writing

Day 5 pre-GRL and Day 1 GRL Migraines QSF On Writing #GRLRetreat2017

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Day 5 pre-GRL was Wednesday, Octobert 18th, 2017. M, S, and I transferred to the Denver Marriott Tech Center for the official pre-GRL meetup before GRL starts on Thursday. It was so busy and packed with things to do starting at 3:30 pm MDT that I fell over around 1 am. I then turned around and got up at 7:30 am the next morning to get breakfast and start the day with Author lounges.

Day 1 of GRL was great and full of energy. Almost too much energy. I bought 3 more paperback books, and several freebie books later, the Bru Baker CAMP Howl bag was starting to hurt my shoulder. And I haven’t gotten my pre-orders yet. 😀 

Right before lunch, I started talking with someone manning the GRL registration, Michael Henry, who liked Sci Fi. I gave him my last extra copies–signed of course-of Discovery and Flight I brought with me (the QSF Flash Fiction contest anthologies from 2 years ago and last year–this year’s anthology, Renewal, is on order to my home). He stopped me later to tell me how much he liked Flight, my story in Flight. I appreciate that a lot. I’m glad someone does and helps me keep going as a writer.

Unfortunately, about 1:30 pm MDT, I got a bad headache. Woke up with one but it went away for a while. Took medicine, an EMERGEN-C packet, and ate some lunch. I got overwhelmed, too much input, and a migraine was threatening to start. I decided to rest in the room. Two and a half hour nap later I emerged pain free and ready to go to the Patreon dinner with Jordan L. Hawk. Didn’t realize that she paid for it until it was the end and about to go to the opening reception right after. So, thank you Jordan. I really enjoyed the company and the food. 

I realized this evening while waiting for the final event to start that I hadn’t posted yesterday and today’s update. So, after some encouragement from M and new friend Dani, I went up to get a photo with the Cocky Boys. I’m not that brave to post it here (I tend to not post my photo usually). I’m winding down because it’s almost 12:30 AM Mountain time (so, 2 hours later Eastern). I’m going to see about posting tomorrow (later today). Somehow, I’ll write some more on The Druid’s Bond before I go home. I did get to recommend my Coil Me Up story to someone on Facebook who wanted to read something with snake shifters. 😉

Eloreen

Day 3 Pre-GRL a meetup and Divinity #GRLRetreat2017

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Since I promised to post something today, and more pictures of the house, here we go. The update for the day is after the house pictures.

House pictures:

Dining room

Kitchen, excuse the mess. 🙂

Hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom off the dining room

Living room

Wall behind the living room. You can see the dining room from here. Front door is to the left of the picture

Back porch and yard

Day 3 started with a 6:20 am (yes, morning) local time phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. I let it go to voicemail. I went back to sleep 20 min later after the adrenaline left (did I mention I startle easily?). 

Woke up 3 hours later with another phone call and that was all she wrote. Breakfast with pancakes and eggs. I edited The Druid’s Bond a little and made my first batch of Divinity. Surprisingly easy. Love the 10% humidity. 

The Divinity. No nuts because I don’t like them in foods. I will be doing more batches tomorrow.

Then S, M and I went downtown near Union Station to meet up with JP Kenwood for happy hour drinks. 

We got back about an hour ago and I’ve worked on editing The Druid’s Bond a little more. Tired though so probably going to shut down after this post and go to bed.

Plan tomorrow: Botanical Gardens, more Divinity making and writing, and a meetup with another of M’s friends coming in the evening for a late dinner here at the house.

Then packing for the Tech Center. One more day.

Eloreen

Day 2 Denver pre-GRL #GRLRetreat2017

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Day 1 was traveling and getting to the house Marc (M), MTSnow (S), and I rented before GRL. We all converged to Denver in one piece, hung out last night after dinner in a mall food court, and crashed.
Picture of the standing horse at the Denver airport. We had to circle a lot while we waited for M to arrive from customs. Not the best picture. I’ll see if I can get a closer one with my picture software. And crop it a bit.

Day 2 was leisurely awakening this morning, a Costco and grocery run for the week, and returning back to the house for lunch. Just finished lunch and now I’m ready to nap. I’m on vacation. I can nap if I want to!

Picture below is a bush full of finches, it looks like. They are so cute. Their was this morning on the way to Costco.

The house is beautiful and plenty of room. The owner lives in the basement and rents out the upstairs via Airbnb. He got me a candy thermometer for the making of Divinity, a little Goergia I’m bringing to the retreat. I’ll probably do that this evening or tomorrow. I’m going to bring some just for K-lee to distract/cheer up from the pain she’s been having. Don’t worry, I’ll have plenty for people to try if you are attending.

Bedroom I’m sleeping in awhile at the house. That’s my purse/belt on the end of the bed. More pictures of the house later.

We’re going to do a planning session and see about what we want to accomplish before going to the retreat hotel on Wednesday. Perhaps I’ll read or maybe write. I’m feeling a little inspired–something about not working helps–so I might pull out my laptop or iPad. I definitely would like to catch up on reviewing.

I’m planning on wearing my new Rainbow Gold Reviews (RGR) t-shirt or hoodie Wednesday that S brought us. I’ll try to post pictures once I get them. I brought my camera, but I have my phone camera too. There is something to say for ease of posting to social media with the phone camera.

I going to take my nap now. More later. 🙂

Eloreen

One day away and I will be in Denver #GRLRetreat2017

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GRL Retreat and Denver here I come!

It’s been awhile since I posted. Sorry about that. Work has been insane the last several months. I haven’t had much time to read much less write. It was only last week that I tuned into Facebook in preparation for this trip.

Trip you said? What’s this GRL thing?

https://www.gayromlit.com/

That’s where I’m going. My first time, and first Romance retreat/conference of the book kind. I go to DragonCon every year for the last 6 years, and occasionally do day passes to others around Atlanta. But this is my first book convergence and the ability to meet the authors, bloggers, and yes, even the Rainbow Gold Reviews crew that I’ve worked with for the last 3 years in the LGBTQ book genre. I’ve been reading primarily MM for 6 years, writing sporadically for 5 years, and blogged about it for 4ish years–WordPress tells me when I have an anniversary but I can’t think of when I started this mess unless I look it up. I’ll figure that out later. 😉

I didn’t know about GRL until it was here in Atlanta several years ago RIGHT BEFORE it was to happen. Could take the time to attend then. Sigh.

By the Gods I’m going now. 🙂

I’m meeting up with two of my co-conspirators on RGR, MTSnow and Marc Fleischhauer, and we’re renting a house from tomorrow until the 18th where we transfer to the host hotel the Retreat is at in the Denver Tech Center.

This is also the first time I will be anywhere as Eloreen Moon. 🙂 That’s kind of scary and exciting on it’s own.

As you know Eloreen is my pen name because I work in a conservative industry: legal technology. I keep this part of my life separate from Real Life (TM) because it’s easier that way. Will I come out to work? Probably not. I don’t even talk about my polyamorous family life except in bare-minimum words. If asked directly, and I feel safe, I will probably explain but I definitely don’t volunteer.

I’m an introvert with aspirations of writing full time (not there yet; maybe in the next five years, and definitely when I retire). Now, if I can only get the part time writing going, I’ll be golden. *smile*

I’m hoping this retreat will allow me to work on some of the WIPs I’ve had going for a really long time and just need some scenes fleshed out and editing done. The publishing world for LGBTQ genre writing has been churning with publisher and retailers dropping like flies in recent years and a lot of authors going self publishing. I’m hoping to get my act together and prepare to launch myself this coming year. We’ll see. First, I need to finish some stuff. That’s one of the goals this vacation.

The others are to meet authors and have a great time. I look forward to meeting those that will be there. Come hug me and say hello  if you are there. I’d love to meet people who read my blog. 🙂 Just make sure you let me know before the hug part. Stealth hugging may get you decked if I’m startled.

Eloreen

Where did the time go? #amwriting #CampNaNoWriMo #PodCastle #RGRTransAwareEvent

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Wow. Time flies when full time work explodes. (I see a theme here.)

While I’ve been working an inordinate amount of hours for that blasted Real Life job, I have done some writing and plans are in the works for more. Not as much writing as I would like; but between reading, reviewing and the little writing I have done, it’s kept my sanity on more than one occasion.

I just finished creating posts for another review (see post today) and I had posted one from a new author 11 days ago: The Palisade. Great story. I would recommend it. I’m working on the second book in that series in my copious spare time (yes, the sarcasm is high in that one). Expect a review for it in the next month. I hope.

I am doing more reviews both here and RGR. In fact, RGR is doing a Transgender Awareness Event starting today in response to a certain President’s stance on Transgenders in the the military a couple of weeks ago. It’s two weeks of reviews, spotlights, giveaways, guest post, and fun. Come join use as we celebrate all Transgender fiction. There’s even a podcast done by one of our own at RGR. (Not me, thank goodness). Links below.

Podcast: Big Gay Fiction Podcast

RGRTransAwareEvent: RGR Trans Aware Event Kickoff

Back in early June, I posted about the new QSF Flash Fiction story in Renewal. Still haven’t heard much more about it as the last couple of months have been hectic. (see start of this post)

Later in June, I found another Flash Fiction contest from a QSF post somewhere on social media, and decided to enter it. PodCastle‘s 2017 Flash Fiction Contest was completed but I didn’t get past the first round. Most liked the beginning but didn’t like the ending. Shrug. There were definitely others more worthy of winning so I’m not surprised. I like my twisty stories. 🙂 Since I didn’t make it, I am free to post it here. It was a whole 500 words and that seemed like luxury. Here you go. Let me know what you think. I might expand it later on. When I get a chance. Isn’t that what a writer says? *smile*

 

The Lotto Ticket
©2017

by Eloreen Moon

 

“I have no idea what I’m going to do.” I stared at the Lotto ticket I had at my hand. It matched the numbers just announced on the TV. I turned to my bestie Mitch panicked. I had plenty of magic in me but nothing prepared me for Lady Luck.

“Lucas, before you do anything, you talk to a financial guru.” He immediately answered. “With that much money, once you claim it, you’ll be mobbed by every warlock, ‘were, and weremage– anyone who has even a remote familial connection to you will come out of the woodworks.”

“You’re not kidding,” I snorted. “You know anyone? I’ve got nothing.” My lemur half wanted to get going. As a weremage, a shifter and a magic-user combined, we tend not deal with mundane things like finances, ever.

“Actually, I do.” Mitch stood up smirking, pulled out a warn business card from his wallet, and then presented it to me with flourish. My impatience had me wanting to beat-down his cocky werewolf hide. He pointed to the card. “Kenton’s a distant cousin. He gave that to me when he started up some number of years ago after finishing school here. He’ll know what to do.”

With that, I typed the digits into my phone, and called.

#

The next day, I teleported to the address Kenton had given me when I had set up the appointment for this morning. Driving was a bitch and my magic was fresh. The ticket was in my safe at home– at Mitch’s insistence and Kenton’s confirmation– photo proof the only thing needed on my phone. I walked up to the entrance.

The door swung in as I reached to open, and the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen stood in front of me. Shorter than my 6 feet, a lean swimmer’s body, and an adorable face with dark hair tripped all my buttons. I reigned my lust in as much as I could and reached to shake his hand.

“Hello Lucas, I’m Kenton–” he started; but when our hands met, both of us twitched as the shock of desire, emotions, and recognition passed between us.

We said “Mate” at the same time already in-sync as if we had done this before.

I pulled him into my arms and he went willingly staring at each me in such wonder. “I never thought I would find my mate after all these years.”

“Neither did I.” We kissed, and I realized we had done this before as snippets of lifetimes we had previously lived played through my mind. Startled, I pulled from the kiss both reluctant to stop and curious to know. “Um. Did you see—?”

“Yes,” Kenton said, shock adding to the wonder in his face.

I loosely held him in my arms staring into those intense blue eyes as he held my brown-green ones. Silently, I thanked Lady Luck and the Lotto ticket that had brought us together as we went inside to a new life.

 

What do you think? Comment below and I’ll respond. Might not be quickly, but I’ll get there.

 

As for other writings, I’ve gotten some ideas, a request to co-write something, and the urge to work on previous WIPs. I did a little for Camp NaNoWriMo but work, again, got in the way, and writing in July didn’t happen. It’s now mid-August and the work schedule is still high. I spent most of this past weekend working. No rest for the weary.

Well, I have to run. Read some more trans stories for the RGR event and reviews for others. This includes a possible MF story for next month. We’ll have to see. Dragon Con is coming and my annual trek to it.

TTYL

Eloreen

 

#amwriting. Musings renewed. Reviewing again.

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Hi ya’all. Sorry for not a lot of activity. Been a hectic couple of months. *looks at last post* 3 months. Oops.

I have been reviewing more but mostly on RGR. I do have a review for here coming up. Stay tuned. Hint. It will post in two days… June will have more reviews, spotlights, and tours. I’m going to try to have a few each month at least with the goal to posting something once a week. We’ll see how that goes. I think I’ve said that before…

I’ve been writing some. I did another story for this year’s QSF Flash Fiction contest. This year’s them is Renewal and the post about it is here. It was accepted to the paperback book earlier this month to be published later this year. More on that when I know. This will be book three. 🙂

I just finished a bout of writing inspiration that snuck up on me when I wasn’t paying attention. A blurb of a book I wanted to read about paranormal hybrids made be think about writing something myself, and I found a different WIP I started at the end of last year. I opened it up in word and went to town. Three hours later, I added 2300 words. Go me. Now to figure out the beginning, stick a plot into it, and finish it. That would be something.

Lots of little signs have been showing up recently that writing and getting a manuscript finished would be good. New publishers I never thought to look at and more submission calls are showing up everywhere. It’s like I’m slowly waking up after a long sleep. Here’s hoping I can stay awake and enjoy this creativity. As long as work cooperates, I think I will.

With that, I need to go prep another post for Moonbeams over Atlanta for next week. And one for RGR. Hmmm, I need to finish that book first.

Signing off.

Eloreen

#GRLRetreat I’m going to GRL this year!

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First year going and general admission but I got my ticket today.. Here’s hoping I can be a Supporting Author next year. But, I’m going!

Work is still mostly what once been doing but I’m going to at least get to reviewing again, if not writing.

Maybe I’ll get back to blogging too. 🙂
Eloreen

Flight by Eloreen Moon published in @MischiefCorner’s Flight #NewRelease #Anthology #FlashFiction

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front-coverThe 2016 Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction anthology, “Flight”, is here, and I have a story in it! It’s a really cool concept:

A 300-word story should be easy, right? Many of our entrants say it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever written.

Queer Sci Fi’s Annual Flash Fiction Contest challenges authors to write a complete LGBTQ speculative fiction micro-story on a specific theme. “Flight” leaves much for the authors to interpret—winged creatures, flight and space vehicles, or fleeing from dire circumstances.

Some astonishing stories were submitted—from horrific, bloodcurdling pieces to sweet, contemplative ones—and all LGBTQ speculative fiction. The stories in this anthology include AI’s and angels, winged lions and wayward aliens. Smart, snappy slice of life pieces written for entertainment or for social commentary. Join us for brief and often surprising trips into 110 speculative fiction authors’ minds.

The book us available in eBook form (4.99), and will soon be available in paperback with b/w illustrations inside (12.99) and in a special collector’s edition with color illustrations (24.99).

Buy Links

Amazon eBook | Kobo | All Romance | Goodreads

Excerpt

We lay on the earth caressed by its illusionary
Comfort, as we recover from love’s flight.
“We have to go back, you know,” I say
Wistfully, wanting things to be different.
“I know,” he says wistful as well.

All the things…Where did the time go? #Musings #May17IDAHOT #Amwriting

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MAY17IDAHTB

So, I’ve signed up for this year’s Hop for Visibility, Awareness, and Equality formerly known as Hop Against Homophobia and to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia. This will be my third year participating. It’s great fun and a great way to meet new and interesting people. Stay tuned for May 17th for my blog post on the subject. There will be a contest. 🙂

 

As I was signing up (and setting up my sidebar for the badge) I realized it’s been over two months since I last posted something. Two Months! Oh holy crap, Batman. Work, Vacation, and doing weekly reviews on Rainbow Gold Reviews has eaten up my time. Never mind family. I planned on writing during #CampNaNoWriMo. That didn’t happen. At least, not in the way I expected.

I did submit a story for the Queer Sci Fi 3rd Annual Flash Fiction Contest. They will announce the winners and those that will get into this year’s anthology soon. I hope I get in the anthology. Well, I would love to win something but I’m not expecting it to. It’s a little different than normal prose and I’ll just leave it at that. Stay tuned for more on that later. While I didn’t win anything last year, I did get my story published in their Discovery: QSF’s Second Annual Flash Fiction Contest publication. Which reminds me of something I need to do… I digress. This year’s theme is Flight. I liked it so much, I wrote it, edited it, and sent to beta read within a day… Granted, it was less than 300 words so that helped. 🙂 Definitely not the 10k I signed up for to finish a story I’ve been trying to finish for three years now, going on four. I’ll get there someday.

discoverybooks

 

What else? Work has been taking over my life for the most part. It was especially bad in February which is why I was incommunicado then. It hasn’t helped that I’ve had computer issues (two hard drives died within six months) and then my work laptop last week. Jeez. What’s going on here? Oh yeah. Mercury in Retrograde. Well, I can blame it on that anyway.

I’ve decided to go on a cruise in February of 2017. I haven’t been on a cruise in… well, too many years that I want to mention (high school graduation). Maybe I’ll have something published by then to promote by then. Maybe not. Not sure at this point. I’m hoping to publish something other than freebies this year. As soon as I get my act together. We’ll have to see.

There was something else I thought of to mention in this post. I can’t think of it now. I think I need to sleep. Off to be with family!

 

-Eloreen

Musings from the Moon

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Or how it got to be almost a month since I had done a post.

Oops.

I’ll blame it on work. That’s what most of February went to. Working on not having to work so much. Slow process.

Well, you are not here to listen to my real life experiences. Well, maybe you are… After all writers, bloggers, and other people are human too.

Writing… Not so much this year. Started editing early Jan and then it fizzled because work. We’re back to that again. 🙂

Really, I’m not trying to make this a post about not enough time because of work. Except that I am. Sigh. I really need to get off my own soapbox.

I posted a review for Rhys since this is release day for Dirty Heart. Click here to see it. If you haven’t read the Cole McGinnis series, you should.

Currently typing on my Nook as I’m about to read to relax before bed. Going to be doing more reviews at RGR and here on MoA. It’s been two years at the end of this month since I started reviewing there. Here’s to another two years. Hopefully, I’ll add more books and stories to that mix that I’ve written. *smile*

–Eloreen