Romance and Chocolate

"Another Win" - Lambda Literary Review of Love by the Numbers

2013-05-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Love by the Numbers is another win for Kallmaker to the delight of readers everywhere...

The love story is engaging and is filled with just the right amount of tension to make the nerve endings buzz…

It’s also filled with that tongue-in-cheek, ever-so-sassy humor that Kallmaker does so well…

Anna Furtado (author of The Briarcrest Chronicles) reviewed Love by the Numbers for Lambda Literary and said lovely things about it. I've already read them a couple dozen times, but you can read them for yourself too.

Paperback Romance Now Direct to Kindle and Nook

2013-05-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Two different but equally brilliant conductors inspired the basic premise of Paperback Romance. The first was JoAnn Falletta conducting The Bay Area Women's Philharmonic. The second was Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Falletta's energy and grace was mesmerizing -- and it was icing on the top that she was a woman in the field dominated by men. Some months later I then watched Michael Tilson Thomas who moved with the same sweep of energy and grace. Though taller than Falletta, when his back was turned to the audience I began to see a resemblance in motion and stature. And I began to wonder... What if, to get even the most basic opportunities in classical music performance, Falletta had pretended to be Tilson Thomas?

Paperback Romance also presents an homage to the Harlequin with a timeless ingenue-meets-tall-dark-and-handsome story. I will confess that the character of Oscar might have a slight resemblance to John Gielgud's Hobson in Arthur. The characters of Caroline, Alison and Nick all had more to say as the years passed and there are two follow-up short stories also available (see below).

The BAWP's recording of Baroquen Treasures remains a favorite two decades later. Though Falletta left the Bay Area for the east coast and Europe, Tilson Thomas came home--and came out--keeping my classical music world nicely balanced.

Paperback Romance is now available direct to Kindle and Nook. As always, you can find out more about the book and read a free excerpt at my web site.

If Music be the Food of Love you will want this story to play on and on ...

Literary agent Alison has been in love with her favorite author-client for years. Not that paperback romance writer Carolyn has ever noticed. She sees Alison as a close, loyal friend; she has never questioned society's conventions.

When Alison negotiates a lucrative contract for her, Carolyn seizes the unexpectedly large advance to fulfill a passion of her own. Beginning in Paris, scene of her brief, calamitous marriage, she will immerse herself in great music from the world's great orchestras. Paris brings a dramatic encounter with Nicolas Frost, the remote, driven young conductor who is creating a reputation for musical brilliance.

When the smitten Carolyn discovers the conductor's masquerade -- necessary to achieve recognition in the male-dominated higher echelons of classical music -- she is suddenly faced with the true nature of her powerful attraction to Nick.

Meanwhile, Alison has found her own consolation. But does sweet, passionate Samantha have any chance of winning Alison's affections away from Carolyn? Can there by any future for Nick and Carolyn? Find the answers in this captivating, deliciously romantic and erotic tale from one of our most entertaining storytellers.

Fans of this book will not want to miss the short story follow-ups in Frosting on the Cake 1 and Frosting on the Cake 2.

© 1992 245 pages 62,039 words

New to Kindle - visit book at Amazon.com
New to Nook - visit book at BarnesandNoble.com

The complete list of my other books available direct to Kindle.
Nook user like me? Here you go!

"A Fine Touch" - Comfort and Joy Reviewed at Dear Author

2013-05-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

I was super pleased to learn that the romance review site Dear Author wrote me a love letter about my holiday novella "Comfort and Joy!" The review ends with "...the growing attraction and feelings the women experience are delicately delineated with a fine touch that makes me look forward to trying more of your work."

Reviewer Jayne also writes:

...The spark of sexual interest is clearly there and only requires the opportunity and time for Milla and Tyna to act on their desire and need for the other. I liked that neither woman appears to simply be scratching an itch or merely taking advantage of the chance for intimacy. Care is plainly there and the desire to give instead of just taking pleasure.

Writing Books for LGBTQ Youth - Saturday Night at Laurel!

2013-04-25T20:11:00.002-07:00

This is one of those events where I hope to learn more than I teach! Annameekee Hesik (The You Know Who Girls) will read and talk about writing the kinds of books she wanted to read when she was a teen, and Lynn Bravewomon (Safe and Inclusive Schools Coordinator with the Hayward School District) will talk about the role of books and the importance of reaching young people with inclusive, positive messages they will believe.

I've never written specifically for young readers and I might be a mom, but I've never worked with kids otherwise. So where do I fit in? As a writer, I've always tried to create characters who vividly show that it does, indeed, get better. I would certainly like to know more about young readers, so I am looking forward to hearing from Annameekee and Lynn.

But more to the point, while I didn't write the groundbreaking Being Emily, I was part of the team that selected and produced it. I'm thrilled to read from it, and I hope to honestly represent Rachel Gold's intentions as the author. I can also speak to how books that reach young people with life-saving messages can contain mind-changing messages for older readers as well.

Please make the journey to Oakland for this special night - it's sure to be invigorating for the writers and illuminating for the readers, teachers, parents and anyone committed to the security of LGBTQ youth.

Saturday April 27, 2013, 6:00 p.m.
Laurel Bookstore
An Independent Community Bookseller
4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(between 35th Avenue and High Street just off 580)

Maybe Next Time - New to Kindle and Nook!

2013-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Years of piano lessons taught me how to read music, and left me certain that no matter how much I might want it, and no matter how hard I tried, I would never play like Gould or Horowitz or McPartland. With every note my ear told me the result fell far short of the beauty I could hear so clearly in my head. That frustration--and the maturity of acceptance of my limitations--is one of the many threads that helped me create Bree Starling, the complicated, flawed heroine of Maybe Next Time.

I'd like to think that the loss of dreams of a musical career in my teens led me to embrace writing completely, and eventually led to my first Lambda Literary Award. I'm happy to admit that this is easily my most controversial novel--some readers found Bree thoroughly unlikeable, others found the story's dueling timelines not to their liking. Yet others loved the depth and anguish in the story, and that after so many storm clouds and mistakes, Bree finally makes peace with her gift and her dreams--and the woman she loves.

Now available direct to Kindle and Nook. As always, you can find out more about the book and read a free excerpt at my web site.

Sabrina Starling doesn't need love. She has fame as a brilliant violinist and unlimited options for female company. Nothing can shake her — except the memory of her very first love. Knowing that neither the teenaged nor adult Jorie will ever return her feelings, Sabrina has escaped into her music and the arms of other women.

When injury leaves her temporarily unable to perform, Sabrina finally finds the one woman who could free her forever from the memory of those stolen Hawaiian nights with Jorie. There's one problem. The object of Sabrina’s desire, Diana, is deeply in love with Pam, the woman who has shared her life for the past eighteen years.

A family funeral calls Sabrina home to the islands, but she no long believes that the gentle breezes and possible welcome in Jorie's eyes can repair the lives she's shattered, including her own.

Karin Kallmaker's searing novel of innocent first love and dangerous seduction joins an unparalleled string of critically acclaimed bestsellers that earned her the title of Undisputed Mistress of Lesbian Romance.

© 2003 • 242 pages • 80,317 words

New to Kindle - visit book at Amazon.com
New to Nook - visit book at BarnesandNoble.com

The complete list of my other books available direct to Kindle.
Nook user like me? Here you go!

Painted Moon - Direct to Kindle and Nook

2013-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are long-time readers, you remember the original cover of Painted Moon from the Naiad edition, don't you? Yes, that odd blue triangular figure was supposed to be the dog. I really like the Bella Books edition cover much better, and it captures that snow-quiet winter landscape where Jackie abandons her blizzard-disabled car and is rescued by renowned painter--and renowned recluse--Leah and her dog, Butch.

What happens during the snowbound weekend, especially in Leah's loft, changes their lives forever.

Meet Jackie Frakes, a talented architectural intern. Her life has fallen into unsatisfying patterns, both personally and professionally.

Renowned artist Leah Beck is exhibited in galleries nationwide. But her life has darkened with the death of her lover, Sharla.

Trapped by a mountain snowstorm over Thanksgiving weekend, Jackie is rescued by Leah. The snowbound weekend in Leah's cabin shakes the very foundations of Jackie's life. As for Leah, Jackie provides renewal and inspiration for her work. But ... exhibition of Painted Moon, her new series, will reveal Leah as never before, as a lesbian artist.

Their relationship increasingly torn by conflict and misunderstanding, the winter weekend together will surely be their last. Then intervention comes ... from a most unlikely source.

One of Karin Kallmaker’s most popular romances, Painted Moon has achieved the status of a timeless classic. Print version: 228 pages.

New to Kindle - visit book at Amazon.com
New to Nook - visit book at BarnesandNoble.com

The complete list of my other books available direct to Kindle.
Nook user like me? Here you go!

Love Unboxed!

2013-03-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

The feeling never gets old - I know what must be inside that heavy box and yet the reality of a new book is always a surprise. The press version of the cover always has so much more depth than the online jpegs. There is weight to it, the pages smell fresh and clean. So pretty ...

All of which is to say that Love by the Numbers has arrived on my doorstep. If you pre-ordered a signed copy I'll be shipping them out today and tomorrow. If you'd like to get a signed copy you can order one from me and specify how you'd like it signed.

Or you can bring a copy to the GCLSCon in Dallas this summer and I'll sign it for you, plus it will be available for sale there as well from Bella Distribution, along with loads of other good books.

One unique aspect of this book is that readers on my Facebook page gave many ideas of places my heroines could visit in their travels. The ideas were all great -- like a human chess game! -- and provided a lot of imaginative fodder, even if only a fraction of them ended up in the book. I hope that I have thanked everyone whose idea and links I used -- if I left someone out my profound apologies.

Thank you to all readers. Thank you for buying books. Thank you for sharing your feedback. Thank you for telling your friends. Thank you for writing a review when you enjoy reading a book. Thank you for asking for more!

Surviving the Lonely Art - Even More Fabulous!

2013-03-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

File this under "It Just Gets Better!" After being over the moon to share stories with Gerri Hill and KG MacGregor about our writing process, I found out that two more prolific, consistent writers will be part of the fun and information sharing! Georgia Beers and Carsen Taite both know how to keep the words flowing and will share their secrets too.

File this under "It Gets Even Better!" because I'm going to be the lucky moderator for the session, which means I get a front row seat, plus they all have to do what I say. Heh. They don't know the "unquestioning obedience" part yet, so please, let's keep it between us for now.

If you've been wondering if this is the year to find out why GCLSCon has so many rabid fans, the answer is yes, this is the year! This session alone will be full of great advice for writers and a real inside look for readers about how some of their favorite go-to-for-a-good-read writers do what they do.

Learn more about the GCLSCon. You'll find lots of testimonials here.

Surviving the Lonely Art:
Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation

Thursday, June 27, 11:30-12:30 (Tentative)
Gerri Hill, KG MacGregor, Georgia Beers and Carsen Taite have between them a catalog of nearly 60 books--with at least six more scheduled for publication in the next year. Yet they use completely different processes for conception, outlining and completion of the first draft. This session will feature each author's method for getting the work done and approach to editors and editing. Writing is a lonely art, and the authors will also discuss how they self-evaluate long before outside feedback is wanted or available. Moderated by Karin Kallmaker. With audience Q&A. This session is sponsored by Bella Books.

Surviving the Lonely Art - Gerri Hill, KG MacGregor and Me!

2013-03-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Gleeful about covers it! I just got word that I'll be teaming up with KG MacGregor and Gerri Hill for a session about the lonely art of writing for the 9th Annual Golden Crown Literary Society Convention this June in Dallas.

Truthfully, I'm just going to sit back and let them talk so I can figure out how they both produce such consistently good works and at a steady pace too! It should be a great discussion with lots of techniques and practical advice with a chance to ask the authors "How did you...?" and other questions.

Surviving the Lonely Art:
Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation

Gerri Hill, KG MacGregor and Karin Kallmaker have between them a catalog of nearly 70 books. Yet they use completely different processes for conception, outlining and completion of the first draft. This session will feature each author's method for getting the work done and approach to editors and editing. Writing is a lonely art, and the authors will also discuss how they self-evaluate long before outside feedback is wanted or available. Ample time for question and answer.

Learn more about the GCLSCon. If you've never attended "the con" it's definitely time to do it. You'll find lots of testimonials here.

Free Sneak Peek #2 - Love by the Numbers

2013-03-01T08:36:00.001-08:00

Because I just can't help myself, I've created a second sneak peek from Love by the Numbers. The previous excerpt featured Nicole Hathaway and her family. This time the excerpt is from Chapter 2 and features the diplomatic (not to be confused with a doormat) Lillian Linden-Smith. She needs this job, and she's determined to do it well. But dear Professor Dr. Nicole Hathaway, PhD., PITA, proves an unexpected challenge.

You can pre-order signed copies of Love by the Numbers from my web store. The print copy is available for pre-order from BellaBooks.com and other major retailers. The eBook will be available approximately March 14 from BellaBooks.com.

Sneak peek #1 PDF * Sneak peek #2 PDF

LOVE BY THE NUMBERS
Karin Kallmaker
ISBN 13: 978-1-59493-318-9
288 pages / 95,000 words
March, 2013
Lesbian Romance
Bella Books, Inc.

Free Sneak Peek - Love by the Numbers!

2013-02-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

I had my first opportunity to read from Love by the Numbers last night at Laurel Bookstore. (A great event!) The excerpt I chose was mostly from Chapters 2 and 3 with some editing to make it understandable and a little shorter. If there's a clamor I might record it as an mp3.

Best part was (phew!) people laughed in the right places, including at "Maybe when she went back to New York the scandal junkies would have found someone new to stick on a Pinterest."

There's a sneak peek from chapter one available here, introducing Professor Nicole Hathaway. I hope that it's easily loaded to whatever device you have. There will be another sneak peek in a few weeks introducing Lily Smith and her very bad haircut.

LOVE BY THE NUMBERS
Karin Kallmaker
ISBN 13: 978-1-59493-318-9
288 page / 95,000 words
March, 2013
Lesbian Romance
Bella Books, Inc.

Valentine's Books, Wine and Chocolate at Laurel in Oakland!

2013-01-30T08:21:00.000-08:00

An Evening for Meeting, Greeting, Schmoozing and Romancing

Please join all of us for a fantastic Valentine's evening featuring Barlovento Chocolates and Roland Rosario Cellars wines plus romance! I'll be reading from my upcoming release, Love by the Numbers, and award-winning author Mary Griggs will also read! Why spend this special night all stressed out in a crowded restaurant? Relax with other women for a one-of-a-kind Valentine's celebration.

The book, wine and chocolate love fest will be held Valentine's Evening at Laurel Bookstore in Oakland. Festivities start around 6:30. Meeting, greeting, flirting and schmoozing and maybe some true life or mostly true life tales told. Singles, couples and undecideds are welcome. Wine, Romance and Chocolate, what's not to love?

February 14, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Laurel Bookstore
An Independent Community Bookseller
4100 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(between 35th Avenue and High Street just off 580)

Comfort and Joy - a Holiday Romance

2012-12-20T08:34:00.001-08:00

Home from Afghanistan to surprise her mother, Milla doesn't expect more than the best apple pie in the world and the bliss of unrationed hot showers. She's not counting on futures—or meeting a woman like Tyna.

Available exclusively from BellaBooks.com, Comfort and Joy is about the fragile beginnings when differences obscure similarities. I began it almost immediately after submitting Love by the Numbers (which is now on my desk again for its final edit before its February release). At first this story was made up of a young woman mourning the death of a former girlfriend and questioning what it all means. But then she sees an angel...who turns out to be a quite ordinary woman. As I always try to highlight in my stories, ordinary women become extraordinary in love, be it love for another woman, for their families and for those they care about.

To give you a small taste, here is the opening. Thank you to my Facebook friends who pointed me the right directions for research. All mistakes, of course, are mine. I also want to thank all of you readers--in terms of writing, this was a challenging year. It ended with a positive bang and your support has meant the world!

One thing Milla appreciated about cemeteries was that people left you alone. She pulled off her gloves to enjoy the cool whisper of the powder fine snow against her fingertips. Skiers called it champagne—so soft and light that falling in it was almost fun.

Gracie had liked skiing, though she’d only gone once.

There was a funeral underway not far from where she squatted next to Gracie’s headstone. That was tough, a funeral on Christmas Eve. Two people had walked past her on their way to the service, but given her a wide berth. She thought it was probably out of respect for the setting. Realistically, it might also be that they were disquieted by her desert Army fatigues. They weren’t what folks were used to seeing in snow-covered Ohio.

Gracie and she had officially parted ways when Milla had decided to enlist. Gracie couldn’t stand the thought of a “military thug” for a girlfriend. That a four-year enlistment was the only way Milla would ever see a college education hadn’t mattered to Gracie. For her part, Milla couldn’t stand the thought of a drug addict for a girlfriend, and Gracie’s using had gone from once in a while at parties to almost every day. Though they each thought their own reason was the better one, they still added up to “It’s over.”

Two years more of living in the pipe, flying without wings and—if gossip were to be believed—selling love to pay the dealer had wasted Gracie to nothing. The last photograph of her posted on her Facebook page had been taken about three months before the news of her death. It had shown an unsmiling Gracie as powdery and crumbling as the snow Milla was sifting through her fingers.

The blare of a horn and the sound of screeching tires brought her head up. There were no noises of impact or further alarm so she forced herself to relax. Through the trees and iron fencing she could see the streetlights on the busy boulevard wrapped in candy cane stripes. It was hard to believe she was home. Youngstown, Ohio, wasn’t a big city but it wasn’t a small town either, so it tried to be both. It succeeded about as well as anything did when you couldn’t make up your mind.

Bagram air space had been jammed up with dignitaries arriving to visit troops for the holidays, and she’d nearly missed her connecting flight out of Kuwait. Thankfully, she’d slept like a baby for five hours and managed to wake up for the double-time race to make the transport from Andrews to Letterkenny Army Depot. She spared a kind thought for the glorified bus drivers who’d held the flight so that she and five others grunts would be on the ground in Pennsylvania in the wee morning hours of Christmas Eve.

It had been a short, rough flight in gusting winter winds, but nothing like a chopper ride in a dust storm. She’d been met at Letterkenny by Judy, her buddy Brent’s mom, who had brought hot coffee and an Egg McMuffin at four o’clock in the morning. Real eggs, even fast food, had tasted like heaven. Her stomach, still on Afghanistan time, had been super pleased about every bite.

Beyond Tears - What Words Are There?

2012-12-14T12:29:00.001-08:00

As a mother I am shocked, stunned and beyond tears. It is too horrifying - children just learning to read, looking forward to Christmas. It's evil.

It is time to have a real talk about controlling access to weapons of mass killing. If the right to vote can be restricted by requiring multiple forms of ID and proof of residency, why is it unconstitutional to require the same when someone wants to buy a semi-automatic or automatic weapon, or a kit that turns a simple rifle into a weapon with one purpose: killing as many PEOPLE as possible in the shortest possible time.

Unfortunately, many of the same people who want so desperately to protect the public from nonexistent voting fraud do not want to protect the public from real, pervasive gun violence. Gun rights are for some reason more sacred than voting rights?

I am an atheist and prayer for me is an act of sending good energy and goodwill, compassion and mercy, all I can spare to the families and staff, just as I did for those in Norway, in Clackamas, in Aurora...too many times.

I am a mother and finding compassion for the shooter is not yet within me. May he go nameless to whatever evil pit he himself believed existed.

Direct to Kindle or Nook - Wild Things!

2012-12-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Scholar and award-winning author Faith Fitzgerald has every reason to be happy: a wealthy, charming man who adores her and a family cheering her marriage prospects. But from the moment she meets Eric's sister, Sydney Van Allen, she knows her safe, predictable feelings for him are a shadow of what could be.

Openly lesbian and running for Senator, Sydney can only succeed if she can live down her wild past. That means no liaisons, especially with the achingly alluring woman on her brother's arm who looks at her with confusion—and desire.

Fans of this book will not want to miss the novella-length story "Wild Things Are Free" featuring Faith and Sydney in Frosting on the Cake or the short story "Losing Faith" in Frosting on the Cake 2: Second Helpings.

New to Kindle - visit book at Amazon.com
New to Nook - visit book at BarnesandNoble.com

The complete list of my other books available direct to Kindle.
Nook user like me? Here you go!

New to Kindle and Nook - One Degree of Separation!

2012-11-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Big city girl in a small town –
Liddy Peel has culture shock.

Marian Pardoo, Reference Librarian for the Iowa City Public Library, would be happy if the woman she’s loved for years wasn’t already married. Annoyed by the thoughtless out-of-town Liddy, she isn’t prepared for the seething passion that erupts when Liddy careens into her meticulously controlled life.

Liddy has run two thousand miles from a devastating love affair. Now the idea of spending the sweltering summer watching the corn grow is driving her mad. Finding herself lusting after Marian the Librarian seems like yet another cosmic jest at her hopeless love life. The only thing that keeps her sane is the coffee.

In a town where everybody knows your name, the names of your exes, pets, and your third grade teacher, Marian is thankful that she and Liddy at least don’t have an ex-girlfriend in common.

One degree of separation is too close for comfort.

New to Kindle - visit book at Amazon.com
New to Nook - visit book at Barnes&Noble.com

The complete list of my other books available direct to Kindle.
Nook user like me? Here you go!

3-in-1 Kindle Bundle - Lesbian Love Stories #1

2012-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Three short stories featuring the lesbian courtship dance can be purchased in a single bundle for Kindle. 10 Quick & Easy Salads +2 More (Lesbian Love Stories #1) includes:

10 Quick and Easy Salads: Cindy will do anything -- even cook -- if that means finding a way into Jaycee's bed...and maybe even her heart. Erotic and romantic.

Last Call: Rikki knows she has to choose between the beguiling bartender she loves and the sobriety she's fought so hard to keep. Romantic, tender and hopeful.

Especial de la Casa: A business dinner leaves one woman wanting the specialty of the house...and it's not on the menu. Romantic, sexy and fun.

Coincidentally, all three stories revolve around food and drink. We didn't set out to do that, and given my penchant for indulge in foodie urges throughout my writing, perhaps it's not a big shocker.

All three of these stories are available individually at BellaBooks.com as well. (MOBI files from Bella can be transferred to your Kindle!) In total, the three stories are over 10K words and 60 pages.

The New Yorker - The Accurate Cover

2012-10-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

It seems to me that if this satirical cover shows Obama as an empty chair (fun play on the Clint Eastwood thing) and Jim Lehrer asleep, then Romney needs to have a Pinocchio nose and pants on fire.

Read Something Dangerous, Subversive and Unsuitable!

2012-10-02T11:13:00.004-07:00

Our Bodies, Ourselves. Moby Dick. Catcher in the Rye. Native Son. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. All banned. Imagine your life without To Kill a Mockingbird.

Think that banning books is something that used to happen?

The Hunger Games. ttyl. Nickle and Dimed. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The Golden Compass. Beloved. Bridge to Terabithia. The Chocolate War. And To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are still challenged. Even Where the Wild Things Are has been challenged for its "dark" undertones. Check out the American Library Association's list of frequently challenged books.

A Facebook follower asked exactly who it is that bans books. My answer is that it seems the very same people who decry the nanny state want to be the nanny state. "Concerned" citizens want to protect "innocent" minds from corruption--but only as they define it. Their challenges are primarily based on religious grounds (the book isn't supportive of their religion) or sexual content (including the mere mention of the existence of LGBT people). Spurred by either a conservative commentator who has decided to make an example of a book or their church or their own initiative, they complain to school boards, library boards, city councils and anyone they think they can sway and ask for the book to be removed from classes, libraries, even bookstores.

The ones who stand between these "concerned" citizens and our right to read whatever we want are librarians and booksellers. So I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their unflinching support of the right to read. By protecting that right and fighting censorship, libraries and bookstores support the right to exchange ideas and to think.

So read a dangerous book this week. Even if it's merely Where the Wild Things Are to your kids.

Lesbian Vegas - Pre-Order Books for P-Town!

2012-09-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Women's Week in Provincetown — Stroll the rustic streets and everywhere you look there are women holding hands, smooching on each other, laughing and enjoying great food and snappy autumn weather. Every open space, from coffeehouses to theaters to a room over a store will feature lesbian performers. From stand-up comedy to plays to singers, tea dances to raves, everything lesbian is packed into just a few short blocks. It's like Lesbian Vegas for women in sensible shoes.

This year, one of my favorite book organizations is having their first annual Women's Week event: GCLS in Provincetown 2012. A one-day event with more than thirty authors will feature panels, signings, meet and greet (and hug), all taking place at The Sage Inn. (It will probably be a decade before I don't call it The Vixen.) If you're going, please stop in on Friday October 12, 10 to 3. You will never meet a friendlier group of women.

In particular, I'm part of a panel with Lee Lynch, Sophia Kell Hagin and Hilary Sloin where we'll be answering questions and trying not to misbehave. This is hard when Lee Lynch is involved. She has been Making Trouble for quite a while and is, therefore, very good at it. You can see the complete schedule here.

If you're planning to go and are hoping to have me sign books, you're in luck because I love signing books. You can bring all the ones you have and I'll sign until I pass out. (Should this happen, revive me with chocolate.) However, if there's a book of mine you're hoping to buy, you need to pre-order.

I want to be sure I have the book you're looking for on hand. I can't bring them all...even one copy of each book is a suitcase full!

So starting today I'm taking pre-orders for books to be delivered to you. I'm adding some sugar to the deal too. For every order where you pick "Deliver to GCLSWW" for the shipping method, I'm donating a portion to the GCLS General Fund based on the order total.

$0 - $20 - 15%

$20 - $39 - 20%

$39+ - 30%

To access my shopping cart you can look at the full English bibliography and click "Add to Bag" for any book, or open the catalog to browse.

Does this include my next novel, Love by the Numbers? Yes — except I can't deliver it to you there with the other books. I will mail it to you when it's available later in the year, but there won't be a shipping fee. All you'll need to do is tell me how you want it signed.

Be sure when you check out to pick "Deliver to GCLSWW" as the shipping method! That's the only way I'll know you want me to donate some of the order to GCLS. I'll bring the books to The Sage Inn and sign them when you pick them up.*

Questions? Comment at the blog, on Facebook or Tweet me. The offer is good through Sunday October 7, 2012.

* If for some reason you don't pick them up at the event, I'll ship them to you media mail when I return home.

Surviving that First Reading

2012-08-28T18:03:00.002-07:00

I've had twenty-mumble years to get used to reading passages of my books aloud. I still remember the very first one at a bookstore in Vacaville, sadly now closed. I had the flop sweats from minute one but managed to get a laugh reading aloud a passage I thought was witty but didn't realize could get a real chortle out of folks. Once I got that laugh I was hooked on the experience. I enjoy readings immensely, and one of the most common requests for advice I see from new authors is how to make that first reading work.

First piece of advice: If you can, attend a similar event before yours is scheduled to occur. Watch how someone else does it and ask yourself what did and didn't work. Sometimes that's not possible, but in the way back when time, I went to several events at different women's bookstores just to learn the boundaries.

Pick the Right Passage to Read

Choose something that's within your confidence and competence level. For example, the worst thing of my own I ever read aloud was a very funny scene (usually a good thing) that had 5-6 different speakers. I don't have a knack for different voices and the humor got lost in the audience trying to follow who was talking - clear on the page, not clear aloud. Now I stick to two voices max. I do have good comedic timing so I tend to pick something with at least one good punchline. Play to your strengths.
Pick a scene that's earlier in the book so that there is less need to give the audience backstory. It is perfectly okay to end on a cliffhanger.
Be aware of the surroundings for explicit content. If you're reading in the afternoon at a general interest bookstore it's probably best to ramp back the F-word and the sex with toy scenes because of the possibility of kids nearby; don't cause trouble for your bookseller if you can avoid it. If it's the LGBT center erotica night, ooo baby, let it all hang out.
Don't read the big dramatic scene in the story! You'll spoil all the tension for the reader who was intending to buy it and it will probably fall flat anyway. That scene works in the book because of all the work you did to bring the reader to an emotional readiness to take in what happens. A live audience won't be ready to go with you down that road without a lot more time and work.
It's not a rule that what you read is exactly what's in the book. If a great passage has something right in the middle that will confuse your audience, skip it. They won't remember later that you did so. Add more tags for the dialogue and first names if they're needed for audible clarity. I copy out the passage I'm intending to read into a new document and edit it for speaking aloud. Add spaces where I need to remember to breathe, change out words that turn out to be tongue twisters. etc. If you're not sure of your audience age, swap out the R-rated words for PG ones.
Practice, practice, practice. If you have the technology, record yourself at least once and listen to it all the way through, painful as it may be. I still haven't conquered my squirrel voice tendencies, but I am aware of them and do try to lower my timbre by pausing for a good breath now and again.
Time yourself. This is vital. See next section.

Don't Overstay Your Welcome

If you've been told to read for eight minutes, then read for eight minutes or less. This is particularly important in group readings. The authors are usually told an explicit time frame to allow every one their share. Don't go over. Readers might not remember that you're the one who blew the timing of the event so that last person lost several of her minutes, but believe me, that author will never forget it was you and it could be why you're not asked to play reindeer games down the road.

Readers can notice when someone is out of sync. For example, one reading we'd all been warned repeatedly that the space we were in had to be vacated on time and there were at least sixteen authors on the roster for a two-hour spot. If the author knew when to show up and what order she was to be in, then she knew about the time limit. We each had five minutes, including all introductions. This particular author took seventeen minutes and forty-two seconds, and I wasn't the only one keeping track. The last person on the roster - one of the big names, which was why she was batting clean-up - didn't get to go at all. All around me in the audience the readers were grumbling, and they knew exactly who'd hogged far more than her share. Even worse, that meant there was even less time to sign and sell books when we'd moved to the reception area.

If you're going solo for the event, take your timing cue from your host. If there's no host, ask a friend to introduce you and give you some time signals so you're aware of how long you've been chatting. (You should already know how long your reading took, right?) When the audience starts shifting around in their seats it's time to wrap up. You don't want to eat into the time they need to do something, like, say, buy your book.

Questions and Answers

Most of the questions fall into general categories. Think of one or two things you'd say to each of these and you'll be 95% prepared for anything:

How do you do research
What's your writing schedule, do you write every day
Do you outline or do it seat-of-your-pants
Where did you get this idea
What are you working on now

Managing an audience can be tricky. If one person wants to chat extensively, and you have other people looking eager to ask their own question, ask the chatty person if they'd like to talk once the formal part of the evening is over. Don't let one person hog the time. Now if only one person wants to ask questions, thank your lucky stars at least one person is.

Because, sometimes, no one wants to go first. So be prepared to ask yourself a question to get the ball rolling. Sometimes the audience does want the answers, but they don't want to be the one to ask. So it's okay to break the ice with, "One question that nearly always comes up is..." If after you've asked and answered one question no one wants to follow-up, it's time to move on.

The awkward overly personal question? "What's in the book - is that how you like sex?" Yes, I've been asked that and other questions I felt were off-limits. My most successful response is, "What answer will get you to buy the book?" The audience will laugh, giving you the room back. Look elsewhere and ask, "Anyone else have a question?"

Request an Action to Close

Last but not least, you took the time to prepare and get to the event. Finish with the whole point of the event: ask for an action. Practice saying, "I hope you enjoyed that. I have a free excerpt on my web site, www.me.com, and go check that out if you're curious about more." (Your excerpt has a very easy to follow buy link at the end, right?) Or if you're fortunate enough to be at a real bookstore, something like, "It's great to have this store and I hope you'll buy my book here -- or any book for that matter -- to say thank you for the space they've given us tonight."

Think through the various aspects of the event and you'll do just fine, even if you get the flop sweats. On that topic, have a tissue handy, bring your own bottle of water because not every venue will provide one, and whatever you do, breathe. Breathe. It'll be okay.

Faith and Sydney - Wild Things in eBook and Print!

2012-08-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

With a fabulous, evocative new cover and new digital innards, one of the books that was a pure pleasure to write is now back in print and in eBook formats at BellaBooks.com. Originally released in 1996, the themes are surprisingly timely given the current rabid pushback against LGBT people by the religious right, not to mention the influence of extreme wealth and the role it plays in private and public lives.

I loved the research about strong women in history, I enjoyed paying homage to places I'd visited in Chicago, and for the first time I explored the hypocrisy that surrounds scripture and its strict application to the lives of some, but not all. As a character, Faith Fitzgerald spoke to me so strongly that I had to use first person, and for both of the Frosting on the Cake stories inspired by this book, Faith told me the tale in her own words and I wrote it down. Sydney Van Allen is the elusive one, but that's in her nature.

Most sincere thanks to all the readers over the years that have said how much Faith's struggle as a lesbian and a Catholic meant to them as they answered questions of their own. A tip of the hat to those who asked if I meant to make the reader think of Sting's elegiac "Fields of Gold" during a certain scene. I did. Big hugs to anyone who clicks any kind of "like" button that relates to my work. Everything you do to support lesbian writers is appreciated.

You can read more about Wild Things at my web site. You also have a choice of two different excerpts, the appetizer at BellaBooks.com and my more homespun excerpt that features the previous cover art. Go ahead, read both of them. It's okay.

One last quick word: I have exactly three copies of the 2004 version with the previous cover available, and they're about half off at my web store.

Scholar and award-winning author Faith Fiztgerald has every reason to be happy: a wealthy, charming man who adores her and a family cheering her marriage prospects. But from the moment she meets Eric's sister, Sydney Van Allen, she knows her safe, predictable feelings for him are a shadow of what could be.

Openly lesbian and running for Senator, Sydney can only succeed if she can live down her wild past. That means no liaisons, especially with the achingly alluring woman on her brother's arm who looks at her with confusion—and desire.

Fans of this book will not want to miss the novella-length story "Wild Things Are Free" featuring Faith and Sydney in Frosting on the Cake or the short story "Losing Faith" in Frosting on the Cake 2: Second Helpings.

© 1996 • 56,039 words • Contemporary Lesbian Romance

Maximize Your Contribution - Cut out the Middle Man!

2012-08-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

This man has the right to do what he's doing. But are you really going to pay him to do it? If not, I suggest you--like me--are also intolerant of hate.

The owner of Chick-Fil-A has a right to free speech.
Chick-Fil-A has a right to send money to hate groups.
I am not intolerant of their religion.
I am intolerant of their hate and the direct impact it has on my life and the lives of those I care about.
I have the right to free speech.

Though this message will primarily be seen by many friends, and to whom I apologize for using such an evil image, it is aimed at the people who have posted on my comments and those of friends that we are the real haters and need to, basically, SHUT UP [sic] because Chick-Fil-A has a right to free speech.

I suggest that until these signs are in your face, and these fellow Americans are using their free speech to picket the funeral of someone you love, and urge your neighbors to persecute you by firing you, taxing you or taking away your health insurance, you don't really have standing to accuse me of intolerance. If any of these things happened to you or your friend or your child, what would you call it?

I call it hate.

Pass the Salsa! - "Especial de la Casa" Instant Download

2012-08-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Another of my classic Naiad Press short stories is now available for instant download as a "Single" at the BellaBooks.com store! That means you can read it with your Nook, Kindle, iPad, smart phone and just about any other device you may have.

"Especial de la Casa" was written for one of the first Naiad Press anthologies, The Romantic Naiad.

Here's the quick blurb:

A business dinner leaves one woman wanting the specialty of the house…and it's not on the menu. Romantic, sexy and fun.

I hope you'll load it up and take it out with you this weekend!

"No One Cares Who's Gay"

2012-07-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sally Ride was a lesbian. She came out after her death. And I've seen far too many responses around the 'net of "Who cares? Why do gay people have to broadcast it? This isn't important."

Sally Ride didn't "broadcast" that she was a lesbian until after she died. And that was still not enough silence for some people.

I of course posted about Sally on my Facebook wall, once upon hearing the sad news and again when I read her obituary and her partner who survived her. A female, straight, Christian, married Republican from Texas (all public information on her profile) basically repeated the sentiment again in response: Who cares? Why do gay people have to broadcast it? I don't tell anyone I'm heterosexual! That's private. NO ONE CARES.

This message of "I don't want to hear about you" is pervasive, and it comes with no examination of the heterosexual privilege enjoyed by those who say it. They deny their homophobia by saying they don't care or "no one" cares, but if being gay is a good thing, they'd want to hear about it. So it can't be--to them--a good thing at all. It's a bad thing and while they have migrated from actually saying "gay is sick" to "I don't want to hear about it" that's just not far enough for me and for the world I hope my children will someday inherit.

Of course it is simply wrong to say that no one cares. That's just willful ignorance of reality.

Since she posted on my wall, addressing herself therefore to me, this is my answer to her, and to all the people who ask why we celebrate when a person who is beautiful, smart, strong, admirable or heroic comes out. I've only removed her name, and I kept all the typos.

Perhaps you're unaware that the government cares very much that Sally Ride was gay. They've intruded into her life and death by withholding benefits that she and her partner would have received that every married heterosexual receives. After Sally's death, Sally's partner receives nothing. Heterosexual partners receive pensions from NASA. So it's simply not true that no one cares. The government cares enough to penalize her for it.

Right now, today, there are kids considering killing themselves because their classmates think that they're gay.They may not be, but some bullies decided to taunt the "sissy" or the "tomboy." Those bullies care very much about who is gay and can make life a living hell with taunts, beatings and physical intimidation, until that kid can't take it anymore. Well, today, that kid can maybe hear that a HERO was gay. And survived. Was happy. Changed the world.

That same kid finds out that Maurice Sendak, who wrote a book she or he loved as a child, was gay. And lived a long, very happy, very successful life. And realizes the bullies are temporary and there is a life worth holding on to ahead of them.

And by the way, your heterosexuality isn't private. I'm sure you tell people all the time. You say it every time you utter the words "I'm married." When you are introduced to someone new at church, how many minutes go by before you mention your husband? Sally Ride didn't get to do that. Millions of gay people don't get to do that, even in their own churches. Please examine your life and realize that because you are heterosexual you don't even notice that you broadcast it to the world. Gay people censor themselves constantly. When they stop censoring themselves, it's ironic that people respond "That's private." What they mean is "I don't want to hear about who you are but I'm going to talk about who I am."

I just clicked your Facebook profile. You state that you're married to a man. If it's "private," why is that information set to public that any FB user can read? Sally Ride should not have her sexuality in public, but it's okay for you? Why?

You identify yourself as a Christian. Do you never hear of a heroic act and learn the hero is a Christian and take pride in it? You have never pointed out their example to your kids as something to emulate? Are you never glad to see someone brave, smart or strong has something in common with you? And their example helps you carry on? I am personally very proud that Eleanor Roosevelt was woman, that Marie Curie was a woman. That Sally Ride was a lesbian.

Please open your eyes to what EXISTS. So many hateful and cruel people care desperately about who is gay and spread hate and violence. They carry signs in public with ugly words and ideas where my children can see them. They beat up other people's children and leave them to die.

So gay people like me try to spread information and awareness and kindness. When you say that it's private and no one's business you're adding to ignorance. I would like to live in a world where "no one" cares. I want my children to live in that world. But that's not the real world. Yet.

But it is simply not true that NO ONE cares.

Because it's actually very clear to me that you care.

Romance and Chocolate

"Another Win" - Lambda Literary Review of Love by the Numbers

Paperback Romance Now Direct to Kindle and Nook

"A Fine Touch" - Comfort and Joy Reviewed at Dear Author

Writing Books for LGBTQ Youth - Saturday Night at Laurel!

Maybe Next Time - New to Kindle and Nook!

Painted Moon - Direct to Kindle and Nook

Love Unboxed!

Surviving the Lonely Art - Even More Fabulous!

Surviving the Lonely Art: Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation

Surviving the Lonely Art - Gerri Hill, KG MacGregor and Me!

Surviving the Lonely Art: Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation

Free Sneak Peek #2 - Love by the Numbers

Free Sneak Peek - Love by the Numbers!

Valentine's Books, Wine and Chocolate at Laurel in Oakland!

An Evening for Meeting, Greeting, Schmoozing and Romancing

Comfort and Joy - a Holiday Romance

Beyond Tears - What Words Are There?

Direct to Kindle or Nook - Wild Things!

New to Kindle and Nook - One Degree of Separation!

3-in-1 Kindle Bundle - Lesbian Love Stories #1

The New Yorker - The Accurate Cover

Read Something Dangerous, Subversive and Unsuitable!

Lesbian Vegas - Pre-Order Books for P-Town!

I want to be sure I have the book you're looking for on hand. I can't bring them all...even one copy of each book is a suitcase full!

Surviving that First Reading

Pick the Right Passage to Read

Don't Overstay Your Welcome

Questions and Answers

Request an Action to Close

Faith and Sydney - Wild Things in eBook and Print!

Maximize Your Contribution - Cut out the Middle Man!

Pass the Salsa! - "Especial de la Casa" Instant Download

"No One Cares Who's Gay"

Surviving the Lonely Art:
Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation

Surviving the Lonely Art:
Prolific Authors Discuss Process and Self-Evaluation