Ghostly Writing...

GhostlyWriter.com is now... OPEN

2016-04-22T18:10:00.001-07:00

This is not a drill, people.

Go on, you're needed over there.

What 'A Lie Within A Lie' is, and what it isn't

2016-04-13T22:56:00.002-07:00

I've been a bit hesitant to write this post, but I decided in the end I needed to be honest and open. Here's the TL;DR version:

Don't buy A Lie Within A Lie expecting a retread of Practice to Deceive. It's a different book with a different 'feel', and for some, it might not be exactly what you want. Specifically: it doesn't contain transformation scenes from the protagonist's point of view.

Here's my longer thoughts. I think A Lie Within A Lie is a great story, and sexy as hell. So do my early readers (stick around for some quotes). I hope you trust me, and I hope you love the book. But, I wanted to be clear about this so no-one buys it and then screams at me for not making it obvious. (I tried to do what I could with the description, although that might have passed some by.)

To get more technical for a second: A Lie Within A Lie was always, always going to be the story of a man being seduced by a 'woman' who could potentially be any woman he desired. Ergo, the protagonist of the story - our main character - was going to be the man, in this case, Ethan, the teenager who meets a very special woman while on vacation. Our antagonist (sort of, if we're splitting dramatic hairs here) would be said 'woman', who's introduced as Marla in the story.

While I know many of you enjoy mask fiction for the thrill of imagining that you are the person able to transform themselves, that's not the only attraction for me of the fetish. I've had the fantasy that Ethan has for pretty much my entire life; that's why I wrote the book. (Strictly speaking my fantasy was for a woman beneath the mask, but then again, I cater to the audience! Yes, I know some of you want F2F... I did write 25 'issues' of Spider-Girl fanfic after all.) I am guessing many of you will feel the same way. And I'm also guessing as a result, you'll enjoy the book.

I'll also point out that while part 1 - The Singer - is light on transformation scenes, part 2 - The Spy - is heavier. And kinkier. In all sorts of ways.

Speaking of which, I'd better get back to it. But I'll leave you with this. If, for example, you pre-ordered A Lie Within A Lie and then read the book and were deeply disappointed, please let me know, or get a refund. But please, only do that if you're really, deeply disappointed. And I doubt you will be. Fingers crossed for you.

Oh I almost forgot! Those quotes. Here's a few!

From Sally Bend's review over at Bending the Bookshelf (you can't see, but I'm blushing here):

There is a passion for detail here that you do not often come across in even the most polished, professionally published erotic literature. Ghostly Writer makes the reader see and feel each aspect of the disguise, painting a series of vivid pictures that amaze as they arouse. Readers with a fetish for masking, dollification, female impersonation, or simple crossdressing will find a lot to admire and appreciate here. The sex is equally succulent, vibrant and intense, but never vulgar. Given how many genders are sometimes mixed in a single intimate encounter, it really is a story that crosses orientations as well as genders.

From Victor G, AKA 'the man who wrote The Substitute before I came in and messed it up':

Yet again, Ghostly Writer proves why he is the "Godfather of Online Female Mask Fiction". His detailed, erotic transformation scenes are some of the best-written I've ever read.

Last but not least, from fellow mask fiction author, Circe:

Brilliantly imaginative, deliciously erotic, and full of suspense this story is a masterclass of the genre - read it now!

Hopefully that's enough to tide you over. I would absolutely love to hear what you think of A Lie Within A Lie, and look forward to reading your reviews, too! (Oh and in case you hadn't heard, it's on sale now. Ish.)

Now is the time for... reviews!

2016-04-12T22:37:00.003-07:00

I thought I was being so clever by putting A Lie Within A Lie up for pre-order! Buying myself all that extra time. Which is why my body decided to contract flu, keeping me bed-ridden for a few days and effectively losing me all that time I had stored up.

Well, shit.

That also slowed down my rollout/building for the new GhostlyWriter.com - but it's coming, honest! (Have you given me your email over there? It'll be worth it.) And God willing, even if it looks a bit crap at the edges, it'll be live on Thursday too.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about!

Right now ol' Ghostly might well be on your mind. You might even be thinking nicely about me! Which is lovely. But thinking about me don't pay the bills! (Nor does selling books, yet, but one day....)

While you're thinking those nice thoughts, however, you can channel them in a productive and really, really helpful way! That's right, you can write a review of Practice to Deceive or Her Smile, or even both, over on Amazon!

Why does this help? Well, Amazon is all about algorithms. Books with more reviews get seen more often! If those books get seen more often, I might make more sales! Which means I get to buy that gold-plated horse I've always wanted. Did I say horse? I meant mask. Did I say gold? I meant, uh... water? Whatever's cheap.

I know for a fact that waaaaay more of you have bought a book (at least dozens!) than have left a review. And I know that it's a hassle and a chore, but it really really helps me.

So while you're waiting for Thursday: write me a review! I'll remember you in my will.

And hey if you write reviews maybe I'll even have something to give you when I'm rich and famous.

A Lie Within A Lie release date....

2016-04-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

... should be April 14th. This is Part 1 of A Lie Within A Lie.

The book's going through Amazon's clearing process now. Assuming it doesn't get flagged, it'll be live for pre-order in a day or two.

Edit: They're quick. It's live now for pre-order.

Why pre-order? It gives me another 10 days to continue edit Part 2, so that hopefully part 2 comes out soon(ish) after Part 1...

Also worth noting: A Lie Within A Lie will be Amazon-exclusive for 90 days (at least). That means if you're a member of Kindle Unlimited you'll be able to download and read it free (yes, I still get paid, but it's based on you reading rather than a flat fee). After 90 days I will probably shop it elsewhere.

I'm still planning a paperback, by the way, but I've not done that before so I have to learn the process.

Last but not least... now is as good a time as any to mention that ghostlywriter.com is a thing that exists.

EDIT: There might be some confusion so to be completely clear. A Lie Within A Lie: The Singer - which is Part 1 of the complete story - is out April 14th.

A Lie Within A Lie: The Spy is Part 2, and that'll be out... when it's out. (About 40% done editing. It's about twice the size of The Singer....)

Title reveal, possible publication and more

2016-03-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of March! Dammit, better give you an update. I'll try to make this quick. Especially for whoever left a 'Dull' reaction on my last post... ya dick.

Title!

The official title for what was long known as 'The Babysitter' is.... A Lie Within A Lie.

(I know, a little pretentious sounding, but what can you do? I love this title. I'm not going to call my books 'Seduced by a Masker' or 'My Wife, The Man' or something. I have some principles! I shall take them to my pauper's grave!)

There's two books, as I've said a few times before. Book one is subtitled The Singer. Book two is subtitled The Spy. Figure that one out.

Release?!

Good news! Book one is done. Like, done done. Like, Kindle-ready-done. Like, I could put it live on Amazon this week... done.

Bad news! Book two is not done. And book two is twice the size of book one. Like, 100K words. So it's taking a while to edit! I am ploughing through (roughly one-third done) but it's taking time.

So here's the question to you: do I...

a) Release A Lie Within A Lie: The Singer ASAP and leave you hanging for a bit on The Spy?

or

b) Hold off until both books are done (I hope a few weeks, max...) and then release both at once so you can gobble them up together?

or

c) Do whatever the heck I want.

Feel free to cast your vote below in comments.

Cover!

With a name, I have a cover! And I have a pretty image of said cover! So here it is. Oooooh. And yes! If possible this will be a paperback. Just think of it, right now, as a virtual one.

Oooh it's a book innit.

There's one more thing but I'm saving it. Just wanted to get this out before April 1st so you know, you believe me.

It's coming... honestly...

2016-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm getting impatient now too.

Editing on the 'Babysitter' is taking a while. I have a lot of other stuff going on right now and fitting it in is tricky. It doesn't help that parts of the book - especially the earlier stuff - was written years ago and my style is... a little different.

But it's going. I am this close to wrapping the first book and then I know book two will take a lot less time. I am unlikely to finish in March. However, I am pretty damn sure I can finish in April.

Along with that, I'm also... doing... something else... that will, I promise, be of benefit to you. Mysterious I know. All will be revealed etc.

You've been so lovely and patient that I want to give you an excerpt. I really do. But while editing book one I've realized that so much of it relies on being at least a little bit surprised. There's some surprises in here! (At least, I hope they will be. There's a tendency amongst mask fiction readers to assume everyone is in disguise, which means you're never surprised....) So this will have to do. One piece of fun, hot little dialogue.

She bent forward, as one of her own hands snaked around and smacked her butt cheek, hard. “Oooh… that’s right. I like it hard. I like it when you treat me rough.” She smacked her ass cheek again, then a third time, each time moaning in pleasure. “That’s it. Make me your bitch, Ethan. Make your aunt beg for you… and for your cock.”

That dirty, dirty woman. There's a lot more of that to come. Now, back to editing!

Er, whoops!

2016-02-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

Has it been almost two months? It's ~~been almost~~ exactly two months.

The book(s) - AKA 'Babysitter' - are still coming. Down to final stages. You'll see excerpts soon, then publishing. Life got in the way a bit. But soon! Promise!

Unhappy Holidays

2015-12-23T10:39:00.001-08:00

With Christmas two days away, it's pretty clear that 'Babysitter' isn't going to be finished and on virtual shelves by then. I just haven't had as much time to devote to it as hoped. Boo.

However, editing continues. I think I've said before that I think this mammoth tale is going to be split into two books, and I think I've found the perfect point to do that. In the little free time I have in the next week or so, I'm going to crack on and get to a completed, revised draft. Then it'll be time for covers, ebook creation and all that jazz. With fingers crossed, you'll see it in January.

I have plans for 2016, though. Pretty big plans. Stay tuned.

For now; happy holidays or merry Christmas or hopefully 'enjoy your time off'.

Status update... again... and what was the secret book?

2015-11-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

... I know I know. It's been a while. I have a mixture of news, both good and maybe not-so-good. That is, if you're the impatient type. Here we go!

The Babysitter (not the title)

First Draft: complete
Reader comments: received
Editing: Happening now!
Publication: Before end of 2015... probably

I've been busy with other stuff (see below) so editing has taken a long time to get around to. I'm finally ready, and I'm finally doing it. The good news (so far) is that the book seems to work. We'll see what you think when it's done. Also I have a real title now, but I'll leave that for reveal for a cover or something.

Secret Book That Was Secret (er, also not the title)

First draft: complete
Reader comments: received
Publication: Early 2016

This is finished. Surprise! Two books in the can. And hold on to your hats because there's another surprise which is that this book is...

... a re-telling of Victor G's The Substitute... except from Darien's point of view.

If you've never read Vic's story, shame on you; good news is you can read it here. I regard it as an early classic of our 'genre'.

What you may know - either from reading at that link, or because you've got a good memory - is that The Substitute was never actually finished. However with Vic's full help and cooperation, I've finished out the story and retold the entire thing from Darien's perspective. Wondering who Darien is and why his perspective matters? Hint: he's the guy wearing a mask. Go ahead and read the original. I think you'll get an idea of what I could do with it.

Like I said, I doubt you expected that. There's a whole story behind why I came to 'reimagine' The Substitute, but I'll save that for another post.

That's it. I know I'm a slow bastard, but hopefully having two books worth of material should keep you happy for a while!

Status update, AKA "Where's that book?"

2015-09-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I wrote a book. But where is it? Well, let's give you a status update on that and other stuff.

Since last time: got busy with a bunch of other stuff. Good stuff, productive stuff, but not stuff you need to (or probably want to) hear about.

The Babysitter (Working title) AKA The Book or Most Recent Book

First Draft: complete
Reader comments: received
Editing: Starting soon
Publication: Before end of 2015

This was the last thing I posted about. I've had some great feedback from my 'trusted circle' of early readers and I'm ready to start editing and revising. Once that's done, I'll start formatting for publication.

I'm aiming to publish this in two parts, probably. Bought together, both books will roughly equal the cost of Practice to Deceive (which went on sale originally at $8.99). Yes, each book will be shorter than PtD was, but this means their individual cost will be more in-line with usual Kindle pricing and arguably, I've got more chance at more sales.

I'm also hoping to do a paperback version of this, if I can. If that works out, I'll also go back and do a paperback version of Practice to Deceive as well, and of course, paperbacks going forward. Hint: the ebook version will still be cheapest.

Secret Book That's Secret (Umm, working title)

First draft: about 65% complete
Reader comments: in progress
Publication: Early 2016

I'm pretty sure I've never spoken about this. I don't want to spoil it, but it's probably not what you'd expect. It IS what you'd expect in that it's M2F masking... but I doubt you'll see it coming. There's a reason this has come together quick. Fingers crossed I want to finish the first draft this month.

Practice to Deceive sequel

First draft: about 25% complete
Publication: before end of 2016

The continuing adventures of Billy and friends, on the road to Comic-Con. Sequel to this, if you came in late. M2F masking, primarily, from the protagonist's PoV.

Back in 2013 I was ready to dive into this, but for various reasons I didn't. The good news on this one is that it's pretty tightly plotted all the way to the end (and I think it makes sense, which is a bonus) so I really just need to get the time and sit down and knock it out. That time, however, probably won't be available to me until early next year, and that's assuming I don't see any other major bumps. I won't forget about it though. There's way too much good stuff in this book to forget...

Anyway, that's that. I appreciate your ongoing patience and hope you stick with me. More stuff to come.

The last two years and oh hey I finished a book

2015-06-07T15:33:00.001-07:00

No, not that one. No the other one. Yeah, that.

Alright, I forgive you for having no freaking clue what I'm talking about. Let's recap:

Last week - in the same cafe I'm writing at now, as it happens - I finished the first draft of what I've previously referred to as 'The Babysitter' (which is not the title). From the looks of it, it took about six years to complete, from first words to last. Of course, plenty of distractions along the way.

But more importantly, it's done. Finally. To say this thing felt like a millstone around my neck - wait, let's back up again.

In the summer of 2013 I finished Practice to Deceive, which had long been also known as 'Housesitting' in proto-form. I published it then too. I had been storing ideas up for a sequel (in fact, sequels, plural) but when the dust settled on it, I decided I wanted to finish off one of my other half-done projects instead of starting fresh on said sequel.

Eventually I settled on 'Babysitter' and started hacking away. And then, as usual, my world turned upside down. For not the first time in the last few years, I experienced a layoff, had to get temporary work, then job-hunt, get a new job, move house and then start said new job. Nothing like that to stop you writing for a while.

Unfortunately for me things didn't get much better. Over the course of 2014 I began, I now recognize, to slip into serious depression. Near the end of the year I left new job behind, and at last, got professional help for the depression. Starting 2015 I was in a better place in a lot of ways, but I still wasn't writing much.

It's taken a few more months to get anywhere close to an even keel. If you've ever heard me expound on this previously - I don't really believe in writer's block. However I now do believe that there can be legitimate and very real reasons that prevent you from writing. It's not the lack of muse, or lack of ideas, or whatever romantic reasons you attach to it. It's just the inability to write, and in my case, it was very much linked to depression.

I make you read this boring summary of my life for the past two years, give or take, to get you to this point.

So as I said, I finished a book. And it's not that one - the sequel to Practice to Deceive - it's the other one, 'The Babysitter'. (Which I previously published a sort of 'teaser' of, which really doesn't have jack-all to do with the actual book, so don't take it as a real preview.)

And like I say, it was a millstone. For those of you not into medieval allegory, it was a struggle, as you might have noticed before. A pain. Especially in the last section, and especially the fucking ending, not to mince my fucking words. I'm still not sure about it. Like the last book, now it's done I'm letting it sit. I'm letting it marinate. After all this is a first draft. It might be total bollocks.

By the way I say 'book' but it might end up being 'books'. I have a feeling it may be separated into two or even three. Partially that's because it's actually longer than Practice to Deceive. In normal paperback terms it's about two books in length. Partially it's also because of the self-publishing market (see my previous post on that) but also partially it's because I'm not convinced this will be everyone's cup of tea, so I want to give you an 'out' if you don't like it. It's pretty different from Practice to Deceive. Yes of course it still involves female masking and disguise and sex, but of course, however it's still quite a different story with a different couple of protagonists.

Hey for all I know, I might show the cleaned up draft to my test readers and they may tell me to lock it in a (digital) drawer for a decade and never reveal it to anyone. In which case this prick tease will have been for naught.

Anyway, the millstoney-struggle of this book has been partially why it's taken so long to do, although see also layoff, depression, job hunting and so on. It's definitely been part of why I've been so silent. But I'm hoping to be slightly less silent from now on. A promise I'll probably break.

What next? I'm not sure. In part I know I have to work harder on 'other' writing. My years are advancing (alright, I'm not exactly ancient but it has been - gulp - about 16 years since I started publicly writing this stuff) and I'm getting cranky about only being able to talk about my work with, well, you, you anonymous faceless (kinky) crowd, you. So I'll be taking time to write Real Stuff.

However, the masked mistress, she is a sly seductress. Even the other day, thinking about what I've scribbled on Practice to Deceive 2 - Electric Boogaloo, I wanted to keep going. Wanted to see what I could come up with next for Billy and friends. (Spoiler: I totally know. The whole book's plotted. Then again, so was Babysitter for a while and look at that bitch.)

My rambling point is probably; I won't stop writing entirely. That is, as long as you keep buying stuff occasionally.

Right. That'll do. I finished my lunch ages ago. I recommend this place. Wherever I may be.

Practice to Deceive: now half-price

2014-10-28T22:08:00.003-07:00

Last summer (which in my brain, means summer last year, not the summer that finished a couple of months ago) I published Practice to Deceive via Amazon and Gumroad.

To my surprise and continuing warm feelings, people bought the book. I got some really nice emails. Some very nice Amazon reviews. I felt glad that people were digging it, and it was very validating to see the small payments I'd get from Amazon and Gumroad.

I also felt, after a decent amount of research, that I priced the book fairly at $8.99. It had taken up the better part of 2013 in terms of my writing; it was over 400 'real' pages in length (almost 130,000 words) and frankly... $8.99 ain't a lot. A month of Netflix or World of WarCraft. I was worth that, right? I knew I wasn't going to get rich, but I felt that if you picked up my book in a bookshop and saw $8.99 on the back, it wouldn't break the bank.

A year and a bit later, I'm changing my tune. Tomorrow (or whenever Amazon catches up) I'm dropping the price to $3.99. (The price is actually already changed on Gumroad - which sells the PDF version, if you hate Kindle - to $4. Yes, I know it's one-whole-cent more. I like round numbers where it makes sense.)

Why? The short answer is: the wacky pricing models on the Kindle store. Basically, there's no real market for 'higher priced' books. In a store where the slimmest of pamphlets (seriously - I'm talking about 15 page books here) can be priced at $2, a book at $8.99 in the land of the blind is king. Or something. In other words, I'm just too expensive. The casual buyer will just pass the book by and go look for something cheap to get their rocks off to. Why risk it, right?

So, there you go. It's cheaper. If you ever wondered "Should I buy it?" you're now able to get a full novel, packed full of the sexy disguises, kinky masks and the hot sex I love to write... for about the price of a decent latte.

(And yeah, I'm not going to $2.99. I have some standards, dammit. I'm worth the extra buck!)

To everyone who bought Practice to Deceive to this point: I want to say a sincere and honest thank you. You're all amazing people who made me believe that yes, people would pay to read my work, and I really, really appreciate it. Feel free to lord it over the latecomers.

If for some reason you've never heard of the book, or me, or are wondering "Why the hell is he going on about book pricing?" then feel free to read a few excerpts here, and then forgo that latte for one day, and buy my book instead.

Sex scenes are hard

2014-02-23T22:47:00.001-08:00

And I don't mean in the nudge-nudge, wink-wink, innuendo laden way either. Although that is part of the point of sex scenes, I guess.

Sex scenes are hard to write. Really hard. There's a reason why a lot of writers just draw a veil over sex scenes and skip to the post-coital bliss; getting a sex scene to feel right is difficult. Getting a sex scene to feel erotic, as in erotic fiction, is even more difficult - you're trying to get a very specific reaction out of the reader.

And those sex scenes get even harder when they're not 'normal' sex, too - when you're trying to encapsulate thoughts and feelings and, well, urges about someone's fetishes. You've got to imagine yourself in a situation that many of us may have never even been in, or indeed, could never be in.

All this leads me here, to a sentence from a plot summary I wrote, probably about four years ago:

"At hotel, they check in and have rampant sex, all that pent-up tension."

Sounds simple, right? Two consenting adults getting it on. But for some reason (and if I'm being honest, it probably has very little to do with the sex) this scene has blocked me for months. Tonight, I finally finished it. And now, I hope, I can get back to writing the rest of the book. Let's hope.

PS: The book in question isn't the sequel to Practice to Deceive. That's on hold for now. In my foolish wisdom, I told myself last year that I could just 'finish off' The Babysitter. So that's what I've been trying to do. For about nine months.

Where'd August go?

2013-09-10T22:49:00.003-07:00

Gak! An entire month without an update. I'm truly sorry. The truth is, I just haven't had a heck of a lot to talk about. I spent some time away, spent some time doing other things, blah blah.

Here's the sort-of-good news: I've spent a decent amount of time plotting the sequel to Practice to Deceive, and I've even started writing. I'm not in the proper writing groove yet, but I'll get there, I imagine. I'm also noodling around on a few other things at the same time. Basically, I'm procrastinating a bit, trying to decide what I commit to next. It may be the sequel, it may be something else. I shall go where the muse takes me.

In the meantime, I'd encourage all of you to visit Kitty Mayer's new site, which went live a week or so ago. I've raved about it before. So far it looks like my suspicions are correct and that yes, there are people willing to pay for masking-related content (surprise!) so congrats again to Kitty. I have another suspicion that she's making a lot bigger profit than I am on Practice to Deceive - but ah well, not all of us can be female or have admirable figures!

At the same time over on YouTube Jasmine Moarly has returned, another 'genetic girl', who's picked up a CFX mask. I haven't got it in me to talk in this post about the advances in silicon based masks but suffice to say, they're getting better all the time. I think inside my lifetime... we could see some incredibly realistic masks. We'll see... and with that inspiring thought, here's Jasmine's latest video, where she 'pranks' her girlfriend (or maybe... pranks us).

Kitty Mayer is back...

2013-07-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

... and at last, she's built a pay site! I could probably go dig up blog posts where I said exactly this, but I am so, so glad that a female mask enthusiast has finally done the right thing and said "Hey, maybe I shouldn't give all these goods away for free!" Viva capitalism!

Ahem.

Long-time readers probably recall that Kitty is a bit of a legend, having really been one of the first 'genetic girl' maskers to hit the 'scene' and we were all a bit devastated when she went into semi-retirement. Well, great news because she's back and posting new material. There's one catch: you need to pay for it. But just once, and that gets you access forever. Brilliant.

It would have been easy (ish) for Kitty to go with the whole subscription thing, but I'm positive that this method is going to pay off for her (literally) and she'll see floods of happy customers. I'm definitely going to be one, myself. Who wouldn't want a gorgeous female masker in their lives?

So go! Get yourself over to KittysKornerVIP.com and get signed up, already! If you sign up before September 1st, you save!

Practice to Deceive - so what did you think?

2013-07-26T23:01:00.002-07:00

Well, this weekend will mark about three or so weeks since I put Practice to Deceive live on Amazon and later, Gumroad. A heartfelt thank you to all of you who've put down money and actually rewarded me for writing the book - I deeply appreciate it. No, I'm not about to buy a house or a new car, but sales are sales, and every one is welcome!

That said, apart from a couple of Amazon reviews and the odd email... I haven't heard much from people about, well, whether they liked it or not. I'd love to know. And for a few reasons.

1) I'm a little torn on what to embark on next. I have an idea for a female-led masking book, maybe a serial, about a con artist/cat burglar who gets in way over her head. I also have plenty of ideas for a sequel to Practice to Deceive, as well as my half-finished other books. The question is... where to go next? Your reactions to Practice to Deceive might help guide that.

2) Whether I write the sequel next or not, I'd still love to know what you thought of the book; did it work for you? Was it exciting, arousing, thrilling, titillating - all of the above? Where did I mess up? Where did you desperately want more?

3) Last but not least... I really could do with those Amazon reviews! There is, quite frankly a lot of dross in the sub-sub-niche of transgender fiction, and I'd love to get noticed by some people there. I know, of course, that part of the trick is to publish more stuff (and I'm working on that) but in addition, a great review or two will help me stand out! So if possible - go ahead and review the book? Even just a few lines would be great.

If none of that works for you, I still want to hear your opinions! Get in touch, leave a comment, whatever - drop me a line. And again if you bought the book, thank you!

Practice to Deceive now available as a PDF

2013-07-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I pushed Practice to Deceive to Amazon Kindle, and this week I'm expanding to PDF format via Gumroad.

PDF is a near-universal format these days, so if you have any reservations or concerns about buying the Amazon Kindle version, then this is a good alternative.

As a bonus, because Gumroad's terms are a little better than Amazon, I'm turning those savings over to you. A whole dollar saved! Yes, if $8.99 was just too rich for your blood... pick up Practice to Deceive at Gumroad for $8.

(Oh and sorry you don't get a cover embedded on that version. Had to compromise somewhere!)

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) now available on Amazon Kindle

2013-06-30T15:21:00.003-07:00

I'm proud to say that my first masking novel, Practice to Deceive (known for a long time as Housesitting) is now available to buy for Amazon Kindle. Here's the cover art:

The book is available from just about every Amazon site - here's a few links:

Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.com - $8.99
Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.co.uk - £6.17*
Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.ca - CDN $8.99
Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.de - EUR 6,68
Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.fr - EUR 6,68
Buy Practice to Deceive at Amazon.co.jp - ￥ 800

You don't need to own a Kindle to read Practice to Deceive! You can download free Kindle reading apps for your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. (I proofread on my iPhone!) More details here. You can also download a free sample of the book (or read it online) to see if it's your kind of thing.

I will be looking into releasing the book on other platforms and formats, but for now, I just wanted to create this post to allow everyone to know the book was live and able to be bought. I hope you enjoy!

UPDATE: Practice to Deceive is now available as a PDF from Gumroad for $8. If you have any concerns or problems with the Kindle version, there's the (first) alternative!

* Sorry my fellow Englishmen, I tried to get the price to a round number but Amazon doesn't mention they add VAT to ebook prices after submission!

Housesitting is awaiting publication, and is now called...

2013-06-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

... after much deliberation... the final name is...

Practice to Deceive

I just submitted the final 'manuscript' to Amazon Kindle Publishing. It should be live (and able to be bought) inside 12 hours or so. I'll check tomorrow, and assuming it all went well, I will update with an official BUY NOW post. However if you search for the title (or 'Ghostly Writer') you should find it. If you buy it before I make my post, I'll give you a virtual hug.

With a publication date of June 29th, I'm sure no-one's surprised when I said it was coming 'in June' it ended up being practically the last day of June...!

BTW, I do intend to publish in other places so you have various options, but Kindle's probably the biggest marketplace so I thought I'd start there.

Feels weird to have done this! More tomorrow....

First novel (AKA Housesitting) out this week

2013-06-25T09:32:00.002-07:00

I have my cover (well, almost), I have my title (well, almost) and I've done my due diligence. A little late in the month, I know, but Housesitting will be out to buy on Kindle this week - before the end of June.

More soon.

Edit: In case you missed it, the novel is now on-sale.

First Kindle book live (no, not that one)

2013-06-17T22:55:00.002-07:00

I'm dipping my toe into the waters of e-publishing, and those are deep, fast-running waters. Metaphors aside, I wanted to basically try out Kindle publishing to see how the process worked. It seems to be relatively simple, so I went ahead and threw out my first 'book' (even though it's just a short story).

Some of you will have already read 'Her Smile' - it was first released when MaskFiction.com existed, so it's probably 13 years old. However, it may be new to some of you. And now you can buy it for 99c (in the US, at least) and a similar price all over the world. So click, if you're interested:

Buy 'Her Smile' from Amazon.com

Buy 'Her Smile' from Amazon.co.uk

What this means for Housesitting is that I'm one step closer to getting it onto the Kindle, at least - although that's not the only place I expect to publish it. Good news right? We're getting really close...

I will say one thing as an aside - if you do actually buy Her Smile, even if it's just to be nice or whatever - please leave a review! You can create a new Amazon account if you feel embarrassed or whatever. (I think you might even be able to use pen names on reviews.) Ultimately it'll help my sales and to get the book known. Fair warning: this is the 'mild' level of begging. When I do publish Housesitting, you'd better believe I'll be desperate for reviews...!

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) excerpt: dressing for success

2013-05-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) tells the story of Billy, a young teenager who has an unusual obsession: he likes to cross dress... as his mother. When Billy is left alone for a week, a realistic mask and his uncanny disguise skills allow him to actually become his target - but even while exploring a double life, Billy is still a teenager with teenage responsibilities.

In this excerpt, having completed his transformation into Linda once more, Billy begins to dress for a meeting with Kate's parents.

Remember, by reading this excerpt you may spoil yourself for the final novel.

“Time to get dressed, Mrs Merrill,” he said as himself. “You’ve got an appointment to keep.”

He picked up the corset first of all, pulling it tight around him and squeezing him down to Linda’s size. Over that he pulled on his bodyshaper, ensuring every line beneath his clothing would be smooth. Then it was time for his outfit.

He’d thought carefully about what he might wear when going to meet Kate’s parents. Part of him wanted to use his ‘Linda at the mall’ look; the casual housewife, the non-threatening female. Another part of him wanted to dress to impress, however. While he didn’t want to seem like he was coming for a cocktail party, he still wanted to show Mr and Mrs Finch that Linda was successful in her chosen career, and that she had no regrets at all.

That meant a business-like look. He picked up what he’d selected; a knock-off black designer jacket and charcoal pencil skirt, which would go over a shimmering, cyan colored blouse. He dropped the blouse over his head first, examining the fit in the mirror. It was slightly tight over his false breasts, and for a moment he wondered if his measurements were incorrect - then he realized it was more likely that Linda just preferred her blouses a little more form fitting.

With the blouse in place he stepped into the pencil skirt and pulled it up to his waist. It was soft and stretchy, conforming to his - or rather Linda’s - hips and waistline and falling just above his knees. It was paired with the jacket, which he shrugged into. He couldn’t find the button he needed to close it for a moment, but then discovered it was ‘hidden’ on the inside of the jacket, granting the wearer a very sleek look when closed.

Finally he picked up the pumps he’d selected; black leather, with an ‘almond toe’, according to the box he’d found them in. The heels were relatively restrained at just over three and a half inches, so Billy confidently slipped each foot inside and walked to the bathroom.

It was always good to see yourself in a new mirror, he thought. Especially when the person in the mirror wasn’t you.

Linda looked back at him, touching her hair, ensuring it was perfect. Her makeup was flawless as always, her lips matching her nails. She picked up a perfume bottle and dabbed a little at her neck, her wrists. Some lint had gathered at the shoulder of her jacket, and she brushed it away, then turned slightly, admiring the fit. She gave one complete turn and came back smiling at herself. “Well Billy, here we are again,” she said to him.

“You’re looking great, mom,” Billy’s voice said.

“Why thank you,” Linda replied. She took a step back from the mirror and ran her hands down her sides, smoothing out her skirt. “This seems like quite a reasonable outfit to meet Mr and Mrs Finch in, don’t you think?” Billy nodded. “Thanks for picking out. You really have great taste.”

“I learned from the best,” Billy said.

“Although I’ll admit,” Linda continued, leaning close to the mirror and puckering her lips for a moment, “I really did like the outfit I wore with Mike the other night. Do you remember?” Billy nodded again. “That black bustier… those long, long leather gloves. Mmm. And of course, those thigh-high, incredibly tight boots, over kinky fishnets, of all things.”

She paused and raised one hand to her face. It was shaking slightly. She looked at it and grinned. “Do you know how much you turn me on when you dress me up, Billy?” Her hand pressed against her cheek, then slowly descended, running over her jacket and down between her legs. She gasped as she touched herself. “I think you do know. I think you know, and that’s why you do it to me.”

“I know,” Billy said. “I absolutely know.”

She closed her eyes, and pulled her hand away from herself, placing it on the bathroom countertop. She put her other hand there too, just to be safe, then took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

“I’ve got an appointment to keep,” Linda said quietly. “And I really shouldn’t be late. Or… exhausted.”
She looked at herself again and grinned. “Don’t worry, you can seduce me later,” she said.

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) is now available.

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) excerpt: fantasies at school

2013-05-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Housesitting (working title) tells the story of Billy, a young teenager who has an unusual obsession: he likes to cross dress... as his mother. When Billy is left alone for a week, a realistic mask and his uncanny disguise skills allow him to actually become his target - but even while exploring a double life, Billy is still a teenager with teenage responsibilities.

In this excerpt, Billy tries to keep his mind on the mundane realities of school life, when his fantastic other life is so much more distracting...

Remember, by reading this excerpt you may spoil yourself for the final novel.

~~~

It would be the ultimate challenge of his skills, Billy knew that; but he had to do it. He had to meet Kate as Linda.

He thought it over all the next day while he was at school, even in the middle of his math class. He was pretty confident he could do it. After all, he’d convinced Mike, and that had been in a very intimate setting. He blushed at the memory, and glanced around to make sure no-one was paying attention to him - but at that moment, everyone was puzzling over a spot test.

“Billy, is there a problem?”

He shook his head, smiled weakly at his teacher and tried to focus on his work. All the disguise skills in the world wouldn’t get him good grades. Unless perhaps Linda had a quiet conversation with his teacher... the fantasy flitted through his head for a moment, but he knew it was wishful thinking. He was just going to have to work hard like everyone else.

“Hey, Billy,” a voice whispered. Billy rolled his eyes - not everyone worked hard. He turned slightly to the voice’s source; Mike Hudson. “I can’t get number 15.”

Billy hadn’t gotten that far yet, he was so distracted. “I haven’t started that one yet.”

“C’mon, Billy - “

“Mr Hudson!” the teacher said. “Eyes down.”

Mike looked back at his paper, and Billy did too, trying not to think about Mike’s face when he saw Billy walk out of the bathroom wearing a skintight catsuit, an exact image of his own mother in her sexual prime. He remembered every detail, every second, and he bet Mike did too.

Billy shifted in his seat as his excitement grew, then re-doubled his efforts to concentrate.

After what felt like an age, he finished the test, and with class over he walked down the school’s halls, his mind still racing with the possibilities of what could happen if he met Kate as Linda. Could he really fool her? Could he conduct a conversation with her, perhaps even fake details of Linda’s life? He knew everything he could about his mother, but then again, he didn’t know that she knew Kate. Would he be exposed?

Exposed. The idea thrilled and scared him. In his mind’s eye he imagined sitting with Kate on their family sofa, dressed as Linda, chatting away... and then he saw Kate stand, and catch Billy in some lie. She would demand to know who Linda really was - he would be forced to stand, to look Kate in the eye and....

He ran into the restroom, heading for a stall. He had a hard-on just thinking about it. He shut the stall door behind him and jerked his pants down, grabbing his cock. He knew this was dangerous too, foolish even, but the idea of being exposed here somehow fitted with his fantasy scenario, where in front of Kate, his deception known, he would reach up and strip away his wig. She would gasp, her hand raised to her face in shock, but he wouldn’t stop there, he would dig his fingertips into his scalp, and find the edge of his mask... and pull downwards. Kate’s eyes would widen even further, she couldn’t possibly believe what she was seeing - and then the mask would be off, Linda would be gone, Billy would be exposed -

He grunted and bucked, his orgasm coming hard and fast. His eyes flicked open, the fantasy gone, the reality that he’d just jerked off in a school restroom crashing in. He held his breath for a count of five.

No-one made a sound.

Carefully, as quietly as possible, he cleaned himself up using toilet paper, then buttoned his pants and sat in the stall for a while. He had to be crazy. Meeting Kate as Linda was idiotic. She’d figure out what was going on, she had to… then she’d tell the real Linda, and then, who knew? He could only imagine the questions, the guilt. Linda would put Billy into therapy, he figured. He’d probably get pulled out of school. And he’d never have a chance to pretend to be anyone else - least of all his own mother - again.

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) is now available.

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) excerpt: home from school to mask

2013-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Housesitting (working title) tells the story of Billy, a young teenager who has an unusual obsession: he likes to cross dress... as his mother. When Billy is left alone for a week, a realistic mask and his uncanny disguise skills allow him to actually become his target - but even while exploring a double life, Billy is still a teenager with teenage responsibilities.

In this excerpt, an excited Billy begins to transform himself from a teenage boy into a mature, older woman - his own mother. (This is just one of the transformation scenes in the book.)

Remember, by reading this excerpt you may spoil yourself for the final novel.

~~~

He put the see-through lace bra to one side, and started to look for the other items that would make up his fantasy ensemble. As always, he pulled out his phone and snapped a few images of the lingerie drawer, recording exactly where everything was so he could recreate their position later on.

Then he dove in, retrieving all the items he wanted and laying them out on the bed. What he’d ended up with wasn’t the all-red ensemble he’d hoped for, but still aroused him deeply.

He felt almost light headed as he picked up the pair of red satin panties he’d been daydreaming of. They wouldn’t match the rest of his underwear, but he didn’t care; he wanted to feel them on his skin so badly. He slipped them on quickly, pulling them up and into place, clasping his erect cock. The touch of the material took his breath away.

The bra he’d selected was black, not red, but it enhanced his breast forms in the best possible way. He slipped them into the cups and adjusted the straps over his shoulders, turning to the side to admire his new bust line.

Normally his next step would be to add his corset and faithful bodyshaper, which evened out his curves perfectly… but today he was going to spare himself, he decided. He’d just suck in his tummy when he took photos. Instead he rolled on a pair of the darkest stockings his mother owned, purring in satisfaction as he clipped them to a garter belt that matched the scarlet panties.

He glanced at his look in the mirror. It wasn’t ideal; the black bra and dark stockings contrasted with the red panties and garter belt… but that didn’t really matter. His erection was still there and he knew the outfit would look fantastic in photos, especially as he wasn’t wearing his corset or bodyshaper - which might have given him flattering curves, but wasn’t designed to be seen. All that he needed to do now was cover his face and he’d be ready.

He sat down at his mother’s dresser and stretched his wig cap into place. Then he turned the wig stand around, making Linda ‘look’ at him. “Thanks for being so patient, Linda,” he said. “I hope you didn’t mind waiting while I figured out what to wear.”

“No problem,” he heard ‘Linda’ say. “You look fantastic. Is it time for me to take over?”

“In a few minutes,” he confirmed. He opened the adhesive bottle and began to paint his face, moving the brush swiftly and decisively. It didn’t take too long before a familiar smell hung in the air, and he was ready.

“This is your cue,” he said quietly as he carefully detached the mask from the stand. Taking a deep breath, he turned it inwards toward him, then rose it to his face and pressed the material against his flesh.

A moan escaped his lips as soon as the mask touched him, an involuntary reaction, and he felt his cock stiffening rapidly as he pressed down on the mask. He was taking something of a risk, rolling on the mask from his temples - it was smarter to move upwards from the throat - but he didn’t care. He was lost in his fantasy. Billy Merrill, master of disguise… he imagined a camera was moving around him, capturing every moment, as he completed his transformation without cuts, without trick shots or editing. He groaned again as he moved his fingers downward, smoothing out wrinkles, tracing the outline of his mother’s features as they covered his own, subsuming his identity.

As soon as her lips curled over his, he spoke in her voice once more. “Mmm… oh Billy, you know exactly what I like, don’t you? You know exactly how to make me come alive… in so many ways.” His hands continued to move, continued to press down, ensuring the fit was perfect, that he had made no mistakes. He was confident, though. Nothing could stop him. He was in total control.

In a matter of minutes Billy was gone. Linda’s face - free of makeup, and the many other small touches it needed to be just right - smiled back at her son’s eyes from the mirror. Billy blew himself a kiss, slipped in his false teeth, and then placed the requisite contact lenses in his eyes. Then he started to work on his makeup, starting with the careful blurring of the unreality of the mask, and the reality of his own skin.

Practice to Deceive (AKA Housesitting) is now available.

Getting closer

2013-05-09T09:09:00.002-07:00

My readers are still reading Housesitting, so I sit and I wait and I hope for feedback. I've had some great feedback already that I've already acted on - one scene is staring at me defiantly, waiting to be hacked from the main narrative (which may end up in a 'deleted scenes' section, or something), and there are other things I'm thinking about.

But really, I just want to get this thing published.

I've been thinking about various options for publishing; I will definitely be using Amazon, no question on that, so there will be a Kindle version. I'll probably also use another couple of services - Lulu.com is possible and I've found at least one that will sell a watermarked individual PDF. While I know the mask fiction reading community is very small, there's a little bit of paranoia in me that fears the possibility of piracy, because let's face it - everything's pirated. Ultimately I can't do a lot about it except trust you, but in a community that's just about 100% anonymous, that's a big thing to ask.

Anyway. I've got a lot going on personally so I can't guarantee publication soon, but I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get some more feedback, polish off the thing and get things moving.

In the interim - be very happy to hear your requests for excerpts. What will get you to buy this thing, I wonder....