Me Me Monday

It's Me Me Monday! A day to post, celebrate, and promote your Me-ness, especially if you're a member of Queer Sci Fi.

For a long time, I didn't have much to celebrate. I got published, only to have to ask for the rights of work back, due to a lack of payment.

This poor Cauldron didn't have much to celebrate either, being blocked by Facebook during the Blogging From A-Z project, right after L is for Leiwell in 2016.

We're trying to make a comeback. This blog is still forbidden by Facebook. Not all of my previously published works have found homes.

One has, though. Fairest is being reborn in Nine Star Press's Once Upon a Rainbow anthology on November 20, 2017.

This is something to celebrate. In the spirit of celebration, let us chant the old refrain from my f/f fantasy fairytale...

“Who is the fairest of them all?

You, me, or her?

In castle, cottage, or circle small

What will you endure?

Are you fair of face and eye alone?

Or is your fairness true?

When under the sleeping curse you lie

What will you change into?”

Dayel's Discomfort, Part 4

The monster post continues! This is part of a response I wrote to P.T. Wyant's August 2, 2017 Wednesday Words at ptwyant.com. It involved a festival.

Danyel wanted to go, Dayel didn't. My muse got sadistic...and busy. :)

As a result, here is Part 4 of Dayel's Discomfort, a freebie story from Tales of the Navel/The Shadow Forest. It takes place sometime between Book 2 (The Hand and the Eye of the Tower) and Book 3 (A Godling for Your Thoughts?). I've tried to avoid spoilers, but there are hints. :)

“Only the fairest, most succulent boys ever bore that on their fingers,” Juno murmured, as much to herself as to the twins. “Only for one night and one alone.”

“Why?” Danyel, always too curious for his own good had to ask. “What night was that?”

“A bridegroom’s marriage feast.” Mel, not Juno, answered the question. “The last night of his life.”

“A grim way of putting it, my dear, although I’m impressed you knew.” Juno cast a hard, metallic glance at her daughter. “Not many recall the customs of the arachnocratic lands, once they’ve left them.”

Arachnocratic lands. Arachnocratic. 

Dayel shut his eyes, trying not to see the movement at Juno’s side. 

Movement which might be extra arms, trying to conceal themselves from eyes which could see. 

“The last night of his life?” Trust Danyel, innocent dimwit that he was, to fixate on that particular detail. “Does the bridegroom get eaten? Is that why it’s a marraige feast?”

“Essentially, yes.” Mel allowed a corner of her mouth to lift in a humorless smile. “You might say he is the feast.”

“Now that is a disgusting simplification of an old and revered custom.” Juno narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “A consumation of power, when a bridegroom gives up all that is to his bride and her daughters.” Juno bit her lower lip. “Truly, it’s a beautiful ritual, as beautiful as any wedding. Only the bridegroom is at the center of everything. Not the bride.”

“Marriage or marriage feast, each depends on the subjugation of someone.” Mel ignored her mother, gazing at the forest which lay beyond the field where the tents where set up for the festival. “In a marriage, women are bound to men in a ritual of servitude. In a marriage feast, boys are drained of their strength before they can become men who’ll bound women in servitude.” Mel gripped the stand in front of her, allowing the display to rattle. “Each seeks to subvert the other via sexual ritual.”

Danyel’s jaw dropped. He stared at Melyssa, silently absorbing her words. 

Dayel tried not to shiver. He didn’t doubt Mel’s observations. She might be grumpy, but she was seldom untruthful. 

To be continued on Wednesday, August 30, 2017. 

Promo Friday: Seven Tricks

I'm trying to celebrate Promo Friday once more, since I've got releases coming out via Nine Star Press. :)

Fairest has found a new home in Once Upon a Rainbow, an anthology of LGBTQ+ fairy tales. Its rebirth will be on November 20, 2017.

That's not all I've got coming out this year. :)

Seven Tricks, my Mouse Prince/Nutcracker story will be scampering hot on Once Upon a Time's heels, on November 27, 2017.

Inspired by A.T.A. Hoffman's classic, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, this is a uniquely mouse centric version of the events in Hoffman's story and the ballet inspired by it.

An impetuous mouse prince must perform seven tricks before the twelve days of Christmas are up in order to win his crown. Dodging traps, feet, and giants, he finds himself driven to win his nutcracker instead.

Here's a little teaser from the beginning of Seven Tricks...

Some say a mouse king has seven heads with seven crowns. In a way, this is true. A mouse prince must play seven tricks before the twelve days of Christmas are over. If he doesn’t, he cannot claim his throne.

“You must prove your worth, before I acknowledge you as my heir,” Madam Mousenip said to me in the shadow of the enormous ticking tower. “Only by succeeding at seven tricks will you possess what you desire.” She herself had become our sovereign through seven capers of her own, earning the name Mousenip for delivering tiny bites, which left cheese looking unscathed and humans whimpering.

Dayel's Discomfort: Part 3

On August 2, 2017, P.T. Wyant posted a prompt involving a festival at ptwyant.com.

This inspired a story which turned into a monster, much to Dayel's dismay. He found himself being dragged to a festival. Danyel wanted to take his time, enjoying Omphalos's attempt to have a such thing, an attempt which takes place between my unpublished Tales of the Navel/The Shadow Forest novels, The Hand and the Eye of the Tower and A Godling for Your Thoughts?

I'm not too worried about spoilers, although there are hints of what's to come. :)

Here we are for #QueerBlogWed, picking up right where the twins left off in Part 2, headed for Juno and Mel's booth...

“I’ve been wondering.” Danyel tried to make the words casual, off hand. “What color is Juno’s character?”

“Red.” Dayel answered, falling into their old game. “Red with repressed passion, rage, and a burning need to take action in the face of adversity.” He frowned at his own words. “Only Juno has faded to pink.”

“What makes you think that?” Danyel kept one violet blue eye fixed on his brother, still moving towards his destination. 

“Her passion has diminished.” Dayel tried to articulate the desperate, florid gestures of their new neighbor, who waved her hands, allowing the jewels on her rings to flash. “She’s trying to get it back, but her fire is dwindling to embers, leaving a faint rosy remembrance.”

Danyel didn’t have a chance to reply. The two boys stopped in front of Juno’s booth. 

“Hello, dears!” Juno beamed at the twins. “See anything you’d like for your mothers?”

“Or for yourselves.” Mel didn’t beam at them. She cast a speculative eye upon the twins. 

Dayel squirmed, feeling like he was being probed for weaknesses. 

“Several of the rings and necklaces would suit you very well.” Mel flickered her gaze from Dayel to Danyel to the jewelry on display in front of her. 

“Oh ho!” Juno chortled, lifting a pudgy hand to cover her mouth. “This may be so.” Her gray eyes gleamed with amusement. “Feel free to see if anything suits your fancy.”

Fanciful wasn’t the expression that transformed Danyel’s entire face. 

His eyes widened. His lower lip began to tremble. 

He fixed his gaze on a particular ring, ignoring everything else on display. 

Dayel turned his attention toward the item, ready to scowl at it. Nothing was allowed to distress his twin like that. Not even a bauble. 

Golden strands intersected with the ruby at the center, like filaments of a spider’s web. The ruby itself seemed to wink at him. 

To be continued on Saturday in Part 4. 

Fairest Reborn

Today was the eclipse. It's also Me Me Monday for Queer Sci Fi, although this is an occasion celebrated by Facebook.

This poor Cauldron was blocked by Facebook in April 2016. You might say its life and promotional power were both eclipsed by that act of censorship.

It wants to participate, though. It wants to continue to promote and post, even though Facebook shuns it.

Which is why I'm going to share a little something from the new version of Fairest, which is going to be released on November 20, 2017.

Fairest was published by Prizm Books, the Young Adult line of Torquere Press. Alas, I was never paid for any sales my novella made. I was forced to ask for the rights to my story back.

I'm happy to say my f/f fantasy fairy tale has found a new home with Nine Star Press. It's going to appear in their Once Upon a Rainbow anthology, a collection of LGBTQ+ fairy tales.

I've tried to clean up my story a bit during edits, fix up a few things I wasn't happy about, but noticed too late during previous revisions. Hopefully, the story is stronger, yet retains the content fans of Fairest enjoyed.

One of the changes is that many of the characters now have names. Here's a little snippet of the newly revised manuscript, revealing one of those names.

This blog uses cookies I don't understand, but need to warn you about. Beware of the cookies, especially if you live in the U.N. :)

Oriana was as golden-haired as myself, although her hair was liberally dusted with silver. Indeed, she could have passed for my actual mother. She must have looked very much like me when she was my age. Her blue eyes held more wisdom than my own, wisdom and regret. Lines of care, sorrow, and loss wrinkled a once lovely face.

Paula's Prompt: Dayel's Discomfort, Part 2

Here I am, dragging the twins back to the festival for the second part of Dayel's Discomfort, a Tales of the Navel/The Shadow Forest freebie story, inspired by Paula Wyant (see her Wednesday Words for August 2, 2017 at ptwyant.com).

Danyel wasn't happy with his twin's evasiveness last Wednesday, but he's decided to do his best to ignore it and enjoy the festival. Hopefully, Dayel will talk to him eventually...

“May we have some nuts?” His twin turned to their oldest brother. “They smell delicious.”

“Try to eat them while they’re warm.” Leiwell took a fresh cone from Map’s waiting hand. “You two have a tendency to pick at your food.”

“I doubt they’ll be able to eat much,” Map grumbled. “They never do.” She fixed a critical eye on her oldest. “Like you.”

“All the more reason to savor what you can.” Unruffled by his mother’s remarks, Leiwell handed the cone to Danyel. 

He winked at Dayel when he did. 

His gestures are similar to Damian’s. Dayel had never noticed this before. 

He’d never observed Damian and Leiwell in such proximity to each other. 

Not that he was sure if Damian had ever been here. 

Or maybe he still was?

Either way, it was a disturbing thought. 

“Better to fill up on what we have to offer.” Leiwell nodded slightly in the direction of the other booths. 

Dayel was inclined to agree. He glanced at the nearest stall. 

Meggie had outdone herself. An array of cookies, cakes, and custard tarts were arranged on every available bit of space in her booth. The smell wafted out, mingling enticingly with the nuts. 

Meggie smiled at the twins, sneaking a shy, sidelong glance at Leiwell. Her attention kept drifting back to her own wares, to linger upon them with a covetous, loving greed. 

No doubt she’d happily finish off anything she didn’t sell. 

Nearby was Mel and Juno’s stall. Neither Jupitre nor Thomas appeared to be helping them.

Danyel let out a shuddering sigh of relief, not bothering to hide his satisfaction not to see his least favorite villagers. 

Dayel wasn’t sure if he should be relaxing his guard so soon. Thomas had a habit of popping wherever the twins went. 

Not that he could spot the bigger boy in this crowd. 

“It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?” Leiwell caught Dayel’s eye and held it with his own. “All these people in a place which used to be ours.”

Dayel nodded, before he could consider hiding his feeling. 

This crowd kept catching him off guard, leaving him exposed. Too many unknown people were here. Too many individuals to anticipate. 

It was hard enough dealing with those he knew and loved. 

“This will get better.” Leiwell offered Dayel an encouraging little smile. “Don’t fight the crowd. Move with it. Try to absorb.”

Once more, Dayel found himself nodding. 

“Dayel, come on!” Danyel seized his twin’s hand with his free one. The other carried a cone filled with nuts. “Thank you, Leiwell.”

“Have fun.” Leiwell smiled at both of his younger brothers, before turning to speak with someone who’d come up to the booth. 

Danyel started to dart through the crowd, moving from space to space. 

Less sure footed, Dayel followed him. Usually, he was the one who was lighter on his feet. 

All these people truly made him feel off balance. 

Danyel glanced over his shoulder at his brother, a wrinkle of concern popping out in his smooth brow. 

Dayel tried to smile in a reassuring Leiwell fashion. Heck, maybe even a toothy Damian fashion. 

It was no good. Smiling on command was simply not one of Dayel’s strong points. 

To be continued in Part 3 on Wednesday; August 24, 2017. 

Paula's Prompt: Dayel's Discomfort, Part 1

On Wednesday, August 2, 2017, P.T. Wyant posted a prompt involving a setting: a fair (food booths, crafts, demonstrations, etc.) and a character: lone, lost, and found. For the details, see ptwyant.com.

Dayel, one of my pair of twins in Tales of the Navel/The Shadow Forest let me know he wanted nothing to do with this fair.

He didn't like people. He met quite far too many he'd rather have nothing to do with in The Hand and the Eye of the Tower. In fact, Dayel is quite relieved I've put him, Danyel, and his family aside to revise Stealing Myself From Shadows.

Let Christopher and his story go first. Let him and Danyel have a breather. In fact, the more stories with other denizens from the Navel and the Shadow Forest, the better.

The last thing Dayel wished to go was to a festival filled with strangers.

Only Danyel really wanted to go. It sounded like a lot of fun to more extroverted of my twins.

Besides, Dayel's reluctance brought out the sadistic, gleeful pushy side of my muse. Said muse simply had to drop kick Dayel into the festival.

Here Dayel is at a festival in Omphalos, which takes place in between The Hand and the Eye of the Tower and A Godling for Your Thoughts?

Yes, both of those books have yet to be released. I've avoided outright spoilers. I am dropping hints, though, like breadcrumbs, which you might follow to a few speculations. :)

“Dayel, the wind is showing itself!” Danyel pointed at a pinwheel, spinning in the breeze. “You can see it move, through that!”

Seeing anything was difficult. Too many people clustered around, invading the air with their chatter, their demands, their sheer presence. 

Dayel tried to block them out, but their voices reached into his ears, pounding against his temples. 

“Look!” Undaunted, Danyel pointed at yet something else. “We should get one!”

Dayel blinked in the direction of his twin’s finger. 

Damian stood behind a booth, bestowing his toothy smile upon everyone around him. A row of skulls were on display in front of him.

He fixed his rose purple gaze upon Dayel. 

“Why, hello there, little mystery.” He winked. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Illusions should stay beyond the Door.” Baffled and a little alarmed at the presence of someone who shouldn’t be in the real world, Dayel took refuge in enigma. “I refuse to encourage daydreams with attention.”

“I’d hope I’d count as more than just a daydream.” Leiwell’s dry voice, touched with a little humor, slipped from Damian’s mouth. “Otherwise, I’ll never sell these nuts.”

Dayel blinked a second time, completely confusion. 

Leiwell stood exactly where Damian had been. There were no sign of the skulls. Small cones stood before him, giving off a whiff on roasted nut, cinnamon, and other spices. 

Map bustled behind Leiwell over an open fire. 

“Dayel!” Danyel nudged his twin, peering into his face. “Where did you go?”

“I was nearly lost in a dream which haunts me, but I’m back now.” Dayel couldn’t quite meet his brother’s eyes. “Don’t let such dreams trouble the air.”

Danyel bit his lip, unconvinced, but he decided to let it go. 

Did you enjoy that surprise appearance by Damian Ashelocke? Mwa ha ha...this is the end of Part 1, but the festival isn't over, oh no. I'll continue on Saturday...