Friskbiskit

Google Books Settlement Deadline this Friday

I looked at my calendar and realized that six months have flown by and we are now approaching the extended deadline for authors to opt out of the Google Book Search settlement.  You have until Sept. 4, 2009 to decide whether or not to remain in the class action suit brought by the Author's Guild and the American Association of Publishers. 

If you are the author of a book published prior to Jan. 5, 2009 and you take no action, you will be included in the settlement and will be bound by its terms.  If you wish to file an objection to the settlement you also must do so prior to Sept. 4, 2009.  If you want to remain in the suit and want to receive payment for books Google uses, you must claim them by Jan. 5. 2010.   Here's the link to the the page on Google's official site where you can make your wishes known.

Google Book Search Settlement Notice to Rights-holders - Books & Inserts Registry.

And here's their FAQ.

A recap: In September 2005 the Author's Guild and the American Association of Publishers sued Google for copyright infringement, because Google was scanning and making searchable books, mainly academic texts from libraries. The scanned pages included advertising.  The lawsuit was granted class-action status.  Three years later Google settled with the Author's Guild and the AAP in an agreement worth 125 million dollars.  The agreement establishes a Book Rights Registry to collect proceeds from the display of the books and apportion the funds to the rights holders.

I blogged about all of this last spring.  I think the deal is rotten, largely because there is no oversight of the Book Rights Registry, and no avenue that I can see for authors and their representatives to negotiate their rate of payment, but also because it gives Google a virtual monopoly on the electronic display of out of print books.  That's my opinion.  I urge all authors with books published prior to Jan. 5, 2009 to educate themselves about the settlement and what it means for them.  Remember, just because you don't know about it and/or don't do anything about it does not make your work exempt from the terms of the settlement. (And that may be the part that infuriates me most of all.  It's in direct conflict with the principle that copyright is inherent. But I'm not going to go off on a rant again like I did before. Really.)

Currently, the Justice Department is investigating the settlement.  The Internet Archive has asked Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo! to join it in urging the Justice Department to oppose the settlement, and apparently they have, citing that it would hamper competition on the marketplace. Attorney and author Scott Gant of Boies Schiller & Flexner is also opposing the settlement, on the grounds that the use of class action in this case represents an abuse of the process and that authors are not fairly compensated in the agreement or adequately notified of it.

The William Morris Agency has recommended its clients opt out of the agreement.  The National Writer's Union and American Society of Journalists and Authors have also objected to it. But the settlement has many defenders as well, including the National Federation of the Blind, the Association of Independent California Colleges, and Sony.

Man Candy Monday

In conjunction with Erotica Cover Watch.  Ganked from Dotty Pinhole.

Birthday Greetings

LiveJournal tells me that

addisonalbright andemily83176 both have birthdays around now. Happy birthday, both of you!

And this is from Stan and Gus:

Gus, dressed in a tuxedo, wheels out a birthday cake.  A big one.

The top of the cake bursts and out pops Stan, wearing nothing but frosting.  "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Addy and Emily, Happy-- hey, are you telling me she's got me naked in a cake and all I'm supposed to do is sing?  Is she for real?"

Gus shrugs.  "She says it's their birthday."

"But these chicks are m/m fans, right?"

"Yeah."

Stan rolls his eyes.  "Get out of the penguin suit, tons of fun, and get over here."

Gus gets a wicked gleam in his eye, strips off the tux and wades into the cake.  There's chocolate cake and frosting everywhere.  Stan grabs him by the shoulders and jumps up, wrapping his legs around Gus. "Now this is more like it."

Their lips lock.  Gus grabs Stan's long blond hair in one frosting coated fist and pulls his head back, running his tongue down Stan's long, graceful neck.  "Oh, God, Gus!" Stan shouts.  "I love how you get around food!"

With a growl, Gus lowers Stan, and the two of them disappear from sight as what remains of the cake starts to tremble.  Little is heard for some time, except for some giggling, a gasp or two, and, at last, Stan's voice lifts once more in song: "Happy birthday to youuuuuu!"

It's Friday, Time to Bounce

Author Spotlight: Jet Mykles

I'm very excited to bring you Jet Mykles, who's here to talk with us about her new release, Revelations, the latest in her Heaven Sent series. I'm a big fan of Jet's and in fact, she wrote one of the few het stories I've read in years.  It was great, and though I'm still glad Jet's writing m/m, I'm pretty intrigued by the triad she's got going in Revelations. Don't miss the link to an excerpt at the bottom of the post.

For years, Gretchen’s main objective has been taking care of the boys of Heaven Sent. When her boys decide to take a hiatus, she decides to do the same.

Before she can begin her summer off, Gretchen has one last public commitment. There, she meets tall, mysterious, and wickedly handsome Archer Thanos. Archer’s company has a video game based on Heaven Sent and he’s has been trying to get in touch with her to discuss it. Their first meeting quickly turns into a discussion of another type … in a nearby hotel room, sending Gretchen headlong into a whirlwind affair she hadn’t anticipated.

Only, someone isn’t exactly thrilled about Gretchen and Archer’s romance. Gretchen’s adorable new assistant, Owen, has been pining for his boss since he started working for her but he hasn’t had the courage to assert himself and tell her he wants her. As a result, Gretchen is completely blind to his feelings for her. And after meeting Archer, Owen knows he has no chance against the handsome devil. His own attraction to the older man is instant and overwhelming, the bisexual urges he hasn’t divulged to Gretchen fully awakening.

Owen thinks he’s not enough for Gretchen. Gretchen thinks Owen is far too young for her. Archer thinks they’re both ridiculous. He knows the three of them are just right for each other, if they can survive the revelations.

Tell us more about Revelations.

Heaven Sent: Revelations is the sixth full book in my Heaven Sent series. For five books now, Gretchen has been the manager of Heaven Sent, taking care of them and herding them to where they needed to be. I thought it time that she got her happy ever after. I knew not all the Heaven Sent fans would approve since it's an m/m series and Gretchen is most assuredly a girl but I took that chance. Besides, I gave her TWO guys so that should count for something.

Why do you write?

I've got all these stories in my head and I keep coming up with new ones! Also, I got tired of reading and thinking to myself "that's cool, but if I'd written this, I'd have done it THIS way". I write because it's fun and because I seem to have this god complex of wanting to rule the lives of others. Although, my characters sometimes turn that last bit around on me.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Porn. It's so cool when you find a really good one that really turns you on. I'll watch all sorts, even some kinks that I'm not into. It's fascinating to me what some people find erotic. Okay, I don't watch ALL kinds because even I have a squick factor, but I watch a hell of a lot more than I would have thought I'd like a few years ago.
 
What was one of your favorite books as a kid?

I was always into epic fantasy or high fantasy. Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series is my all time favorite. But David Edding's Belgariad, Frank Herbert's Dune (ok, that's sci fi but it had lots of fantasy elements), Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince (omg, yes!) all have their places in my heart. There was a time that I wouldn't read a book that wasn't in the fantasy/sci-fi section of the bookstore and wasn't part of at least a three book series.

If you could change one thing about the publishing industry, what would it be?

I'd wish that the method of print publishing was closer to epub. From all I've heard, epub is much easier and much friendlier. Of course, I haven't tried to access the big print pubs yet so I could be wrong.
 
Do you now write, or have you ever written, fanfic?  If so, what fandoms, pairings, etc?

I have! Weiss Kreuz. It's an anime series that's called Knight Hunters here in the states. I fell in love with these guys thanks to PL Nunn, the cover artist for my Heaven Sent series. She's written some fanfiction about them on her site, as well as provided tons of yummy pictures. I really, really hope to get back to finishing the second fic someday, or, rather, extending it. I miss the boys.

Both my Weiss Kreuz stories can be found on my website: http://www.jetmykles.com/home/2006/04/weis-kruez-night-out-part-1-of-6/ and http://www.jetmykles.com/home/2006/09/weis-kruez-on-the-run-part-1/

What is your proudest moment as an author?

I was at Yaoicon last year, working the MLR group's vendor table, and a fan walked up dressed as Hell from my Heaven Sent series. OMG, it was SOOO cool! It was cool enough that there were a few people at the con wearing Heaven Sent t-shirts, but to have someone actually cosplay one of my characters. That was love. I still get a silly grin when I think about it.

For an excerpt from Revelations, please click the link below.

Man Candy Monday: Caption Contest!

Okay, so here's a pic I ganked from Dotty Pinhole (I love you Dotty!) of Matthew McConaughey in a very dramatic pose.  Whoever posts the best caption for it wins a free copy of INSTINCT.  Ready, set, go!

My Favorite So Far

I've been exploring anime fan vids and, though I've barely scratched the surface, this is my favorite one so far.  The original material is not actually drawn in a style I'm that wild about, but I love the editing on this vid and the fact that it tells a whole story.

Author Spotlight: Sedonia Guillone

Please welcome Seodonia Guillone, who's joining us today to talk about her new release from Loose Id, FLYING FISH.

In seventeenth century Japan, during the golden age of samurai and of the Kabuki theater, young actors known as "flying fish" traveled the countryside, performing for audiences by day and giving their bodies to their samurai patrons at night.

Genji Sakura is one such flying fish, yet he dreams of the day he'll find the man he can give his heart to and leave the loneliness of his itinerant life behind. Though he loves theater, he doesn't love every part of his profession, especially some of the patrons. So when a handsome ronin, or masterless samurai, comes upon him stealing some solitude for a bath in a hot spring and their encounter turns passionate and profoundly erotic, Genji's surprised and delighted.

Daisuke Minamoto's past fills his life with a bitterness that grips his soul and makes him dangerous. Yet his passion takes him when he spies on a graceful young man bathing naked in a hot spring. He has always loved women but he can't deny the call of his heart or his baser interests.

After an afternoon of sexual bliss, his heart and soul are tormented and torn. Keeping this miraculous lover will require giving up the one thing that has kept him alive for years: his hatred for the lord who murdered his wife. If he loves another, how will he go on and who will he become?

Tell us about your recent publication.

FLYING FISH is an historical m/m that takes place in feudal Japan between a masterless samurai and a travelling kabuki actor. The samurai, Daisuke Minamoto is a man torn up by grief and the thirst for revenge on the lord who murdered his wife five years earlier. When he comes upon Genji bathing in a hot spring and is drawn to him, the course of Daisuke’s life begins to change.

The twist in this story is that previously, Daisuke has always been with women so it’s a transformation for him to fall passionately in love with Genji even though Genji is feminine in certain ways. However, there is something in Daisuke’s nature that craves a certain kind of companion, someone sweet and kind the way Genji is as well as physically beautiful and graceful. Daisuke and Genji fit together in a unique way, a way that gives Daisuke back something he’d felt was lost in his heart, and so the dramatic change for him in a female to male partner is softened, I feel.

What gave you the idea for this story?

First off, I just love learning about feudal Japan. I became entranced with it when my boyfriend turned me on to the films of Akira Kurosawa. Of course, I became enamored also of Kurosawa’s star actor, Toshiro Mifune who was incredibly handsome. Since then my favorite films are Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro.  

When I began to write fiction with samurai as well as writing m/m, some research revealed to me that homosexuality was a common practice among samurai as it was with the Greeks, a very similar structure and so samurai culture lends itself very easily to m/m erotic romance. Everything fell into place inside me and a voice rose up which gives way to stories like FLYING FISH.

As for the exact idea of the relationship between Daisuke and Genji, I’m not sure. The only thing that is clear is that Daisuke’s character is very influenced by the historical figure of Kansuke Yamamoto. I’m not saying that Kansuke was in love with a man, but his story, the kind of man he supposedly was held the passion, commitment and loyalty that makes for a fascinating, sexy alpha hero.

What do you like about m/m?  

I enjoy so many things about writing m/m! It's a wonderful genre to write in as well as quite the addictive genre. From the first m/m I ever wrote (Danny's Dragon) I was absolutely hooked. Aside from the fact that writing about two beautiful men loving each other is so erotic and arousing, I love writing about the emotional relationship between the characters. There is a bond between the heroes that emerges when I write m/m that doesn't happen for me in the same way when I write m/f. It's very difficult to put into words, but the way that comes to me to phrase it is a burning love in the heart that just needs to be written out. 

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I have a few, actually. Reading m/m erotic romances and murder mysteries is one. Listening to Gackt’s music is another.

My other favorite guilty pleasure has been watching Fuurin Kazan, a 50 episode historical drama from Japan about the political career of a famous samurai, Kansuke Yamamoto.

To what/whom do you credit your success?

I credit my success to the man in my life. In spite of the fact that I put in the work, constantly writing, critiquing, improving it and all that, I wouldn’t even have had the confidence or discipline to go for it without his support. He’s the inspiration for all my heroes and the love I have with him is my muse.

If there were one misconception about m/m that you could clear up forever, what would it be?

That m/m is porn. Yes, it’s highly erotic and that’s a good thing, believe me. But the emphasis is so much on the emotional romance between the two (or more) heroes and that’s what makes m/m compelling.

What kind of impact do you hope your work will have on readers?

Really the primary impact I would hope for is that readers will come away from a story I’ve written feeling that they’ve had a worthwhile experience reading it. I know that the genre I write in doesn’t gear itself to reaching large numbers of people with a message the way that literary fiction does, but in my own way, I write about the things I feel matter in a human life, friendship, love, passion, loyalty, and if that comes through and touches a reader’s heart, then, that’s the best I could possibly hope for.

(Extra because I had to answer this. LOL) Kirk, or Spock?

Absolutely, unequivocally: Kirk! 

For an excerpt from FLYING FISH, please click the link below. (Please note, the following excerpt is for mature readers only.  By clicking the link below, you certify that you are 18 years of age or older)

Man Candy Monday Kiss

Anybody besides me a huge fan of the whole cupping the face while kissing thing?  I love that!  This, I think, is a particularly fine example of the art.

Posted in conjunction with Erotica Cover Watch.

Anime Clip

Author Spotlight: Keira Andrews

Please welcome author Keira Andrews, who's here to tell us about her new release DAYBREAK, available now from Loose Id.

Lucas and Nate enjoyed eight steamy nights of forbidden romance last year at Hanukkah. Now after months of long-distance dating, they're living in their own apartment in Greenwich Village and beginning a new life together. Lucas hates lying to Nate's family about the true nature of their relationship, but being with Nate is worth it.

They revel in having a private place to explore their relationship -- and every inch of each other -- but Nate and Lucas soon discover that living together isn't always perfect. When an unexpected betrayal shatters their tentative happiness, they struggle to find their way back together as the holidays approach once more. As their first magical nights together become a distant memory, can Lucas and Nate's relationship survive the break of day?

Tell us about DAYBREAK.

DAYBREAK is a full-length sequel to EIGHT NIGHTS, which was a holiday novella about two young men who meet and fall in love during Hanukkah. In DAYBREAK, Nate and Lucas move in together and continue their relationship, encountering some roadblocks along the way.

What gave you the idea for this story?

I felt that EIGHT NIGHTS only scratched the surface of Nate and Lucas and their burgeoning relationship, and I wanted to dig deeper. They had a lot more story to tell.  

Why do you write?

This is a simple answer, but I write because I enjoy it and find it fulfilling.  

What do you like about m/m?

There’s something about men being tender with each other that has always pushed my buttons. Plus, I find two (or more!) men together extremely hot.  

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Trashy TV shows about teenagers, such as Gossip Girl. Although I never feel guilty about anything that brings me pleasure. Life is too short!

Do you now write, or have you ever written, fanfic?  If so, what fandoms, pairings, etc?  

I have indeed written fanfic for a variety of fandoms. Lots of Brian and Justin from Queer as Folk, and also Veronica and Logan from Veronica Mars. I haven’t written any fanfic in quite a while, but it’s only because no ’ship or fandom has really eaten my brain in the last year. I’m sure one will come along again at some point. Writing fanfic is a fun escape.

Kirk, or Spock?

Both, of course! Preferably together, especially as played by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. 

For an excerpt from DAYBREAK, please click the link below. (Please note, the following excerpt is for mature readers only.  By clicking the link below, you certify that you are 18 years of age or older)

Man Candy Monday: Bodies in Motion

In conjunction with Erotica Cover Watch.  Ganked from Dotty Pinhole.

Vid Friday

I'm off at Worldcon in Montreal, so please enjoy some lazy summer blogging :)

And the Winner Is...

Tami!  Tami won a free copy of INSTINCT by signing up for my Yahoo! newsletter group, where I post updates on my new publications and author events. 

Congratulations Tami, and thank you everyone who played!

Author Spotlight: Winnie Jerome

Welcome to another Friskbiskit Author Spotlight and please give a warm welcome to m/m author Winnie Jerome.  Winnie is here today to tell us about her new release with Torquere, entitled SPIKENARD: FREEDOM TO FLY.

Zhong Shi is a young dragon in the early days of China, known for being headstrong and a little vain. His lover, Chen Jing, keeps him out of trouble, and keeps him happy, at least until he and Chen Jing are assigned to meddle in the affairs of humans. When a terrible accident befalls Chen Jing, though, Zhong Shi worries he'll never be happy again.
In modern America, Sebastian has boyfriend problems when he meets David. He's definitely attracted, but trying to be true to Luke, who spends more time fighting with Sebastian than loving him. When things start to go horribly wrong, Sebastian finds himself turning to David, looking for the kind of understanding only a soul mate can give. The stories of the two couples begin to intertwine in the way of myth and magic, but will Sebastian and David be able to make things right in time? 
 

Don't miss the excerpt from Spikenard: Freedom to Fly at the bottom of this post.

Tell us about your recent publication.

"Spikenard: Freedom to Fly" has two stories running in parallel about two couples. The first one takes place in China, around 400 B.C., the other in modern day America.

The storyline in China concerns a young Chinese dragon named Zhong Shi, mated to an older dragon named Chen Jing. Zhong Shi is vain and a bit flighty, and it's up to Chen Jing to keep him grounded. However, that changes when Chen Jing is struck with a horrible curse, leaving Zhong Shi to care for his lover.

In San Francisco, we meet Sebastian Crawford, a college student who's having boyfriend problems. While out on a class assignment, Sebastian meets David Peterson, a forty-something IT consultant who's still wounded by a messy divorce and an even messier breakup. Something clicks between them, but Sebastian wants to remain true to Luke.

The two stories intertwine, and when they finally resolve, the outcome will forever change Sebastian and David's lives.


What gave you the idea for this story?

Several reasons - this is my first novelette, so I wanted to stretch my legs and write something with more emotional weight and more intricate than my short stories.

I've always loved Chinese dragons and Hong Kong cinema, so I wanted the story for Zhong Shi and Chen Jing to have both elements.

Chinese dragons are very different from Western dragons - they lack wings, have a more serpentine body, and have hair (a mane, beard, and hair on the end of their tail). Unlike their Western counterparts, they are beneficial. They bring rain and will give advice to kings and emperors. Although they love beautiful things, they aren't obsessed with hoarding treasure. They don't breathe fire, and they can shape shift into any form they choose. They are especially vulnerable to iron, which blinds them.

As far as the Hong Kong cinema influence - HK cinema tends to have a smörgåsbord of genres; some action, comedy, high drama, all packed into one. Zhong Shi's and Chen Jing's story follows that format - there's comic moments, action, smut, and some fairly intense angst.

Against this weighty primary tale, I wanted to contrast Sebastian's story, which takes place in the modern day. My favorite stories are ones where longtime friends get together, so I wanted to write one where getting together may not have been the best of ideas.


What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Damn, I can only pick one. I would have to say expensive, snobby chocolate.

How did you start writing?

When I was little, I used to make up stories with my brothers and sisters. That just became a natural thing, and so when my grammar school teachers gave me homework that involved writing stories, I loved it.

When I was a teenager, if something lame or out of character happened in a movie or a comic book, I would talk about it with my brothers and we would talk about how it should have been written. Then, when I went to college, I found an online group that was posting erotic stories.  I was over the moon - I could write and I could do it about sex?  I jumped in, and the rest is history.

What was one of your favorite books as a kid?

Ozma of Oz. I wanted to read the Wizard of Oz after I saw the movie, but the only Oz book my family had was Ozma of Oz. So I read it, and I loved the descriptions of the Land of Ev, the Gnome King's underground kingdom, etc. That's when I realized that the books had more depth than the movie and I wound up reading every one that L. Frank Baum wrote.

What kind of impact do you hope your work will have on readers?

There's a lot of mixed emotions that occur when one partner in a relationship becomes the other partner's sole caregiver. More so when the caregiver isn't ready to shoulder that much responsibility. I wanted to explore that with Zhong Shi, and really have the readers feel the roller coaster of emotions he experiences.

Sebastian's story is a bit lighter - he has to deal with trying to hold together his relationship with Luke while he's very strongly attracted to another man. However, it's no less important than Zhong Shi's story, and I'm hoping the readers will enjoy his journey, also.

Kirk, or Spock?

I always had a thing for dashing heroes, so it would have to be Kirk.

For an excerpt from Spikenard: Freedom to Fly, please follow the link below.