Rilke and Viorst

Rilke and Viorst         

Strange bedfellows, I know. But these two people – born over a half century apart – have been constant companions on my journey as a writer. I’m often asked in interviews what advice I would give to new and upcoming authors. Almost invariably I turn to one or the other of these authors.

Rainer Maria Rilke is a German poet born in 1875. I fell in love with his poetry in college and was introduced to his brief volume, Letters to a Young Poet. In it is a paragraph I typed (okay, this was before the computer age) and pinned to the bulletin board above my desk:

“You ask whether your verses are any good…You are looking outside, and that is what you should most avoid right now. No one can advise or help you - no one. There is only one thing you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet this solemn question with a strong, simple "I must," then build your life in accordance with this necessity.” 

Click HERE for the rest of the quotation.

Judith Viorst (best known in our house when the kids were little for Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) I heard speak at a conference. I haven’t been able to corroborate this precise story on line, but what she told us was that she started submitting her work for publication when she was still a teenager, and it was another fifteen years before she ever received an acceptance. I did find out she was born in 1931, and her first published work was not until 1962, and in a field unrelated to her creative writing interests. She worked for the government and wrote a book on the space program.

What do I take from this combination? Find what moves you, follow it with passion, and never, ever give up.

What moves you?

Character Interview: Lyssa Lawrence from Rite of First Claim

Being sick sucks. Not only because you feel miserable and just wish someone would put you out of your misery, but because, for me, it sucks all thought from my head. Adding basic math takes the use of a calculator (if I can remember how to turn the bugger on) and coming up with something creative to say...forget it.

So, I decided to recycle a character interview from earlier this year. Hope you enjoy it.

Have a great day...I'm off to the temp day job, cough, sniffly nose and all.
Q

Lyssa Lawrence-Halsey first appeared in Unfair Advantage and made it very clear she didn't want to get involved with a younger man, especially if that man was Mike Halsey -- a man six years her junior and the younger brother of her sister's husband.

By the time her story, Rite of First Claim, came around, life had dealt Lyssa some nasty blows. It made her reassess what she wanted and how she was going to get it, which opened her up to looking at Mike differently.

When I consider what happened in the book, I'm surprised Lyssa decided to speak with me, but her answers were very enlightening.

"Lyssa, thank you for taking time out of your day to talk to me."

Lyssa smiles and relaxes into the corner of her sofa, curling her legs under her. "I appreciate you thinking of me."

I laugh. "Considering the events you went through in Rite of First Claim I'm surprised you're willing to talk to me."

She shakes her head, her blonde ponytail swings against her neck and over her shoulders. "The results more than make up for everything that happened. Besides, I'm curious about the questions you could have for me."

I look down at the list. "First question, what is your favorite ice cream?"

Lyssa didn't even hesitate. "Neapolitan. That way I can have a bit of each flavor -- strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate -- if I want or just one."

I could see the logic in that. "What is your favorite thing about Mike?"

A soft smile lifts her lips. It isn't hard to see she's thinking about Mike in the way her blue eyes darken and a light flush colors her cheeks. "His possessiveness. It sounds silly, but when you grow up being told you were never wanted, having someone say that you belong to him -- not the icky stalker-obsessive-fan type of ownership, but a cherishing, protective possessiveness -- it makes you feel worthy of every loving touch and word."

I fought the urge to smile because I knew how important those feelings were to Lyssa's spiritual growth. "What does Mike do that is most annoying?"

Lyssa rolled her eyes and groaned.

I was pretty sure I knew what her answer would be, so I wasn't surprised when she answered.

"The picture thing. The man spent twelve years trying to get me to pose nude and now that we’re married he uses every opportunity to take pictures."

I knew the answer to the next question, but I asked it anyway. "How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

A visible shudder accompanied the grim look on Lyssa's face. "Because of the other things that happened, I try not to remember that night, but I was seventeen and it sucked. Turned me completely off the idea of sex for a very long time."

I nodded in understanding and hurried on to the next question, "What is your favorite sexual talent of Mike’s?"

Lyssa's face took on a dreamy expression and a blush turned her cheeks rosy. "His imagination and the amount of time he takes. Sometimes it’s fast and furious, but other times it seems like he takes hours drawing every sensation to the ultimate level. And he uses every sense from smell to taste and, oh my," her eyes closed as a blissful smile lifted her lips, "the sound of his voice..."

"What is Mike’s weirdest habit?"

She grimaced, sipped her tea, then answered, "Normally I would say the fact that he’s always carrying a weapon of some sort, but really, it’s how still he gets. It’s a bit unnerving to be out somewhere and turn around to see him looking at the people around us with this intense expression. I’ve asked him about it, but he doesn’t tell me all of it. I’ve been tempted to ask his daughter, Tuma, about it, but she gets the same look on her face sometimes and I figure it has something to do with the trauma that placed her in Mike’s path when she was twelve." Her grimace grew apprehensive. "And in a way, I really don’t want to know."

I didn't give away the things I knew about Mike because it wasn't my place, so I hurried on to the next question. "If there is something you could change about the first few weeks you knew Mike what would it be?"

"That I wouldn’t have dismissed my attraction to him so easily. Both our lives would have been a lot different, but I also realize that if I hadn’t pushed him away, Tuma wouldn’t have been saved. I don't think Mike or I could ever imagine not having her in our lives"

"What is your favorite movie?"

Lyssa gave a sheepish grin. "I know I should pick something related to the fashion industry since that’s what I do for a living, but my favorite movie is Buckaroo Banzai. I adore Peter Weller and John Lithgow, and the movie is just so campy! It's great."

"What is the craziest place you’ve had sex?" I asked as I tried to mentally flip through the various scenes from Rite of First Claim to figure out what she'd answer.

"Hands down it would have to be the supply closet at the Diablo Blanco Club. It was the first time Mike and I had sex and that night actually cured me of my phobia about closets."

I laughed. "Well, I guess that's one way to do it."

She nodded, "Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Which do you prefer? Coffee, tea, or…?"

She held up her half-empty cup. "Tea, mostly herbal, to help calm me down. Being with Mike can be intense — sexually speaking and a little down time makes everything stay in balance."

That was an understatement. "What addiction can you not live without?"

"Hearing Mike say he loves me. It took me so long to accept that he really meant it, that hearing him say it, even in the most casual way, makes my insides melt."

There was no disputing her feelings, I gave her a minute to bring her mind back to the present. "Describe your favorite pair of shoes."

She giggled and unfolded one her legs from beneath her and wiggled her naked toes before tucking her leg back under her. "None. I prefer to go barefoot when I’m at home and I tend to stay close to the house, what with a toddler and a baby to take care of and my designs to work on. Even when I’m at Mike’s studio I don’t wear shoes, it drives him nuts."

"What do you most fear?"

There wasn't a moment of hesitation. "Losing Mike and our babies. I know he’ll never stop loving me, I trust him when he says that, but he still takes the occasional assignment that puts him in harm’s way and I worry every second he’s gone."

I nodded my understanding of her sentiments. "What would you like to come back as if you’re reincarnated?"

"I don’t care what I come back as, as long as I’m with Mike."

I couldn't help but tease, "Hmm, I'm sensing a theme here..."

She shrugged and grinned. "Perhaps, but you know better than anyone how hard he worked to get me to see how we can be happy."

I knew just what she meant. "If you could be in a (different) book, which book would it be?"

"I’m already in Mattie and Bryce’s story, Unfair Advantage, that’s plenty of exposure for me thanks. I love my happy ending. I love my Dom. I don’t need anything else."

"If your life were a book, what would you prefer the author not tell readers about you?"

She looked pensive and hesitant before she answered, "The worst part of me was my refusal to trust my instincts, my inner submissive, especially with Mike. Once that was laid bare, there were no other secrets that didn’t touch on that insecurity that were left unexposed."

"Last question. Who, living or dead, would be your hero if you have one?"

"Oh, that's easy. Mike is my hero. No matter how much I tried to push him away he was determined to rescue me even when I didn’t realize how much I needed to be rescued. A man who opens himself up the way he did; who took rejection after rejection; attack after attack and still didn’t give up who he is and what he stood for — that’s a man to be admired. I’m very proud to say he’s mine."

I put away my notes and gathered my things. "Thank you again for letting me chat with you, Lyssa."

Lyssa unfurled herself from the sofa and walked beside me to the door. "You're welcome, Qwillia. Thank you for visiting. And for writing Mike's and my story."

Blurb:

Lyssa Lawrence fought her feelings for Mike Halsey, but when Mother Nature decides to play dirty, she does the one thing she swore she'd never do...attend the Diablo Blanco Club's Midnight Masquerade on Halloween. Which places her squarely under Mike Halsey's control when he enacts the oldest rule at the DBC -- the Rite of First Claim.

Available in ebook at:
Amazon
Loose Id, LLC
Barnes & Noble
ARe

Beth Wylde takes the ice... Girls Who Score blog tour

My newest story just came out. Lucky Number Three is part of the Girls Who Score, lesbian erotica sports anthology that just came out from Cleis Press. It's only my second acceptance in a Cleis Press book and I was super excited when Ily accepted my story.

I had to do lots of research for this story(Thanks Peggy) and I thought maybe I'd crosspost my blog tour here for those of you that enjoy Hot lesbian stories. ^_^

Beth Wylde takes the ice.....

It’s no secret that I think butch girls are HOT. The butch/femme pairing is one of my all time favorites, but for Girls Who Score I decided to mix things up a bit. You rarely see a hard core butch hook up with the same and if one big, beefy butch is good then two together has to be better, right? I thought so. When I saw the call I couldn’t resist submitting a story. I’d just recently scored my first Cleis antho acceptance, and I really wanted a second one, so I sat down at my computer to see what I could work up.

In real life I’m not graceful or overly tall. I’m not super skinny or big and muscled. I rarely played sports because it always ended badly. I often lost and I am not a gracious loser. It takes a lot to get my temper riled up but when it happens, get out of the way. I wanted to write a story that showed that type of emotion. A strong, witty, kick ass female, both at her sport and between the sheets. Something hard hitting and deliciously rough. Dominant personalities turn me on.

Once I started doing some research and discovered that women played hockey, and not just for recreation but an actual league, I knew I had my story idea. My lead character Stephanie Tanner is the take no prisoner’s type, on the ice and off. She’s suffering from an injury she;s kept hidden but the pain isn’t going to let her hide it much longer. Desperate women do desperate things, and to find out if Stephanie and her teem succeed you need to get your copy of Girls Who Score today. Here’s just a little taste of my story, Lucky Number Three.

Lucky Number Three

By Beth Wylde

A quick glance at the scoreboard reveals we have forty seconds left. I’ve got control of the puck and my teammates plow me a path down the center of the ice. It’s now or never.

I’m almost close enough to try for the goal when two members of the opposing team manage to break through our defense. They veer off to surround me, one on each side, and gaining fast. I know I’m in trouble. Just a couple more feet and I’m guaranteed to make the shot but from where I’m at it is still too risky. If I miss, the game is over. No time to try again.

Then Mulligan, our right defense, is rushing to my rescue. Dee Mulligan, number three, is the biggest, baddest, butchest player in the entire league. I thank God every morning that she’s on our side. I wouldn’t want to face off against her for all the money in China. That scenario would be all the retirement incentive I’d need, whether my knee was screwed up or not.

It doesn’t hurt that Dee is also really nice eye candy. She’s tall and muscular with dark skin that hints at something more than just white bread in her family tree. Her black curly hair is cut really short in the back and there’s not an ounce of fat on her frame. Dee has starred in more than one masturbation fantasy of mine. It’s impossible to watch her at play and not get turned on. She’s a beast on the ice. Aggressive to the max. Team showers have been especially stressful. It’s all I can handle to see her parading around the locker room half naked and totally unashamed. Her body is a work of art.

She turns to the side and flashes the big number three painted on her back as she aims one beefy shoulder at the woman barreling down on my right. I wince in sympathy as they make contact. Even over the roar of the crowd I can hear the impact. The girl goes down in a tangled heap of her own arms and legs, spinning madly until she hits the wall with a meaty thud. She’s definitely going to feel that in the morning. Hell, she’s probably feeling it right now.

To see what Steph and Dee get up to once the game is over you have to read, Lucky Number Three, so what are you waiting for? Visit http://www.cleispress.com/book_page.php?book_id=483  and get your copy of Girls Who Score now! To check out more posts from the other authors in the book visit the blog tour for Girls Who Score at: http://girlswhoscore.wordpress.com/about/

I love to hear from readers. If you enjoy the story drop me a line at b.wylde@yahoo.com

You can see the amazing cover at my newly revamped website on the lesbian page at www.bethwylde.com

Beth

It's All Over But the Cheering!

Hey all,

Well, the Olympics are over and it was a great show.  I'm an American, so I was jazzed that the USA did so well.  There were great moments, like Phelps making history in swimming and the women's USA gymnastic team taking the gold for the first time.

There were also some oops moments.  The worst dive in the history of the Olympics by a German diver.  And a South African swimmer admitting he cheated to get the gold.  Then there was the horrible debacle over the Badminton players trying to lose in order to get a better draw position.

But overall, it was a great 2012 Olympics.  I enjoyed watching what I could and because we were in Belgium when the Olympics were aired, seeing the coverage from the British point of view on the BBC was interesting as well.

I glanced at a yahoo article about the best and the worst sports to watch, and I found it interesting.  You can check it out HERE.  Some of them I agreed with, but most I didn't.  I guess it all depends on what sports you like in the first place. 

For example, I hate basketball.  Never have enjoyed watching or playing it.  So I don't even turn the coverage on when it comes on TV.  And it looks like I'm not the only one.  It's listed as twenty-two out of thirty-two sports.

But as much as I like horses, I don't like watching the equestrian events.  Not because they're boring--because they're dangerous.  I'm always worried one of the horses will get hurt, so I can't enjoy this part of the games.  But they are listed at number eight, so others aren't so squeamish.  

I like swimming and cycling, but I'm not rabid about watching them.  I enjoy wrestling, judo, sailing and volleyball, but I won't race to the pub to make sure I don't miss it.  I guess my favorite sports are those that aren't so well known.  I like the "odd" ones.  Kayaking, fencing, archery, and those that aren't so mainstream.

But I do admit I love the popular gymnastics and field events too.  There is something about watching someone race to a finish that gets your blood pumping.  And I have to tell you, you haven't lived until you've watched gymnastics with a dozen Cirque du Soleil gymnists, all from different countries.  Talk about noise and cheering!  WOW!!!!

Maybe someday I'll do a book about the Olympics.  Maybe I'll be able to go and research them.  Experience them first hand. How cool would that be? 

But until then, I'll have to get my thrills like everyone else.  Once every four years, watching it on my TV.

Until next month!

Hugs,

Hugs,

CJ England

 

Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Reader Response Requested

A few months ago I was thinking that I needed to post another free read. I already have one at Coffee Time Romance and another on the Liberator website. My timing, as always, was impeccable. Wendi, over at Red Rose Publishing, put a call out for free reads for a celebration. I decided to offer up not one, but two short stories for everyone's enjoyment. They are still available as free downloads for a few more days.

The Untrained Housewife has an awesome cover.

Toy Box has just the right amount of kink. I'd love to know what you all think of free reads: Are they a stepping stone to finding new writers that you plan to follow? Do you download them and forget you even have them on your computer, forcing you to delete them for more space later without reading them? Do you only download them if you like the cover? In today's horrible economy, do you download them only because they are free? How often do you contact the author who wrote the story? Do you ever publicly review the book for all to see? I'm sure there are ten million responses you could add. I'd really love to know your stance on free reads. PS- happy back to school season!

Incentive for writing a bestseller.

My blog relates to the Olympics now held in London. It’s so exciting watching our young athletes excel in competition in so many events. I feel pride when I see the United States win and receive the coveted gold medal award. Winning the silver and bronze also fills my heart and goes out to each athlete strenuously competing. Can you imagine how much training and dedication it takes to compete and win? I compare the athletes dedication to what I do; writing. If only I mustered up enough ambition as they’ve shown, I’m sure I’d have a number of bestsellers. Maybe watching the energy and dedication our athletes put forth will spur me on into writing the book that captures everyone’s attention. And maybe that’s only wishful thinking on my part. LOL No matter if the United States wins the most awards, I feel proud to be an American and want to thank all that participated in the games, Now, for a little promoting of my work. I do have a new e-book The_Verdict: Love set for release on August 3rd from www.romancedivine.com. This is an erotic, contemporary romance genre. I also have several of my titles in audio already released at Audible.com, Amazon.com Kindle Books, Apple, Barnes&Noble and itunes.com. Blurb: The_Verdict: Love. Public Prosecutor Annie Calahan takes on her most high-profile case in trying murderer Jack Wade, represented by his successful and totally man-candy defense attorney, Mitch McClintock. Where will Annie draw the line between her ethics as an officer of the court…and her needs as a woman? It’s lawyers, litigation, lust and…The Verdict: LOVE. Here’s a question to think about. Do you believe watching the competition could put more fire into a writer to excel in the writing field as the young athletes are doing in what they’ve chosen to compete in? http://www.mary-suzanne.blogspot.com http://www.webspawner.com/users/Romancewriter/index.html