Aftermath
May 30, 2012
Well, that was fun.
So, loads of prizes. Loads! The big old grand prize was taken by Avalie, so congrats on that. Seemed like people generally had a good time with the unscrambling and stuff, so hopefully we can do it again sometime.
My own little giveaway was swept up by Jojo, who snagged a copy of Riot Boy. Buzzcocks fans, unite!
Speaking of, if anyone missed it, there's some Riot Boy backstory over at Tara Lain's blog, which was my content contribution. It's Brady and Malory, from Mal's point of view. It's one of the flashbacks I wrote for Malory's book, Reentry Burn, which is, as of this week, officially finished and under scrutiny by The Powers That Be. Fingers crossed for me (or Mal, since he needs all the help he can get, poor kid), please.
Also, looks like we've only got two months until By the River hits. More on that as things develop, but yay!
Right, I'll say something useful next time around, promise. Until then <3
So, loads of prizes. Loads! The big old grand prize was taken by Avalie, so congrats on that. Seemed like people generally had a good time with the unscrambling and stuff, so hopefully we can do it again sometime.
My own little giveaway was swept up by Jojo, who snagged a copy of Riot Boy. Buzzcocks fans, unite!
Speaking of, if anyone missed it, there's some Riot Boy backstory over at Tara Lain's blog, which was my content contribution. It's Brady and Malory, from Mal's point of view. It's one of the flashbacks I wrote for Malory's book, Reentry Burn, which is, as of this week, officially finished and under scrutiny by The Powers That Be. Fingers crossed for me (or Mal, since he needs all the help he can get, poor kid), please.
Also, looks like we've only got two months until By the River hits. More on that as things develop, but yay!
Right, I'll say something useful next time around, promise. Until then <3
Erotic Romance Scavenger Hunt: Welcome, Emily Cale!
May 25, 2012
The Erotic Romance Scavenger Hunt is a blog hop featuring nineteen authors, a ton of exclusive material, and fantastic giveaways, and an amazing grand prize for one lucky scavenger hunter.
Just joined the hunt? Click here to start from the beginning.
RULES: Hidden within each post on the hunt will be a single letter that is red. Jot those letters down because they're part of the following mystery phrase you'll need to unscramble:
At the bottom of each post will be a link to your next stop on the hunt. Once you've completed the hunt, read all the fantastic exclusive material and entered all the individual giveaways, unscramble the letters you collected to reveal the mystery phrase. When you've uncovered the phrase, fill out the entry form in order to qualify for the grand prize. Grand prize is open internationally. You must be 18 or older to enter.
The hunt will only be open for 72 hours so play fast! Entries sent without the correct phrase or without contact information will not be considered. All entries must be received by May 28 at noon Central Time.
On with the hunt!
Today I get to host the fabulous Emily Cale, author of many wonderful romances of varying flavors and pairings, the latest of which is the first story in her Hat Trick Trilogy. Yeah. Hockey guys. I know, man. I'm in. So okay, I'll give you the official bio and then let Emily take it away...
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Emily Cale is a mutipublished author of erotica and erotic romance. You can find her online on her website or Twitter.
Hi all! I'm Emily Cale and I write erotic romance. I thought I would share a few secret about the writing of my newest release, Goalie Interference, and then an exclusive excerpt.
In case it isn't obvious, there are two names on the cover of Goalie Interference. That's right, I co-wrote this book with my friend Angela S. Stone. It was the first time I'd tried anything like this before and it turned into quite the experience. I think everyone has their own process for this sort of thing, but I'll tell you how we managed. Each of us took a different point of view and then we switched off writing.This process definitely made for some extra editing, since there were a lot of inconsistencies in the first draft between us. It also made for a lot of fun. We'd try to one-up one another with surprises at the end of each section. I think that makes it extra fun for the reader as well.
In case that wasn't enough, we have more books planned. Power Play is the second in the series and is a menage story that should be out sometime in the fall.
So how about that excerpt I promised you?
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"What?" Tarah pulled the sheet tighter around her body. "You think I'm a prostitute?" She'd been accused of a lot of things over the years, but never of being a hooker.
"I'm not mad at you. My friends put you up to this, and for that I'm sorry." He gave her a stern glare.
"I don't even know your friends." She returned to the bedroom, gathered her clothes from the floor, and began putting them back on. She couldn't believe she'd been enjoying herself with him. For a moment, she'd thought all the crap she'd heard about him being a player was just talk. Guess she should listen to locker room gossip.
He strode her into the room and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I don't care how they set this up. I can't pay you—or let them pay you—to have sex with me."
"No, you cannot give me money to sleep with you. Are you crazy?" She shoved her feet into the legs of her pants and wiggled them up. This situation underscored why she didn't date hockey guys. Since they were the only men she knew, it meant few dates. It also meant little drama. They came with a truckload of baggage. She wanted someone to cuddle with during a quiet night at home. This evening no longer counted as relaxing.
"Someone already has paid you. Tell me how much that last romp cost them and I'll take care of it. It's less creepy if it's me instead of my teammates."
She tugged her shirt over her head, ignoring the fact that she hadn't been able to find her bra. "It's disturbing either way. I'm not accepting money from you or your stupid friends." The sooner she got out of there, the better. Even if no money changed hands, she'd never be able to wipe away the humiliation of the evening. At best, she'd be able to duck her head and walk quickly past him at the next social event.
She knew better than to go along with Natalie's plans without asking a few questions first, but it had sounded like such a good deal. It had been a long time since she dated anyone, let alone someone she liked. Most guys couldn't deal with the fact that she could take them in a fight. Or they grew jealous of her celebrity status, however small that might be.
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Goalie Interference is available now from Decadent Publishing, Amazon, and other booksellers.
Okay, so want to get some free stuff while you're here? Awesome, here's the deal: drop a comment on me with your email address, twitter handle, or some way I can reach you if you win, and I'll enter you in a drawing to win an eBook copy of any one of my (Katey, not Emily -- check her blog for hers!) Superpowered Love books or my upcoming Elementals book called By the River. (If you pick that one, you gotta wait a few months -- but you'll be the first to get it.)
Ready to move on? The next stop on the Erotic Romance Scavenger Hunt is... Miho Li!
Good luck!
HAH Winner and the Upcoming Games
May 21, 2012
Wow, that was a hell of a hop. Thanks to Erica, K-Lee, and NJ for organizing and making this thing happen. I saw so many entries, read so many comments that both made me think and gave me hope -- I hope everyone else got a lot out of it, too. My winner was Emily, so yay! Emily gets to pick any a book and a pack of Erase Hate wristbands. Mine came the other day and lemme tell you, purple is the best.
Thanks also to Kassidy for hooking me up with the inside info. It was fabulous to see how many people had great experiences with The Laramie Project, and how many people wanted to. I really do think that show has been a game-changer for many folks, as even people who are already allies or identify on the spectrum themselves take something amazing away from it. This bi kid was gobsmacked, like I say.
This week's adventures also have a bit of hopping involved, but are more on the order of a net-game. Miho Li has come up with the awesome idea for an Erotic Romance Scavenger Hunt. 19 authors are going to offer up exclusive content to readers and one hell of a huge prize pack at the end. Check it out.
So to recap, or in case you'd rather not click on the hot guy and find out what's up, that's:
1. Exclusive excerpts, interviews, sneak peeks, backstories, etc. We're all hosting each others' content, but I'm gonna keep what I get to host (gahhhh it's so good!) and where my own content will be a surprise until the day of. Fun! (As to what mine is: there will be Malory and Brady. I can say no more.)
2. Prizes. A giant grand prize book pack and 19 individual prizes up for grabs.
3. Fun. There's a puzzle -- and not the frustrating kind, but the kind where you have to collect letters and unscramble them. It'll be awesome.
So yeah, May 25-27. It's the place to be. <3
Thanks also to Kassidy for hooking me up with the inside info. It was fabulous to see how many people had great experiences with The Laramie Project, and how many people wanted to. I really do think that show has been a game-changer for many folks, as even people who are already allies or identify on the spectrum themselves take something amazing away from it. This bi kid was gobsmacked, like I say.
This week's adventures also have a bit of hopping involved, but are more on the order of a net-game. Miho Li has come up with the awesome idea for an Erotic Romance Scavenger Hunt. 19 authors are going to offer up exclusive content to readers and one hell of a huge prize pack at the end. Check it out.
So to recap, or in case you'd rather not click on the hot guy and find out what's up, that's:
1. Exclusive excerpts, interviews, sneak peeks, backstories, etc. We're all hosting each others' content, but I'm gonna keep what I get to host (gahhhh it's so good!) and where my own content will be a surprise until the day of. Fun! (As to what mine is: there will be Malory and Brady. I can say no more.)
2. Prizes. A giant grand prize book pack and 19 individual prizes up for grabs.
3. Fun. There's a puzzle -- and not the frustrating kind, but the kind where you have to collect letters and unscramble them. It'll be awesome.
So yeah, May 25-27. It's the place to be. <3
Hop Against Homophobia: A Laramie Interview
May 17, 2012
[Trigger warning: This post contains reference to a hate crime and hate speech.]
Today I want to talk about progress. In the case of homophobia, I gotta say that one of the most effective life-changers I've personally seen in action has to be The Laramie Project. From the website:
On October 6th of 1998 Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His torture and murder became a watershed historical moment in America that highlighted many of the fault lines in our culture.
A month after the murder, the members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, which they later made into a film for HBO.
Seeing The Laramie Project live in a small, black box type theater is one hell of an intense experience. The intimate setup and unflinching script is a necessary punch to the gut. Yes, there are some angels (or at least, those with angel wings) and villains (one word: Westboro), but they're all painfully human. And there's no avoiding how much that's just like everywhere else.
Walking out of that theater, I saw peoples' faces, heard the things they said, talked to my (super heteronormative but usually cool) parents and (straight, cis, but sympathetic--clearly) husband about their experience. Everyone's is different, of course, depending on their own level of awareness, acceptance, and privilege, but everyone was hit hard. The net is full of excellent testimonials on the subject, so I won't regale you with mine. The point is: it works.
Being a congenital theater kid, I couldn't help but wonder how the actors feel. I mean, the people and events they're depicting are real. This happened and could happen anywhere. Getting it right is a big responsibility and, as you might expect, an even bigger experience.
Lucky me, I have a connection. My friend Kassidy Wells (the supertalented actor in the chair right here*) has kindly agreed to stop by for the Hop Against Homophobia and answer some questions about producing The Laramie Project last year at West Liberty State University. Thanks, Kassidy. You're made of rainbows and golden sunshine <3
Q: Last year, the WLSU drama department chose The Laramie Project as their spring show. Who was the one who made that decision, and what was the motivation for choosing it?
A: Our director Michael Aulick chose this show for our February 2011 production. It was performed as a student-directed production at the school where he previously worked, and he was eager to take on such a controversial story like Matthew's. Also, the show was chosen to really challenge our theater program. Most of the actors were underclassmen at the time, and he was searching for a show that would challenge the actors to stretch outside our comfort zone, and this show did that.
Q: Another reason theater is one of my favorite art forms. So, we've talked about this before; you mentioned how this particular show brought a lot of people to the department who might not have been interested in it before, and maybe vice versa?
A: Definitely. As it has always been with the Hilltop Players, the shows are open-auditioned; anyone from on or off campus are welcome to audition for a role in any production. The Laramie Project brought out students from the department, as well as some newcomers. Luke, a senior biology major who had just been accepted into med school, auditioned and took on several roles with eagerness and professionalism. His performance was so great, you would have thought he was a theater major the whole time (which really pissed us off that he came to us so late). Also, Kevin, an education major in his mid-40s, was easily the most impacted from this whole experience. It was his first show with West Lib, and he has continued to perform with us ever since.
Q: That's brilliant, and just the kind of thing I'm talking about, with the impact this show has on people. And you did the show with how many cast members playing how many roles?
A: Our production of The Laramie Project was done with about 12 cast members, portraying anywhere from 4-7 characters each. The original cast was several fewer cast members, each taking on as many as 10-11 characters. Our director wanted to give as many actors as possible the chance to take on numerous roles. Trust me, playing five characters is plenty!
Q: Yeah, what a mindbender--especially with all the research you did. You weren't just playing the people in Laramie, but the members of the Tectonic Theater Project who originally went to Laramie and conducted the interviews, right? These are real people, still around today. What kind of research did that entail for you all?
A: The first thing we did was create a Facebook group on which the entire cast and crew could communicate about our findings on the people of Laramie and the Tectonic Theater Project. We researched our roles, and made and effort to email and reach out to those who we were portraying. In fact, several cast members received emails from the people of Laramie and the Tectonic Theater project, with insight about themselves and the story about Laramie after Matthew Shepard's death. Personally, I watched the tv movie about the incident and read Judy Shepard's book (an account of everything leading up to and after Matthew's death). These tools (especially the book) really gave me a closer look on the reality and severity about what happened in Laramie, which really impacted me personally during performance.
Q: Storytelling at its finest, man. Also, WLSU has a Laramie native on staff, and he said he wanted to help you all get the nuanced portrayal of the town right. What kind of things did he say or do to help you all in that direction?
A: One of our music faculty lived in Laramie, Wyoming for a time, and was gracious enough to sit down with the cast one evening after rehearsal and tell us the story from a native's point of view. He was there shortly after Matthew's death, and he emphasized to us about how Laramie was a small town, very similar to West Lib. It was a college town (as is ours), and nothing terribly controversial ever happened there. Everyone knew everyone. It was a small town in which "these things didn't happen", when in fact, these things happen everywhere. He mentioned that this event effected the entire community. Aside from the overwhelming press and media, Laramie was no longer a college town that flew under the radar. It was now branded, labeled, stereotyped. Like Zubaida Ula said in her monologue in the show, "....shit like this happens. We ARE like this".
Q: That was one of the many moments in the show that really stuck with me--coming from where we do, especially. I think one of the best things about The Laramie Project is that it isn't flat--or it wasn't when I saw you all do it. Every character was good and bad and funny and sad and smart and not-so-smart. Human. It leaves you with the impression that this really could be any town in America. Did you all come at it from that perspective, that this was the point of the show, or did it mean something else to you?
A: Like I said above, this is a great show to do in colleges, because awareness needs to be made that we cannot allow terrible things like this to happen in our community. There is so much controversy that Matthew was "asking for it," or that he deserved to be treated that way, but that is absolute garbage. No, no one is perfect, and I'm sure Matthew had his faults, as we all do. However, there is no way in hell that ANYONE deserves what happened to Matthew Shepard. Laramie was a small town just like my college town, and just like so many places all over the country. This show shed light on the issue of prejudice against the LGBT community, and even led to the resurrection of our GSA group on campus, P.R.I.D.E. This organization was inactive for years, and because of the interest and dedication that "The Laramie Project" stirred up, it was reinstated and is now a regularly active club on campus. This show has made such a difference in so many communities.
Q: Too right, fuck that victim-blaming bullshit, man--it's so horrific, but at least people were compelled to take their communities and groups back.West Liberty is pretty tight-knit, and bringing a show like this must've had everyone talking. What was the other buzz on campus, outside the drama department and awesomely resurrected LGBTQ organizations? Both the show itself and the threats of certain organizations coming to protest...
A: Although good things were arising from the production of this show, some similar problems arose for us that it has for so many others.....aka the Westboro Baptist Church. They have been protesting productions of The Laramie Project since the play's inception and post their protest schedule on their absolutely revolting website godhatesfags.com [TW #2--click at your own risk -ed]. One of the members of our show discovered that Westboro was planning to come to West Liberty. Oh man, did it cause a stir! Students actually set up chairs and signs to counter the protest. However, the Westboro Baptist Church ended up not attending the scheduled protest, but it was incredible to see how students from outside the production were prepared and willing to support this project.
Q: Fist bumps for the awesome counter-protesters. It does the heart good--as it did in the show itself, actually. Like I was saying, I don't know anyone who walked away from seeing this show without it having introduced some kind of new perspective, no matter their point of view. Can you talk a little about that experience from a cast perspective?
A: This show had a profound impact on this cast. Through all of our research, contacts, and personal study, we really felt connected with the people, the town, and with Matthew. Our director constantly told us that the biggest objective of this projection was to STAY TRUE to the characters, the town, and to Matthew. Every performance of The Laramie Project makes an impact.
Q: Any closing thoughts about the experience of producing this play versus the many, many other shows you've done, both at WLSU and elsewhere?
A: The fact that we were not just speaking fictional words, work portraying people that came out of the mind of a playwright really made me feel like I was making a difference, in however small a way that may be. Being part of something that so many people have striven towards; telling a story that will change so many lives and hopefully stave off these terrible incidents from happening again, is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The Laramie Project, The Matthew Shepard Foundaton, and anything that has come out of the tragedy really brought forth a light and understanding of homophobia that had rarely been discussed. I will never, ever forget this experience and all that it has meant to all of us.
Thanks so much, Kassidy. That's a perspective I'd never have heard on the subject if not for you. <3
Right, so as a thank you to all y'all lovely folk who are spreading awareness today, let's get to the giveaway. Drop your email address (or twitter, or goodreads username, or something where I can get hold of you if you win) in a comment on this post. If you have an experience with The Laramie Project, let me know about it. If you don't, hey, it's all good. It's awesome of you just to take part in the blog hop. That's worth an entry.
Right, so as a thank you to all y'all lovely folk who are spreading awareness today, let's get to the giveaway. Drop your email address (or twitter, or goodreads username, or something where I can get hold of you if you win) in a comment on this post. If you have an experience with The Laramie Project, let me know about it. If you don't, hey, it's all good. It's awesome of you just to take part in the blog hop. That's worth an entry.
I'll let Random.org pick a commenter number after the hop is over. One winner will get a pack of ERASE HATE bracelets from the Matthew Shepard Foundation, perfect for sharing with pals. (I'm sending Kassidy and Nick** my extras.) And, if the winner wants, an eBook with a LGBTQ (read: human) protag. The winner can pick any one of mine they like. Hell, if you want a print book, you can even pick one of the dark fantasies I do as KV Taylor instead, and I'll graffiti it up for you real nice, since they fit the bill too.
And you can get an extra shot (or three) at some Superpowered Love over at Joyfully Jay for the hop. And please don't forget to check out all the other hop participants, who have fabulous prizes and cool things to say. <3
And you can get an extra shot (or three) at some Superpowered Love over at Joyfully Jay for the hop. And please don't forget to check out all the other hop participants, who have fabulous prizes and cool things to say. <3
*Also, my awesome sister-in-not-quite-law? *fist bump*
**My awesome brother.
**My awesome brother.
And For My Next Trick: Water
May 11, 2012
I pretty much just found this out, but thanks to USPS tracking I know my contract is delivered, so that seems official to me. My next book. It's a thing.
It is not the usual superpowered love*, though I guess depending on your definition, there are... sorta superpowers in it. It's called By the River, and it's part of a project I've been working on for a while now, all about elementals. There's more info on the overarching project at the Elementals page, but for the new book's unofficial blurb and some pretty pretty Astro art, you can check out the By the River page directly. Also, I did mention this one last month in my WiP Wednesday series, so if you want a sneak peek at some woefully unedited bits, you can find the old post here. But there will be proper excerpts once we get cracking.
I'm really excited about this one for a lot of reasons. So excited I'm not actually making a lot of sense, so I'm just going to make a list in an attempt to organize my scattered brainspasms on the subject.
1. Yay, new project! My love of writing fae-type things is well known to my friends or those familiar with KV Taylor, but between this and the Fairy Compacts stuff coming up this summer, my fae-love is exploding everywhere. (Hey, it's messy, but... we have glitter?)
2. Yay, swimmer MC! Another thing I've done loads of before, but not as Katey Hawthorne. I was a swimmer from the ages of 7-18--my single tiny athletic accomplishment in life is that I lettered all four years and was team captain in high school. No, I am not a natural athlete, but I do love me some sports, and it's the one nearest and dearest my heart. And just in time for some sweet, sweet summer Olympics action. Woo.
3. Yay, hometown! So yeah, my small town West Virginia tendencies are well known in any guise, but this one actually takes place in a re-named version of my hometown. Geographically, hell, even emotionally, Ashton = Wellsburg. River rats, reprazent.
*More of that soon, promise!
It is not the usual superpowered love*, though I guess depending on your definition, there are... sorta superpowers in it. It's called By the River, and it's part of a project I've been working on for a while now, all about elementals. There's more info on the overarching project at the Elementals page, but for the new book's unofficial blurb and some pretty pretty Astro art, you can check out the By the River page directly. Also, I did mention this one last month in my WiP Wednesday series, so if you want a sneak peek at some woefully unedited bits, you can find the old post here. But there will be proper excerpts once we get cracking.
I'm really excited about this one for a lot of reasons. So excited I'm not actually making a lot of sense, so I'm just going to make a list in an attempt to organize my scattered brainspasms on the subject.
1. Yay, new project! My love of writing fae-type things is well known to my friends or those familiar with KV Taylor, but between this and the Fairy Compacts stuff coming up this summer, my fae-love is exploding everywhere. (Hey, it's messy, but... we have glitter?)
2. Yay, swimmer MC! Another thing I've done loads of before, but not as Katey Hawthorne. I was a swimmer from the ages of 7-18--my single tiny athletic accomplishment in life is that I lettered all four years and was team captain in high school. No, I am not a natural athlete, but I do love me some sports, and it's the one nearest and dearest my heart. And just in time for some sweet, sweet summer Olympics action. Woo.
3. Yay, hometown! So yeah, my small town West Virginia tendencies are well known in any guise, but this one actually takes place in a re-named version of my hometown. Geographically, hell, even emotionally, Ashton = Wellsburg. River rats, reprazent.
*More of that soon, promise!
Quick Reminder. Also, Prizes.
May 7, 2012
Just a quick reminder that this is the last 24 hours for the little For Raven fundraiser. I say little, but it's gotten quite a bit larger than expected thanks to you beautiful people. Nights that were formerly sleepless (due to both worry and, you know, pain) have already been eased, and now we can bring it home. A little extra breathing room, since the immediate crisis was so quickly averted.
The campaign is here. The list of prizes for our two drawings, one for eBooks and one for print books, is remarkable.
I'm also offering free special editions of books 2 and 3 in the Fairy Compacts novelette series to contributors. Book 1, The Dangers of Fairy Compacts, will be available totally for free, first via the Goodreads m/m group's Love is Always Write event, then as an eBook sometime in June. I'm already in talks with a fabulous artist to do covers for all three, but the special edition will also have interior illustrations.
Regular eBook editions sans illustration will be available later, but only contributors get the special edition. And the SE is gonna be hot, man, because this artist... Okay, I'll wait 'til we have the details sorted to tell you. But seriously. Rad.
Thanks to everyone who's signal boosted again. I'll be back with a full report when the dust clears, but I just want to say that this kind of thing really restores faith in humanity, that people have been so generous and compassionate. <3
The campaign is here. The list of prizes for our two drawings, one for eBooks and one for print books, is remarkable.
I'm also offering free special editions of books 2 and 3 in the Fairy Compacts novelette series to contributors. Book 1, The Dangers of Fairy Compacts, will be available totally for free, first via the Goodreads m/m group's Love is Always Write event, then as an eBook sometime in June. I'm already in talks with a fabulous artist to do covers for all three, but the special edition will also have interior illustrations.
Regular eBook editions sans illustration will be available later, but only contributors get the special edition. And the SE is gonna be hot, man, because this artist... Okay, I'll wait 'til we have the details sorted to tell you. But seriously. Rad.
Thanks to everyone who's signal boosted again. I'll be back with a full report when the dust clears, but I just want to say that this kind of thing really restores faith in humanity, that people have been so generous and compassionate. <3
The Avengers Post
May 4, 2012
Yesterday was Avengers Day. Initially we had planned to do both Iron Man movies, Thor, and Captain America--because apparently The Hulk was bad. I didn't see either of them because I heard I would cry, but it's cool. Unfortunately when I went out shopping the other day I bought George Harrison: Living in the Material World on impulse. Fun fact: if you put George Harrison on the cover of something, I'll probably buy it--I would've even if I hadn't already seen it on HBO and loved the hell out of it. Anyhow, that blew my Fun Budget for the whole month... totally forgetting that a.) I do not own Thor and b.) it is not streaming on Netflix. So no Thor either.
We did Iron Man 1 and Captain America as a pre-game (Iron Man 2 came after at like 4am. No lie.) Then, just in case the lines were murder, we got to the theater, got some good seats, and hunkered down to wait for like 2 hours for The Avengers.
Now, to preface this, my favorite Avengers, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, will never be in an Avengers movie because they're also mutants. And, uh, Magneto's kids. The Marvel movieverse X-Men timeline is already completely screwed up after only five movies (one of which was meh, two of which sucked, and two of which I actually like) that I sincerely doubt they'll ever try and work it into the Avengers timeline. I have come to terms with this. However, my third favorite Avenger is Hawkeye. He got a short uncredited cameo in Thor, but otherwise he's the new one to the franchise. So I was excited about that.
I was not excited about much else when it came to the makeup of the team. Iron Man, Cap, and Thor all had movies that I enjoyed, albeit to varying degrees, and I don't have a problem with any of 'em. I like Hulk, but they couldn't seem to get him right, so I was a bit meh there. I love Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, but otherwise, let's be serious, every other named character movie is white, which is creepy. And while I really like Black Widow as a character--seriously? One woman? One who had heretofore been present in a peripheral/support cast capacity and has no superpowers (therefore, will be much, much easier for the super-duper powered boys to upstage, if this plays out how I fear)? Really?
These are all things I had to accept before I set out to see this movie. Which genuinely looked awesome from the trailers. While I don't always like Joss Whedon's stuff, he can at least be relied upon to have an excellent sense of humor, and he is, above all things, a lover of comics. Plus, the casting is great. I can do this... I can do this...
Glad I did, because I really enjoyed it. I will keep this non-spoilery, so if you care, read on! Not sure what it says that it required so much mental prep and the company of a like-minded girlfriend to get me there, but hey, that worked out. I pretty much agree with the review on PornoKitsch--except I don't precisely agree about the Black Widow stuff.
In truth, I think the Black Widow and Hawkeye stuff was the best because it played with one of my favorite tropes in an admirably subtle way: that of the non-superhuman in the superhero role. I always loved Hawkeye for his smart mouth, but beneath that (if not very, since I wouldn't call Clint deep) is a vast sense of insecurity--a recent issue of Avenging Spider-Man touched on it, actually, if in an over-the-top-manner. As a non-superhuman in that situation, you have to be better. You have to be the best. Hawkeye can't miss. Both of the non-superhumans were put in seriously compromising positions and have shaky reactions to them after the fact. And then they get the fuck up and go kick some ass--though it's implied that the effects will be psychologically with them for some time, well, those two are just piling on the damage at this point. If they require some help from others, they give plenty, too. Hawkeye probably got the least amount of attention, but, uh, there's a reason for that. So it's okay.
Now, that said, the movie would've been improved greatly by the application of another woman hero, one on par powers-wise with Thor or Cap, to contrast and commiserate with Natasha. There are so many options, it makes the head spin.
But everything you've heard about the Hulk being THE BEST AVENGER is pretty much true because holy god. Mark Ruffallo needs his own Hulk movie yesterday. Loki was amazing. I've never been a huge fan of the Asgard stuff in Marvel, honestly, it always made me roll my eyes. But a soft spot for Loki has always been there, and wow. Just perfect, man, silly helmet and all. Cap was even more Cap than he was in his own movie in some ways; Tony was the Big Damn Hero, battered and emotional (seriously he almost cried at least twice) and badass; and Thor was--well, his bits mainly consisted of punching things and repeatedly trying to give Loki a much-needed hug, which is for the best.
Also, oh my god, the after-credits scenes. I can't even. Just. All the excitement.
So yeah. Though it was far from perfect, it was a really good time. I reckon I enjoyed myself immensely.
And now I should probably get back to work. Five hours is totally enough to go on. Sleep is for the weak.
We did Iron Man 1 and Captain America as a pre-game (Iron Man 2 came after at like 4am. No lie.) Then, just in case the lines were murder, we got to the theater, got some good seats, and hunkered down to wait for like 2 hours for The Avengers.
Now, to preface this, my favorite Avengers, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, will never be in an Avengers movie because they're also mutants. And, uh, Magneto's kids. The Marvel movieverse X-Men timeline is already completely screwed up after only five movies (one of which was meh, two of which sucked, and two of which I actually like) that I sincerely doubt they'll ever try and work it into the Avengers timeline. I have come to terms with this. However, my third favorite Avenger is Hawkeye. He got a short uncredited cameo in Thor, but otherwise he's the new one to the franchise. So I was excited about that.
I was not excited about much else when it came to the makeup of the team. Iron Man, Cap, and Thor all had movies that I enjoyed, albeit to varying degrees, and I don't have a problem with any of 'em. I like Hulk, but they couldn't seem to get him right, so I was a bit meh there. I love Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, but otherwise, let's be serious, every other named character movie is white, which is creepy. And while I really like Black Widow as a character--seriously? One woman? One who had heretofore been present in a peripheral/support cast capacity and has no superpowers (therefore, will be much, much easier for the super-duper powered boys to upstage, if this plays out how I fear)? Really?
These are all things I had to accept before I set out to see this movie. Which genuinely looked awesome from the trailers. While I don't always like Joss Whedon's stuff, he can at least be relied upon to have an excellent sense of humor, and he is, above all things, a lover of comics. Plus, the casting is great. I can do this... I can do this...
Glad I did, because I really enjoyed it. I will keep this non-spoilery, so if you care, read on! Not sure what it says that it required so much mental prep and the company of a like-minded girlfriend to get me there, but hey, that worked out. I pretty much agree with the review on PornoKitsch--except I don't precisely agree about the Black Widow stuff.
In truth, I think the Black Widow and Hawkeye stuff was the best because it played with one of my favorite tropes in an admirably subtle way: that of the non-superhuman in the superhero role. I always loved Hawkeye for his smart mouth, but beneath that (if not very, since I wouldn't call Clint deep) is a vast sense of insecurity--a recent issue of Avenging Spider-Man touched on it, actually, if in an over-the-top-manner. As a non-superhuman in that situation, you have to be better. You have to be the best. Hawkeye can't miss. Both of the non-superhumans were put in seriously compromising positions and have shaky reactions to them after the fact. And then they get the fuck up and go kick some ass--though it's implied that the effects will be psychologically with them for some time, well, those two are just piling on the damage at this point. If they require some help from others, they give plenty, too. Hawkeye probably got the least amount of attention, but, uh, there's a reason for that. So it's okay.
Now, that said, the movie would've been improved greatly by the application of another woman hero, one on par powers-wise with Thor or Cap, to contrast and commiserate with Natasha. There are so many options, it makes the head spin.
But everything you've heard about the Hulk being THE BEST AVENGER is pretty much true because holy god. Mark Ruffallo needs his own Hulk movie yesterday. Loki was amazing. I've never been a huge fan of the Asgard stuff in Marvel, honestly, it always made me roll my eyes. But a soft spot for Loki has always been there, and wow. Just perfect, man, silly helmet and all. Cap was even more Cap than he was in his own movie in some ways; Tony was the Big Damn Hero, battered and emotional (seriously he almost cried at least twice) and badass; and Thor was--well, his bits mainly consisted of punching things and repeatedly trying to give Loki a much-needed hug, which is for the best.
Also, oh my god, the after-credits scenes. I can't even. Just. All the excitement.
So yeah. Though it was far from perfect, it was a really good time. I reckon I enjoyed myself immensely.
And now I should probably get back to work. Five hours is totally enough to go on. Sleep is for the weak.
Housekeeping (or, a new introduction)
May 1, 2012
This is a sort of housekeeping post, an addendum to the introduction in the bio/faq. I've met a lot of people since this whole Superpowered Love thing started not-quite-a-year ago, many of whom I now converse with regularly on twitter, tumblr, etc. And I realized that the other me, which shares all online accounts apart from main blogs, may be slightly confusing. As in "what the hell is Katey tweeting so much about zombies and fish for?" confusing.
Therefore, here's a little reintroduction.
As Katey Hawthorne I do this, all these things here at kateyhawthorne.com, which serves as both the Superpowered Love blog and a place for me to make information about my LGBTQ romance novels (three so far, loads more in the pipeline) available--plus talk about romance and comics and other vaguely related things with like-minded types. There are generally explosions and happy endings and lots of love in these books. But that's the me that's less confusing, from this point of view.
The other me is KV Taylor. This is the dark side, I reckon. As KV I write stuff best termed "dark fantasy", but it often shares the LGBTQ bent of my romance. (It also often at least has a romantic subplot--but the HEA is far from guaranteed.) I've had a large handful of horror and dark fantasy short fiction published over the years. Scripped, my first novel, is essentially a love story, but extremely dysfunctional and flat out creepy. It's kind of my thing. My second, Liam, is a vampire novel coming out late this year. But I'll talk more about that later, I'm sure, because I'm just gearing up for a site redesign and a final runthrough on my end--plus, I got my art. Eee!
I also edit as KV Taylor. I'm the query manager at Morrigan Books--which means I read and funnel novel submissions. As a writer, you can imagine how sympathetic I am about handling that kind of thing, but there is no better feeling than getting to tell someone yes. A book I co-edited for them with Amanda Pillar, Ishtar, is doing really well with the awards ballots this spring, and I'm very proud of it. I'm working on co-editing with Carrie Cuinn of Dagan Books an upcoming spec fic anthology called Fish. It's going to be beautiful. I feel really honored to work with such fabulous authors and passionate publishers.
I run a free-to-read, pulpy spec fic magazine called The Red Penny Papers. It's been going for a year and a half now, and gathering steam all the while. We publish short fiction quarterly and about three times a year do a web serial. After, we release all our fiction as (currently, limited-run) eBooks. I've never had so much fun in my life as I do collecting these gems from authors and recruiting artists to portray them for the covers. If I actually make a few bucks selling stories, RPP is where it all goes.
In June I run Fae Awareness Month. It is the best month. Also, Yeats was a dirty fae propagandist, and people need to be warned. Obviously.
All of that is the bulk of me and who I am and what I do. For the other stuff, my books probably tell you everything. I like loud music, gin, tattoos, comics, movies, cable TV, sex, live music, guitars, vampires, swearing, obsessing, fairy tales, art history, whiskey, costume dramas, traveling, and all other manner of things that are terrible for you, but at least I'll go out happy. I live just outside Washington, DC with a very nice dude called Balaji and a mutant cat called Lucy. I'm a vegetarian bisexual atheist who enjoys the company of people who disagree with me utterly.
So now if you see me going on and on around twitter about these things, you know why. They may be of interest or not, but hey, housekeeping, right?
And now, back to squeeing over slashy pairings I never thought I'd be able to imagine without a shudder. Because yes, yes I DID just buy that issue of FF #17.
Therefore, here's a little reintroduction.
As Katey Hawthorne I do this, all these things here at kateyhawthorne.com, which serves as both the Superpowered Love blog and a place for me to make information about my LGBTQ romance novels (three so far, loads more in the pipeline) available--plus talk about romance and comics and other vaguely related things with like-minded types. There are generally explosions and happy endings and lots of love in these books. But that's the me that's less confusing, from this point of view.
The other me is KV Taylor. This is the dark side, I reckon. As KV I write stuff best termed "dark fantasy", but it often shares the LGBTQ bent of my romance. (It also often at least has a romantic subplot--but the HEA is far from guaranteed.) I've had a large handful of horror and dark fantasy short fiction published over the years. Scripped, my first novel, is essentially a love story, but extremely dysfunctional and flat out creepy. It's kind of my thing. My second, Liam, is a vampire novel coming out late this year. But I'll talk more about that later, I'm sure, because I'm just gearing up for a site redesign and a final runthrough on my end--plus, I got my art. Eee!
I also edit as KV Taylor. I'm the query manager at Morrigan Books--which means I read and funnel novel submissions. As a writer, you can imagine how sympathetic I am about handling that kind of thing, but there is no better feeling than getting to tell someone yes. A book I co-edited for them with Amanda Pillar, Ishtar, is doing really well with the awards ballots this spring, and I'm very proud of it. I'm working on co-editing with Carrie Cuinn of Dagan Books an upcoming spec fic anthology called Fish. It's going to be beautiful. I feel really honored to work with such fabulous authors and passionate publishers.
I run a free-to-read, pulpy spec fic magazine called The Red Penny Papers. It's been going for a year and a half now, and gathering steam all the while. We publish short fiction quarterly and about three times a year do a web serial. After, we release all our fiction as (currently, limited-run) eBooks. I've never had so much fun in my life as I do collecting these gems from authors and recruiting artists to portray them for the covers. If I actually make a few bucks selling stories, RPP is where it all goes.
In June I run Fae Awareness Month. It is the best month. Also, Yeats was a dirty fae propagandist, and people need to be warned. Obviously.
All of that is the bulk of me and who I am and what I do. For the other stuff, my books probably tell you everything. I like loud music, gin, tattoos, comics, movies, cable TV, sex, live music, guitars, vampires, swearing, obsessing, fairy tales, art history, whiskey, costume dramas, traveling, and all other manner of things that are terrible for you, but at least I'll go out happy. I live just outside Washington, DC with a very nice dude called Balaji and a mutant cat called Lucy. I'm a vegetarian bisexual atheist who enjoys the company of people who disagree with me utterly.
So now if you see me going on and on around twitter about these things, you know why. They may be of interest or not, but hey, housekeeping, right?
And now, back to squeeing over slashy pairings I never thought I'd be able to imagine without a shudder. Because yes, yes I DID just buy that issue of FF #17.
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