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The Shifter Revolution

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The Twilight series, love it or hate it, served to help bring shifter romance into the mainstream – it’s been fun to watch former “monsters” become romantic bad boys, from the likes of “True Blood” and “Twilight” to the lately emerging subgenre of Zombie romance, epitomized by last year’s film “Warm Bodies”. There was even an attempt to turn Frankenstein into an action hero, with Aaron Eckhart cast in the lead in “I, Frankenstein.” A quick run through the shifter romance page at Goodreads turns up horse shifters, lion shifters, bear shifters, dragon shifters and many more. If you had … Read more

A Taste of Honey Bear Anthology: Excerpt From “The Bear Fetish” by John Amory

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Editor’s Note: I’m a part of a new anthology coming out on 8/18 from Dreamspinner Press: A Taste of Honey. And while the book is not Fantasy, Sci Fi or Paranormal per se, some of the stories in it include magical realism or present-day fantasy. I hope you’ll indulge me as I share the intros to a number of these stories in the lead-up to the book’s release. :) –Scott Coming from Dreamspinner Press on August 18th – A Taste of Honey – the ultimate bear romance anthology. Guys don’t have to be in their twenties, perfectly sculpted, and hairless … Read more

My Gay Fantasies

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There are so many authors on the LGBT side that are writing Fantasy with LGBT characters now – I’d love to see some of them cross over into the mainstream market.

So who out there is writing great gay Fantasy these days? Please sound off if it’s your niche, or if you have some great titles to recommend.

Which Genre Is Best Suited to the LGBT Experience?

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I’ve been doing some promo work for the anthology The Bear at the Bar (shameless plug there) about bear romance, and it’s gotten me thinking about all the shades of the LGBT rainbow – gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, questioning, intersex, bears, otters, drag queens, leather daddies, gym bunnies, and so many more. I’m wondering if, of the three genres of sci fi, fantasy, and paranormal, is any one more suited than the the others for exploring the issues around the LGBT community? I’m not talking about having or exploring LGBT characters in these genres. I’m trying to get at … Read more

Powerless by S.A. McAuley (The Borders War #3)

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I don’t know if any of this group is familiar with S.A. McAuley’s Borders War series.  It has become one of my favorites with wonderful world building, a dystopian society made worse by the manner in which their  guns function.  Plus two main characters whose loyalties  will keep you guessing.Here is my review of the latest in the series. Melanie Rating: 5 stars out of 5 He was built to be invincible. Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan return to the States, their mission to assassinate the remaining Committee members unfinished. Why? The President of the Revolution is in need of … Read more

Writing Transgender Characters

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I’m getting ready to start another story, my first with a transgender character. The character’s gender identity as a man will be central to the storyline. I am excited to write it, and also a bit nervous – any time you write something you don’t know intimately yourself, you run the risk of either doing it poorly, or of offending the group you are writing about. Still, I think it’s worth the risk. We should always challenge ourselves in our writing, And sure, I may not (probably won’t) write this character as well as someone who is actually transgender, I … Read more

Writing for Myself

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When I was a young writer, I had that big dream – to become the next Anne McCaffrey, or Piers Anthony, or Isaac Asimov – this was well before the days of Harry Potter. I was sure of my writing brilliance.

Writing The Perfect First Scene

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Let’s face it. The first scene of your story is like the front door of your house. If it’s dingy, dusty, falling off the hinges, and covered with bric-a-brac and dead ivy, no one’s gonna want to come inside. But it it’s well lit, clean, and organized, folks are more likely to take a step inside. I’ve written a number of stories, and have gotten a lot of advice on how to start a new story in the most appealing way. And quite often, the way I choose to start it initially and the final beginning are very different. Some … Read more

Writing Short vs. Writing Long

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So I was thrilled to have a couple more sales this week (details to be announced at a later date) for two of my short stories. But it made me wonder, once again, about writing short stories vs. writing novels. Short stories take less time, and can get you out there in many places. But the pay for shorts is not huge, and ultimately they offer only a taste of your potential to the reader. I still think the long game is in writing long – in getting novels put together and out there for folks to enjoy and talk … Read more