Now Introducing, Author Raymond Frazee And His Jones For Writing

How I Developed a Serious Writing Jones Read, as one might say, is easy. I started that early, and still continue to this day, maybe decades later. But writing? Writing? Ah, hahahaha! Surely you jest! No, I don’t. I was one of those strange kids who thought they could—gasp!—tell stories. Here’s what happened: As I wrote once before, I started writing about 1972. I was fifteen, and I’d decided I wanted to write because—well, why not? I was smart; I was imaginative; and I was a shy, awkward, social misfit. In other words, perfect! But I had a lot of things working against. I had mild dyslexia, so I couldn’t spell for jack. I didn’t know how to type, and I had horrible handwriting. And, to top it all off, I was left-handed in a world of things for righties, so all the notebooks and the like were working against me. Not to mention there was no where near where I lived where you could find really cool, leather-bound journals, which would have at least made me look like a writer. Nope. I was stuck in the middle of a cultural wasteland, and I was but a little glimmer of light. I kept at it until I was maybe eighteen—right before I went into college, by the way. By that time my writing spirit was crushed, because my friends, rather than say things like, “Great, Ray! You’re gonna do fantastic!” used to look at me strange and say, “Oh . . . you’re going to write. Yeah, sure.” It killed me, man, let me tell you. And when I say I went off to college? Local college, aka high school with better parking. So telling the women, “I’m a writer,” wasn’t going to get my any swoons, or batty eyes, or even a date. Not that I was really writing at that time, because . . . I wasn’t. It stayed that way for a very long time, too, because I was suffering from one issue or another throughout the 80’s. I started writing again near the end of that decade, because—like it or not—I never wanted to be anything but a writer. See, that’s the thing: I’ve always wanted to write. I’ve wanted to tell stories. I’ve wanted to create characters that would make people interested to see more of them. Good or bad, I wanted to be the one who was ready to entertain others with fascinating tales. I write because I can. I write because I’ve discovered people do find my work good—some even find it great. And I write because I’ve learned how to take something I actually wasn’t very good at way back in 1972, and turn it way up until it bakes your brain with goodness. Why do I write? Because I’m a writer. And I always have been. Thank you Raymond Frazee and I encourage everyone to discover Raymond who hails from Valparaiso,Indiana. Find Raymond at: http://www.facebook.com/raymond.frazee

To Write Romance, Must One Be In Love?

I would like to pose a question. To write romance of any genre, must one have romance in their lives or are the only great writers of romance fiction love lorn like most of us? I've talked about it with a few people and even asked some other writers who have been at it for some time. I got a wide variety of answers. Some believe to write a great romance you must have had the experience of a great love. I wonder if Erich Segal had experienced the same love like his characters Oliver and Jenny. Had he and his wife Karen loved each other with such dedication and ferocity? Did Emily Bronte tragically love someone she could never truly have and had to settle for another? My opinion is this-I do not believe that one has to have been in a life altering romance as long as they have loved. Tragedy makes for a good plot, but romance even in Gothic novels isn't all about the tragedy of poverty and being hidden away. To write fiction whether it be romance, science fiction, horror, or any type I believe one has to draw on personal experiences but also has to role play in a way each of their characters. Each one must be visualized much like actors do when they are handed scripts. I little doubt that Kate Winslet grieved the loss of Leo Di Caprio in Titantic. However both of them had to draw upon their skills and talents as actors when neither of them had probably been in a love affair with so many dynamics. When I write about a kiss, I want to use all of my sensory memory into how that kiss felt; how it made me feel and then I go from there embellishing as I go. It's like a painter who looks at a sunflower. A sunflower is easy enough to paint, however to see it the way Van Gogh saw it that is what I strive for when I write romantic and sexy scenes. I want the reader to see and feel exactly what I am writing. Am I making sense here? So let me hear your answers to this question, do you think that an author mus be in love or have had been in love to write romance fiction? If so tell me why and if no then explain.

Fantasy Pages: NEW from Nikki Noffsinger - CURSED AWAKENING

Fantasy Pages: NEW from Nikki Noffsinger - CURSED AWAKENING: Take a look at the new release from Renegade Night author Nikki Noffsinger . Enter a world of passion, wolf-shifters, and love that conquer...

Erotica Versus Porn And Why Women Love It

Have you ever picked up an Erotica novel? Recently, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has been gaining a cult following. Perhaps it is the catalyst to women discovering a whole spectrum of Erotica. What is Erotic and is it porn? First, I am not demonizing pornography. I personally don't get off on it because it does nothing for me. I also do not DO NOT CONDONE CHILD PORN NOR DO I SANCTION ANY SORT OF PORN WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE RAPED OR DEFECATED ON. I AM QUITE AGAINST CHILD PORN AS WELL AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING(the sex slave trade). Erotica is more sensual and builds on well written fantasies. How many of us have ever wanted to try something new with our significant other? How many of us have wanted to shed our good girl image and get down and dirty? How many of us want to get lost in a great story with well written plots and memorable characters? I think many of us would probably raise our hands. Erotica versus porn-is there really a contest here? I think when people who have never read an erotic novel make the judgement because there is strong language used and very descriptive sexual content that it automatically makes it pornography. Porn is just a physical act. Men react to what they can see more than what they can feel. So in my opinion, women pick books that creates that emotion or situation that evokes a certain feeling. I pick up a book I want to be roped in I just don't want to read sex on every page, I want all 4 out of 5 of my senses to come alive. A great Erotica novel will not only rope you in but it will seduce you instead of just throwing you across the bed and giving you a Slam! Bam! Thank-You Mam! I remember the first time I saw reproductions of the works of Gustav Klimt. I was seduced each time I looked at his paintings like The Kiss which made me feel what it was like to be held in a lover's arms. His painting Love that reminds me of passion. The painting Danae which some of us had to sneak a peek at since our teacher thought it was too risque for us to see is one of the most erotic works of art I've ever seen. Klimt had a love for love. He found beauty in the female form and worshiped it. So women from practically the dawn of time have always been sensual creatures capable of eroticism and great passion so it is only natural we would be drawn to well written Erotica. Erotica is more than just the visual and what you can physically feel and touch. To me, Erotica is more sensual and more mental than porn which is just right there straight forward in your face. So when I hear people just classify Erotica with porn it really strikes a nerve with me because the two are like apples and oranges. They might both be fruit but they are entirely different. Okay maybe fruit was not such a good analogy. So many people are still bashing the oh so very popular Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L.James. However, there are some really good writers of Erotica romance novels and I hope you look them up as well add to the list! Jaci Burton Various titles Cherise Sinclair Various titles Denyse Bridger Various titles Lora Leigh Various titles Megan Hart Various titles Kayden Mcleod's Master of Subservience So let me know your thoughts and tell me some Erotica genre authors you like or don't. List authors and their books.

Music And Writing The Happy Balance

I find when I write, I see the story first in my mind but it is often inspired by its own soundtrack. A question was posed, "What song describes one of your books and why?" I can honestly say there is no "one" song that inspired either of them. When I wrote Renegade Night, I was inspired from everything from Puccini's Tosca and Madame Butterfly to Rob Zombie. I love music as much as I love books and there are few genre's that I just refuse to appreciate or listen to. However when I look at Renegade Night and reflect I think the song that comes more often to mind is Apocolyptica's I Don't Care because for my main character Alexi, he's so closed off and hardened because of everything he's lost and the fact that he's the very creature he hates. He tells himself that he doesn't care for Lainey other than being duty bound to her to keep her safe, yet he falls for her. So his "I don't care" attitude is not only questioned and tested but it's found lacking but throughout the book, he has to deal with the conflict of the past and present as well as cope with the barriers that Lainey is breaking down. He doesn't want to be hurt again-he doesn't want to love again, but the die is already cast. When I wrote my 2nd book, a soon to be released E-book, Cursed Awakening I believe if I had to pick one song it would have to be Dare Youby Shinedown. Ivy Morgan is coming into her own-on her own terms and Nyx knows Ivy is right for him but Nyx's family is steeped in tradition right down when it comes to mates. So the song I Dare You I think fits them both in some way. I dare you to live, I dare you to step outside the safety zone, I dare you to love, and I dare you to walk through fire. The final publication of mine is a story I submitted for Lost To The Night that was written with: Denyse Bridger, Brigit Aine, Sara Gonzalas, and Kayden Mcleod for XoXo Publishing. Night Lessons was a bit on the naughty side. What would you do if you had a sexy Lit teacher in college that was a guitar playing vampire who could spout poetry? So what song came to mind when I thought of the very sensual Dante Notte? Bryan Adams Wen You Love A Woman comes to mind because the guitar in that song brings an exotic sensual flavor that is Dante Notte. I was also inspired by Three Dog Night's Mama Told Me Not To Comebecause Ariel is so against anything that has to do with Mr.Notte and going out of her comfort safe zone. However it's not all hearts and flowers-there is some pretty dark things going on as to why Ariel keeps herself at arms length from things. There's a bit of greed and plotting when it comes to a Stepfather who wants his stepdaughter's trust fund and is willing to do what he has to do to get it. Music like writing is an art form. It evokes emotion. For those of us who write music can help keep the creative juices flowing, drown out outside distractions, or help create a mood or emotional moment. It's like the motion picture that's on paper instead of on screen and we all have our soundtracks.

Fifty Shades and Women's Rights

Since reading the Fifty Shades of Grey I find I still am on the fence on whether I "like" the story or if "love" it. I'll get back to you on that. It's been said by folks like Dr.Drew and even Dr.Phil that the 50 Shades is demeaning to women, abusive, simulates rape, and applauds sadism. My question to these people is: "Have y'all read the books? I mean really read them instead of just scanning and picking out the parts you find shocking?" For those of you who have not read books 1-3 this is a SPOILER ALERT! Click off this blog right now should you not want parts revealed before you've had a chance to read them. Go ahead, I'll give you a few minutes. I'll even put on some elevator music while we wait. Ready? Okay, Fifty Shades character, Christian Grey is not only a self made millionaire at quite a young age(probably a child prodigy-we don't know but let's face it-the dude is smart.)Everything on the outside would leave one to believe he is perfect in every possible way, but he's not. The sexual behaviors such as the BDSM ARE NOT what makes Christian imperfect. I mean unless you are practicing the Missionary position, anything can be labeled "indecent" or "kinky" it is all just a matter of preference. In early primitive cultures women were mounted like animals. In some cultures women were kept in Harems and taught how to "please a man". During both the Spanish Inquisition and in 1692 Salem,Mass.,couples that engaged in sex that was not sanctioned by the church were deemed heretics, witches, and of the devil. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be put to death or burned at the stake just because of my sexual preferences. So even though Shades hits on some Taboo kinkery here, I think it is pretty mild compared to what the human race has done since the dawn of time. I mean you didn't really think that the Mother ship just crash landed here did you? So back to Christian Grey. Christian and many other practitioners of BDSM like the control and the pleasure/pain aspect. There are levels to BDSM. Some are more severe than others and in my opinion-Christian with Ana is pretty lukewarm. In the books we find out that Christian was abused and neglected as a young child. Even after his adoption by the Grey's he could not interact as a normal child despite all the love they gave him. He could not bear to be touched and needs control because at the age of 15 he was out of control with anger mixed with puberty. His mother's friend, Elena takes Christian under her wing but it's the kind of wing a pedophile would offer a confused and impressionable child, which Christian was. She pulled Christian into her world and so you gather that all his walls, his bossy nature, his over reactions,and such are due to abuse in two phases of his childhood. When he was young-his mother did not protect him and neglected him due to her drug addiction and the abuse he suffered at the hands of her pimp. He grew up in extreme poverty and hunger. At another stage in his life, puberty he was seduced and mentored by a woman who should have known better who had some sort of sick attachment that led her to carry on a liaison with a teenage boy that grew into a young man. Dr.Flynn would explain to Anastasia in book 2, that Christian is not a sadist even though he believes himself to be one. He also discloses to Ana that Christian by-passed his adolescence and how to deal with feelings, emotion, and certain other areas of his psyche. All makes me think of the Freud's theory on the stages of development and if you skip one then you can look forward to many years of therapy. So what is with this about Women's Rights and Fifty? Many claim the books promote abuse even rape in women. If you come to that conclusion I urge you to go see a therapist. I have read the books twice now and even took notes and I do not see abuse. I see disagreements and I see a man trying to cope and come to terms with loving a woman who goes against everything he's put in place as a safety net and combating his fears. I believe had E.L. James written the book in more than just one POV,we would have seen that and these people claiming abuse and disrespect to women would see what those of us who have actually read the books to see, is that Christian Grey may have kinky and out landish tastes when it comes to sex but there's more going on with him than just the label of being an abuser of women. I would also challenge folks to brush up on BDSM. There are never BDSM relationships within the community of BDSM practitioners that are not willing and consenting adults. Each BDSM relationship(s) is different and again go on different levels from mild to severe. They adhere to strict guidelines(for example Christian's contract in book 1) and there is an undeniable trust. There may not always be love but there is the bond for respect of trust. You'd be supprised dear readers at the many walks of life who opt for the ball gag lifestyle. For me, I'm not really too far into a bunch of hardware and being flogged but then again, I've never tried it. So to each their own. So the next time you hear about Fifty Shades of Grey promoting abuse-I want you to laugh and tell them to go adn read the books instead of watching a talk show or skimming through it.

Cursed Awakening, the Creature Feature

In the past few years, the popularity of vampires and wolf men have become really popular. Cursed Awakening, the first book I have ever written came from something in my own life. No I did not grow up in a religious cult nor do I have any friends who wolf out at will. Well, sometimes I think my husband grows claws and fangs when the bills come due but that's another story. However I will say that I grew up hearing all those urban legends. Even now I love to watch those paranormal television specials on haunted places, The Jersey Devil, and the Ghost Lights. One of my favorites were the stories about the Jersey Devil and the famed Chupacabra. So when I had Nyx howling in my imagination and threatening me with Scooby Doo Re-Runs I thought aside from the "human" struggles of both Nyx and Ivy what else could I add to my canvas here, and then it came to me one night after I had watched this movie called Splinter, a movie I recommend but i warn you it has the creep-ew factor to it times ten. So I took what I could from the Jersey Devil and the Chupacabra legends and even artists renditions and viola, I had my monster. I had to think, "What would scare me?" and I flipped through all my favorite movie and book monsters. Which ones had really done a number on me and my bladder? I couldn't have a psychotic clown-that has been done already and a psychotic clown stalking the woods was too bad B horror movie. So I quickly dispatched some magical sadist wielding knifed or bladed hands and no one in the Southwest is getting into Hockey unless it's on the television. So I x'd off teenage twisted Wiccans and put my Vampires back into their blood bank cafe promising them I would play with them again soon. They were a little long in the tooth about it but they got over it. So I thought about my old friend Ripley and the Aliens. Yes, I still cannot watch the first two Alien movies in the dark-sue me. I had my creature feature! I kept my monster a beast but one with some sort of intelligence; one that hunted in packs. I wanted a blood thirst like the legends of the Jersey Devil who killed indiscriminately. Think Pumpkinhead meets Bigfoot and you've got the Chupacabra from Cursed Awakening. I even added long serrated poisoned fangs and long curled claws. I wanted them to be able to speak so my mind went to that creepy seen in Independence Day when the Alien manipulates the vocal cords of a scientist. I wanted their voices to be distorted, insect like, and menacing. I think the end product was a grand success! So tell me, what's your favorite monster? What creation leaves you breathing hard, looking for a place to run and hide, and makes your bladder react? Come on, let me hear ya! Leave me a comment and let me know what bump in the night makes your skin break out in goosebumps!