Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Volo and the Marriage Rituals of Goblins || Series: Books Of Baldur's Gate III

On Goblins 


No, Volo. You are not Jaskier. You cannot seduce everybody. No.


This book is found on the bench in the room where Volothamp Geddarm, the bard known as Volo, is imprisoned by the goblin Gribbo. 

She is indeed delighted with his singing, but as she also intends to eat him when she gets bored of him, I believe Volo has severely misinterpreted her interest. 

On a related note, apparently there actually are half-goblins in Dungeons & Dragons (the source material for Baldur's Gate 3).   So Volo is not alone in his interest in...  'marrying' a goblin. In fact, kudos to him for actually being willing to marry her. 

Because... yeah. 

Most half-monster (half-orc, half-goblin, etc) children are generally products of rape. They don't have to be, but it's acknowledged in D&D descriptions that they probably are. 

On the positive side, you could use this backstory to create a complex, multi-dimensional character like Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU. 


But as harassment of female players and in-game rapes have been a bit of an ongoing problem for D&D (not just in the Bad Old Days, this is from 2019), dissections of who is having sex with whom and who is raping whom to produce which can be... squicky. 

And no, you can't just 'not think about it' because 'it's pretend'. Women are very aware of how they get pregnant. Women are very aware of the violence that can be perpetrated against them. If you willfully ignore that reality, even in fiction, you are creating a space that tacitly tells women their lived experiences are secondary to your fun.

So how to deal with this? 

Back to goblin marriage rituals. 

In Baldur's Gate 3, goblins are referred to as vermin (by Astarion as I remember) and much is made of how the Absolute has managed to make them a coordinated fighting force. But if you wander amongst the goblins, you'll note they do seem to have a society. Care and training of children. Male and female warriors of equal standing. Worg buddies. 


There's even a book of poetry. Okay, maybe that one was mostly lewd sketches. But humans are known to underline the "dirty words" in dictionaries so we have no moral high ground here.

If you fight on their side, they like you a lot, regardless of your not being a goblin. You can get a dialogue where one goblin pledges to follow your leadership to the ends of the earth. 

So if they experience loyalty, maybe goblins can experience romantic love. Maybe even with non-goblins. And maybe they have marriage ceremonies.

A quick google tells me Clerics can cast a ceremony spell for a wedding in D&D. The goblins have a cleric. 

Maybe Volo is on the right path, renovating half-goblin ancestry to include love-matches consecrated through marriage rituals. 

Will half-goblin become a playable race in Baldur's Gate 3? We'll have to wait and see.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Ballad of Darien Gautier

Long, long ago, when Elder Scrolls Online first appeared (2014), I fell in love with a character named Darien Gautier.

(Darien is voiced by Jon Curry, of Zevran Arainai fame (he's also the American-accented Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and you've probably heard his voice in a bunch of other BioWare and Bethesda games). So if you easily fall in love with voices, like me, you know where I'm coming from here.)

And---miracle of miracles---he fell in love with me!!!

(YES, although Zenimax won't let you flirt with ANYBODY ELSE, you CAN flirt with Darien. Bless the person who made this possible by working in some flirt dialogue choices. You are my hero.)

So when y'all are about to go up against the huge, final boss, you can get dialogue like this:


(happy sigh)

And you get dialogue about what we're going to do when the fight is over:


As the "beautiful hero of Coldharbour," I was definitely looking forward to a drink and a neck massage. And there was no reason to expect I wouldn't get it. From the moment we became a couple, Darien had been saying we'd be together, that we'd find each other after the battle, no matter what:


So my character is quite invested in this relationship. As well as saving the world, of course. Y'know. That, too.

*big, dramatic boss fight*  *yay victory*

And then.....

DARIEN DIED.

*sobbing*

Except we couldn't find his body so THERE WAS HOPE.

I played all the different sides of the ESO conflict, and I waited.

2015
One day, I was reading all the books in Orsinium, because that is something I do. (There is Important Lore to be found. Shut up.)

ANYWAY,  in the library of the Temple of Ire, I came across this:


Me: *high pitched dolphin shrieks* THIS IS DARIEN ISN'T IT IT'S GOT TO BE DARIEN OMG

*turns over page*


Me: *more high pitched dolphin shrieks*  IT DARIEN!!!

I told everybody on Twitter. Darien was trying to come back to me.

And I kept the faith.

2016
I wander into a Mages' Guild library in Anvil, and there is fellow Darien fangirl Gabrielle Benele, looking for Darien. I'm all like, "I HAVE A CLUE FOR THIS!!!"


So it's not just me. A Darien rescue could be on the cards.

And since then I've been waiting.

Waiting.

2018
In 2018 came the release of ESO Summerset. I was really hoping I'd learn more about Razum-dar, the charismatic Khajiit. Maybe even be able to flirt with him!

But no.

Nope.

Raz is present, but there's very little personal interaction.

And then I heard the Golden Knight's voice and I was like.... Is that...??!!

IS THAT...??!!

Meridia herself confirms that, YES, THE MYSTERY IS FINALLY SOLVED.

Now, you can see by this timeline that Zenimax Online has been playing a very long game here. Respect. I'm disappointed I still cannot flirt with Razum-dar, but RESPECT for remembering that there are Darien fangirls awaiting Darien's return. And for giving us some love:


It was truly nice to interact with him again.



So I did NOT expect him TO DIE AGAIN.

Even though it's been long enough that none of this should be "spoilers," I'll skip over exactly HOW he dies and just mention the important bit:  THIS TIME THERE WILL BE NO BODY. 

I'm like, NO. YOU CANNOT DO ME LIKE THIS, ZENIMAX.

So I hold out hope that somehow Meridia will give him back to me.

Then, at the end of Summerset, I hear a mysterious book has teleported to the victory celebration.

IT'S DARIEN I KNOW IT'S DARIEN

You may want to mute the sound on this clip as you read. That's Rigurt's laughter in the background.
(I adore Rigurt the Brash, it was so cool to meet him again, though his maniacal laughter can be unsettling in this context. The context of IMMA STAB THAT DAEDRIC BITCH.)


All I can say is this better not be the end of Darien Gautier.

Bethesda has announced the upcoming release of ESO ELSWEYR in June 2019. I have wanted to visit Elsweyr since Oblivion (2006) so, yeah, I'm gonna be there.

And my two greatest hopes for this expansion are:

1) I GET TO SHIV MERIDIA. IN THE FACE. TAKE THAT, GLISTER WITCH. GIVE ME MY DARIEN BACK.

2) I get to flirt with some Khajiit. Preferably Razum-dar. But, hey. ANY flirting would be nice.

Because, on that second point, I don't understand why I can wander the open world killing everything in sight, but I can't flirt with anyone. WTF, Zenimax Online/Bethesda?? What's up with that??

I mean, there are tons of games on the market where I can kill things. And some days, that's all I want. Give me a bow and point me toward the draugr.

But what makes an RPG game like Elder Scrolls endure, what makes it re-play-able, what gives it legs and positive word of mouth, is Emotional Investment. I want to care about the characters and the storyline. Throw in some flirting/personal stuff so I can pretend it's not just a linear path, it's something I chose, and thus I affected the world, or our little corner of it.

Let me have my Darien.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

May The Dread Wolf Take You

                           May the Dread Wolf take you...


Inquisitor: And he did.

Solas: No I didn't. I'd never have sex with you under false pretenses.

Inquisitor: Yeah, you didn't TAKE me---like you PROMISED, by the way---instead you TOOK ME IN. TOTALLY BAIT AND SWITCH.

Solas: I never promised to have sex with you.


Solas: Okay. Maybe... that MIGHT... have implied we were going off to have sex. But---

Inquisitor: And when we walk off screen, what happens? THIS:


Inquisitor: I think we're going for romance but instead you tell me something I valued IS CRAP and then BREAK UP WITH ME FOREVER. I mean, I know you're a Trickster God but that is some Fade-level deception right there.

Solas: I do have a beautiful voice, though.

Inquisitor: Yes. Yes, you do. You bastard.

Solas: So you're still going to romance me again on your next play-through, right?

Inquisitor: Probably.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Review of Desert Tryst from Audible UK

I just discovered that a lovely person named Jumime wrote a fantastic review of Desert Tryst on Audible UK and it is just so perfect that I am going to share it with y'all:


"Short+Sweet+Hot, like a chilli Chocolate Brownie!"

Would you consider the audio edition of Desert Tryst to be better than the print version?
I haven't read the print version, but judging by the narration, I think it would be as good as the audio edition.

What did you like best about this story?
I liked that you can feel the connection and chemistry between the main characters and that plenty of backstory is given for them, despite the short length of the novel. I also liked how sweet a character Thomas was, it's easy to see why Dmitiri would be drawn to him.

What about Greg Tremblay’s performance did you like?
He's a fantastic narrator, my favourite by far. He really brings the characters to life, making each voice distinctive and adding real emotion to his performance.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I definitely laughed at points, especially at Dmitri's internal musings, but mostly I aawww-ed at how these guys clearly want each other and have this chance to make it happen. I also really sympathised with Dmitri's hard life and upbringing and how, despite that, he's a strong character who's a good man at heart, if not in deed.

Any additional comments?
I like the fact that this is a short story because it's very well written and narrated, it avoids unnecessary 'padding' as some longer novels are prone to using to fill their stories and I can listen to it all in one sitting if I choose, as opposed to sometimes having to spread it out over a couple of days. I'm notorious for listening to a single book repeatedly. That being said, if a full-length sequel to this was written, I'd be all for it. Well done Susanne, this book is on my favourites list :)!


Thank you so much Jumime!!! I love you!!! :)

Click here to find Desert Tryst on Audible UK 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

DESERT TRYST AVAILABLE NOW

The cat-and-mouse game between professional assassin Dmitri Dzerzhinsky and FBI Special Agent Thomas Dalton may be developing into something more, at least for Dmitri. Blurring which side Dmitri’s on can’t continue. Hoping to get rid of his desire for Thomas, Dmitri goes to 1Night Stand for help. 

Unaware of the assassin’s interest, Thomas is attracted to Dmitri as well. So, discovering Madame Eve has given the Special Agent a night with the man of his dreams seems too good to be true. 


Sometimes it’s dangerous to get what you wish for. Can two men on opposite sides of the law find common ground beyond their mutual attraction? 





AVAILABLE ON:






Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Facebook Party May 19, 2015


Come to the Facebook Party TODAY!! I'll be there from 4:20 - 4:40pm Eastern (2:20 - 2:40pm Mountain) time. Come chat with me! Click here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/471379986347936/

Please.

Seriously.

Don't leave me alone on Facebook.

Lots of other authors will be there throughout the day, of course. Giving away PRIZES. FREE STUFF. So go party!

YOU NEED MORE STUFF.

CLICK THE LINK.

I'll see you there.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Chile Ristras and Petroglyphs on the Volcanoes


These are chile ristras.

This photo is from the Petroglyph National Monument website, which has lovely ones on display at their Visitor Center.

If you ever get to Albuquerque, do make a point of going to the Petroglyph National Monument.

You may not know it, but New Mexico is one of the most volcanic states in the union. There are three volcanoes here in Albuquerque. They're examples of fissure eruption ("curtains of fire," like from Kilauea).


Into this volcanic rock some 400 to 700 years ago, Ancestral Pueblo Indians carved petroglyphs. Or scratched. Chiseled. How they made the petroglyphs is actually unknown. These images were spiritually important to them.

Spanish settlers saw the designs and added their own (easily identifiable Christian iconography). You can walk multiple trails of varying difficulty to see these cultural symbols (both Puebloan and Spanish) in their natural habitat.


But back to chile ristras.

Colonial settlers on the east coast of North America used the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality. 

You'll find pineapples (some more stylized than others) on entryways, staircases, and in dining decorations.


In the same way, chile ristras came to symbolize hospitality in the southwestern Spanish colonies. 

Originally, the chiles were strung together and hung up to dry for future consumption, but this utilitarian storage solution meant one had beautiful bright red garlands hanging on one's porch, and the more you had, the more bountiful your future feasts would be. 

So it's easy to see how the display of numerous hanging ristras about the entryway could become associated with generous, welcoming hosts. 

Unlike pineapples, which are now associated with antique decor, chile ristras are still used in modern decoration in New Mexico. Consequently, they had to be mentioned in DESERT TRYST

Any Bed & Breakfast worth its chiles would have a ristra or two out front. I hope touches like this help make the story feel authentic for the reader.


Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Of Hatch New Mexico, Chiles, and Cheese

image from http://www.centralmarket.com/hatch

You know you're a local New Mexican when the waiter can ask you "Red or green?" after your breakfast order and you know exactly what he's talking about. 

He's talking about chiles. 

Do you want red chile or green chile?
Yes, chile sauce can be served at breakfast. Chiles can be served with anything. On anything. All the chain fast food restaurants have chiles on their menu, including Pizza Hut. Yes, there are chiles on the pizza. 

There are even chiles in the Chinese food in New Mexico.

Seriously.

You can't enter New Mexico without being introduced to the chile - especially the green chile. New Mexican green chiles, also known as Hatch green chiles - Hatch, New Mexico being where the main (some say best) farms are located, are unique. 

They aren't a subset of another type of chile. They are their own breed, developed by Fabian Garcia and officially released in 1917 ("Improved Variety No. 9"). Today you can purchase several varieties of Hatch chiles, such as Big Jim (noted favorite, medium hot, big and meaty) and Sandia (hot and flavorful).

Fabian Garcia, first director of New Mexico A&M's Agricultural Experiment Station, also worked on onions, cotton, and pecans - all of which grow around Hatch to this day. But none of them are as famous as his chile. 

In case you're wondering, red chiles are the same chiles as green chiles, they've just been left to ripen more before they're picked.


Roasting the chile crop is a yearly tradition in New Mexico. You can watch at restaurants, farmers' markets, or temporary roadside stands.

You can also roast your own chiles at home.

This is where the hoarding begins, because if you're a chile fan, you've got to buy and preserve enough chiles to last you until the next harvest.





What can you do with your chiles, now that you have them? Well, chile rellenos are popular.

Find this Hatch chile rellenos recipe HERE
But I have found that many people like the mix of chiles and cheese. There's something especially tempting about the taste of melted cheese and hot peppers.

The Dog House Drive In, located in Albuquerque, is famous for its chile cheese dogs.

And practically everywhere has a green chile cheeseburger (including all of the fast food chains, such as McDonalds).

There is even a Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, if as part of your tourist journey you would like to cheerfully munch your way across New Mexico state.

Several burger joints claim to be the inventor of this iconic sandwich. One of these is The Owl Cafe, which was the inspiration for the bar where my characters meet in my 1NS story DESERT TRYST.

So of course, green chile cheeseburgers have a cameo in DESERT TRYST. How could they not?

It's not New Mexico if there aren't chiles.


Friday, October 12, 2012

Twenty-Five Acts

Houston, we have a problem. 

Okay. So I'm watching Law & Order SVU, which is one of my favorite shows. I've watched all the episodes.

ALL OF THEM. 


And I'm enjoying the new actors this season. Got nothing against the show.

This week's episode - Twenty-Five Acts - was about the rape of an author of a 50-Shades-of-Grey-style BDSM romance.

Now here's my problem - the show went with the premise that the below are truths:

1) Because the author wrote about certain sexual acts, the jury would think she wanted those acts done to her.

2) Because what you write is your personal fantasy.

3) And she couldn't have just researched it. Those sexual acts had to have been inspired by a real man/relationship.

WTF???


Now, I've written a BDSM romance.

On an alien planet.

I've never done any of the BDSM sexual acts in the story.

Neither have I been to an alien planet.

Nor are either of those things my personal fantasy. I'm really not interested in interstellar travel until we get to the space-cruise-ship level. Until then, there's plenty of places on Earth for me to explore.

And the inspired by a real person thing? Oh sure, I'm quite positive I was inspired by real men - who do not know I exist. 

It's called imagination.

Coupled with research.

As with the fictitious book in the Law & Order episode (based on 50 Shades of Grey - itself originally a fan-fiction Twilight tale), this isn't a kiss-and-tell memoir, it's fiction, for pity's sake!

FICTION.

Other types of fiction don't get treated like this.

Nobody asks Stephen King how many hotel ghosts have driven him insane. Or James Patterson how many people he's murdered. Or Tess Gerritsen if she's secretly a serial killer.

Nobody assumes these three have bloody fantasies. Or that they're asking to be possessed/murdered/crime victims.

And certainly nobody believes they've actually done any of the things they've written.

So why do people take for granted that it's imagination and research when it's violence, and lifestyle when it's sex?

Why is writing about consensual sex between two adults shameful and writing about body horror and physical atrocities perfectly acceptable?

I don't know the answer. So I'm asking you.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Listener Reviews for WICKED BELOVED





Sample and purchase at:



Thursday, September 27, 2012

Interview with ADAM HOWDEN




Welcome to The Chatty Cat Cafe!

Those of you who've followed me for a while know I used to post pet-centered interviews under the Cafe title, back on my old blog.

A few of those interviews were saved and appear on my website.


But I haven't done any more....UNTIL NOW.   **trumpet fanfare**


Have you been listening to the audio version of Wicked Beloved and wondered, who is the exceedingly talented and sexy fella reading this? Wonder no longer!

Yes, today the Chatty Cat is privileged to present.... oh, who am I kidding.... Today the Chatty Cat is squeeeeeing like a teenaged fangirl on a half-crazed sugar high because our guest is the one and only:



ADAM HOWDEN

If you play video games at all, you'll be familiar with his work. He's all over:

Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Fable III
Star Wars: The Old Republic
as well as starring in:
Lost Horizon (Fenton Paddock)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Shulk) (English version)
and
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game (Tintin)

And he has acquired his own Estrogen Brigade from playing Anders in Dragon Age II.


On stage he starred as Malevole/Altofront in The Malcontent, plus he has guested in several television programs, like New Tricks.

Adam in The Malcontent

And, as I said, now he has narrated the audiobook version of Wicked Beloved. (Squee! Such a sexy voice!)

So, yes, right there my gaming and writing worlds collide. 

Luckily I am a professional.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Ahem.

Okay. Not that much of a professional. (major Twitter crush)

Amazingly, because he is an extra-special, patient, and very, very nice person, he agreed to be interviewed by drooling fangirl me.

So here we go:

Welcome to The Chatty Cat Cafe! First off, tea or coffee? How do you like it served?

Tea, well brewed, milk, half teaspoon of sugar.

The focus here is generally on pets and you’re famous for being a Kind Hearted Cat Lover. Please introduce us to your cats.

I have two black cats. They are called Frankie & Goose. Frankie is very pretty (he's a bit of a girl). He wears a collar & has white armpit hair. He's also a bit chubby. Goose is a bit more rough around the edges, but still very handsome.

How did you come up with the names Frankie and Goose?

I actually didn't have the honour of naming Frankie & Goose. They were from a rescue centre. I think they'd already had several owners before me & presumably one of them named them. They are from the same litter though, brothers, so they've always had each other.  

What are their favorite treats?

Goose likes treats. His favourites are these smelly biscuits called Dreamies, but he's also partial to a bit of smoked salmon. Frankie won't eat treats. Don't know why. He'd rather eat more than his fair share of his normal dried food.

Favorite places for napping?


Goose likes to either sleep on my bed (especially when I've just changed the sheets), or on rough surfaces like wicker baskets. Frankie likes to sleep in enclosed spaces. Under duvets or in his little cat hut, which is like a very small tent. They're both fond of the sofa too.

Which of your characters/performances would you say best represents the ethos of each of your cats and why?

Goose is like a character I played in a play called MARY STUART called "The Earl of Leicester", who was Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite at court. He behaves all smooth & cavalier & is a bit of a user but really he's a bit insecure & needs love & reassurance.
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Historical Hottie.

Frankie is more like my character "Anders" who I voiced in the video game DRAGON AGE 2. He's pretty loyal, loving & very determined (especially when he wants to get into a room when the door is closed or under my duvet in the middle of the night) He appears to be a softy but he sometimes goes absolutely crazy like he's possessed (like Anders). He's given me some nasty bites & scratches before.
Anders in Dragon Age 2
Do you get nerves before performances? How do you relax?

I do get nervous before any performance whether it's stage, screen or voice over. I just have to say to myself "you'll love it when you're doing it so get on with it". You just have to dive in & at some point the nerves subside & you start to enjoy the performance.

How do you warm up before performing?

To warm up I do vocal & physical exercise. The vocal involves lots of scales & I will sometimes sing songs. Also I do tongue twisters like repeating "Red Leather, Yellow Leather" & "I'm not pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son. And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant plucker comes." The latter one can sound quite interesting if you mess it up.
I do loads of stretching for physical warm ups.

What's your favorite song to sing?

Songs I might sing to warm my voice up are "Shimmer" by a band called FUEL, "Folding Stars" by BIFFY CLYRO & "Friday I'm In Love" by THE CURE.

If life were a musical, what would be your theme song?

If life were a musical, my theme song would be "Hasa Diga Eebowai" from THE BOOK OF MORMON. It's so funny & outrageous. I love it.

You can act and you can sing - are you a triple threat? Can you dance?

I am possibly one of the worst dancers mankind has ever known, so unfortunately I'm not that kind of "Triple Threat", no. I probably have some comedy value though.

If you had complete artistic control and money was no object, what play/movie/game/book/whatever would you choose to star in and why?

If money was no object & I had full artistic control I would want to write, star & direct a movie about my mother's side of the family living in East Africa in the 1960's. I would play my grandfather. I've been told so many amazing stories of their time there & having visited there myself I want others to see what a beautiful place it is. It's all in my head, I just need to write the bugger ;)

I know you write comedy sketches—are you working on anything currently? Is comedy your favorite genre to write?

I'm hoping to film some more comedy sketches soon. It's hard because you're often depending on other people's availability & there's no budget. But I do it because it's fun. I like writing & performing comedy because I am very childish.

How was recording an audiobook different from recording for games and adverts?

Recording an audiobook takes a lot more time than games or adverts. So it takes a lot of patience on both my part & the sound engineer. You know you're going to be sat at a mic for hours reading aloud, which is not something we tend to do much of in the 21st century, so it's important to try to be as relaxed as possible. Don't get angry at yourself when you cock-up & try to be as prepared as possible.

And lastly, getting back to the pet theme I wandered away from, do you have any advice for someone thinking of getting a cat?

My advice to anyone thinking of getting a cat is to get one from a rescue centre. The chances are it'll be much more fun & intelligent than some inbred pedigree breed & you won't have to worry that people are going to steal it. Also, the rescue centre will have had it health checked, neutered & micro-chipped. There is no need to spend hundreds of pounds for a cat. You can get yourself a wonderful bundle of fluff for the cost of a small donation to the rescue centre.

Thank you so much for doing this!! 





Y'all can follow Adam on Twitter to keep up with his exploits. 

And you can buy his reading of Wicked Beloved on Audible or iTunes.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

NEW BOOK RELEASE - WICKED BELOVED


Though warned of the Tellurian slave’s uncooperative nature, Guild Assassin Dzer-Jin Vonn is intrigued when the alluring redhead promises to obey him and be the best slave ever. Her prior owner misused her but did not quench her spirit; her tongue cuts with amusing precision.

Abducted from Earth by aliens, ripped from life as she knows it, she gives her new master only the label “slave” to call her by.  She’s landed in a culture where violence is foreplay. Yet her sexy master stands apart from his peers; he shows compassion.

When Dzer-Jin is challenged to slice her skin for public titillation, she agrees to the display with no bonds but trust. He earns status for her obedience but she frets he’ll tire of his “pet” if she doesn’t service his sexual appetites. The passion seething between them terrifies her. Is her desire to escape to Earth stronger than her need to serve Dzer-Jin’s lust—or her own?

Available on Amazon: 



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Looking for Something New to Read?

My historical paranormal romance Dance Macabre has been chosen as one of their FREE Amazon promo books by my publisher Decadent Publishing! Whoot!! 

Consequently, if you ever even thought about trying one of my books, the time is NOW as it's only FREE ON AMAZON for the rest of THIS WEEK.

Here are some quick links to help you:

Free on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Macabre-Lords-Pendragon-ebook/dp/B005XO2INU

Free on Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Macabre-Lords-Pendragon-ebook/dp/B005XO2INU

Free on Amazon Germany:
http://www.amazon.de/Dance-Macabre-Lords-Pendragon-ebook/dp/B005XO2INU

And you don't need a Kindle, either. Amazon has FREE Kindle apps so you can read on your PC, Mac, Android phone, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, anything!

GO DOWNLOAD NOW!!!  ;)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Books, Scotland & More in Chicago April 2012


Online registration for the RT BookLovers' Convention in Chicago, April 11 - 15, 2012 is open!

Are you going?

There's tons of panels and chats and parties for writers, readers, booksellers and librarians, YA fans, everyone!

And of course, book-signings, like the one pictured here.

The hotel is the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, which looks beautiful - and convenient for the airport. 


As always, I am on the Faery Court, hosting the Faery Ball. This year we're doing a Magical Scottish Fling and encouraging our guests to attend in a Scots-themed costume. Something out of Scottish myth and legend, a character from your favorite Scottish historical or person from Scottish history, or even the embodiment of your favorite Scottish song or poem! 

You love Robert Burns' Red, Red Rose? Come in a gown of red rose blossoms and petals! 

There will be a costume contest, of course, and - new this year - a drawing for three mega-baskets of gifts. Not just promo stuff. Actual cool gifts.

It's going to be fantastic. 

This year I am also hosting a readers' panel and, as you can see, I have awesome company (panel info below). Please join us for the Naked Truth about Scotland!

Hope I see y'all at the Convention!


UNDER THE KILT — THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT SCOTLAND

Everything you ever wanted to know about Scotland. Not only what a gentleman wears under his kilt, but also: If the rebels supported Bonnie Prince Charlie, why are they called Jacobites? Are Bloody Mary and Mary, Queen of Scots the same person? What is a Burns supper and is haggis really as disgusting as it sounds? If you love Scotland, join us for an interactive chat about this unique land.
Hosts: Loretta Chase, Donna Grant, Sahara Kelly, Kimberly Killion, Cathy Maxwell, Susanne Saville, Veronica Wolff

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thoughts on Skyrim and Dragon Age

Welcome to Skyrim. This place probably needs no introduction amongst my readers, right? We're all bleary-eyed from having stayed up too late playing the latest in the Elder Scrolls franchise.

My fella asked if I was riding a draft horse and I proceeded to tell him about how Skyrim horses are sturdy and built for endurance because of the local terrain etc etc. He asked how I knew all this. I told him I'd been living in Skyrim for a while now.

So you can take it as read that I love Skyrim. Even though the giant Frostbite Spiders are entirely too realistic.
You do not want to see that thing charging at you - first person point of view, mind!

Of course, it's worse when they sneak up on you. Turn around and WHAM there's a giant spider IN YOUR FACE.

I hear there's a No-Spiders mod for PC players. I'm a PS3 player, so I'm stuck with 'em. Solution? Temporarily turn gameplay to "Novice" and hit 'em with a Dwarven Battle Axe. Results in minimum amount of spider face-time.

As realistic as Skyrim is, I must admit I felt more You Are There in Rage.

Rage feels like you're holding a video camera in front of your face. You're literally right there.

So glad that game didn't have spiders.

Some of my friends criticized Rage's role-playing aspect. I was lenient on that because it's listed as a First Person Shooter, and that's really what it is. A First Person Shooter with Talking.

Because my friends are correct, the role-playing aspect is weak - you don't get to know anyone very well considering what they want you to do for them; you risk your life on the slimmest acquaintance and you choose sides without much inquiry on your part. One of my friends diagnosed the player character as "pants-on-head-stupid."

I was reminded of this when playing one of the quests in Skyrim. My only option to get the quest moving forward again was... well, I said to my screen, "What? Am I pants-on-head-stupid?"

And it struck me that many of the criticisms that were leveled at Rage are valid against Skyrim as well. You risk your life on the slimmest acquaintance. You're asked to choose sides before knowing much about either.

But what really gets me is the lack of dialogue options. I know things. And yet there are no options to tell anyone. I know the identity of a secret Thalmor agent. Obviously I must be able to tell someone at some point. But why wouldn't I tell them now?

That's a small frustration, though. I think my biggest criticism of Skyrim is that we don't get to know anyone very well. And this is important, because Skyrim IS a Role-Playing Game.

I want to know - and like - the characters I'm fighting for. For me, what differentiates a Role-Playing Game from other genres is the emotional investment. I expect there to be a story and I want to feel something because of my role in that story.


This was something Dragon Age 2 did spectacularly. I care about all the people in my party. I feel for them, and I want them to like me. Especially Fenris and Anders. (cough, cough)

Which brings up ROMANCE. Nobody does romance like the Dragon Age team. There's flirting and witty dialogue and it's genuinely fun.

Sidebar - have you seen the sexy cutscenes in Dragon Age Origins? Those were awesome!! Why don't other games do this? Why didn't Dragon Age 2 do this? I expect sexy cutscenes in Dragon Age 3!! Developers, take note!!

Back to romance in Dragon Age 2:  However you feel about romancing Anders and how that complicates your response to Anders' actions - the point is that you do feel it. Your emotions are invested in this game.

I don't feel anything about anyone in Skyrim. (Except my horse. Anyone kills my horse, I hit reload save.)

Currently there is nothing stopping this Dragonborn from saying, y'know, y'all are about as inviting as this place, which is unrelentingly snowy and cold, and Alduin actually sounded pretty intelligent so I'm having a moral crisis over slaying all these rare beasts, therefore I'm riding south in search of a beach. Good luck with whatever.

After all, I've got plenty of reading material - Cats of Skyrim, Thief of Virtue. Maybe I'll stop in Cyrodiil and see if they can find a copy of Hard in Hightown for me.