I should be writing, but I got sumpting in ma eye.

[erastes]

Has anyone else read "Wicked Gentlemen" by Ginn Hale?  I'm very impressed with it, and I'm regretting (whilst only being on Chapter 6) that it's not as thick as Goblet of Fire or something. It's labelled "Steampunk" which I assume means (coz i'm too lazy to look up) it's AU faux Earth where the transistor never got invented like Lyra's world or Philip Reeve's books.  I love the protagonist, Belimai Sykes who is a dark, self-obsessed, drug addicted descendant of a real demon and is really NOT a nice man.  My vision of him, however, does NOT mesh with the illustration on the front. I like my protags to be a lot less girly thank you. It's beautifully written (I'm womanfully ignoring the American-isms) and gives me encouragement to write something in Underlucius fashion. Not the Fleury book - that wouldn't work, but maybe something after that.

Looking at the publisher's website, it seems they are linked in some way to Iris Print.  As there is some obvious trouble with Iris Print (not responding to their author's (or my) emails for a start which is always a bad sign, non- appearance at cons, and non printing of a planned anthology) I hope that Blind Eye Books continue to flourish and don't follow Iris down the drain if that is where they are going.

Five Questions Meme - I was tagged by ctrl_issue  I apologise for not perpetuating the meme and tagging someone else.

1. What kink in m/m fiction makes you roll your eyes the hardest and why?

I don't read a lot of kink in books, or that is, I don't buy books based on kink and when it comes to enjoying erotic scenes, I'm pretty vanilla. I prefer a really good almost blurred in detail scene concentrating on the senses rather than "insert tab A into slot B" if you know what I mean. The kink that I don't like the most (unless it's done in a truly hard science way) is Mpreg (you want to make me cringe? write about hemaphroditic vampires!)

2. If you were to be compared to any writer, who would be the biggest compliment and why?

I've been compared to some good ones, but I always get embarrassed because it's not true. I know my limitations and I haven't found my style yet.  Or rather I know my style and am too scared to use it.  It's very flattering to be compared to others, but I have to be cliched and say that I'd rather be appreciated for being like me.

3. Who or what are four top things aspiring writers need to know?

1. Believe in yourself. Confidence is a must. You need to be able to submit and submit and submit and take rejection. To be able to look at advice on your writing but to know when to act on that advice and when not to.
2. Network but don't spend more time networking that your writing suffers.
3. Before you submit, either to an agent or a publisher - do your homework. you wouldn't go to a job interview for a company you knew nothing about, would you?
4. Get a web presence even if you haven't sold anything yet.

4. If you could go back in time and UN-make one thing (be it book, bomb, movie, or decision on national bird), what would it be and why?

Anything Potter related after Prisoner of Azkaban. Perhaps JKR lost her memory (and notes) or crashed on a desert island and was never found.

5. What is your general impression do you get of me from my Lj?

Family oriented, fannish-loving, suffering-not-fools gladly, not afraid to say when something sucks.  Me like.

And finally, I want to share this lovely holiday Regency picture - some people doubted the pun about fundaments that Alvisi makes in Standish, but here's proof that bottom jokes are nothing new!

Comments

WICKED GENTLEMEN

[blake-fraina.livejournal.com]

I read Wicked Gentlemen this past Autumn and I can't stop recommending it to people. Isn't it terrific? I know your LJ has a lot of readers so it's great to see someone with a significantly higher LJ profile than mine giving it a push. Like you, my only real complaint was that it was way too short.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Definition of steampunk and its relatives here:

Brief Steampunk FAQ

Re: WICKED GENTLEMEN

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying it - I've finished the first story and am half way through the second, it certainly deserves a much higher profile - I will do a proper review when I've finished it.

And yes, way too short.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

ah, but yes, I'm too lazy to look it up!!

:)

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Robert is a big steampunk fan, though I'm not sure this is exactly his sort of thing. Sounds good for me though, will have to put it on the list!

[semioticwarrior.livejournal.com]

Now this looks interesting!

I don't know what's going on with Iris. They haven't answered my emails either, and I've read the blog of a second Iris author who hasn't received recent royalty statements. ::SIGH::

Isn't it wonderful that by word of mouth alone, Blind Eye has sold out of its first print run? I did manage to order the other one you recced, and I'm going to order this one as well, as soon as they have more copies.

[sinick.livejournal.com]

Is it WRONG of me that the first thing I noticed about that Regency postcard was the fact that the poor sod in red is missing his arsecrack?

Seriously, that bloke takes 'bubble-butt' to the extreme!

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

I read the book on Blake's recommendation, and was very impressed with the vivid descriptions of a Victorian-type world. Hale can really paint a picture with words. The only thing that hindered me from being totally swept up into it was that I'm really not into the dark fantasy genre - but that's my failing, not Hale's.

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

Oh, and by the way, for a small press book, it's selling pretty darn well (based on it's Amazon rankings and the fact that they had to do a second print run) I'm envious of their success!

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

It's good to hear from you! I hope things are well!

[ctrl-issue.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Creating questions is hard work! XD I hope you had fun answering them, at least.

And I am going to have to share both of those books (with two very different friends...) because sharing the love is very important.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about buying Wicked Gentlemen since I encountered the press (through sub guidelines for an antho that I never got round to subbing to). I shall have to add it to the list of books-to-buy.

Wicked Gentlemen

[kimnik.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Nicole Kimberling here, editor of Blind Eye Books. I'm glad you're enjoying Wicked Gentlemen. In your post you mentioned that we might be linked to Iris Print. We are not. Iris Pint was selling Wicked Gentlemen on its table at cons this summer, but that's as far as our connection goes. Hope you have a good New Year!

Nikki