BLOG TOUR DAY 5; Queen of Spades

In my own humble opinion, author Queen of Spades is an icon and a modern legend. Her words are powerful and her stories are full of life. I am so pleased to give her a spot on my blog today.

Where is paradise?

I am of the belief that one doesn’t have to travel to someplace warm in order to find paradise.

Don’t get me wrong! I do like the feel of the warm sand under my toes, looking at the beauty of sky and water, and sipping a fruity drink as I soak up inspiration.

Paradise eclipses the superficial. It seeps into the subcutaneous and has the ability to impact thought patterns as well as actions.

With my contribution to Pleasure Prints, “Axana … Unscripted”, my goal was to tap into the action concept of paradise.

Axana is a careful, do things by the book type character. She hit all of the checkpoints to have a productive life. Unfortunately, she needs more income in order to stay on track with all she has accomplished, despite already having a full time job. Axana stumbles across this lucrative yet strange advertisement. Feeling desperate, Axana steps outside her primary comfort zone (caution) to secure the funds.

Axana’s travels lead her to very unfamiliar circumstances, things which take Zube Harper by surprise. Although Zube is accustomed to the graffiti covered buildings, unpleasant smells from the nonfunctional elevator, and the homeless or mentally ill, those experiences only exist in some of the television shows Axana watches, not her actual life. It doesn’t make her less “down” but it mirrors Axana as being somewhat sheltered for not knowing that the downtrodden scenes from the TV are for others an everyday reality.

Axana’s “bubble” also makes her rush to judgement on the initial assessment of Zube. It’s only through being a subject of his artistic vision that her point of view shifts. Although it’s their first time ever meeting, there is something about Zube which gives her the okay to lower her guard and trust his creative process.

What follows is the end result of risk, of doing something unscripted. You can only figure out if paradise is achieved by reading “Axana … Unscripted.”

BLOG TOUR DAY 4: Synful Desire

We've co-authored works together, and we had myriad moments of fun together. Today, I bring you a talent and a friend ... Author Synful Desire.

Hello everyone! Let’s talk “Challenges”.


With “Onus” I stepped out of my usual formula in quite a few ways. Today I will outline them as well as share a few excerpts from my contribution in Pleasure Prints.

Having a main character that is significantly older

Most of the main characters I create tend to be close to my age group, a bit younger, or slightly older. My main character is Cecilia Teflon. I do not reveal the number but there are ways you can tell that she’s up there in age with the following passage.

Excerpt

Cecilia flashed a look of trepidation at the Malacca cane leaning next to the metal bedpost. Her son-in-law Gordon had bought the contraption during one of his travels overseas, boasting it to be one of the best “in her condition”. Cecilia grew to hate every time Gordon coined the phrase. Gordon may have believed he was doing Cecilia a favor, but it was quite the opposite. Cecilia was a “give it to me straight” type person, like the generations of Teflon women before her. In Cecilia’s opinion, nothing should be sugar coated except the tops of doughnuts and the bottom of an iced tea glass.

The Malacca cane reminded Cecilia of the steady decline of mobility. On most days, she was able to slide along with considerable ease. Yet, for the past month, the cane was more of a dependable leg than her own. Now Cecilia wished that the telephone was on her nightstand rather than the rickety desk which had seen better days.

Forty-seven steps … an eternity for liver spot covered legs riddled with all the “ritis”, primarily Mr. Osteo. Add to that a “weakened” heart function and a “decompressed” lung function, Cecilia thanked Heaven to get anywhere at all, even if it was just to the toilet.
Balancing the supplemental characters’ weight vs. Cecilia’s narrative

To prompt Cecilia’s decision to share her narrative, I needed to create extenuating circumstances involving ones close to her. The granddaughter she has the most love for is Amber Moon. I needed to take time to give Amber Moon’s situation some weight without overshadowing Cecilia’s purpose. This blossoms with Amber Moon’s dealings with Geoff and Micah.

Excerpt
(outlining 1 encounter with Geoff)

The more Amber Moon attempted to stew in her anger, the less logical it seemed. Perhaps the reason why she reacted in such a way was because he spoke a truth she didn’t want to admit. Had Amber Moon forgotten the difficulty in appealing to Café Wysteria now that she was part of the circle? Weren’t there moments she felt the same as Geoff and Shannon?

Amber Moon nervously continued down this path of thinking. What was it about Geoff that made her so defensive? Truth be told, Geoff wasn’t a bad guy. If so, he could have easily left her out there. This captivating man set off a myriad of emotions—aggravation, adoration, and arousal.

Even with the miniscule disagreement, Geoff’s presence accelerated her pulse. The aching of neglected desire resumed.

Excerpt
(outlining encounter with Micah)

Amber Moon leaned against him. His body wasn’t as defined as Geoff’s but he was no slouch. The smell of Mr. Persistence—highly delectable … musky with a splash of citrus. Nothing about this individual’s personality was a ten but toxicity often morphs what’s important and what isn’t.
His hands cupped Amber Moon’s ass and pulled her closer.
His nose inhaled her scent. “You smell so good,” he whispered.
Not Geoff’s voice. Deeper but still sensual.
They continued to sway together. Mr. Persistence’s lips nibbled Amber Moon’s earlobe, then traveled the length of her neck before returning to the earlobe.
“Kiss me,” he commanded.
Amber Moon struggled to stay focused on Geoff. In the alcoholic haze and the warmth of her “right now”, Geoff was too distant to be a factor.

Excerpt
(outlining the tumult in Amber Moon)

Amber Moon could have told Micah right then about Geoff. Selective laryngitis developed for many reasons.
One, Micah was quite the performer and had connections which could open additional doors for her. It wouldn’t be wise to burn a bridge.
Two, Amber Moon could relate to Micah, for they had a similar background, not one of privilege like Geoff.
Three, Geoff was away, and Amber Moon held no guarantee that he was being faithful. If Geoff strayed, Amber Moon would not be as scarred, and her betrayal, in its most optimistic form, could be categorized as payback.
Absent the Hennessey and the club scene, she and Micah enjoyed a lyrical connection: they bantered over all types of topics. This mingling with the recognizable put her at ease. On top of that, Amber Moon’s confidence soared when interacting with Micah, for she was the more intelligent of the duo. That rarely was the case when with Geoff.

Subtracting my feelings from the characters’ actions

For me, it can be a struggle to not get overly emotional about certain characters. As an author, one has to do her best not to get invested and let the characters tell their tale as they want to tell him. Geoff is the prototype of the quintessential good guy, the one a lot of women always speak of wanting. Amber Moon has that guy, even asked the Universe for redemption, the Universe granted it, and things toppled downhill. However, I couldn’t base Amber Moon on what another woman would, could, or should do. Amber Moon had to do things in her own way, no matter how she’d be judged in the eye of public opinion. I prefer my characters honest than fake, unless being fake is the purpose in the story.

Despite the challenges, I love the end result of what was created. Please check out “Onus” and all of the other stories in Pleasure Prints.


Until next time,

Desire

BLOG TOUR DAY 3: Da'Kharta Rising

Today I have the honor of presenting you with the fascinating thoughts of one Ms. Da'Kharta Rising. Take it away. Da'Kharta.

Yo Don! Your spot is looking all fancy. I’m almost scared to touch anything for it may ruin the whimsical perfection in here.

See, that is about as much small talk as I generate.

Now, let’s talk about Crackles of the Heart and Pleasure Prints. To refresh other people’s memories, my contribution to COTH was the very 1st story, entitled “Inside Me”. To describe in three words: Lust and Pie.

My story for PP is called “Masato’s Zion”.

So how are these two similar? Let’s break it down from #CaptainObvious to #HiddenInPlainSight.

(1) Both titles have two words. Yes, it’s true!
(2) “Inside Me” and “Masato’s Zion” are the shortest stories in their respective collections.
(3) The narrative is 1st person until the very end.
(4) The names of the main characters are not revealed until the very end.
(5) For the most part, names aren’t important—the stories are purposely action centric. (Is that a word?) Call it my disdain for unnecessary fluff or that I’m sharp enough to recognize that humanity’s attention span has decreased over the years. Whatever the case, one has to get to the point with some level of speed.
(6) The gist of the action occurs within the span of a few hours. Not years. Not months. Hours.
(7) The “why” of it all is never revealed.
(8) The “how” of the tales are never discussed. Yes, there’s speculation, but nothing that is fully spelled out by yours truly.

I don’t call that lazy writing. I do call it letting the reader take the wheel and use one’s imagination. Or are people focused so much on looking toned and buff on the outside that they are willing to be an intellectual tub of lard on the inside?

Come to think of it, the human brain does look like a mix of an intestine gone wrong or chitterlings done right.

Oh wait! That’s a discussion for another time, along with whether one really puts hot sauce on everything.

Thanks for having me. Check out all the Pleasure Prints stories, not just mine. Yes, I’m great but I’m not the only G.O.A.T. in this.


Deuces.

COMING SOON!

BLOG TOUR DAY 2: C. Desert Rose

From the amazing mind of author C. Desert Rose comes this great blog post about her contribution to "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2".

So often I’ve heard the saying “fleeting moments” and just as often I attempted to consider what that meant in terms of reality.

Like, how is life a series of fleeting moments? And of course, why?

You see, there have been times in my life where I’ve felt like certain things were unending. For example, how some people struggle with monetary issues seemingly perpetually. Or how others fight against illness unendingly.

On the other hand, it also seems like happy moments just don’t last.

There are theories that say that one cannot enjoy the good times unless there are bad times to help you appreciate them.

There are also theories that imply that the bad times are trials from above, and that good times are the way the Universe recompenses the sufferer.

Who am I to challenge anyone’s theories, for whatever helps a person carry themselves through life is, in my humble opinion, a psychological necessity in order to move forward. It doesn’t matter how they do it, as long as they do something to help the hard times seem less daunting. Whether that is faith in the divine, or simply having “a fighter’s” perspective, it does not matter.

The question at hand, however, is; is life too short or too long?

One day I woke up and I was 5 years old. I loved being 5, for the most part. I can’t say that I had a “normal” childhood as I didn’t. But I do remember loving being 5 years old.

The next day I woke up and I was 40. How did I get to that point? How did I take that enormous leap through time and feel as though I’d altogether skipped my life? How was I 5 years old one day and 40 years old the next day?

Was I impervious to time or did “life” happen in between that monumental and sempiternal stream of seconds and minutes?

It’s hard to tell.

But, in that in between time—the flow of seconds and minutes that felt surreal—I learned one thing … life must be lived to the best of one’s capacity. Therefore I rapidly understood that I had to make the best of what time I had on this earth because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have lived life at all.

I once heard on a television show where a character said, “Some people live more in 20 years than some live in 80.” I couldn’t agree more.

Living a life of incessant and nonsensical obsessing seems like a grad waist of all the goodness that life has to offer.

It was this thought that coaxed the writing of “Fleeting Moments”.

I once, many years ago, met a lady at my workplace that was so focused on career advancement that it felt like she couldn’t think about anything else. This included the possibility of failure. All she ever talked about, day in and out, was how she was going to advance her career. I respected her ambition, and of course, her determination. But, admittedly, I was concerned about her because she never wanted to do anything outside of work related things.

Helena was based on her.

Dennis was introduced into the mix because I was convinced that Helena needed someone to interrupt the balance. Dennis was the least expected disruption. Especially because of how he did it. Dennis turned Helena’s world upside down by simply offering her his friendship and a cup of hot chocolate.

Helena was so blinded by her will to supercede that she could not appreciate Dennis’s drive. One that was much simpler than her own. Simply put, it could not fit in her head.

Unbeknownst to Helena, Dennis’s plan was working. Slowly, she fell for it.

But to further disrupt her sense of stability, came the revelation of Dennis illness.


Sometimes it takes a certain level “shake up” to jar a person out of a stubborn state of mind. But, that very same “shake up” can serve as a tool to open the eyes of the stubborn person so that their view widens and sees the bigger picture.


The answer to the question is that for some life it too long, for others it is far too short. But, while we are here, we must make the best of it in whatever way we know how.

COMING SOON

BLOG TOUR DAY 1: (Me) Adonis Mann

Greetings and salutations, as the beautiful Charlotte once said.

Today is the first day of the "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2" Blog Tour and I have the amazing opportunity to be the first author featured this week. Because of this I have opted to chat a bit about The Rhapsody of Divergent.

Please enjoy!

Divergent, 1st and 3rd Definitions:
Diverging; differing; deviating.
Having no finite limits.

Rhapsody, 2nd Definition:
An ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm.

The concept of time is subjective. Some view it as liniar, others as infinite and other still as spherical. Independently from most, I see time as the substratum of finite and innumerable moments. Like the negatives in a camera, each impression taken are a second in our lives and the foundation of the whole at the end of our days. So to say something like, “For a long time” or “As far back as I can recall” or perhaps, “I remember when” are to put limitations on the boundless.

What I can say is that, ever since cohesion and consciousness was born to my person I can recall but a singular and absolute truth … I was different.

Throughout my life I struggled with yet another truth, I was frequently misunderstood. Not in a mean or imperious way, rather in a way that caused me to have to oversimplify my intellect and diction in order to accommodate others’ understanding. It was no one’s fault, to be sure. It was just a fact of life in this life.

My life has mostly been full of happy moments, and for that I am grateful. However, the challenge of having to continuously feel like a misfit was like wearing a cape every day of my life. Like having to hide the most prevalent fingerprint of who I was.

This introspective debacle came to an end the day I met the All Authors family. The unveiling was like fresh air on a hot day. Like finally sipping on an ice cold cup of water after arduous labor.

The more I got to know the members, the more I understood that they understood me. Whether preordained or accidental, I am uncertain, but soon we found ourselves reveling in the beauty that profound conversation offers. And OH, how refreshing it was …!

One day I was presented with the opportunity to join the Divergent Ink venture. I was simultaneously humbled and honored to have been invited, and I immediately jumped at the chance to participate. You see, I automatically presumed that the foundation of Divergent Ink was to speak from the soul. To say things that I would not otherwise express on subjects that I would not otherwise speak on. The invitation was like a calling to my heart that filled me with elation and purpose.

I, in my heart of hearts, felt as though Divergent would give me the opportunity to express that which I’d secluded for so long that precluded me from conveying the words of my soul. Thus, the adventure began.

Two instalments in and many more to go, I am more than thrilled to continue on this path that time has paved for me. Now and forever, I will be celebrating the rhapsody of my divergence.

COMING SOON!

Cover Reveal, "Please Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2"

Hello and welcome!

Today, the All Authors Publishing House family is offering up a big treat. Please sit back, relax and enjoy this unique Cover Reveal for the upcoming anthology collection called, "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2".

Before giving you a glimpse at the cover, we here at All Authors decided to interview the cover. No one knows the cover concept than the cover itself.

Without further ado ... We present you with the first ever "All Authors Ask the Cover Interview".

1) Why the rainbow colors as part of the design? 

I do worry about the rainbow colors for two reasons. First one is because those kind of colors are your signature Lady Desire and I would hate to look like I am a copycat. Second is because some people may mistake me as an erotica or LGBTQIA classification instead of a short story anthology. Other than that it's fine.

2) How do you feel about your backdrop always being black?

It is my favorite part. It makes me versatile. A number of colors can work on me.

3) Do you like your dimensions being smaller than the typical 6 x 9 size? Elaborate on the answer.

Well, the truth is that I don’t mind either size. It isn’t the size of the boat, but the motion in the ocean. Right? Right … I think.

But honestly though, I like to think that the 5 X 8 is fun sized, and Divergent Ink is nothing if not fun to read.

4) Why both foot and finger prints?

This collection’s main title is Pleasure Prints. So, I thought that it would be important to show a variation in prints because it would speak to the versatility in the content as well as the theme of the book. Also, different prints leave different impressions. At the end of the day, that is what Divergent Ink is all about, giving the audience a variation of interpretations for a single question.

5) If you had a choice about what order to put the stories in inside of you, how would you organize them?

Well, either by length or by emotion.

Length, from shortest to longest, because it builds up reading endurance. If one has the longest story first, the reader may mistake the rest of the works as being just as long as the first one. Humans don't have the greatest attention spans.

Emotion, from solemn to sunny. Most like the happily ever after in the end. Plus, with a title like Pleasure Prints, shouldn't the end result be a pleasant one?

6) You seem to like abstract art as opposed to realistic art, why is that?

I do a prefer abstract over realistic. The reason is because perception is reality. The Divergent Ink collection gives us a myriad of theories based on one fundamental question. Since perception is reality, there is no black and white, meaning the clarity of the answer may not be so straightforward. The reason that abstract art fits Divergent Ink so well is because it “sits in grey”. This means, that everyone can come up with their own hypothesis of what and why.

Blurb:

Divergent Ink is the mesh of different frames of thoughts, various interpretations of one core question that yearns for universal expansion. Although the subject matter may change every year, the purpose of the Divergent Ink series will remain the same.The second book in the Divergent Ink anthology series, “Pleasure Prints”, revolves around the following question:

Where is paradise?

Six Divergent Inks exploring "Pleasure Prints". Will the destination cause one to sip a tropical cocktail or cock an eyebrow in amazement?

Featuring:

Adonis Mann: Desperation and delusion are a marriage of emotions. Sentiments collide when three lives tell their tales. Hypnotizing and melancholic are the days of the souls who pursue the "Odyssey of Rhapsody".

C. Desert Rose: Helena can be cumbersome and crude, while her life is at a standstill, she likes it that way. Amidst the orange glow of office lights and a steaming cup of hot chocolate, Helena learns that life is a series of "Fleeting Moments".

Da'Kharta Rising: For Masato, there's no time like the present. Is no limit too great to accomplish “Masato's Zion”?

Synful Desire: Cecilia Teflon knows she doesn't have much time left. Before she leaves this earth, she must make a confession. Will this revelation grant her entrance into spiritual paradise? Explore the twists and turns of “Onus”.

Queen of Spades: Axana has always lived a very careful life but a lucrative advertisement shreds her comfort zone. Paradise is where one least expects in “Axana … Unscripted”.

Y. Correa: Myth or memory, which can it be? A life so scripted can be less than desirable. To go or to stay, it is that question that leaves, "Nalani at Heaven's Gates".