Monday 29 May 2017

Pinterest - the Passion and the Problem (AO Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.

Pinterest is an interesting phenomenon. The place is full of people contentedly making up their virtual corrals where they pin...well, just about any picture they fancy, unless the copyright holder makes it obvious they may not. Pictures for a Pinterest board can be sourced from three broad places. 

The first, and simplest, is from Pinterest itself. The site often suggests something a pinner might fancy for a particular board. Sourcing from Pinterest is easy because the Pin It button is right there, there's a handy search function, and there's almost no chance of accidentally adopting a picture and getting a terse "take-it-down-or-else" note from the owner. 

The second is the broader internet. Many images now have a "Pin It" button, so a search through google images may give exactly what one wants, along with a fairly easy way to acquire it.

The third is to upload a file from one's own computer. This can be a scan, a photo, or something someone else has sent. The virtue of this is one can get the specific picture, a picture probably no one else has, and something personal. Mind you, if someone else likes the look of it, that person will merrily pin it! 

So, why is Pinterest appearing at the Loveweavers' blog? Well, Pinterest is a peculiarly useful tool for authors. Lark Westerly (That's me, on this occasion) and Sally Odgers (also me) both have boards on Pinterest that have to do with specific books or series. The most recent is the Fairy in the Bed series board which currently has 100 pins.  Some of these are particularly to publicise the series. Therefore, the book covers of the current four books (Fairy on the Christmas Tree, Horizontal Bunny Hop, Green Balls, and Honey and the Harvest Hob) are pinned. 

Then we have two pictures of a Yorkshire smock, giving a visual record for what Hob Cottman would be wearing during his association with Honey Bakewell Over There, (that is, when he wears anything at all). There are some braided up-do hairstyles, showing how Honey's hair might look at one point of the book, a honey-bee earring, photos of chalk cliffs and waterfall pools, which reflect the setting, some slip dresses with floral lace overlay, to give the impression of the dress Honey wears, and some pictures of the actor Keri Russell when she was younger, because her face, figure and hair are quite similar to Honey's.

These pictures give an impression, for the author, the readers and for the cover artist, to show how people and places and items in the book might look. I was delighted to find that dresses like the one I imagined for Honey do indeed exist. I had no idea before. They're not exactly the same, but they give the feel for it. I was pleased to find an actor who looked like "my" Honey, and the chalk cliffs looking just as I imagined them. 

Pinterest offers thousands of possibilities for those with a passion for pictures and pinning, so where does the problem lie?

Okay, in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big problem... but it's so easy to hold a picture in the mind's eye and want to show it to readers. The difficulty is when one wants something a bit out of the ordinary. 

"Honey" was easy to represent, not only via Keri Russell, but via other lovely young women in their twenties. Honey herself has warm looks and a cool personality, and the picture eXtasy Books' cover artist found/created for her is just right. See that cover? There's Honey, with the wavy hair, the pretty but slightly remote face, and a gorgeous dress which, if not exactly as described, gives the right impression. There's Hob's cottage, the fairy-tale setting for her honeymoon after she's jilted at the altar. I found similar elements for the Pinterest board- crowds of cottages, lots of lovely dresses, and girls who looked like Honey. 

When it came to Hob Cottman, the hero, Pinterest offered little. I did find garments similar to his smock, but what were the chances of finding Hob himself? Zero, as it turned out.  

Here's a partial description of Hob, the first time Honey gets a good look at him.


He had brown hair down to his collar and a pleasantly broad face. His clothes made no great impression on her other than being well-worn and chosen for comfort rather than style. He was moderately tall and broad-chested, but the most arresting thing about him was his eyes. Instead of the brown or hazel his colouring suggested, they were the dark translucent blue of sapphires. His face was unlined, but lived-in, and he looked around thirty.

Hob isn't human, but he is able to "pass". He's not a Yorkshireman, but that's the impression he gives, partly from upbringing and partly because that's who he is. It's a fairly simple description, right? But do you think I could find anyone remotely resembling this on Pinterest? Even forgetting the eye-colour, it's virtually impossible to find an actor of the appropriate age who isn't sporting designer stubble. There are actors out there who look vaguely similar... Sam Neill in his younger days would probably do, but most of the pictures of him have him in shades, collar-and-tie, or in costume as a film character. Besides, he's Sam Neill and instantly recognisable as such. 

Yes, finding appropriate men to stand in for Lark's fairies - sturdy hob men, tall fair summermen, intense pixies and the slightly eccentric mutable fay - is difficult. Most of them look too modern, too groomed, or too recognisable. I needed (well, wanted) a braw and mischievous Scot in a McTavish kilt to model for Hamish in the upcoming Floribunda and the Best Men. Could I find one? Plenty of men in kilts, (even some Scottish Gingers), but  they were usually done up in shirts and ties, or full Edinburgh Tattoo regalia. I found one boy perched on a stepladder, and another scruffier one for McTavish, who is Hamish's Clansman manifestation, but nothing quite right. Ewan McGregor at thirty-seven might do - do you reckon I could ask him to adjust his age and model the McTavish plaid? 

Finding Mary's gown, Pen Swan and Flori's bridesmaid dress from other stories was also difficult. There are silvery-peach-pink loose dresses on Pinterest, but they're modelled by tiny Asian girls and teenaged blondes. Mary is over forty. Pen is forty-two, and Flori is a BBW... she needs to be to snuggle up to Hamish and not get squashed.  Please, Pinterest, please - give us some gorgeous looking men and women who are not OTT famous, Size 6, ripped like a youthful Arnie or in that curious half-shaved style that makes my skin cringe. (Either grow it or shave it, love, or else forget about getting lucky.) 

On the plus side, I found a man who, aside from his eye colour, is a dead ringer for mutable fay Duffy Inkersoll from Pen and Ink (coming soon). No green pixie men were forthcoming, but Martine from eXtasy Books discovered (or created) Peck Grene for his particular cover. (Check him out here!)    

Yes, cultivating a Pinterest board for this series has been fun, challenging, and a great time-sink, but this, coupled with the covers artists at eXtasy Books have provided and the running lists of people, places, names and terms at Lark's website - http://larksinger.weebly.com - helps give this developing series a foothold in the visual reality of our world.

So, readers and writers and other love weavers out there - what do you think? Do you make or seek Pinterest boards? And hey, if you happen to have, or to be, a gorgeous man who could stand in for one of Lark's fairies in the bed, what about posting a picture on Pinterest? Lark will be there in seconds to adopt it.

The Fairy in the Bed series is available from eXtasy books HERE 


ABOUT THE BLOG

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety. 
The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. 
These will have a big G at the top.  (G)
Some are in between.
These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)
Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.
These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Saturday 20 May 2017

Fantasy versus Reality (AO Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.


Howdy and salutations, my name is A.B. Thomas. Sometimes I write what some call erotica, while others call it smut; really it doesn’t matter to me what a person calls it because it’s just writing out fantasy anyway.  Sometimes I write the first person because I’m a visual writer – I see it in my head, and that’s how it comes out in written form.  As a result of this, on occasion, women, who I suspect have had nipped into the wine coolers just a wee bit too much before reading the stories, have a tendency to confuse the writing with the man.  To clear this up, I thought I should provide what I imagine would be a realistic encounter:
I am sitting at the bar, and you walk in; our eyes lock. You’re horny, and I fit the bill of the kind of man that will fit your needs…plus the fact that it’s only ten in the morning and I’m the only one there who doesn’t have their teeth sitting beside them while they're sipping their draft through a straw. You sit down, and we chat, and you soon realize that I’m perfect for a sexual encounter as you’ve ascertained that I could not possibly find you again if you left me on the corner afterward.
We sidle out of the bar hand in hand, and you whisper in my ear admitting that you have read my stories and you want to act them out. I nod and smile and say we have to make a stop at the supermarket to get some supplies. You’re embarrassed to be seen with me, so you wait outside while I go in and grab them. I come out twenty minutes later with two large bags. You ask why and I tell you seductively, “it was $1.49 day, baby, it was $1.49 day.”
We get to a motel and get a room. We go into the room, and I set the bags by the door, and you give me a quick kiss and say:
You: Ok baby let’s get undressed and fu… (you step back and look down)….what’s wrong with the front of your pants? Did you just…Oh, come on!
Me: Wanna play ‘Old Maid” for twenty minutes?
You: You had better be a good lay like you are in your writing…
Me: Ever heard the saying those you can’t, teach…yeah, well erotica’s sometimes like that too…
We play a might nice round of old maid, all the while you are commenting on that it’s ironic to be playing a game that is named after what you’ll be once you actually get me out of my pants.
You: Ding ding! Twenty minutes, get undressed and let’s get busy….uh, why are you looking at me like that?
Me: it hasn’t been twenty minutes
You: It has too been twenty minutes, look it says...
Me: (I give a soft and hearty laugh) that’s regular time – not man time, you silly goose!
You: What the hell are you talking about – man time?
Me: Ever been to a hockey game?
You: Yes...
Me: Then you know that each period is twenty minutes long, right?
You: Yes...
Me: Does a period ever take twenty minutes?
You: (you rub your temples ever so slowly) No, it always seems to take about an hour…
Me: (I shrug) Man time………..
We sit back down and start playing war, you get a little violent with the cards with each passing moment. Another forty minutes pass, and your heart quickens...
You: (To motivate me properly you undress – quickly) Alright, twenty minutes are up now, let’s f…just give me all you’ve got, baby! (The look of lust fades from your face to one of slight irritation) What are you doing?
Me: (Emptying my pockets) Well, I’ve got a couple of pens, here’s my money clip, some change, Hey! I was wondering where my beef jerky went!
(I pop it into my mouth and start chewing noisily while I undress, falling as I get my foot stuck)
You: We’re here to fuck, no questions, no promises
Me: Really?
You: Yes…for the love of God why didn’t I pack duct tape? Yes, really!
Me: You’re sure?
You: Listen, I promise that I’m not going to….
Me: But you just said that there were no promises so…
You: how could you have ever been a gutter slut? There can’t be that many women who could deal with this shit…
Me: You’re still here…
You: You’re like a scab…you know you shouldn’t touch it, but somehow your finger starts just scratching around the edges...
(I finish undressing)
Ok, let’s see it… (A look of horror flashes across your face)
Oh my God! Is that foreskin?
Me: Well, yes…
You: Oh, I don’t know about this….you never said anything in your stories about...
Me: What’s the big deal, anyway? If you think about it, your lips should be called the foreskin of the tongue.
You: I may never kiss again
Me: And besides, look, now you see it…now you don’t…now you see it…now you don’t…now you see it..uh oh…
You: MY EYES! MY EYES!
Me: Uh sorry about that…good thing I brought Season one of ‘Pinky and the Brain’ along…
We watch several episodes sitting naked on the bed when you look at me.
Me: What?
You: This isn’t what I was expecting…
Me: Kinda special, ain’t it?
You: Well, something in the room is certainly special…
Me: ( I lean real close and lift up my arm) It’s me…I stuck a pickled egg under my arm to give me that ‘eat me’ smell…
You: God damn it, why didn’t I just buy the damn batteries? Ok, ok, I can do this….listen, you little shit, I want to do it just like the damn story
(I get up and go to the bags from the supermarket)
uh why are you pulling out a hot plate, a frying pan and a pound of bacon?
Me: Well, when you sent me into the store to get some lube, I was looking at the price. Then I saw there was a special on bacon and I was feeling a little hungry so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone…why are you looking at me like that and putting your clothes back on? bacon grease is natural. Sure, it might be a little scalding at first, but I figure since you said you wanted it hot and heavy and that the cholesterol would definitely make it heavy…where you going?
(Door slams)
I guess I should have gone with all beef sausages...
A.B. Thomas can be found  @ http://www.extasybooks.com/a-b-thomas/ 


ABOUT THE BLOG

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety. 
The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. 
These will have a big G at the top.  (G)
Some are in between.
These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)
Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.
These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.


Monday 1 May 2017

Points of Attraction (AO Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog, scroll down.

Writing erotic romance includes, inevitably, points of attraction. Have you ever looked at a real couple and wondered whatever brought them together and what keeps them together? It's not enough to say, well, he's hot or she's gorgeous, or they both like ten pin bowling. I read somewhere or other that smell (pheromones) plays a part. Looking at the kind of romance where characters get together quickly and seem likely to stay together it's important to know why. Sometimes this is obvious (to author and reader) in retrospect. Here are some points I've noted retrospectively.

1. The hero loves dominant women. He's observing the heroine (to whom he's been sent an introduction) from a safe vantage point. She becomes aware someone is staring at her, and, assuming it's her brother, who facilitated the introduction without her knowledge), she snaps at him, telling him to stop loitering, and that he's forgiven. The hero greets her. Why? It's not stated, but clearly, he now knows she's dominant AND forgiving. Oooh, he'll have a bit of that thanks. 

2. The hero is strongly drawn to the colour green. When he meets a woman who wears green a lot and who even drives a green car, he's halfway to being a gonner. His first overtures are met by the threat of pepper spray, so he offers to stand her coffee or a bowl of soup. Soup? As another character observes: "It’s difficult for a woman to think about mayhem and violence when she has a meek fairy man feeding her soup.”
In this case, the heroine realises the pepper spray incident was a cultural misunderstanding and she is struck by the innate kindness in the hero.

3. In another story, (Horizontal Bunny Hop,) the heroine has got HERS, but she notes the hero is still unsatisfied. She tries to assist to no avail. She finds out he has unusual requirements, which she finds interesting, but not distasteful. Result: both partners happy and each now knows the other is generous, accommodating and FUN.

4. The hero and heroine are physically compatible. The hero mentions his ambition. He then says, "aren't you going to ask me why?" The heroine responds with, "surely that's obvious," and tells him exactly why. This is something his own family doesn't "get". She gets him. In return, he knows just how to unwrinkle a wrinkle in her psyche that's been bothering her since she was 15. They "get" one another.

These are just a few points of attraction. There are so many more. The characters are hot. Great. We expect that. But what is it that makes these hot, fast-falling lovers love?

Lark Westerly's series from which these situations are taken is available here. Check out extasybooks.com for lots of other books and stories. See who falls for whom, and then discover WHY. Oh, and why not tell us the WHY of your favourite couples in the comments?

ABOUT THE BLOG

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety. 

The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. 

These will have a big G at the top.  (G)
Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.
These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

Sunday 30 April 2017

In search of pornography by Seelie Kay (AO post)


Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog, scroll down.

In search of pornography 

by Seelie Kay**
            You may have noticed that more than one book published by eXtasy Books involves characters who engage in sex. Not a big shocker for many, but unfortunately, it is disturbing for some. Certain people have, for example, advised me that my books would be much better without the sex.
            “Your characters are strong, the stories interesting, why do you have to put in all that sex?” they say. “That’s not erotica, that’s porn!”
            Aha! When will people learn not to toss about words that are in fact legal terms in front of a lawyer?
            Yes, I write about lawyers, love, and kink.  My short stories involve lawyers who participate in (mostly) loving relationships that may involve erotic play. My books are not about brother-sister relationships, nor do they pretend to be. My books are about relationships that involve consenting adults who happen to occasionally…wait for it…have sex, make love, hit the sheets, and/or do the doody.  And sometimes, in pursuit of sexual satisfaction, one partner may tie the other up, affix a nipple clamp, or apply a hand to the buttocks.  Just because that may shock you does not make it porn.
            As a lawyer, I can tell you that in the United States, the definition of porn has long been a subject of rather heated discussions among the legal community and in the courts.  In fact, its very definition remains somewhat vague and confused.  For example, in a 1964 case, Jacobellis v. Ohio, the nine-member U. S. Supreme Court was somewhat befuddled by what should be considered obscene and therefore, speech not protected by the First Amendment. The court offered four different majority opinions, none of which were joined by more than two justices. There were also two dissenting opinions.
            In that case, Justic Potter Stewart’s opinion in support of the majority concurred that the
the U.S. Constitution protected all obscenity except hard-core pornography.  Justice Stewart also wrote, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it….”
            No court opinion since that time has further clarified the definition of hard core pornography and as a result, the definition and state laws regulating obscenity remain a conspicuous muddle of vagary.
            Dictionaries also fail to clarify the matter. One dictionary defines erotica as “literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire” while also stating that pornography is “the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal.” Hmmm, get the difference? I certainly don’t.  Yet I would continue to argue that they are not the same.
            From my perspective, erotica is the portrayal of sensual, sometimes loving, relationships that may or may not include sex. Pornography is sex for sex’s sake. It has no purpose other than to portray a sexual act. In addition, I would argue that the use of the term sexual arousal as the end goal in dictionary definitions is somewhat disingenuous, because what causes sexual arousal in some may not result in arousal for others.  As proof, look no further than the multiple genres and heat levels offered by eXtasy Books.  Each one attracts a difference audience.
            I don’t expect everyone to agree with my definitions, in fact, I encourage others to put forth their own.  I suspect porn is truly in the eyes of the beholder.  However, while it is appropriate to agree to disagree, playing the blaming/shaming game is not. Lack of agreement is not about right or wrong, it is about failure to agree. Let’s face it, we each think we know porn when we see it and that’s why even the highest court in America can’t define it.
            In the end, tolerance of ideas different from your own is what makes a civilized society. Your erotica may not be my erotica, but I will protect your right to embrace or avoid it.

**Seelie Kay is the author of Kinky Briefs and the soon-to-be-released Kinky Briefs, Too and The Garage Dweller. For more information on Seelie, visit http://www.extasybooks.com/seelie-kay/ or www.seeliekay.com.

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety. 
The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.
Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. These will have a big G at the top.  (G)Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.

             

            

Saturday 29 April 2017

What do Heroes Wear? (AO Post)

Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. If unfamiliar with the blog and its authors, scroll down.

There's an old proverb that states that clothes maketh man. This can mean all sorts of things, but in this case, I'm taking it to mean that what a man wears on the cover of a book (and in between the covers for that matter) helps readers form an impression of what sort of person he is.

"Wait," you might say. "He's the hero. That's what sort of man he is." True, but heroes come in so many different styles. Your action hero might well show up in a pair of jeans and a tight singlet top. He might be streaked with oil, mud, or blood. Okay, so that's Bruce from Die Hard. In passing, Bruce Willis has an interesting face for a hero. It's a blunt everyman face, but surprisingly expressive. No one does pained or about-to-quip quite like Bruce.

Now, consider putting an action hero in a kilt (with or without a shirt) and streak him with mud, blood and woad. Ri-i-i-ght. That's probably Mel from Braveheart. But still, you see what I mean.

Put your hero in knee breeches and a coat pinched in at the waist, and he's likely to have a rapier. Now he'll be streaked with blood and possibly powder from someone's wig. 

Dress him all in black. How about a Zorro cape? Give him a sheriff's hat and a six-shot. How about a bluey on his back and a hat decorated with corks?  Er- what? Somehow that last image doesn't cut it for an action hero. Why not? Well, because that's the clothing of an depression-era Australian swagman. Tough he probably is, but his toughness is that of endurance and wanderlust, with a touch of "don't-fence-me-in." He's not an action hero, but that doesn't mean he's not somebody's cup of tea.

What if you put your man in a beautifully cut suit? He's more likely to be at home in the boardroom than out there getting streaked with mud, blood or...I dunno. Maybe the ink off a contract?  

Of course, if you're looking for more romantic action, there's a high chance your man will be out of his shirt at some point (probably on the cover). He might still be wearing jeans, or a kilt, but what if he's in ragged cut-offs? Or overalls?

Just for fun, I popped over to eXtasy Books and checked out what some of the heroes are wearing on the current crop of new books. The first one, A Demon's Heart, has one bloke in a black leather jacket and another one in a white loose tee-shirt. The next book, Fur and a Badge, stars black pants and a light chain around the neck. Rough Trade has a guy in a hoodie. Yep, a hoodie. The man in Royal Consort has black leather-look pants, a kind of half jacket and some extra leather and hardware. Trill to Me Sweetly has a young man in a brown pullover, leather jacket and scarf (and a snowy background, so he'd need to wrap up warmly) and Rediscovering Himself has a wholesome-looking guy in a blue checked shirt. It's buttoned up, but you can see the edge of a blue tee-shirt underneath. 

So, what do these garments tell us about the heroes in these stories? I'm betting you can tell the action men at a glance, though maybe the scarf and check guys have a few secrets that might surprise. There's an unusual animal standing behind Check-shirt's shoulder.

Over to you, readers. What clothing you want to see on the hero of the next book you read? Let us know, do. Oh, and pop over to look at some of those covers. Pretend you are someone who judges a book by its cover. Which one tempts you to read?

ABOUT THE BLOG

Who are we? The Love Weavers are a bunch of writers. We all write for Extasy Books and/or Devine Destinies and a lot of us write in other places as well. We write in multiple genres for general and adult readership. Many of our books are love stories of some kind or another, and we enjoy looking at love in all its wonderful variety. 
The purpose of this blog is to tell our readers something about our craft, our passion for stories, how we build our worlds, what characters we choose and why, how we use clothing, food, music, weather, colour, themes, symbolism, history, science, and (okay) love to bring these stories to life.

Some of our posts are suitable for general readers. 
These will have a big G at the top.  (G)
Some are in between.
These may have a big PG13 at the top. (PG13)
Some of our posts are suitable for adults only.
These will have a big AO at the top. (AO)
Welcome to The Love Weavers' blog. We can't wait to share the love.