Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Laila Fayre - My New Pseudonym

Hiya Peeps!

So I have some big news that may or may not affect you. I've decided to convert my non-contemporary romantic erotic stories over to a different author name. Basically, my darker titles, past and future, will be written under the name Laila Fayre. I think this helps my branding, and since I'm making no secret that Laila Fayre is me, there shouldn't be any real confusion. I'm not going to get a new Twitter handle, but do everything for Laila Fayre stories with my @ClaraZaynn Twitter account. I may or may not start a new blog. I don't post here often enough as it is, I don't believe, to warrant a new one, but I'll decide about that later.

For now, I'm going to change five of my titles: "Can You Help?" "The Passionate Possession of Room 1426," "5 Tales of Erotic Horror," Carnival of Sin, and The Dragon's Mate. If you already own or have read these books, there's no need for you to go out and get it again; I'm only changing my author name, not touching the text at all. I mean, if you want to buy them again to get the new cover I won't say no, but I'm telling you there's no need. The covers have not been changed, either, except for the name.

So why did I choose the name Laila Fayre? I actually went about it like I was naming a character. I have an old Writer's Digest character naming handbook, and I wanted a good mix of light and dark. I found a bunch of names that fit, and I puzzled them together, both for best sounding and names that didn't actually exist (or at least not with much of a presence on social media and elsewhere), until I was happy with the results. Laila, I found out, basically means "night," though there are variations on it. That went well with the dark-vibe I wanted. The name Fayre, I found, basically means "beautiful," so that was a great contrast or compliment to Laila. Plus, I love the way those two names sound together, and there are not many, if any, others going by that name, at least that I saw. So my horror erotica (and other non-contemporary) titles will now be written by Laila Fayre.

I have no idea how long it'll take Amazon to approve the author name changes, but I'm not too worried about it. As I said, Twitter will not change for me, so don't worry about that. I will update this blog (sometime in the near future) to have all my Clara Zaynn titles on one side and all my Laila Fayre titles on the other, so look for that soon. I will also see about adding a new tab to my website, which I've been horrible about updating lately. So check those soon! Otherwise, it'll be everything as normal. I'm beginning the plotting process of a novella or novel for Laila Fayre, but that's still a long ways off (probably not until 2018). I will have new Clara Zaynn stories in the meantime, so don't worry about that. Otherwise, that's all the news I have for now! See you all soon!


Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Metalcore Minx Coming (VERY) Soon

Hiya Peeps!

It's here! Get Metalcore Minx on Kindle here!
And get it in paperback here!

So, as the title of this post suggests, Metalcore Minx will be available real soon! I'll be pushing "Publish" in the next hour or so, which means you should be able to download it, either with purchase for $2.99 or for free with Kindle Unlimited. Of course, I'll make sure you know, both here and on Twitter when it's ready. If you're curious what it's about, I have the description that will go with the book on Amazon below.

I had a great time writing this one! I hope my love for the heavy music shines through. I have to say that I know next to nothing about the technical goings-on of tours, so most of what I say in here is truly fiction! (I've never even been backstage!) The backstage and bus life of Sadie, Nasty, and everyone else is basically how I think it might go, but I'm sure I got a lot (maybe most) wrong. I decided it didn't matter, as I hope the story shines through. Heck, I made up quite a few of the band names, and most of the clubs I described don't exist, so I don't think this is a big problem. I hope it doesn't drag most of you right out of the story, anyway! 

Another fun part of this is that I sort of placed it in the same universe as my novel, His Hard Rockin' Princess. If you read that book, you should recognize some of the same bands. Unlike His Hard Rockin' Princess, though, where I didn't name any real bands, Metalcore Minx mentions a few actual heavy metal bands, which I had fun with. You only hear about them in passing, but I still had fun name-dropping a few of my favorite bands! 

I hope you enjoy reading Metalcore Minx! As I stated above, it should be available Thursday, October 26, and I'll provide the link. I also plan on putting it out in paperback, though I don't know when that will happen. Soon, but I highly doubt it'll be ready to buy tomorrow. Stay tuned for that, as well!

Without further ado, here are the cover and description:


Heavy metal vibes surround this Metalcore Minx!

Sadie Finch, known as the Mistress of Death while on stage with her band, Gallows at Dawn, might be one of the premier lead singers on the metal scene, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss her husband and the sex while out on the road. She can’t even go full rock star and get wasted each night because she doesn’t want to ruin her voice. This certainly isn’t how teenage her saw how being a rock star would be like. Especially when her husband accidentally sends a sex tape of him cheating.

When Gallows at Dawn heads out to tour with the hard rock band Wicked Man’s Blues supporting them, Sadie falls hard for the lead guitar player, Ignacio “Nasty” Reyes, and he for her. Their mutual respect and friendship soon turns physical, and both are as happy as could be, with her not even dwelling much on her divorce. It’s not until she suspects Nasty has someone waiting for him at home that Sadie’s world again gets flipped on its head. What’s worse, Nasty won’t admit he’s cheating, but after her divorce from Owen, she refuses to believe him.

Is it all too late for Nasty to explain his situation and past to Sadie? When Owen makes a dangerous and violent appearance on the tour, it very well could be…

Metalcore Minx is a heavy metal erotic novel of almost 50,000 words. If you enjoy heavy music and hot and heavy sex, this is the story for you!


There are plenty of hot-and-heavy (read: very descriptive) sex scenes contained in the story, so no one under the age of 18 should read. This is your “Explicit” warning.

If you'd like to see a sneak preview of the first three chapters, you can find the links here:

Monday, October 23, 2017

Sneak Peek: Chapter Three - Metalcore Minx

Hiya Peeps!

So I had originally planned on only giving sneak peeks to the first two chapters, but then I realized Nasty, Sadie's love interest in Metalcore Minx, got his big introduction in Ch. 3. What better reason to give you more of a taste? I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday with more about the overall book. Until then, enjoy this third taste of Metalcore Minx!
Click here for Ch.1
Click here for Ch.2

CHAPTER THREE

Sadie and Heidi stood by the edge of the second stage at the Metal Montana Festival not too far out of Madrid in central Spain and watched the band Wicked Man’s Blues rock the crowd. It was a warm summer afternoon, but the backstage area sat under a huge tarp, and a nice breeze kept the temperature down. Their own set wasn’t for another couple hours on the main stage so they could watch in the comfort of no heavy makeup and costumes. Since soundchecks didn’t happen until right before the set at most festivals, today’s included, it meant she had plenty of time to relax.
She’d never seen Wicked Man’s Blues live, but she had a few of their albums, and they were good. More hard rock than heavy metal, but she found nothing wrong with that. Heidi met the lead guitar player at a photo shoot for a guitar mag earlier in the year, and she said he was a cool guy. He certainly had the skills, and, Sadie had to admit, was a hot piece of ass.
He wore skinny jeans which showed off his hot ass to perfection. His tight shirt proved he spent some time in the gym, or at least brought along some weights on the road, and his toned arms held plenty of tattoos with hints of more beneath said shirt. She’d love to trace her fingers over them and ask what each one meant to him.
Shit, snap out of it, girl. Her self-reprimand didn’t work well, though, as she continued to check him out. He wore his dark hair shaggy but short and showed off a few more tats on his thick and sexy neck. Seriously, Sadie, what the fuck? With her perfect damn timing, she waited until they reached the end of the song to hiss out a breath so Heidi could hear.
“Which one are you checking out, Mistress?” she asked with a huge smirk firmly planted on her lips. Heidi only called her Mistress when she felt it necessary to tease her. “And won’t Owen get jealous?”
“Shut up.” Too late, though, as she knew a mega-blush had overtaken her. Heidi, of course, noticed.
“It’s Nasty, right? The lead guitar player?”
Heidi told her earlier his name was Ignacio, but instead of going by Nacho or something, everyone called him Nasty. She had no idea why, as it hadn’t come up at the photo shoot. Sadie wouldn’t mind hanging out with him and asking about his name, either, and she tried to tell herself it was out of simple curiosity, but the thoughts of infatuation played in her mind, too. Fuck.
“I take it by your silence I’m right,” Heidi said, her smirk not going anywhere.
At that moment, they took off on their next song, so Sadie figured she could get away with rolling her eyes at her best friend. She saw more than heard Heidi bust out in laughter, as she knew Sadie too well. Shit, she couldn’t remember having thoughts about any guy since Owen, and Kyle didn’t count; she didn’t want to fuck him but watch him skewer hot groupies.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A text from Owen. “Hey, baby, just woke up, and am thinking of you. Miss and love you.”
Guilt smacked her across the face. Had her handsome hubby somehow sensed her drooling over a strange guy? Silly, but it sure felt like it. As she sent her own text back, “Miss and love you, too!” Sadie did the math in her head. It was a nine-hour time difference between LA and here, so it wasn’t quite 6 am for him. Early, but not unheard of him getting up at the crack of dawn. He might be headed out for a run before it got too hot. From what she’d heard, a heat-wave had overtaken Southern California, making the warm early summer even hotter.
“Hope everything’s going great. Busy day for me. Talk soon.”
That was code for he wouldn’t be very attentive to his texts if she sent any. She figured he was knee-deep in a new production. They hadn’t talked much since she’d come over to Europe for the tour, but it went even further, a month or so before when he was in Vancouver. This was by far the longest they’d gone in their five-year marriage without seeing each other. In fact, most of their correspondences happened via text rather than phone calls. She hadn’t heard his voice in almost a week, so unlike how it used to be when he went on every tour with her. Something in the back of her mind told her this was their new reality, but she did what she could to shake it loose.
“How’s Mr. Hollywood?” Heidi asked, using her nickname for Owen. She’d never been a big fan of Sadie’s husband but always tried to play nice.
“Sounds like he’s hard at work on a new blockbuster. He says he’s busy, anyway.”
“Hmm,” Heidi said, and turned back to the stage.
What was that supposed to mean? She nudged her. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. I just find it strange he’s not more interested in what you’re doing over here. He’s always been so protective before.”
“He’s not protective. He can work from the road is all, so he might as well come.”
Heidi looked like she wanted to say more but instead shrugged. “You’re right. Forget I said anything.” She turned back to the stage and Wicked Man’s Blues.
Sadie wouldn’t forget it, but now wasn’t the time to pursue the conversation, not with the music blaring. Her attention returned to Nasty, who blasted out a guitar solo. He threw everything into it and gyrated his hips, shoulders, and everything else, and though she didn’t want to admit it, Sadie couldn’t tear her eyes away. What was it about this guy? She saw plenty of hot dudes on the road, but none of them ever got her mind reeling like Nasty, and she hadn’t even met him yet. It had to be her body reacting and rebelling to not getting laid in so long, right?
He ended with a flourish, and the crowd erupted in cheers. She and Heidi also gave him a round of applause, while some others backstage gave their own hoots of approval. Nasty didn’t acknowledge anyone but kept rocking out to the song, now in the chorus. When the song ended, though, he waved to the crowd, and they yelled out their raucous appreciation.
The band ended their set with their most popular single from their debut album, along with a bit more of a guitar hero act from Nasty. Sadie managed to glance away from him to check out Heidi. She found her best friend’s eyes plastered on the hot guitarist, too, but she could tell it was more out of pure mutual respect rather than his smoking hot good looks. So many metal experts considered Heidi one of the best in the business, so she knew good when she saw it. Maybe Sadie could fool her own brain enough to say she watched him with nothing more than professional admiration, too. She didn’t play guitar on the road, saving it for songwriting sessions, but it was something that could fly, right?
Before she could convince herself, the set ended, and she and Heidi headed away from the second stage back towards the buses parked closer to the main stage. They’d be in full costume next time they watched a band. As they went, Sadie couldn’t be sure if she was happy or disappointed she didn’t get the chance to meet Nasty.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Sneak Peek: Chapter 2 - Metalcore Minx

Hiya Peeps!

I promised yesterday you'd get a couple of chapters of Metalcore Minx, so here I am fulfilling that promise. This is Ch. 2 where the sex begins, though not with Sadie, our lead and POV character. Or, I suppose, it is with her, but in a passive way. Tell you what, why don't you just go ahead and give it a read to see what I mean. It's a pretty darn sexy scene, if I do say so myself. If you missed the first sneak peek, click here for Chapter 1. I'll be back later in the week with more on Metalcore Minx, so enjoy Chapter 2!

CHAPTER TWO

The after-party was in full swing in the dirt and grass-filled field around the various busses. The big acts for the festival took over the backstage areas with their huge entourages, while the rest of them partied outside. Of course, no one minded; they could exercise their vices out here every bit as well. Besides, more than enough beautiful ladies and handsome men milled around with the bands. Not that Sadie partook in any of it, but she did enjoy watching. As everyone around her drained beers and shots and passed around joints—though she occasionally puffed on those, as a little bit felt great on her throat—she sipped on her hot tea with honey. None of the fun around her, especially after a few hits of pot, bothered her except for those starting to pair off for sex. It reminded her that her husband, Owen, was more than 5000 miles away in Los Angeles. What she wouldn’t give to get his dick on a regular basis, but they hadn’t had a chance to hook up in well over two months, both with this tour and his work schedule as a screenwriter. Before she and the band took off for Europe, Owen had been in Vancouver overseeing a movie based on one of his scripts. He often hit the road with her since all he needed was his laptop to get most of his work done, but it hadn’t been possible this time. Which sucked because it meant she needed to make due with her fingers and vibrators. She could get off, but…yeah, wasn’t the same.

A young guy, no older than 20 or 21, sat next to her and held out a joint. She shook her head; if she imbibed anymore tonight, she might forget her promise to herself to skip the hard stuff, and though she was a rock star, she also prided herself on self-control. She could get fucked up after the tour when she didn’t need to sing for a few weeks.

He smiled, took a puff, and then said, in perfect English but with a heavy French accent, “You’re amazing. I knew you sang the melodic parts of the songs, but I always figured one of the dudes handled the heavy singing.” He waved his hand to show he was searching for the correct word. “The growling and grunting.”

“Thanks. Yeah, nope, it’s all me.” She held out her teacup. “Which is why I stick to this after shows.”

He laughed, and his hand dropped to her knee. She didn’t stiffen, as it happened too often, though she did roll her eyes. Yeah, nice try, buddy. Even if she was single and on the prowl, it would take more than this quote-unquote banter to get her going. She checked over to Heidi to see if she might be interested, but she entertained an audience of five or six guys and a few more females.

She patted his hand. “I’m married, and won’t cheat. So no Mistress of Death conquest for you.”

The kid pretended to act affronted, and it took all her willpower to not throw him another eye roll. Yeah, like that wasn’t your plan, junior. And, yes, she had every right to call him a kid since she was the ripe old age of 32. No, not old, even by rock star standards, but she was compared to him.

“Look, you’re a good-looking guy, so why don’t you go find a single lady? I’m sure you’ll get some action tonight.”

He smiled, and she realized how right she was in calling him good-looking. Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t have taken much banter for him to bed her. If things were different.

“I see. You’re playing hard to get. It’s okay. I like that.”

Before she could so much as let out a sigh and tell him to get lost, Kyle came up behind him and placed one of his meaty hands on the kid’s shoulder. “The Mistress is off limits, boy. But if you’d like, I can take you into our bus and play a little game we Yanks call Cornhole. And if you know anything about it, understand I’m not talking the bean bag version.”

Sadie let out a snort, and the kid’s eyes went wide as he looked up into Kyle’s face. “No, sorry, Mr. Executioner. I don’t wish to play your game.” He didn’t even look at her as he ran away.

“I didn’t need the saving, Kyle, but thank you.”

He tipped an imaginary cap. “Anytime, darlin’.”

“What would you have done if he’d taken you up on your offer to play?” She tried hard to keep a straight face but had a feeling she failed miserably. 

He shrugged. “Normally I’d have called his bluff, but I already have a French filly lined up for the night, so I would have knocked his ass out. You’d have backed me up on how disrespectful he was, right?”

Kyle wouldn’t have hit him, so she played along. “I mean, the mouth on that kid. What other choice did you have?”

They both laughed, and he then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “It’s my turn in the bus tonight, and, as I said, I picked out a pretty one.” He pointed over to a small group talking and smoking, and she figured he meant the brunette with big boobs and a round ass. She was definitely Kyle’s type. “You want to head in to watch? You know the drill.”

Sadie thought about it for a second and then shrugged. “Shit, why not? I could use a good cum. I hate being away from Owen for so long.”

Kyle chuckled. “I figured as much. Go on. We’ll be there in five minutes, maybe less.”

She stood and headed for the bus, her teacup in hand, the perfect cover. The drill, as Kyle said, was for her to climb into her bunk, which had a good view of his bed. As long as she stayed hidden and quiet, he’d keep a light on for her to better see. And she loved watching Kyle fuck because his cock matched his frame—huge. It was a bit weird, as he was her brother. No, not by blood, but by band, as they made the decision even before they’d recorded their first demo there would be no hanky-panky, and they’d each stuck to it through all the years. And, yes, she did view them all as family now. But because of the gigantic size of Kyle’s cock and the fact he knew how to use it, she had no problem using him and his pretty partner—no, she wasn’t into girls other than she liked to look—as porn. And live porn was so much better than Internet smut.

She placed her teacup in the sink and hopped into her bunk above Heidi’s. Brandon and Race’s were across from their’s, but they all had curtains, so it still felt private when they wanted it to. Kyle, because of his size, got a bed in the back of the bus, and she had a great view and could pull her curtains shut so the girl would never know the Mistress of Death spied on her while she fucked and sucked The Executioner.

Sadie yanked off her jeans and panties and grabbed her vibrator from between her mattress and the wall. No, she wouldn’t turn it on, but it was still seven inches long; she could at least use it as a dildo and penetrate herself. She already felt the heat emanating from her horny slit. God, it had been far too long since she’d been fucked. This would have to do for tonight, but when she got home, Owen might end up in the hospital with dehydration from how much she planned to screw him. She rubbed her clean shaven slit to spread the wet around, and then rubbed her clit. She could already tell her first orgasm floated right there on the brink. Maybe she could coax it out before Kyle and tonight’s lady friend even appeared in the bus. She was multi-orgasmic, especially when masturbating, so she didn’t see any problem with it. Before she could get into it, though, the door to the bus opened, and Kyle and the girl stumbled in.

She pulled her curtain all the way closed and kept still so the girl would have no idea she was there. She’d been caught peeping one time before, but instead of freaking that night’s conquest out, the girl tried to pull Sadie into a threesome with them. It had taken all her self-control to turn her down, even if she told herself she could concentrate on the girl. It still felt too weird to do with Kyle, as if watching was so much different, and it also felt as if it might be a break from her marital vows. The girl looked disappointed, while Kyle howled out laughter as Sadie pulled on her pants and sprinted out of the bus. She made sure she kept much quieter and careful the few times she’d done this since.

Once they passed and hit Kyle’s bed, she peeked out. It was the same girl she figured. The girl looked puny next to him, but who didn’t? Her boobs, though, looked like they’d be a nice handful even for his oversized paws. Sadie couldn’t wait to see those unholstered. In fact, anticipation proved too much, and her fingers again dipped into her wet folds. She bit back the moan threatening to spill out of her mouth.

Neither said anything, and Kyle leaned down and kissed the French girl hard. She pushed into him and wasn’t shy with her hand, which moved to his crotch. The little squeal out of the back of her throat sang she approved of the log she found in his pants. As she let her hand squeeze and stroke over his jeans, he pulled her top off, and then unhooked the bra to spill her melons out. God, even with being only interested in men, Sadie wanted to take her nipples in her mouth. Kyle, as was the point of this spy session, did it for her, getting the girl to gasp out her pleasure, and Sadie to rub her clit with more ferocity. When the girl purred out, in her deep French accent, “Show me your trouser monster,” the orgasm building in Sadie broke through. She rolled onto her tummy and bit her pillow to keep from screaming out her pleasure. She wanted to get back to the action but instead kept flicking on her nub and let it continue to roll over her.

When she caught her breath and peeked back out, she found the girl had released his cock and was in the process of worshiping it. And who could blame her? It was almost a foot long and thicker than her forearm. She couldn’t get much more than his head into her mouth, so she spent most of her time licking up and down the shaft while stroking it. Kyle sat back on his bed and kept brushing her hair aside and tucking it behind her ears, and it brought the rumblings of another orgasm into Sadie’s core. She couldn’t help but think about how Owen did that for her when she blew him, and it never failed to get her all tingly inside during the act.

When the girl realized a proper blowjob was out of the question, she brought her inflated titties into play. She had enough saliva on his shaft so he slid easily between her tits. He whispered, “Fuck,” which got her giggling, and she kissed or licked his head with every upstroke. Kyle also made sure he subtly maneuvered them so Sadie still enjoyed a great view. She realized she should pay back his mindfulness with a bottle of more expensive whiskey when she and Heidi went out shopping in Paris tomorrow afternoon before the bus moved on to the next location, a festival in the south of France.
The girl squeezed her tits together tighter, and Kyle moaned. Sadie worked hard to hold one back, too. Her fingers blurred over her clit, and she wondered if she soaked her sheets through yet. She also teetered close to cum number two. She imagined Kyle’s dick to be Owen’s, and the French girl’s titties to be hers. Neither were anywhere near as big as what sat in front of her on Kyle’s bed, but the proportions were close enough for her imagination. She whispered Owen’s name and brought her other hand up to play with her own breasts, and that did it. Her second orgasm exploded through her, and she again rolled over to keep from alerting everyone in and around the festival grounds of her excitement.

This time when she managed to catch her breath and roll back around so she could continue watching, she found the girl nude on her back, while Kyle, also naked, rolled an oversized condom on his hard cock. He set his dick on top of her, and it ran from her sex to her ribcage. She let out a low moan, and though Sadie felt sure she heard a bit of apprehension in the sound, pure lust still proved to be the girl’s primary emotion. While Kyle leaned down and took first one nipple, and then the other, between his lips, Sadie took the opportunity to grab her vibrator, though she made sure her thumb didn’t flick the switch.

As Kyle positioned the tip of his cock at the girl’s opening, he drawled, “Now you tell me when it gets to be too much, okay, darlin’?” 

The girl responded with, “Please, Executioner, plug me. Fill me with your huge cock.”

“Shoulda worn my robe and hood with you, eh?” He turned his head towards Sadie and winked. He couldn’t see her, but she rolled her eyes at him anyway. As soon as he turned his attention back to the girl beneath him and pushed his oversized head into her, eliciting a deep groan from both of them, Sadie pushed her vibrator into her own pussy. Her first two orgasms did nothing but ready her for a third, and she pushed the plastic phallus in deeper.

Kyle worked his dick about halfway into the girl with little problem, and then couldn’t seem to jam it in any further. Instead of forcing anything, he drew back and gave her a proper fucking. The girl let out a steady stream of squeals, and Sadie matched Kyle’s strokes with her vibrator turned dildo. She fought to hold on to wait for them to finish, as she knew her next orgasm would wreck her for the rest of the night. As if he sensed her distress, Kyle’s strokes got a little labored, and he mumbled, “Gonna cum, pretty lady.”

“Coat me, Executioner,” the girl moaned. “Coat me with your hot sex.”

He chuckled, pulled his cock out of her box, and yanked off the condom. As he stroked his cock, ready to explode, Sadie pushed her vibrator as deep as she could get it into her juiced-up pussy and frigged her clit. The first blast of semen shot between the girl’s oversized breasts, followed by a second splat all the way up on her forehead, bringing a surprised laugh from her. The third and fourth also reached her face, coating her nose and then her chin, while his next few died down considerably, with the final salvo trickling into her belly button. That did it for Sadie, and this third orgasm gutted her. How she didn’t scream out mystified her, but she somehow managed. In her throes, she tossed her vibrator down to the foot of her bunk, figuring she could clean it in the morning. She fell back against her pillow and her triple orgasmic time caught up with her. She passed out until late the next morning.

Click here to read the sneak peek of Chapter Three


Saturday, October 21, 2017

Sneak Peek: Ch. 1 - Metalcore Minx

Hiya Peeps!

My newest novel (more a novella since it's not quite 50,000 words) is called Metalcore Minx. It's the story of Sadie Finch, the lead singer of the metalcore band, Gallows at Dawn, and her new (and erotic) relationship with a guitar player from another band. It's a heavy metal romance that's even heavier on the erotica. I'll have more about it later, including the description that will go on Amazon when I'm ready to publish it (hopefully by next weekend at the latest), but for now I thought I might share the first couple of chapters. So below you will find Ch. 1 of Metalcore Minx. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

CHAPTER ONE

Sadie Finch took a deep breath and let the music wash over her. She’d never heard of this band, but she liked their sound. Rotting Dead or Rotten Dead or something similar. Their singer pushed out pure death metal vocal grunts, but the band behind him proved more than a simple wall of noise so many similar bands pounded out. Their dual guitar assault provided plenty of melody she enjoyed. Hopefully she’d meet the guys after their set, though it would need to be later, as her band, Gallows at Dawn, would be on immediately after them. Such was the beauty of the rotating stage. Not every festival had them, but this one, a few miles outside Paris, used them, which was nice for the fans and kept the energy running high, which the bands all appreciated.

After their latest US tour where they were the direct support for the immortal Judas Priest, Gallows at Dawn hit the Summer festival circuit in Europe. They’d never been, so it was a big thing to not only them but their overseas fans. In addition to those festivals, which were often in front of tens of thousands, if not more, fans, they also played smaller club shows between the big gigs. Sometimes they headlined, but often they were direct support for bigger bands. What it all meant was they got to play a lot of music to rabid fans. And rabid fans always proved the most fun.

“Sadie, you ready?” The voice came from Heidi, her best friend and Gallows at Dawn’s lead guitar player. “Or have you transformed into the Mistress of Death already?”

She laughed. “Not until the slug of whiskey.” But she could understand the question. It was hard to tell when any of them weren’t in character once they applied the makeup and costumes. Her Mistress of Death persona consisted of white face paint with dark rings around her eyes and black lipstick, and she wore colored contacts, today bright red, to hide her hazel eyes. Her blond hair, which ran just past her shoulders, was dyed a bright pink for this leg of the tour, but it could, of course, be any color. She used to make it jet black every show, but bright colors were more fun and easier to see from the cheap seats. She always dressed in skin-tight leather outfits you’d never catch her in outside the clubs or arenas. Way too much trouble for everyday wear. Besides, they were the clothing choice of the Mistress of Death, not Sadie Finch. Today she wore a top with laces up the front to show off the inside curves of her breasts, as well as a tight short leather skirt and tattered fishnet stockings underneath. It all accented her lean but curvy form well.

“Kyle has it in hand as we speak,” Heidi said, referencing the bottle of cheap whiskey.

Sadie followed Heidi to the side of the stage where Kyle, their bass player, all 6’8” of him, towered over everyone. The other guys, Brandon and Race, the rhythm guitar player and drummer, respectively, stood on either side. Kyle wore his huge black hooded robes, as he went as The Executioner on stage. Brandon and Heidi wore their orange prison jumpsuits, Brandon Prisoner Number 13, Heidi Prisoner 666, while Race donned his tattered and broken straight jacket and zombie green makeup for his Experiment Zero persona. When they started the band almost 15 years ago, they had big plans to conduct skits during their sets, but soon learned the audiences wanted rock and roll, not theater, at least from opening acts they’d never heard of. They could get away with it now since they were of the almost-headliner status, had headlined small bars and clubs before, but it didn’t interest them anymore. Their personas, however, stayed, as each member had an easier time dealing with their nerves in their costumes. Sadie knew the Mistress of Death was much more adept at belting out her growling grunts and melodic tunes than she was as herself. She even usually dressed before soundcheck, as it helped her belt out the growls and melodies of metalcore to get the sound perfect.

“There they are,” Kyle boomed out, raising the bottle of whiskey, no doubt the rot-gut variety of their tradition. They did it right before stepping on stage for their first gig and hadn’t missed one yet.

Kyle took the first pull, drinking down a quarter of the bottle in one go. He let out a holler and handed the bottle to Race, who took a long drink. Next, it went to Heidi and then Brandon, who drank something near the equivalent of three shots each. After them, Sadie grabbed the bottle and found three healthy swallows left. She didn’t drink on tour, nor did she imbibe in drugs, tobacco, or anything else. She wasn’t opposed, nor did she have a problem, but those vices proved hell on her voice, and that’s what she brought to the band. She learned her lesson the hard way their first few tours all those years ago. 

“Bring on the Mistress of Death,” Kyle said, and Sadie tipped the bottle back and swigged the rest of the golden and bitter liquid like a pro. Yeah, it was the cheap shit, and it burned like hell going down, but as she grimaced and bent over, Sadie left, and the Mistress of Death permeated her soul. She stood up straight and smacked the now-empty bottle into a passing roadie’s hands. All five then put their hands in the middle of their circle, palms down, and they began their pre-set mantra.

She growled out, in her death metal voice, “Bring on the death, bring on the death, bring on the death,” followed by the four others shouting out, “Die, die, die!” They repeated it twice more, then brought their hands up with loud yells. A stagehand ushered them onto the stage, telling them they had thirty seconds. The other band, Rotting Dead or whatever the fuck they were called, took their bows to an appreciative and loud audience on the other half of the rotating stage. She salivated at the thought those cheers would soon be directed her way, their way. One quick check of the set-list to make sure she knew what to come in on and the stage started to move. They didn’t have any introduction music at this show to bring them on, so Heidi and the guys launched right into their opening song, “Blood Fountain.” The Mistress of Death, no longer Sadie Finch, threw up her left hand, keeping her index and pinkie fingers outstretched in metal horns, and was greeted with thousands and thousands of them back at her, along with raucous cheers that never failed to bring chills.

Once the stage finished its rotation, the band, like a well-oiled machine, stopped, the Mistress of Death screamed out, “What the fuck is up, Paris?” and before she could even relish the cheers, Heidi and the boys brought the thunder, and they were off.

CLICK HERE TO READ CHAPTER TWO


Friday, October 20, 2017

5 Tales of Erotic Horror

Hiya Peeps!

Sometime this weekend 5 Tales of Erotic Horror will be published on Amazon. This one is a bit different from most of my other work, as horror is the main driving point in these stories, not sex, though there is plenty of that! Some of these stories are gruesome, and I hope some of them even give you spine-tingling chills! I decided to write this short collection in time for Halloween for obvious reasons, but it's not a Halloween book. You can read it any time of the year! Check below for the description and cover. I'll post the link when the book is available! I hope you enjoy your sexy scares!


Five spine-tingling tales of sex, gore, and creepy fright!

Erotica and horror go together well. Haven’t you ever felt certain…urges while watching a scary movie or listening to a creepy fireside tale? Here are five short stories to get you shivering. In fear and delight.

Inside you’ll find:
I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It: A girl discovers her Halloween party conquest is holding a terrifying secret.
Back Alley Vamp: A hook-up in the shadows behind a tavern promises disastrous consequences.
Wolfing Him Down: Werewolves like to seek revenge, too, and have an easy way to get it done.
Freaks and Giggles: A recently dumped man finds something strange inside an abandoned big-top in the middle of nowhere.
On Camera: A married couple tries to make money by sneaking into a haunted house to get busy on camera.


5 Tales of Erotic Horror is almost 10,000 words of sexy and horrifying fun. You’ll enjoy the gore, frights, and scintillating good times as monsters gnaw on and play with their terrified and turned-on prey. 

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Novel (or Long Novella) Editing

Hiya Peeps!

I'm in the middle of editing my next novel (which will likely end up being a long novella - about 50,000 words), so I thought I would share my editing process. I've already shared how I edit my short stories, and while a lot is similar, my novel (and novella) editing process is a bit more involved. I have 9 stages of revision for my longer pieces. As I've said on all my posts about how I write, I'm mostly sharing this in case you're looking for a few hints to liven up your own routine, though I'm just as happy if you read it out of curiosity and continue doing what you do!

Before I start editing at all, I feel it's important to give the 1st draft some time to cool off. With longer works, the more distance you put between the draft and the editing process, the better. I like to give it at least two weeks, and a month is even better. While you wait, you might start plotting your next book, get a short story written that you've been dying to tell, or simply take a couple of weeks and read, catch up on TV and some movies (or family time if that's your bag), or otherwise decompress if it was a rough draft to write. Everyone is different, and what you need to do to get your sanity back is perfectly fine! Personally, I usually work on a short story while my novel sits and waits for editing.

When it's time to begin, I have 9 steps ahead of me. I currently use my laptop and my iPad in my editing process, and I'll explain how in each step. If you only use one gadget, that's no problem, as you'll see. You could even print out your manuscript and use a trusty red pen for most of the steps. I used to do that years ago, but with printer ink being more valuable than gold, I've since kept it all electronic. So, anyway, here are my 9 steps of revision.

1st Step: This is a quick read-through. I simply want to read through the draft to remind myself of everything and catch mistakes that I can later fix. While I'm writing, I'll often find inconsistencies or things I'd simply like to change, but it would kill all forward momentum I've built up. I have a file labeled "Revision" that I put these notes in, and I keep writing as if I've already fixed the problem. So in this read-through, I'll add on to this file if I find anything inconsistent, or if I have a new idea for a scene, character, setting, or whatever. It's not the time to fix it yet but simply label it. In this 1st step, I rarely even fix grammar mistakes. I complete this step on my laptop because I find it easier to add to my revision list.

2nd Step: This is where I dig into that revision file. While the 8 other steps are a front-to-back read and revise, this step often calls for me to jump around the manuscript. I create a second file, naming it something along the lines of "Revisions This Time" or something similar, and begin copying and pasting revision notes from the first file into this one. I use the word processing program Scrivener, so it's easy to have two files up on my screen at the same time. Of course, you can figure out how to do this with most or all word processing programs. Many of my notes are about a certain chapter, and I will put those into the new file first. For example, in my current work, Metalcore Minx, one of my notes said: "Ch.13, when the young couple asks for autographs, make sure it’s a better metal conversation—meaning they need to call her Mistress of Death at least once, say it’s strange to see her out of her makeup and costume or something." After getting the chapter notes done, I use the more general notes to fix the story. Sometimes this 2nd step could be four or five or more runs through the story until I'm happy that my revision notes have been implemented or otherwise found to not be necessary. I use my laptop on this entire step.

3rd Step: This is another quick run-through from front-to-back to make sure me implementing my revision notes didn't "break" any part of the story. Basically, I make sure the narrative flows once all the heavy-lifting has been done. I use my laptop for this step, mostly because it will begin to alternate starting with the next step.

4th Step: This is where my polishing of grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and other such things begins. I have the story in the linear order I want, so now I want to make it sound good. Unlike steps 1 and 3, I run through this step slowly so as to catch mistakes. I do this step on Scrivener on my iPad, mostly to get a physically different view of it.

5th Step: This is the same as the 4th step, but I'm back on my laptop. Again, this simply gives the eye a different superficial look at the same words. I don't know if it truly helps or not, but it feels like it to me, so I continue doing this.

6th Step: This is the same as step 4. By the time I'm done with this run-though, I'm ready to move on.

7th Step: This is where I use the editing program SmartEdit. I use it the same way I do when I edit my short stories. Feel free to click on the link in the 1st paragraph to read that post. The only difference between using SmartEdit with short stories and novels is time. Obviously, it takes much more of it in longer works. This program is on my laptop, so that's what I use.

8th Step: This is one final polish where I pay close attention to grammar, word choice, and other such fun stuff. I also make sure the story still flows after running it through SmartEdit. I can use either my laptop or iPad for this step, whichever is more convenient at the time. 

9th Step: This is the final editing step. I use a text-to-speech program to listen for typos and other mistakes which are often hard to catch when reading to yourself. I also find it helps me discover how the story flows. Personally, I use the program called NaturalReader, and like with SmartEdit, I talked about it in my short story editing post, so feel free to check it out there. Also, like with SmartEdit, the only difference between short stories and novels using NaturalReader (or any other text-to-speech program) is the time it takes. I use my laptop for this step since that's where NaturalReader is. I couldn't find anything I liked as well on my iPad.

Those are my 9 steps to revision. It takes quite a bit of time, especially the steps where I like to go through slowly to best catch mistakes or find better ways to say things, but it's worth it in the end. The finished product looks (and reads!) so much better. The book still needs to formatted for publishing, but that's a topic for another time!

What do you think? Does this look anything like how you do it? Does anything look like something you'd like to try? Or was it just nice to see how another writer works? I'd love to hear any comments! Thank you for reading!