Guest Post: Suki Fleet’s Inspiration for “Not a Love Story”

Posted on May 26, 2014 | 3 comments

Today’s guest blogger is Suki Fleet, here to talk a little about the inspiration for her new YA novel from Harmony Ink Press, This Is Not a Love Story. Be sure to check out the giveaway information at the bottom of the post!

Thanks for having me on your blog, Shae. 🙂

Since it’s a major theme in my story, I’m going to talk a little about teen homelessness and what inspired me to write about it.

A few years ago now, I saw a kid sitting in a dark narrow alley way in the town where I live. There was a dirty sleeping bag tucked around him, and he was crying. The alley was a thoroughfare from one street to another and, although it wasn’t busy, there were people walking up and down and stepping around him as if he wasn’t there.  I saw no one stop to ask if he was okay. On the corner of the street there was a sandwich shop and I went to get him a sandwich and a hot drink, but when I came out he was gone.

I’ve thought a lot about that kid over the years. I’ve wondered what happened to him and if he’s okay. I’ve wondered why he was sitting there that day, so upset and I’ve wished I just went over to talk to him rather than buying that sandwich. But I didn’t, and I can only hope he got to someplace better.

I didn’t think about writing this story then, but that was the beginning, that was the instance that made me stop and wish I could somehow give some homeless kid a happy ending to their story, because so often there is no happy ending for them, there is no way out of the situation they are in.

Teen homelessness is a huge problem. These kids are vulnerable, and many are on the street because of abuse, neglect and because they’ve been rejected because of their sexual orientation. There are organisations, like Centrepoint in London, that do a lot for homeless teens but it’s not enough, more needs to be done, by everyone.

This is Not a Love Story is the story of two boys’ journey, their struggle to get off the streets. It’s about growing up and it’s about hope. And most of all it’s about love.

This_is_not_a_love_storyWhen fifteen-year-old Romeo’s mother leaves one day and doesn’t return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him.

Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. A runaway from an abusive home, he has had to make some difficult choices and sells himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him. But living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough.

This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, it is Romeo who must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a Shakespearean tragedy).

Excerpt :

There’s this boy (isn’t there always?), this beautiful, glowing creature who makes me feel alive. Even here, living on the street with all the shit that happens—the cold, the hunger, the terror of spending one more day like this, one more night like this—somehow he makes me want to survive it, despite everything, just to spend another fucking minute in his starry-bright glow.

Even now, especially now, as we stand on the embankment next to the busy main road. This is the red-light district for boys like us. This is where we sell ourselves, one piece of our souls at a time.

Four coins rest in the palm of his hand, the rest hidden in the strap beneath his threadbare sleeve.

He holds them out to me, and I am entranced by the warm gold skin of his wrist—people pay a fortune to get a glow like that, for something he just has naturally.

“For you,” he mouths, fixing his light brown eyes on mine.

Yeah, for me to go and get warm in Joe Brown’s stinking cafe while he gets fucked under the railway arches by some dirty creep who doesn’t give a shit if he hurts him. I wish Julian didn’t act like my big brother. I wish just once he’d trust me to look out for him. I’m not as fragile as he thinks.

But I take the coins, when really what I want to do is throw them into the road and beg him not to go.

He knows, and our gazes lock, the both of us trying to communicate something the other doesn’t understand, or doesn’t want to.

It’s like this every time he gets picked up.

As if on cue, the guy in the car blasts the horn. We both jump.

“Hurry the fuck up,” the creep hisses.

Through the steamed-up car window I can’t see the face attached to the voice, but the rest of him looks old and thin—hands gnarled as the roots of the trees that line this part of the embankment grip the steering wheel. And though I know that his age doesn’t mean he’s harmless, I can pretend, I can hope.

Julian tries to smile, his eyes telling me it will be okay. But how will this ever be okay? I can’t bear it.

But we have nothing.

We are nothing.

His warm fingers brush my cold ones, and I long to grab his hands and pull him away with me. I want to run along the embankment with him until my lungs burst. Maybe I will anyway.

“Twenty minutes,” he mouths.

I nod robotically. He gets in the car and watches me from the window as he’s driven away. I make a note of the color, model, and registration number. Knowing this makes me feel safer: if anything were to happen, I would have a tether, a proof that this car exists and Julian exists within it.

Nothing is going to happen. I bite back a sob. And run.

BUY HERE

PaperwhiteSleeve
Suki has an awesome Kindle Paperwhite sleeve (see picture for samples) and an ebook copy of This Is Not a Love Story to give away! Go HERE to enter.


Author Links:
http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/
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http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/

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Posted in guest blog

My House, My Rules

Posted on May 19, 2014 | Comments Off on My House, My Rules

Most people who know anything about me at all know that I’m pretty easygoing. I’m a happy person, upbeat and optimistic, and it tends to take a lot to make me truly angry.

One of those things that gets to me is someone trying to tell
me what to do in my own space.

rainbowsofa_SalvatoreVuonoIt’s kind of funny, actually. I don’t know anyone who would walk into my house and tell me I have to repaint the walls, or buy new furniture, or even move to a different place just because the visitor doesn’t like the way I’ve done things. It’s my house, so I get to choose how it looks.

Why do people seem to have no compunction about horning in when we’re talking about online spaces?

Yes, yes, online spaces are public, so there are some general civility guidelines to consider. I can gossip about the crazy lady down the street all I want in my own living room, but it wouldn’t be kosher to stand in the middle of the street and yell it to the whole neighborhood. If I like thrash metal, I can thrash metal all I want in my house, but hooking up my stereo to outdoor loudspeakers would be a different matter.

But in general, on my social media accounts—Twitter, Facebook, and wherever else I go—I have every right to decide what I see and choose the people I interact with. If I see someone posting things that annoy me, or offend me, I don’t have to sit there and watch it happen. Social media comes with these handy-dandy little tools like unfollow. Or unfriend. Or block. Even hide and mute, for things that aren’t as major.

I am not required to let anyone who wants to come into my virtual living room and mess up the way I have things set up. It’s my space. The only person who controls what goes into it is me.

Let me be perfectly clear here: this is a two-way street. Just as you don’t have the right to tell me what I can and can’t put in my space, I don’t have the right to tell you what you can and can’t put in yours. If you post something I don’t like, I can hide it, or unfollow you, or otherwise get it out of my space, without requiring you to remove it from yours. I’m not going to report a post on Facebook (as one example) unless it’s something truly reprehensible—like child porn, or a call to kill homosexuals. (In which case I will report, block, and tell everyone I know to do the same.)

Social media can be a huge timesink. Most of us have to make decisions all the time about how much we can put into it. I ignore the vast majority of event and page invitations on Facebook. I rarely follow back on Twitter without an established relationship. I do accept most Facebook friend requests, but I unfollow people regularly.

None of that means I have anything against the people behind those pages. It just means I need to keep my space neat enough that I can deal with everything.

I have certain preferences for how I think social media should be used. I’ve written about some of those in the past, and I probably will in the future. What I’m not going to do is get up in your virtual face and tell you off for not following them. If you’re doing something that annoys me, I’ll react in one of two ways: ignore it, or ignore you.

And that’s okay.

That’s my point, really. Whatever I decide to do with how my space looks is okay. Same for you. Neither of us is required to continue receiving content we don’t want or need. Whether it’s something innocuous like game invitations or something more serious like political discussions, you have every right to follow along or not.

And so do I.

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Posted in musings

Eatin’ Nawlins Style

Posted on May 16, 2014 | Comments Off on Eatin’ Nawlins Style

fridayfeedbag

I’m (more than) a little jealous watching all the people enjoying the RT convention in New Orleans this week. There’s the convention itself, of course, which I’ve never been to but have heard from numerous friends is awesome. There’s the friends who are gathering to have fun together while I’m sitting here working the EDJ. And there’s New Orleans, a city I love, with its depth of history highlighted by more than hint of wildness around the edges.

But if you know anything at all about me, you know when it comes to New Orleans, what I’m missing most is THE FOOD.

Even with my personal food restrictions—I can’t stand anything very spicy, so I have to be careful with the Cajun and Creole labels—I’ve had some of the best food of my life in New Orleans. Jumbo prawns in cream sauce over pasta. Gator po’ boy. Grilled gorgonzola and ham on French bread. Beignets and café au lait. And, of course, hurricanes of the frozen and non-frozen variety.

I saw a mention a couple of days ago of a group of convention attendees eating in a kitschy chain restaurant, and I have to say, it made me wince. Really? All the amazing food the city has to offer, and you choose the mass-produced kind? Sacrilege! I can’t imagine eating in any chain restaurant in New Orleans—not counting, of course, local establishments that have multiple locations.

cafedumondeSo go on, enjoy Nawlins, all you RT people. Eat, drink, and be merry. Don’t mind me, sitting alone at home on my sofa, sobbing into my Café du Monde mug.

*sniffles*

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Posted in friday feedbag, musings

Let’s Talk Process

Posted on May 12, 2014 | 1 comment

quillparchment_SimonHowdenOMG NOOOOOOOOOO, NOT ANOTHER POST ABOUT PROCESS! HIDE YO KIDS, HIDE YO MAMA!

Ahem.

So this is the thing. When you get a group of authors together for any length of time, the topic of conversation will invariably turn to sex. I MEAN. Writing process.

(… also sex. But that’s another post.)

“Everyone should do THIS,” one author will gush. “I always [outline to the nth degree/pants it all/fast draft/go through 34839743 revisions/draft in quill and parchment] and it works every time!”

Well, bully for you. No, really. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. That’s great!

But I’m not you. And what works for you could be the kiss of death for me.

I’m a short story writer. I can pants a short story in a few days, and a novella in not much longer. If I have a decent story idea and a couple of well-formed characters, I can cough up 10k in no time.

Set a 60,000-word minimum in front of me, and it’s an entirely different story. So to speak.

I cannot pants a novel. I’ve tried. I have several (for high values of “several”) projects that sit forlorn, shunted off to the side, because I don’t have the foggiest freakin’ idea where they’re supposed to go next. I can start a story just fine. I might even be able to write an ending for it. But those fiddly little bits in the middle will trip me up every time.

Unless I write a synopsis first.

No, wait! Don’t run away! Hear me out!

I know how much authors hate writing synopses. The only thing that gets close to as many complaints from the authors I know is writing blurbs. And actually, the very first thing I write for a story is a blurb, but I don’t worry about making it non-sucky. I’ll probably spend a little time figuring out the main characters, too. But it’s writing a synopsis that takes a story from a passing thought to Srs. Bznss.

Writing the synopsis before writing the story kills two birds for me. It serves as an outline for the story, and it saves me from having to write a synopsis from scratch after I finish the story. Does the synopsis hold up intact? Nope. Never. Stories take on a life of their own. Characters do crazy things. But the synopsis isn’t carved in stone. It can be revised at any point—before, during, or after the story is written and revised.

For my first novel, Sand & Water, I wrote a synopsis of about 2,500 words, and nearly all of that ended up in the book. But as it turned out, that was only about two thirds of the story. I had a few ideas in mind for a possible sequel, but I realized as I wrote that those parts needed to go into that book. So they did, and I added all that to the synopsis.

For the novel I just finished drafting, Unfortunate Son, I had more experience under my belt and a better idea of what it would take to tell the story. I wrote the first few chapters before I wrote the synopsis, and it took a few tries and some time to get the story to flow the way it needed to. Once I had that locked in pretty well, I was able to actually finish the book. (Though I still have some things to add to both book and synopsis before they’re finalized.)

I started writing original fiction four years ago. It’s taken me this long to figure out a novel-writing process that actually seems to work for me. It’s never an exact science, of course. Every story is different. But now I have a place to start from, and it’s getting the synopsis out of my head and onto the page.

So, here are SHAE’S TEN STEPS TO WRITING A STORY:

  1. Get story idea
  2. Write blurb
  3. Develop main characters
  4. Write full synopsis
  5. Write story draft
  6. Revise story
  7. Revise synopsis
  8. Revise blurb
  9. Submit
  10. PROFIT

Will this work for anyone else? I have no idea. I just know that it works for me. And so I’ll keep doing it, until and unless it falls apart completely, or something that works better comes along.

So go ahead and talk process with other authors! Maybe you’ll give someone an idea, or get one from someone else. Just don’t expect anyone else’s process to work exactly like yours. As long as you get the same results in the end—a finished story—nothing else really matters. 🙂

Image courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Posted in musings, writing

Butt Ninjas Gets Reviews!

Posted on May 9, 2014 | Comments Off on Butt Ninjas Gets Reviews!

A quickie update with a few of the reviews we’ve gotten for the Butt Ninjas from Hell anthology. We’ve gotten great response, so thanks to all for reading!

Cryselle’s Bookshelf (4.25/5 marbles)

Prism Book Alliance (4.5/5 stars)

Rainbow Book Reviews

Rainbow Gold Reviews (8.5/10 pots of gold)

Also, back on April 21, the authors got together for an online radio interview. It was a little crazy and a lot silly (like us), and you can listen if you like right here. 🙂

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Posted in anthology, butt ninjas from hell, reviews

Coninsanity

Posted on May 5, 2014 | Comments Off on Coninsanity

I’ve spent the last almost-three weeks in my own personal “con season.” It’s been an amazing time, albeit exhausting. The bulk of the insanity was a 12-day, cross-country excursion to Tampa and Portland. I left home on April 16 and didn’t return until April 27—and then Outlantacon was 5 days after that!

I started my trip in Tampa for RainbowCon, which was pretty awesome. We had some great panel sessions—I sat on panels about author etiquette and stereotypes in fiction—and the vendor room stayed pretty busy. I left with just one book left from the ones I brought, though of course I had a stack of new ones I purchased from others! I shared a table with the fabulous Nicole Dennis, and we were set up right next to Grace R. Duncan, so we had a great time. It was so great to see so many friends again and to meet some new people. Best surprise: Brandon Shire stopping by! (He’s freaking adorable, too. LOL)

Once RainbowCon ended, I went home with cousins who live nearby for a couple of days off. I mostly did as little as possible: soaked in the hot tub, sat by the pool, ate some great food, and slept a lot. I did write a blog post and worked on plotting my next books, but I focused on resting up because I knew I’d need it!

On Wednesday, April 23, after a quick trip to St. Pete beach, I hopped a plane to Portland by way of Detroit, getting to the hotel at 10:30 local time. Naturally, my body felt like it was 1:30 a.m., so after unpacking the absolute bare minimum and drinking a little chocolate milk, I crashed hard. Thursday, I took care of two Portland touristy essentials: lunch from a food truck (a really good gyro) and doughnuts from Voodoo Doughnuts. When I got back, I started meeting up with people, and if I tried to list them all, I’d leave people out. But I got to see many of my favorite people and meet a bunch more, and that is always awesome.

The workshop itself was fun and interesting. Lots of information about sales and marketing, suggestions for writing specifics, and plenty of laughter. I had a good talk with Elizabeth North, pinning myself down to a three-book series commitment in the process (eep!), and several other Dreamspinner staffers, in addition to a bunch of authors. Nothing like feeling like you’ve found your people. 🙂

I did manage to squeeze in dinner with a local friend, though plans with another fell through just because I was too tired to think by then. I did hit up a couple more food trucks and wander through the Powell’s location at the airport. Portland is a lovely city, and I’d love to go back at some point.

I flew home last Sunday, along with Nessa Warin and Paul Richmond, which led to quite a bit of insanity, some of which might actually make it into a book (pokes Nessa). Of course, by the time I got home, I was dead on my feet and pretty much only had time to collapse into a bed. I did have to work the next day. 🙂

I survived last week, barely, and picked up J.P. Barnaby and Kage Alan from the airport on Thursday to kick things off. I went to the Eagle with J.P. and William Cooper for the Outlantacon kickoff party, had to work briefly Friday morning, and then spent the weekend doing the panels I listed on Friday and the rest of the time in the dealer room, selling books. We had a big pile of print copies of Butt Ninjas from Hell and sold quite a few. And of course we’re already planning for the next anthology or two. 😉

I’m finishing this up Sunday night, and I’m so tired it’s taking me twice as long to parse things as I go. I should probably stop writing and go get some sleep. Back to the EDJ in the morning!

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Posted in anthology, appearances, author life, butt ninjas from hell, conventions, gaylaxicon, musings, outlantacon, rainbowcon, real life

Outlantacon Panel Schedule

Posted on May 2, 2014 | 1 comment

GconThumbnailI’ll be at Outlantacon/Gaylaxicon this weekend, mostly doing things related to the Butt Ninjas from Hell anthology. When I’m not on a panel, I’ll have a spot in the vendor room, but here’s where you can come to listen to me blather:

Butt Ninjas from Hell: The Back Story
Saturday, May 3, 3:00 PM, Dekalb Room
It’s the sequel to Butt Pirates from Space! Meet the authors of the new Butt Ninjas from Hell Anthology prior to joining them for their book signing party. Presented by: Kage Alan, JP Barnaby, Ally Blue, TC Blue, Shae Connor, Jevocas Green, Kiernan Kelly, and Eden Winters. 

Writers Workshop Series: Fan Fiction vs Pro Writing

Saturday, May 3, 4:00 PM, Decatur II

Some rules are universal, but there are a few distinct differences between writing fan based fiction vs the big leagues. Our experts share their secrets. Mentors: Shae Connor, JP Barnaby, and Kayelle Allen.

 

Butt Ninjas From Hell Book Release Party

Saturday, May 3, 7:00 PM, Magnolia Room (Con Suite)

Check out this ninja themed party and get to know the authors of the hot sequel to Butt Pirates in Space. Refreshments provided. Presented by: Kage Alan, JP Barnaby, Ally Blue, TC Blue, Shae Connor, Jevocas Green, Kiernan Kelly, Eden Winters

 

Whedon Universe!

Sunday, May 4, 12:00 PM, Decatur I

Can’t get enough Avengers, Buffy, Angel, or Firefly? Neither can we! Let’s talk about it. Presented by: Shae Connor, Kage Alan, and TC Blue

 

Potter

Sunday, May 4, 2:00 PM, Dekalb Room

Potter-verse, Pottermore, and beyond. We’re just wild about Harry. Presented by: JP Barnaby and Shae Connor.

 

Inspiration and Process

Sunday, May 4, 3:00 PM, Decatur I

How does an aspiring author find creative inspiration, stay motivated, and get from the blank page to editing the final draft? Presented by: Shae Connor and JP Barnaby.

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Posted in anthology, appearances, butt ninjas from hell, conventions, gaylaxicon, outlantacon

Guest Blogging Today (and missed posts from last week)

Posted on May 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Guest Blogging Today (and missed posts from last week)

I’m over at Grace Duncan’s blog today, talking about being different and (relatedly) the Butt Ninjas from Hell anthology. Thanks for having me, Grace! 🙂

I also missed linking two guest blog posts during my trip. On April 16, I guest blogged at Rainbow Gold Reviews for the Butt Ninjas from Hell blog tour. And on April 23, I participated in the LGBT Fiction Event at Scorching Book Reviews with a list of my top 10 short stories and novellas. Thanks for the guest spots!

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Posted in anthology, butt ninjas from hell, guest blog

Do You Know About Amazon Smile?

Posted on April 28, 2014 | Comments Off on Do You Know About Amazon Smile?

Yes, I’m going to sound like a commercial today. But it’s for a good cause—or more accurately, nearly a million of them. 🙂

 

I believe it was JP Barnaby who first clued me in about AmazonSmile. This is a program that allows you to select a charitable organization that will receive a donation when you make an Amazon purchase. (Not all purchases; for example, Subscribe-and-Save orders don’t count. Eligible items will have an “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” note.)

 

All you have to do is shop at Amazon using the smile.amazon.com URL, and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price you pay for an item to the charity you choose. (For more info, go here.)

 

To sign up, go to the AmazonSmile URL and choose a charity. You can even request a new charity be added if you like. (I signed up for Lost-N-Found Youth, an Atlanta-based organization that focuses on homeless LGBT youth.)

 

Check it out! Every little bit helps. 🙂

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Posted in charity