the delight of an all-female audience."

And by "delight", Violet would be referring to the resounding squee-age to be heard:

Catch more clips here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/snappy9821

Thank you, Ms. Glaze, for making my yaoi-fied (or would that be yaoi-fried?) morning. ;)

New profiles and book listings

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:12:00 +0000

My Amazon author page is now live at:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002HVSXE0

Since I've been taking a break from writing the past week, I found time to fix up my page at GLBT Bookshelf:
http://bookworld.editme.com/KatrinaStrauss

And... e-books are now available at Barnes & Noble! See Derek and Blue at their snazzy new digs:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Katrina+Strauss

Music video du jour

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:24:00 +0000

I freely admit to my love for Lady Gaga's "Poker Face", so it is with no qualms that I post this awesome Chris Daughtry tribute:

Windswept available today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Windswept is available today in e-book format at:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lovesimmortalpantheonvol2windswept-18404-144.html

ISBN: 978-1-60767-065-0
Length: Novella (20,000 words)
Genre: M/F, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Heat Level: Spicy

Get your copy today!

But wait, there's more! Coming this August: Pantheon Vol. 2 anthology in print! Featuring Windwept by Katrina Strauss, along with stories by Cara North, Selena Illyria, Dagmar Avery, and Cat Johnson. More details coming soon!

BLURB:

When Tempest Rayne receives an invitation to the annual Gala of the Gods, she thinks it’s too good to be true. Allowed to meet one Greek god of her choice, the awkward meteorology student requests to meet Aeolus, legendary Keeper of the Winds -- to talk about the weather, of course.

Granted eternal custodianship over the Four Winds, the once-mortal Aeolus quietly watches the world pass by from his remote island home. When he learns of the young woman who has asked to meet him, the lonely wind keeper is intrigued and agrees to honor Tempest’s request.

Neither mortal nor god is prepared for the encounter that follows. When the meddling Olympians brew up a little Mediterranean squall, Tempest and Aeolus must ride out the storm together, plunging them into a whirlwind of passion, leaving them both… Windswept.

EXCERPT:

The loud gong of the doorbell sounded. His treadmill workout unimpeded, Aeolus scanned the weather and satellite reports displayed on three giant screens. That bastard El Niño was kicking his ass over in the Pacific again, and his vigilance was required.

Several minutes later, his steward entered the console room, followed by a third party. “Signore,” the elder gentleman addressed Aeolus in Italian, “the goddess Hera to see you.”

Aeolus halted mid step, nearly tripping as the tread carried his foot back. He turned off the machine and stepped to the floor. Shaking the damp from his curls, he grabbed a towel from where it hung on the nearby weight rack. He wiped the sweat from his smoothly-shaved face, his features permanently chiseled in the guise of a man in his late twenties. His face dry, he twisted the towel behind his neck and draped his biceps.

“Hera,” he greeted with both surprise and suspicion. “It’s been what, a few millennia since your last visit? To what do I owe this honor?”

Wistfully, his eyes roamed her form. At six feet tall, and in stiletto heels at that, the statuesque Hera drew eye level with him. In modern fashion, her chocolate tresses cascaded freely down her back. The last time he’d seen her, she’d worn her lovely mane woven in a diadem. Gone was her toga, replaced with a sassy Chanel suit in silk and leather. And while he’d once found her golden sandals to be alluring, those heels certainly suited her better. As he took her hands, he inhaled her intoxicating scent. Pressed against her, he found himself pondering how long it had been since he’d enjoyed the charms of the fairer sex.

Hera smiled knowingly as she kissed him on one cheek, then the other. “When I made you immortal, I offered you any mate of your choosing, even my fairest nymph, Deiopea, but you refused.”

“I would not wish this seclusion on any woman unless she chose it,” Aeolus reminded her.

“Are you still moping?” Hera sighed with a quick roll of her eyes and a slight twist of her lips. Still holding his hands, she stepped back and surveyed the room with a hint of disapproval. “It’s a wonder you don’t sleep in here.”

Aeolus smiled. “At times, I do.” With a flourish, he kissed the back of her hand, knowing the neglected wife of gallivant Zeus found the attention flattering. “And I am ever grateful for your gift and honored by the responsibility with which the gods have entrusted me. But my obligation lends little in the way of a social life, and yes, at times, I am lonely.”

Hera batted her eyes. “You could host parties like we do each year on Arcadia. You have what mortals consider prime location here. Why, you’d be the rage of the scandal sheets!”

“After that fiasco with Odysseus and his crew, I’ve been reluctant to play host to guests again.”

“You’re still upset about that?” teased Hera.

“Considering it went down in the books? Yes.”

It was more than that, however. The fact was, every few centuries, the human-born immortal suffered a crisis as he stared at his reflection and fathomed, all over again, that he would never age—his skin would never wrinkle, his hair never thin or gray, and his bones never grow brittle. With this realization, the same staggering truth never ceased to amaze Aeolus. He would never die.

If that weren’t enough to keep his mind teetering on the brink of madness, his custodianship over the Anemoi proved a most taxing chore. While he loved his four charges, his duty toward them kept him secluded to the Aeolians, his grand palace atop his island more a fortress than a home. True, the recent advent of television, radio, and computers kept him more in touch with the outside world. And between NASA, NOAA, and The Weather Channel, his job had certainly eased in recent decades. Yet at times, the enormity of his situation still weighed heavily on him.

Aeolus offered Hera a seat, then took his place in his leather executive chair at the main terminal. The steward poured and served coffee, then took leave with a quick bow and a crisp turn of the heel.

Hera blew lightly at her cup and took a dainty sip, her littlest manicured finger extended. “I came here regarding our annual gathering at Arcadia, actually. It seems a complication has arisen."

“Oh?” He blew carefully on his own drink—very carefully, as he held the power of the wind in his lungs.

-- Excerpt from Windswept
Copyright 2007 by Katrina Strauss
Available in ebook at:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lovesimmortalpantheonvol2windswept-18404-144.html