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Tuesday, 30 April 2013
This is the last post about the Anne Rice incident for a while, but since she responded to an open letter someone wrote with regard to a recent incident involving a blogger and Rice's fans, I figured I would follow up.
And the simplest way to do that is to provide this link to Rice's facebook page where she posted a link to the open letter and asked her fans to remain civil with their comments.
It's interesting to note some of those comments on Rice's facebook page, because it shows how people have various impressions of how authors/readers should react to reviews. I've always believed authors shouldn't react in public at all...unless of course the reviewer spells the author's name wrong, or gets something factually wrong with the book.
Rice makes this comment on facebook:
One comment I'd like to make: publishing an extended negative criticism of a a book or a person on the internet is not a private act. It's a public act. Perhaps sometimes bloggers forget this. Yes, in our culture everyone is entitled to have an opinion and express that opinion on just about everything; and when you make your opinions public, well, sometimes people are going to disagree with you. That is to be expected.
I don't have any strong opinions about this. It's the author/reader's choice to react any way they want (or not react), and I'm not going to tell anyone how to do that. Because that would fall under the category of none of my business.
Gay Relationship Advice from Friends
I found this article interesting because I often get e-mails asking me for advice about gay relationships, and sometimes I have trouble responding. And that's because all relationships are different, all people are different, and everyone's circumstances are different. The best I can do is relate with my own personal experiences with my partner of twenty years.
But what about taking advice from friends? That's even more interesting because in my personal life I have basically stopped giving out advice to friends. And the main reason for this is because my advice is always so good, and so right, I get annoyed when people don't take it. I'm only joking around, of course. But I have learned that unless someone asks for my advice, I keep it to myself. Most of the time people are going to do what they want to do and any advice people give them will go in one ear and right out the other...me included.
But what happens when you fall for someone you never expected, and things are far more complicated then you ever thought they would be? If our friends are there for us they will understand that the person they aren’t too keen on is the person that makes us the happiest. You may think your friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend is the biggest idiot/prick/your favourite insult in the world, but it doesn’t hurt (that much) to whack a smile on and try.
I can't even tell you how many times that's happened to me. And I have learned, trust me, whack on that smile and try because if your friend is in love with an asshole there's nothing you're going to do to change that. And if this is a good friend, you'll have to remain silent until he or she realizes they are with an asshole. That's what usually happens.
You can read more here.
Power of "I Don't Know"
In this NYT article by Tim Kreider, the concept of not knowing everything is discussed in a way I think all authors can relate to at one point or another. Especially if you've ever done one of those blogtalk interviews alone. When you write about something, you're automatically considered an expert on the topic, and everyone expects you to know all the answers. The problem with that is no one knows all the answers...I could be snarky here but I won't...and sometimes it's better to be honest and say, "I don't know."
Whenever someone writes to take me politely to task over some unfair generalization, self-contradiction or unexamined blind spot, my riposte is usually something along the lines of: “Hm, yeah, I guess you have a point there.” I don’t always agree with me; I certainly don’t expect everyone else to.
You can get there from here. Although, I have to admit that sometimes it can be very entertaining to ask a so-called expert his or her opinion, knowing full well they don't have the slightest clue, and watch them circle the airport so to speak. Very rarely will you find someone honest enough to actually say, "I don't know." Just watch any politician in Washington respond to a question about healthcare.
Monday, 29 April 2013
NBA star Jason Collins coming out of the closet is significant because it's the first time an active gay male professional athlete in the US has ever done this. I honestly didn't know that until now. I thought Billy Bean had done it a while ago, but from what I can see he came out after he stopped playing baseball, not during.
Collins makes this announcement in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated:
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," Collins says a first-person article. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Someone has to be first, because I'm certain he's not the only gay person active in professional sports right now...or in the past. In doing this, and in being so open and honest about it, he's helping to take away the shame all gay people have been living with for so long. I'm hoping others will follow him and they will stop hiding. And I'm not saying this to single anyone out as gay, or as different. But in doing this men like Collins will help make being gay mean nothing in the future. And being gay will be as normal and accepted as being straight.
In this article, it states the Cubs have been supportive of Collins.
“I think it’s kind of a benign thing,” second baseman Darwin Barney said. “Everyone is connected (to the gay community) in some way, whether it’s a family member or a friend. I have family members that are (gay). That’s the way of life and I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal. I think he’ll be protected just fine and I (wish) the best for him.”
I think this comment from Barney is reflective of the way a lot of people feel nowadays. Others have been just as supportive, including former President Clinton.
“Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities."
This is a huge event in gay history. I think when people like Collins do things like this it also helps other closeted gay people realize they aren't as alone as they think they are, they aren't as odd as they think they are, and they aren't the only ones who have weathered the storm so to speak.
Maybe Hollywood will follow the same pattern eventually.
You can read more here.
Collins makes this announcement in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated:
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," Collins says a first-person article. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Someone has to be first, because I'm certain he's not the only gay person active in professional sports right now...or in the past. In doing this, and in being so open and honest about it, he's helping to take away the shame all gay people have been living with for so long. I'm hoping others will follow him and they will stop hiding. And I'm not saying this to single anyone out as gay, or as different. But in doing this men like Collins will help make being gay mean nothing in the future. And being gay will be as normal and accepted as being straight.
In this article, it states the Cubs have been supportive of Collins.
“I think it’s kind of a benign thing,” second baseman Darwin Barney said. “Everyone is connected (to the gay community) in some way, whether it’s a family member or a friend. I have family members that are (gay). That’s the way of life and I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal. I think he’ll be protected just fine and I (wish) the best for him.”
I think this comment from Barney is reflective of the way a lot of people feel nowadays. Others have been just as supportive, including former President Clinton.
“Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities."
This is a huge event in gay history. I think when people like Collins do things like this it also helps other closeted gay people realize they aren't as alone as they think they are, they aren't as odd as they think they are, and they aren't the only ones who have weathered the storm so to speak.
Maybe Hollywood will follow the same pattern eventually.
You can read more here.
A small blogger recently wrote a less than stellar book review for Anne Rice's Pandora, and when Rice found out about this review she mentioned it on social media and Anne Rice fans ran to her defense creating the kind of firestorm that has caused many bloggers to rethink their comment policy. There's even a familiar voice to the m/m romance community on the comment thread.
When the blogger/reviewer compared Rice to Stephanie Meyer in the review, one person lashed out with such a vituperative (I love that word) attack, wishing the blogger would get herpes, even I held my breath. And I've seen a lot, but I think that's the first time I've ever seen anyone wish an STD on a book reviewer.
What makes this review even more interesting is that the reviewer literally chopped the book up, which created yet another topic to discuss on the comment thread.
Last night, I took a craft knife to Anne Rice’s Pandora and I took out every page. I was left with the gutted remains of the cover itself and threw that away. It’s the first time I have ever desecrated a book in such a way and I can’t deny that it wasn’t made all the more enjoyable by how much I really and truly loathed that book.
In an interesting twist, the blogger was remiss in mentioning that she'd already planned to do a craft project with a book, and she rectified this in an update to the post after Rice posted all this on social media and her fans went berserk. In other words, the blogger didn't start out with the intention of hacking up an Anne Rice book. It just wound up that way, and she posted photos, too...before and after!!
It's a shame people don't know that publishers recycle print books all the time. And publishers don't make pretty boxes out of them like the blogger did. One person pointed this out on the thread, but it didn't seem to get much attention.
This all reminds me of the third grade. We had a teacher...Miss Clifford...who was the consummate small town spinster of her day. She wore her hair in a bun at the back of her head, half glasses on the end of her nose, and pencil skirts that kept her knees locked together at all times. Miss Clifford was the crafty type. We made Christmas trees out of cardboard and Ivory Snow, Santas out of poster board and velour paper, and what she could do with macaroni and Elmer's glue would make you scream. And once, we even made a Christmas bell out of used copies of the Reader's Digest through a primitive form of origami. Photo above to prove it. This is the actual bell and why I saved it I don't have a clue.
You can read the blog post I'm talking about in full, here.
Catholic School Fires Gay Teacher
When I read things like this about a gay teacher in a Catholic school who was fired because someone read she was a lesbian in her mom's obituary, the post about Anne Rice and the reviewer above don't seem quite as important. Frankly, after reading this about the school teacher, I don't really care if the blogger wiped her behind with Rice's book, Pandora.
From what I've gathered so far, this is not a gay teacher who walked around carrying rainbow flags and equal rights signs. She taught there for years and no one ever questioned her until her mother died and the obit was published.
Physical education teacher Carla Hale, 57, was fired in March after her name appeared in her mother's obituary, which also noted Hale's longtime lesbian partner.
You see what I mean. And this isn't something new. For those who don't take what it is like for gay people this far, obituaries have been a long standing issue with gay people, and it's only recently where gay people have been mentioning their partners in public. Just think about the magnitude of that for a moment. Someone in your family passes away, and you can't even name your partner/spouse in the obit for fear of backlash like what this teacher is now dealing with.
The main reason Hale was fired, after this obit came out, is astounding, especially coming from the Catholic church.
Hale was subsequently dismissed from Bishop Watterson Catholic High School after 19 years of service, with the school citing a morality provision in the contract between teachers and the diocese.
You can read more here.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
I've been busy with deadlines for publishers so I haven't posted anything on self-publishing for a while, and I thought this article by David Gaughran on Lit Agents, self-publishing, and Argo Navis was something newsworthy for my blog readers who are interested in self-publishing. What is even more interesting is the comment thread that follows this article, and the various reactions from people who either support Gaughran or don't think he's quite on target.
I left a comment of my own, which I rarely do in cases like this. But there's so much hidden misrepresentation lately about self-publishing I didn't feel right not adding something about my own experiences. I know a lot of you are curious about self-publishing, and how much it will cost you is a huge factor.
Please note that Gaughran isn't talking about all lit agents; just a few, and he lists them in the article. The gist of the article discusses how some agents are using Argo Navis as a sort of self-publishing service, and he offers examples of AN's *interesting* terms. Gaughran suggests that these agents are lazy. I have to admit I'd already read an article about AN, and how author David Mamet will be self-publishing with them, earlier this week. I didn't post about that because I was as disappointed as Gaughran when I heard Mamet would be using AN, through his agent, and I actually just dismissed the whole thing. And this excerpt below from Gaughran's article is one of the reasons why I dismissed the thought of entertaining Argo Navis for longer than a second or two:
Essentially, Argo Navis are a distributor. They offer a portal through which authors’ work can be distributed to all the various retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo.
In exchange for this relatively trivial service, Argo Navis take a 30% cut. You read that right. After the retailer takes their standard cut (usually also 30%), Argo Navis take another 30% before passing on payments.
Interesting. He's right. It is trivial. I know because I've done it myself. And it's not worth 30%. For those who don't know, I self-pubbed a few books last year from the ground up, without a self-publishing service of any kind. I've posted a lot about it, and here's just one. I mention this because one of the reasons I decided to self-pub in the first place was because I wanted control over certain aspects of my books I could only get through self-publishing. And one of those things was pricing. And if you think that price doesn't matter with e-books, you'd better think again. Especially when it comes to impulse shoppers. If I had gone with a publishing service like Argo Navis I wouldn't have been able to offer my e-books at .99. It would have been impossible with a 30% cut.
In any event, the one thing I found in the comment thread with Gaughran's article was that those who don't seem to agree with Gaughran point out examples that really don't make much sense to me. It's kind of like this: hey these are good guys, they aren't lazy, they have good reputations, so don't be so mean to them. Really? We're talking about books, money, readers, and business here, not where we are going to hold the next church picnic. On the other hand, the comments from those who agree with Gaughran seem to be solid examples based on good, practical business standards, not emotion.
It's an excellent article, the comments are informative, and I suggest reading it in full if you're considering self-publishing. I'd also like to mention that self-pubbed authors like me are always ready to help with advice if we can. You're not alone out there. We've been through the trenches so to speak and we know what it's like to not understand something. And the odds are any *true* self-published author will be willing to help you answer those questions if he or she can. Some of us might even be starting our own self-publishing services sooner than later just to offset some of the nonsense that's going on with places like AN. And we won't screw you over and take 30%. That I can promise.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
When I read this article about Zach Braff raising 2 million dollars on kickstarter I thought about a few of the previous posts I've written on kickstarter and the projects associated with them. Up until now, I didn't even know anyone with the kind of presence Zach Braff has was doing kickstarter. This link will lead you to three posts I wrote in case you're not familiar with kickstarter. I honestly don't know how these previous projects worked out, or if the people did raise the money they needed, and I haven't seen any follow up info to go along with them.
It didn't catch fire quite as fast as the Veronica Mars movie, but Zach Braff's Kickstarter to create a follow-up to Garden State reached its $2 million goal in short order.
On Saturday, the Scrubs star's project, titled Wish I Was Here, hit $2 million in funding thanks to over 28,000 backers listed on the crowdfunding website.
He's also doing some interesting things for those who did contribute, which you can read more about here.
Although there are some things about kickstarter that make me wonder, for the most part I think it's an interesting way to fund an artistic venture. It reminds me of the old, old days when wealthy dowagers would become patrons of the arts. Only this time, with the influence of the Internet and such high exposure, everyone can be a patron of the arts now. I would imagine the secret is to get the word out there if you don't have the kind of presence Zach Braff has.
Josh Radnor's Nude Photos
It seems as if Josh Radnor has jumped onto the proverbial bang wagon and now he's the subject of a nude photo issue. When I saw this earlier today, I have to admit I was a little stunned because I just saw his latest film, "Liberal Arts," last night (I loved it) and he played such an upstanding respectable part. He looked great in the film, too, with his scruffy beard, and it's hard to believe he's 38 years old. He really doesn't look a day older than thirty...if that.
Celebrities and nude photo scandals seem to go hand-in-hand. The 38-year-old actor’s nude photos were leaked online through hacked phone on Friday (April 26, 2013) and spread across the internet like wildfire. “The FBI is aware of the alleged hacking incident and is looking into it,” an FBI official told the press.
The phone hacking part freaked me out a little. Like they can't leave the poor guy alone for a minute. What is interesting...and I highly suggest you check out the link...is that Josh's nude photos aren't like any other nude celeb photos you've seen before. I found them tasteful and elegant. And I wouldn't have a problem hanging one in my own living room.
Josh Radnor photo attribution, here.
Friday, 26 April 2013
I found a new blogger I love and the blog is titled "50 A Year." What this means is she tackled 50 books last year, and has decided to do this all over again this year. I like blogs with themes like this, because I've always believed this is what personal blogging was intended to be in the first place when it first entered the arena. This one reminds me of a literary version of Julie Powell's blog about Julia Child, where Powell took on the job of cooking everything from Child's first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 365 days.
In this case the blogger is taking on fiction in a year's time, and she's done an interesting review of the book Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey that's an analysis of the novel Fifty Shades of Grey. It's an interesting review to me because I wrote an essay for FWoFSoG and my piece was focused on how so many in the BDSM world did NOT accept the book very well...all for valid reasons that made sense to anyone in the BDSM lifestyle. Some were vehemently insulted. On the other hand, I also mentioned that I liked FSoG because it was written in a way that expresses common usage more than classic literary merit. I don't know how else to put that either. And, I know very little about the BDSM lifestyle. Or at least I knew very little until FSoG hit the shelves.
The one thing FSoG has done is put BDSM out there in the mainstream for discussion. It's so prominent now that my post before this one discussed the differences between rough sex and BDSM. And I never would have guessed I'd be writing a post like that a year ago. You can get there from here. The only reason I wrote the post was to show that BDSM is, indeed, a lifestyle and an art form. And the book FWoFSoG wasn't a book designed to praise the novel FSoG, but to analyze it and call out the strong points as well as the weak points.
But when all is said and done, FSoG appealed to the masses in ways that no book has done for a very long time. And I firmly believe this had a lot to do with the fact that the book wasn't a literary masterpiece from an elitist POV. In any event, I don't have the link right now, but FSoG did so well for the publisher the success trickled down to bonuses for editors who don't make all that much money. And, I might ad, without blockbuster hits like FSoG in the publishing industry, there wouldn't be enough money to publish those elitist literary books that are supposedly well-written and that win awards. If the publishing industry depended only on good taste, they'd be out of business in a year's time. Think Snookie and "Gorilla Beach."
But I digress. This is a great review with good insights. You can get there from here, and below is an excerpt from the review. I think it brings up some valid points and I recommend reading it, especially if you didn't like FSoG. I have to agree with the reviewer, too. At first I didn't think FSoG warranted that much analysis either. I really didn't, and I hesitated a while before I agreed to do the essay for FWoFSoG. However, each essay is different, each is written from a different POV, and my essay talked about how so many other reviewers felt less than thrilled about the actual BDSM aspects. And this review talks about all this in more detail.
Second, another of the writers made the point that, however sexually liberating the book may be, it also encourages toxic relationships. Sure, you can have mind-blowing sex, but it comes hand in hand with stalking, emotional manipulation and a total lack of mutual respect.
Whether or not rough sex is considered BDSM is not always simple to define in a few sentences, and that's because there are so many broad generalizations out there you can go blind trying to compare one to the other. And I want to state up front that's not what I'm trying to do in this post. The only reason why I'm going near the topic right now is because of e-mails I've been receiving from readers who wanted to know my opinion. Without going into details or linking to anyone specific, something did spark this discussion recently and I thought it necessary to talk about it in a general, clinical sense.
But I want to make it clear that I'm not an expert, I'm not into the BDSM lifestyle personally, and I only know about BDSM from research I've done for a few books I've written that contained BDSM. And even then I've only written a few, like Jonah Sweet of Delancey Street. In that particular case I had to do research (G-rated; academic; not actual hands-on, so to speak) with someone I knew who was into the BDSM scene and has his own "playroom." I've also done extensive research for an essay I wrote on BDSM in the non-fiction book, Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey. So while I'm not personally into the scene, I do know a little about it from an outsider's POV.
This is how Wiki defines BDSM:
BDSM represents a variety of erotic practices involving dominance and submission, role-playing, restraint, and other interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who don't consider themselves as practicing BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community and/or subculture is usually dependent on self-identification and shared experience. Interest in BDSM can range from one-time experimentation to a lifestyle, and there is debate[by whom?] over whether a BDSM or kink sexual identity also constitutes a form of sexual orientation.
I would suggest reading the entire article in full to get the most basic concept. It's clinical, it's impersonal, but it's accurate from what I can tell.
It's a very broad topic with a lot of gray area for those who are not really into the scene/lifestyle, and yet for those who are there are fundamental aspects that can't be ignored. And I make no claims to define anything relating to BDSM right now. I wrote my books that contained BDSM with great care to make sure I followed the rules of those who are into the lifestyle. So far I haven't seen any reviews that slammed it, and that was my biggest worry when those books were released, especially Jonah Sweet. It's also why I don't write about BDSM very often. I feel comfortable with the topic, but I don't feel comfortable with my own lack of personal experience with BDSM. In the same respect, I've never been a fan of that old saying, "Write what you know."
I do, however, think there is a difference between what's considered BDSM and rough sex. To imply that there isn't would be an insult to those who are into the BDSM lifestyle, and an insult to those who aren't into BDSM but like rough sex. Unfortunately, I've been seeing a lot of confusion about this for a while now by those who speak without thinking, and I wanted to discuss it just so I have a point of reference where I can guide people when they e-mail me.
When I think of rough sex, like a scene I wrote in Fangsters: Clan of the Jersey Boys, I don't think along the lines of BDSM or the lifestyle. If I were thinking along those lines I would make it clear and I would explain that it is BDSM just so it would be clear to readers that I'm not insulting those who are into BDSM and the lifestyle. As I said, I've written about this before and I'm not a complete idiot on the topic. You don't have to know how to bake to enjoy a good cake. I found the reseach fascinating and I have absolute respect for those into the lifestyle. In the same respect, I also know that people engage in rough, pleasurable sex play without the structured elements of BDSM, and it's usually something that just happens without talking, explaining, or getting into any detailed rules or regulations. At the most basic level, rough sex is NOT a lifestyle. Sometimes it just happens. As a side note, it can happen in bad ways, too. But I'm not getting into that because it's off topic. I'm talking about people who enjoy rough sex, and where no discussion is needed to enjoy it.
Here's a pg rated excerpt of a rough scene from Fangsters that's not actually BDSM. Fangster is not now, nor has it ever been a BDSM book. Once again, I want to make that clear to readers: Fangsters is not a BDSM book. Take into consideration this is happening between two vampires and not real people, it's been clearly established in the book that these vampires do get rough sometimes because of their superhuman strength, but never is it mentioned once they are into the BDSM lifestyle because that would be insulting people who are into BDSM:
Digger had always been easy to manage in this respect. Anton slapped him, punched him, pulled his hair, and lifted his bottom half off the bed. He choked him a few times and twisted his head. Digger didn’t speak much aloud, but he didn’t complain about being handled in such a rough way either. By the way he moaned and sighed, as if he couldn’t catch his breath at certain points, no one would have thought he was experiencing anything other than pleasure. Though all this only took five or six minutes, Anton caught a glimpse of Leo watching them in action, with one hand on his chest and the other over his mouth. The poor guy looked as if he’d gone into shock.
Notice how I underlined that one sentence above. Now, anyone can see that the evil vampire Digger is not in pain and he's not suffering. He's a vampire; he can't feel pain and suffering like humans, which is also established in the book. That's plain and simple. Did I need to talk about this and refer to this scene as BDSM? I could have played it safe and done that. But would that have been overkill? I don't think it would have been authentic to a paranormal book, and I don't think people who are into the BDSM lifestyle would have been happy about that. BDSM is real; the lifestyle is real. The character, Leo, who is watching, is only in shock because he doesn't even know these two are vampires yet. He's also very submissive and this is explained well in the book, too. I don't consider this BDSM. I don't think anyone who understands the basic fundamentals of BDSM would consider this BDSM. I consider this rough sex with vampires. And this aspect of rough sex, though I won't go into detail about it here, is something I do know from personal experience. It happens sometimes. It's not planned and there are no discussions about consent. And it has about as much to do with BDSM as a lifestyle as Mary Poppins.
In this article I found on the topic of the difference between rough sex and BDSM, the author explains it this way in a piece actually titled, BDSM Is Not Rough Sex.
In BDSM nothing happens during a session that hasn't been discussed first. there are rules and regulations. Wynter describes what she does as a 'craft', anyone interested exploring BDSM should go back to school.
As you can see, BDSM is a far more complicated topic with rules and I would even go so far as to say it's an art. And the one thing I learned from my experience in doing research about BDSM is that I never want to disrespect the people who are into the lifestyle because I also think of it as an art. I don't paint or sculpt, and I think of that as art. I feel the same way about BDSM. I don't do it, but I appreciate the art form. The problem is there are too many who don't understand what BDSM is all about.
In this next article to which I'm linking, the author seems to get angry that people consider BDSM and rough sex the same thing. She gives good examples, and states why she gets frustrated about it because she's not into BDSM and she is a fan of rough sex. I can't post any examples here because of copyright violations. But I really do think this article is worth reading in full if you aren't sure about the difference between rough sex and BDSM. You will have to sign up, but it only takes a minute and it's just basic info. It's worth the time.
And one of the reasons why it's important to know the difference between rough sex and BDSM is because books like Fifty Shades of Grey have popped up recently and people who know nothing about BDSM have suddenly become ten cent experts. They think a slap on the bottom is BDSM, or a twist of the neck is BDSM, and it's far more involved than that. The problem is they know nothing at all, and FSoG is NOT the book on which to base any serious BDSM examples. In fact, the topic of my essay in Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey talks about this in more detail, and how people into the BDSM lifestyle were insulted by FSoG.
And then, sometimes, you just have to use your own good instincts and common sense. I do think most people know the difference between rough sex and BDSM, and I wanted to add that so I don't insult them as well. It's not a topic I ever thought I'd have to get into here on this blog, but sometimes things come up in this Internet age and you just have to address them for the sake of clarity...and piece of mind. I welcome any comments from anyone into BDSM. All comments are treated with discretion and absolute privacy.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
I like to post these free excerpts from time to time for various reasons. One of which is to show how e-books look in raw form before they are formatted and released for sale. This excerpt below is from the Bad Boy Billionaire Series, The Vegas Shark. One of the books I enjoyed writing the most, and one that I've always thought was the most emotional and filled with the most innocent brand of love there is...forgiveness.
It's also one of the few books I've been able to do something I love to do, and that's end the book with the same sentence with which I began it. I can't show an example here because that would ruin the ending, but it's nice when I can tie up a book that way. It doesn't happen often.
It's also one of the few books I've been able to do something I love to do, and that's end the book with the same sentence with which I began it. I can't show an example here because that would ruin the ending, but it's nice when I can tie up a book that way. It doesn't happen often.
This all happened about a month after Treston ran into Cooper near the used car dealership where he’d gone to apply for a job. After Cooper helped Treston into the car, he drove him home and called in sick that day. He spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Treston talk about how frustrated he was with his life and how he wanted to change his circumstances. In the past when they’d communicated with each other through social media, Treston had held back and he’d never gone into any great details about what he did for a living, especially the part about being a male escort sometimes. But that afternoon he told Cooper Boon everything, from his ping pong ball act to the guys he saw in private sometimes after the shows. Treston figured if he wanted a relationship with this man he had to be honest and it had to be based on mutual trust.
Cooper sat and listened without saying much. At one point, he sat down on the sofa next to Treston and put his arms around him. He held him tightly and said, “I had a feeling your life wasn’t exactly normal or perfect. But I had no idea it was this complicated. What you need is stability. You need a regular routine.” He made a fist and pounded the sofa arm.
At the time, Treston felt secure confessing all this to Cooper. Though he was attracted to Cooper, he didn’t think Cooper would ever want to get involved with him. Good guys like Cooper Boone didn’t think about starting relationships with male strippers who sometimes got paid to have sexual encounters with other men. Good guys like Cooper Boone found decent, respectable guys with whom to build relationships around set patterns and normal routines.
So no one could have been more surprised than Treston when Cooper grabbed him, threw him down on the sofa, and kissed him. And when Cooper stopped kissing and said, “I’ll help you get a job because I’m in love with you and I want to marry you,” Treston thought he’d lost his senses for a moment.
Treston sat back and said, “All the other men I’ve been with don’t bother you? And I’ve never been able to stick to a routine or pattern in my life.”
Cooper reached for Treston’s hands and held them tightly. “No. The other men don’t bother me. I’m in love with you and that’s all that matters. And I’ll turn you around. I’ll get you into a routine.”
Cooper didn’t go home that night. For once, he broke his routine. They ordered take out, drank wine until midnight, and wound up in Treston’s bed where Treston was surprised to learn Cooper Boon made love even rougher and with more intensity than any of the bad boys Treston had dated in the past. That night Cooper threw him down, slapped him in all the right spots, and turned him around in so many different positions Treston actually had trouble keeping up with him. He even grabbed his throat and punched him a few times. And in the morning when Treston climbed out of bed to examine the bruises on the backs of his legs, he noticed Cooper’s cowboy hat and boots on the bedroom floor and smiled. He knew, deep in his gut, he’d finally found the right man to fall in love with.
The rest happened so fast Treston barely had time to think. Cooper got him a part time job at Lake Mead working as a file clerk three mornings a week in the ranger’s station. He wanted Treston to quit his job at Chickey’s strip club right away, but Treston said he couldn’t do it until he either was married or had another full time job on which he could support himself. So Cooper made a deal with him. Cooper told Treston if he quit his job at Chickey’s he would marry him even though gay marriage was not legally recognized. He said Treston could move into his larger apartment and he would take care of him until he found a full time job that didn’t include stripping. Then he kissed Treston, told him he loved him, and he would always take care of him. So Treston agreed to everything and they set a wedding date with enough time for Treston to give his notice at the club, clean up his affairs, and get out of his lease.
One month later, as Treston organized a few files in the ranger’s station, he still felt so giddy about his new life he found himself whistling You Are My Sunshine and didn’t even realize it. He was doing this when the heavyset ranger, Roger, returned from lunch. Cooper had been gone for about an hour. Roger opened the door and sent him a look and he stopped whistling immediately. Then Treston smiled and asked, “Is there anything special you’d like me to do for you before I leave. I don’t mind. I have plenty of time.” Because he only worked part time three mornings a week and didn’t have a car, he had to spend the entire afternoon on the days he worked walking the trails of Lake Mead until Cooper was finished working so he could take him home. He didn’t mind staying in the station and working without getting paid. He would have done anything short of blowing Roger to pass the time.
Roger shrugged and said, “Nothing I can think of.” He was one of those hapless souls without much energy. Nothing excited him more than a dozen doughnuts or a full box of Twinkies. In the same respect, nothing ever seemed to upset him either which made him easy to work with. The first week Treston had started working there Roger had entered the back room and he’d found Treston in Cooper’s arms near the lockers where the rangers changed their clothes. They’d been kissing, thinking they were all alone, and Treston’s pants had been down around his ankles. Any of the other rangers would have gasped and kicked them both out. But not Roger. He just sent them a glance, rubbed his large stomach, gaped at Treston’s ass for a second, and continued to the bathroom without as much as a second glance. And when Treston tried to apologize later and tell Roger nothing like that would ever happen again, Roger just shrugged and said, “It’s none of my business what anyone else does. I keep to myself.”
“Are you sure you don’t need anything done,” Treston said. It was hot out and he didn’t feel like walking the trails all afternoon. “I can clean the place up a little. I don’t think the floor has been vacuumed in a while. I don’t mind at all.”
Roger glanced down at his desktop and said, “Nope. I’m good. I’ll see you later.”
Treston knew there was nothing he could say or do to change Roger’s mind. And he didn’t want Roger to get annoyed with him. So he went to the back room, changed his clothes, and left the ranger’s station about fifteen minutes later. He started walking toward one of his favorite trails, as far away from the trail where Harlan Rocks had left him naked as he could get. He liked this trail in particular because he sometimes ran into Cooper later in the afternoon as Cooper was heading back to the station and Cooper would break his routine. Sometimes they would sneak behind a rock and make love. One afternoon Cooper pulled down Treston’s pants and bent him over a flat boulder, and another afternoon Treston blew Cooper while he was still on his horse. Sometimes…and only because Cooper requested this…Treston would remove all his clothes and put on Cooper’s cowboy boots and hat while Cooper threw Treston over the horse and spanked him.
It didn’t take long for Treston to learn that straight-laced Cooper Boon who appeared so conservative and set in his ways on the outside had a few kinky needs in the bedroom. They weren’t outrageous; just little things like Treston wearing his boots or Treston wearing long fake red fingernails. Cooper really seemed to get off spanking Treston with all kinds of things, from kitchen spatulas to the soles of his cowboy boots. And though these were not kinky things Treston would have ever done or even suggested, Treston felt the need to please the man he was in love with, partly because he was Treston’s hero and partly because Cooper was the one man with the ability to take Treston away from the only life he’d known as a stripper.
While Treston headed toward the trail that afternoon, he started to whistle You are my Sunshineagain. He felt unusually excited and didn’t know why. But as he turned right to head off the road, he heard a car coming, followed by sound of deep familiar voice say, “Do you need a ride, bitch?”
Treston stopped walking and glanced up at the clear sky. He took a quick breath and rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened in the past month. He turned slowly and glanced at the long black limo that had stopped at the side of the road. He put his hands on his hips, frowned, and said, “No, thank you. I don’t need a ride.” He had to clench his teeth to force himself not to smile.
Chad Pratt was hanging out of the back window. From what Treston could see, he was naked. Chad climbed up a little higher, flashed his dick, and said, “C’mon, bitch. You know you need me. I’ll take you home. This park ranger shit isn’t for you and you know it. You need a guy like me. You crave it.”
Ever since the night they’d had dinner, Chad had been trying to contact him. Treston had thought the roses Chad had sent the day after had been the end of all this silliness. But he’d been wrong. A week after that Chad came to the club to watch him shoot ping pong balls and he’d requested a private show later that night. When Chickey told Treston that Chad was waiting for him in the back, Treston explained to Chickey he didn’t want to do a private show with Chad because he didn’t want to get involved with him. He told Chickey the entire story about meeting Chad, having dinner with him, and the way Chad had been hounding him; Chickey listened without saying a word. After Treston explained the situation, Chickey went back and told Chad it wasn’t going to happen. This was one of the things about Chickey that Treston loved most. It’s also why he insisted on giving Chickey plenty of notice before he quit his job to marry Cooper. Treston knew the ping pong ball show was important to the club and he didn’t want Chickey to lose money. Chickey truly cared for the guys who worked for him and he never forced them to do anything they didn’t want to do. Not even with Chad Pratt.
“Will you please leave me alone,” Treston said. “I’m not getting in the car with you, you tired old movie star.” Although Treston thought Chad looked as adorable as ever hanging out of the back window naked, and they both knew he was only joking when he called him a tired old movie star, there was nothing Treston would to do ruin his wonderful relationship with Cooper. To leave a good solid man with a set routine for the worst bad boy in Vegas might have been something Treston would have done a year earlier. But not anymore.
Chad threw one of his long legs out the window and over the side of the limo. He started playing with himself…clearly not serious about getting off because that would have been insane; just joking around…right there on the side of the road and said, “I’m never going to leave you alone. I love you. I’m even thinking about starting a new career as a male stripper to get closer to you.”
“Well I don’t love you,” Treston said. “And you’re too old to strip.”
Chad laughed. “Yes you do. You just won’t admit it. And I’ll bet I could shoot ping pong balls out of my ass better than you.”
“I don’t have to admit anything,” Treston said. “And you only think you love me because I keep rejecting you. I know how that works, trust me. It’s all a big game with guys like you, the assholes of the world, and the only reason you want me is because I don’t want you.”
“I’ve changed,” Chad said. “I’m not an asshole anymore. I’m not even an asswipe.”
“That’s not what I read in the newspaper,” Treston said. About a week after Treston had had dinner with Chad, while Chad had been sending him roses and gifts, Chad’s blond boyfriend with the potty mouth had discovered Chad in bed with his brother again. The blond potty mouth went berserk and chased his brother down the street naked. When potty mouth caught his brother, he beat him up so badly…kicks and scratches…because he’d been sleeping with Chad, he wound up getting arrested and the brother pressed charges against him. Of course Chad had kept his own name out of the paper, and what that had cost him Treston could only guess. But Treston knew the moment he read the article and recognized the photo of the blond potty mouth on the front page Chad had been the man they’d been fighting over.
Chad jumped out of the limo stark naked and jogged to where Treston was standing. “You don’t have to worry about Dare anymore. We broke up after that unfortunate incident.”
Treston pulled him to the left, behind a large rock. “You’re going to get arrested. A man your age in your position shouldn’t be running around naked in the middle of the day. Have you lost your mind completely?”
Chad continued to smile; his steel blue eyes and the little fleck of silver in his hair sparkled in the bright sun. “I don’t care if I get arrested. I love you and nothing else matters.”
Chad continued to smile; his steel blue eyes and the little fleck of silver in his hair sparkled in the bright sun. “I don’t care if I get arrested. I love you and nothing else matters.”
It seems actor Ryan Gosling is taking a break from acting. After he announced this, the Interwebs went wild at the prospect of no more Ryan Gosling and some sort of web site/help line was set up that started playing "The Notebook" 24 hours.
I've always been a fan of his, but I don't think I'll need the helpline. The article I'm linking to below gets into Gosling's decision to take a break, and gives example of other actors who've done this in the past, too. If you follow pop culture like I do, you'll always see the same pattern. Nowadays it seems the top stars get a window of opportunity...a timeline of sorts. And after they build a certain number of film credits, they usually tend to disappear. Sometimes it's when they reach the Oscar stage...if they are lucky enough to get there. If you're only in it for the money, it's a good thing. If you're in this for the love of the craft, I can't imagine anything worse for an actor.
I'm actually not a subscriber to the theory that we get tired of looking at film stars...overexposure. I've never tired of Meryl Streep and she's been around as long as I've been alive. I've never tired of Sally Field, or even Tom Cruise for that matter. So I'm not sure that theory works in all cases, but I do understand the need for personal change. Actors, like a lot of authors these days, have to find ways to reinvent themselves more than ever before. And if you can't figure out how to do that, taking a short break might not be a bad idea at all.
Of course, actors are responsible for their own careers, and they deserve blame for accepting too many roles. But they're also victims of an industry in which studios seek to capitalize on the latest and brightest talents by shoehorning the most marketable names into all kinds of movies — a trend to which Ryan Gosling was fast becoming the latest victim, with starring roles in everything from political drama The Ides of March to rom-com Crazy, Stupid, Love.
You can read more here. It's an interesting article that can also be applied to genre authors now, too. I can't tell you how many publishers do this all the time to authors who sell well. And the secret is learning when to step back and take a short breather from it all, and yet still hang around enough to not become the forgotten one. The publisher doesn't always give the author the best advice in the world. Unfortunately, actors don't have the ability to do things authors do. They don't have the freedom to make complete changes. We can change our genres, change our names, and start from scratch any time we want. But there's only one Ryan Gosling and there will never be another.
This excellent Image of Mr. Gosling gets credit here.
Paul Ryan's Intern Cyberstalking
As I've been claiming for a while now, all things related to Internet crime are becoming more pronounced in the mainstream more than ever before. We've learned new words like catfishing, sockpuppet, doc-dropping, and doxxing...all of which relate to something creepy and seedy most of the time. So it's no surprise to me that Paul Ryan's intern has been indicted for cyberstalking in a general sense. I think we'll be seeing more and hearing more on topics just like this in the future.
In other words, the Internet isn't going to remain the old wild west forever. So you socks and catfishers should take advantage of what little time you have left so you don't wind up like Paul Ryan's intern.
An affidavit states that Savader "sent anonymous text messages using Google Voice numbers to 15 women stating that he had nude photographs of the women and threatening to distribute the nude photographs to the women’s friends and family members unless the women sent him more nude photographs of themselves."
The IP address used to contact Victims 1 through 10 was registered to a home in Quincy, Massachusetts, where Savader lived when the Google Voice account was created.
A tipster sent us the image of Savader, above, from his Facebook page, noting, "The home in Quincy, Mass is the house he lived in while working as an intern on the campaign, specifically in the Ryan VP Campaign's office. So, he was doing the stalking/hacking while working for the campaign."
Notice how they mention IP address. In other words, there are ways to find out who the Internet criminals are and they aren't as difficult as some would imagine. You can read more here.
Fangsters Giveaway
I mentioned that there's a publisher giveaway on Goodreads for Fangsters this month that will run until May 5th. That's coming up soon and I wanted to post a reminder...or something for those who may have missed the original post I wrote, here.
For anyone who wins the free giveaway at GR, I'm going to match that with a free e-book that I've self-published in the past year.
As an added bonus to this free GR giveaway, I will offer a free giveaway of my own to whoever wins the free giveaway copy of Fangsters on GR. So you'll actually be getting two books for free if you win on GR.
With my free giveaway you'll have a choice between one of the following e-books below. Please note that I stated e-books, not print books.
Chase of a Lifetime
Chase of a Dream (Abridged or Unabridged version)
Jonah Sweet of Delancey Street
With my free giveaway you'll have a choice between one of the following e-books below. Please note that I stated e-books, not print books.
Chase of a Lifetime
Chase of a Dream (Abridged or Unabridged version)
Jonah Sweet of Delancey Street
You can read more about this with the link I've provided above.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
This information is so new no one's even sure about it yet, and Amazon hasn't verified it, but according to a Bloomberg report Amazon plans to introduce a TV set-top box. This means Amazon will be in our living rooms, too. But more than that, they are allegedly introducing a new smart phone that will compliment their line of Kindle devices as well. You can fault Amazon for many things, but never for falling asleep at the proverbial wheel.
The device will be introduced this fall, according to the story by Brad Stone, who is working on a book about the company.
Amazon’s streaming video service is currently available through a variety of devices, including television sets, Roku set-top boxes and game consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
You can read more here.
And this is from Bloomberg.
Earlier this week it introduced 14 televisions pilots, which it financed, and it’s now monitoring customer feedback to decide which ones to produce as full series.The company has also paid to secure exclusive streaming rights to hit shows such as Downton Abbey. A set-top box would give Amazon customers another way to watch all of the company’s video content the old-fashioned way—on their TVs.
I've been posting about streaming TV for a while, without ever mentioning Amazon once, and all the benefits of it. In this recent post I talked about TV morning news, and why I think ratings have dropped and networks seem to be scrambling. And when I post these things I post more from the POV of consumer than media expert. I don't think TV is going to die as a concept. But I do think we'll be watching TV in different ways in the future, and we'll have more choices than ever before.
I know this might sound trivial with all the news happening these days, but these monkey stories have been popping up all week and I figured why not post about Justin Bieber's little monkey.
From what I've been able to gather in simple searches, Justin Bieber has a cute little monkey he calls Mally...but it's created somewhat of a controversy. When he entered Germany about a month ago and they found out about his little monkey they took one look at it, shook their heads, and quarantined it. I'm not sure how the rest transpired, but it seems Bieber has learned to live without his little monkey and now he's ready to give it up altogether.
Bieber's manager is now looking for a good home for Bieber's little monkey:
"Would you happen to have any recommendations for places that Mally would be safe and thrive?" he wrote.
It does sound as if Bieber and his manager are working hard to make sure Mally is placed somewhere safe.
"We are very concerned that Mally is safe and placed in the best possible residence," Braun wrote in his recent email. But a spokesman for German customs said they still have not received official instructions from Bieber or his management.
I would imagine it's not an easy thing for a guy to do, even if he is as famous as Bieber. After all, it's not everyday a guy decides to give up his monkey for good. But I'm sure he realizes that he'll be much better off without it, and that it's really the best thing for Mally to be placed where it will receive all the love and care it needs.
You can read more here.
Gay Fiction: "Pledges"
I just received my contributor copies of a new anthology collection that is filled with erotic short stories about "Pledges." It's a book from Cleis Press, and it was edited by Shane Allison. My story is titled, "It's Not Hazing, It's Brotherhood." I also noticed a few names of gay male authors that have published with www.ravenousromance.com and www.loveyoudivine.com ...Barry Lowe and Gregory Norris.
The photo above shows the two copies I received, and I had a good time writing this one. I often feel...now more than ever before...these books released by publishers like Cleis Press keep me grounded and focused on what gay fiction is, and what it's always been about. It's the reason why I just agreed to do something with German publisher, Bruno Gmunder again early this summer. I enjoy a lot of the changes happening in gay fiction, but I also think it's important to retain the basic fundamentals of gay fiction...whether it be romance or mystery or anything related...because of the cultural aspects.
One of the goals I've always worked for as a gay person is to garner the same brand of respect other minorities have managed to garner so I'm not the brunt of stereotypes. If that means we all have to be a little more PC, so be it. I could elaborate on that for pages and still have room to write more.
In any event, here's a link to purchase "Pledges," and here's the book description.
Wrestling at the frat house, toga parties, plenty of pledge paddlings, and initiations of the sexy kind will have every man on campus lined up to join the fraternity of beautiful men who know how to have fun, especially with each other! Shane Allison, recipient of the Gaybie Award for his fine fiction in College Boys returns to the campus for another set of page-turning, arousing adventures featuring hunky undergrads getting it on. Ryan Field shows us that pledge sex is the best sex in “It’s Not Hazing, It’s Brotherhood.” Hot, sweaty sex ensues between a pledge and his handsome professor in Heidi Champa’s “Caught Red Handed.” There’s some major heat to the seat action going on in Logan Zachary’s “Spank You, Sir, Could I Have Another?” The lines of gay and straight get blurred in Pepper Espinoza’s, “On Restriction.” Barry Lowe has got something for the most loyal of butt connoisseur in “Spin the Bottom.” Two young pledges are put through a series of seedy challenges in Eric Del Carlo’s “Pecking Order.” Gregory Norris amazes with “Heaven Week.” Michael Bracken proves that you have to “give” some head to get ahead in “What a Rush.”
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
When I say Vanilla Ice goes Amish, I'm speaking about his TV series with HGTV Network that deals with flipping houses, "The Vanilla Ice Project." And this year they sent Vanilla Ice to Amish country to learn about Amish skills.
A new spin on the rapper's three-seasons-old house flipping series The Vanilla Ice Project, the new show sends the '90s pop culture icon to Amish Country to learn crafting from the famous woodworkers. It will premiere later in 2013.
The article also goes on to mention other famous celebs with home improvement shows, and a few spins on popular existing shows. Tony and I watch these shows all the time, especially Property Brothers. And I can't wait to see Vanilla Ice tackle his new Amish show...or anything. I also find it interesting because I hear from Amish readers all the time and I've become interested in Amish culture more than ever before in the past year.
Brian Stelter Talks about Morning News
I don't think it's a secret that the world of TV news in general is, and always has been, highly competitive...to the point of cutthroat. We aren't talking about simple people with simple dreams here. We're talking about driven professionals who know what they want and will do anything to get it.
Brian Stelter, who launched TVNewser almost 10 years ago, is now a published author. “Top of the Morning,” out today, lays bare a tumultuous year for network morning news shows which saw one anchor pack her bags, another face a serious health issue, a ratings leader fall — and lose a quarter of its audience — and an entirely new show launch.
TV viewing habits in general have changed. And I think a lot of it began during the 2008 Presidential elections when all things Internet seemed to take off for President Obama. A good deal of his support, both financial and emotional, came from the Internet. The President was smart enough to realize this, and so were his campaign managers.
As someone who works on the Internet and is used to getting all my news from the Internet now, I almost find it a little silly to watch morning news shows these days. This morning I had to sit and wait in a doctor's office and suffer the fresh hells of morning news for over an hour because I had no control over the remote. No one else was paying attention either. The way these old formatted TV news shows are done just seems so old fashioned to me. And I usually get my news faster online than I could ever get it on TV.
In other words, I know people who don't watch TV anymore at all. They stream shows from the Internet, and that's were they get all their news. And TV news has become such a highly subjective media outlet these days, people who don't agree with the politics of a network like CNN will just stop watching that network's news altogether. So I'm not certain where this will all end up for TV news, especially in the morning. But I doubt the people who have left TV for streaming Internet are ever going to go back again. I've heard some claim we'll be seeing the decline of TV as we know it very soon. Whether or not this will come to pass isn't certain yet. But if TV is anything like publishing there are many changes in store.
You can read more here about Stelter.
Authors Should Post with Care
This is just my own little comment on authors who post things on social media. Last night I read something an author posted in jest about a personal experience, and at the end of the post the author mentioned the Vietnam war in a way that was supposed to sound funny but came off sounding very insulting to anyone who served in Vietnam, to anyone injured in Vietnam, and to anyone with an ounce of sense who knows anything about the Vietnam war. It made the author look transparent, amateur, and dumb.
Seriously, the people who served in Vietnam deserve all the respect they can get. There are still veterans suffering from the effects of that war...not to mention their families. And these good, brave people don't deserve some two bit author with a small start up e-press from nowhere making jokes about doing tours of duty in Vietnam some forty years later.
If you aren't old enough to remember Vietnam, don't talk about it in jest. Think before you put anything in print on social media. You're only going to piss a lot of people off and you'll probably never even know it.
Monday, 22 April 2013
I'm not sure how many of my blog readers will know who Jeanne Cooper is (I'm betting a lot know), but she was always a huge influence in my life from afar. She was recently hospitalized in LA, listed in critical condition, and I just wanted to post a few thoughts about her and express hope for a fast recovery...and gratitude for all the things she's given to her fans over the years.
CBS Los Angeles (CBSLA) first reported Cooper was hospitalized on Saturday, April 13 in Los Angeles. The 84-year-old reportedly is in the Intensive Care Unit, but her ailment has not been disclosed.
Jeanne Cooper has been a staple for years on the daytime TV show, The Young and the Restless. She is daytime TV as far as I'm concerned. She's been playing Kay Chancellor since I learned how to walk. As a child, I remember Y&A on TV every single day because my mom always worked as a psychologist and we had a housekeeper who was devoted to Y&R. If it hadn't been for Jeanne Cooper's dramatic scenes, and her acting abilities, I wouldn't even have noticed the TV show. Remember I was a kid.
But the moment Jeanne Cooper came on the screen it was as if the world stopped moving for everyone in the room. I don't think I've ever seen a soap star who could command that kind of attention since then. It was as if the screen lit up and came to life. From the words she spoke to the gestures she made with her hands she seemed to command attention. And her character, Kay, at the time was no saint either. But more than that, she was a strong female character when there weren't many around. She ran Chancellor Industries with a proverbial iron fist, and she took lovers at will when that sort of thing wasn't done much on TV. As I recall, she even had younger lovers when women didn't do things like that.
Watching Jeanne Cooper in action, flashing those huge diamonds around, and then following the storyline of Y&A hooked me for life, and from there I found my love for romance novels and serials of all kinds. Yes, I'm am an addicted soap fan. It was inspiring. Jeanne Cooper was awesome. For a long time I wanted to be a soap actor, but realized I'm happier behind the scenes with a keyboard so I started writing gay romance. And the interesting thing about the part Cooper played wasn't total escapism either. She tackled some serious topics over the years, from alcohol abuse to kidnapping. To put it mildly, she's entertained and inspired millions and millions since then.
I hope she hasn't been hospitalized for something too serious, and I hope we get to keep her for another twenty years at least.
You can read more here.
She has a book titled, "Not Young, Still Restless," you can read more about here.
And you can check out her wiki page here. I find the best short bios around there.
Wilma Jeanne Cooper (born October 25, 1928), best known as Jeanne Cooper, is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. Though she was not on the series when the show debuted in March 1973, she made her onscreen debut in November of that year, and remains the longest-tenured actor on The Young and the Restless.[
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