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Monday, September 1, 2014

Interview: Rodd Clark

 
Hello everybody, today, I have the pleasure to host Rodd Clark.
Welcome to my Jaded Eden, Rodd. Before I begin to flood you with questions, can you introduce yourself with a few words?
My name is Rodd Clark and I currently reside in Dallas, Texas.   I have made a home in the oppressive Texas heat, only because I can travel the world in my books.  My greatest love, besides writing is the animals in my company. I am pleased to say that my home is filled to capacity with dogs, cats and the occasional stray which I am eager to welcome.
 
Now that we know you a little better, let’s begin, shall we?
 
The morning, you are tea or coffee?
Coffee, I’m addicted.
 
What kind of book do you write?
Mysteries and Thrillers
 
Why did you choose this genre?
I started writing true-crime because I have an interest in the darker sides of the human psyche but I am eager to cross-over into other genres like horror and erotic fiction.
 
When you write, are you keyboard or paper?
Keyboard, I work from the computer because I often need to research areas in my books to gain realism and access to the internet is a must.
 
Are you more motivated to write when the sun shines or when the weather is gray?
Both work for me, but I do enjoy reading more when the sky is grey and cloudy.
 
Where do you find your inspiration?
Other writers, great books, movies…
 
When you start writing a book, do you already have the whole story in your head, or is it built progressively?
Both actually, sometimes the story is laid out for me by my outline, but characters often decide to change the course of their story along the way, what can you do but acquiesce and allow them room to grow.
 
What do you feel before a book’s release? Fear? Joy? None of the above? And after?
Personal pride but a release date doesn’t mean as much to me as to other writers, because in my mind the book is already out in the ether when I complete it.
 
Between your first and last novel, do you feel a change? Do you write differently?
Yes, I believe I have grown a lot from my first book to the last one, but I am always struggling to regain that initial sense which I created in my first project.  I want the reader to be able to distinguish my books and say that sounds like a “Rodd Clark” kind of phrase.
 
They say that writers project themselves into the skin and the head of their hero/heroine, is that the case for you?
I would say yes, even though my characters are rarely an extension of myself.  I can’t help but add my own voice through them, because real and tangible characters have to be built from somewhere, and it works best when that voice is the author’s.
 
You define yourself more like a bookworm, a city mouse, or a country mouse?
Country mouse for sure.
 
Molière wrote: “Writing is like prostitution. First we write for the love of it, then for a few friends, and in the end, for money”. What do you think about it?
I agree and I consider myself a professional writer, I have no other job to report to on Mondays, so for me…this is it.  I began writing because I had a desire, but even an artist understands how the world works.  I could write hundreds of books in a lifetime but the individual recognition through sales is what drives us forward.
 
Your books have already been translated?
If you are asking have they, I would have to say no.
 
Do you pay attention to literary criticism?
Criticism is like a passing complement, if you let it get to you, it can make you vain and shallow.  How people see you, is less important than how you see yourself.
 
The days have 25 hours. You spend that extra hour in the garden or in the kitchen?
I enjoy both but I lean towards kitchen.
 
Which book would you bring with you on a deserted island?
Probably a book on survival, learning how to build a fire out of nothing might prove essential.
 
When you go to bed, do you turn off the light right away or do you take the time to read?
Rarely, I write so frequently that I am usually too tired to read before bed, but I have my favorite authors I follow, and I try to keep up with their newest projects.  I consider their success my inspiration.
 
Thank you for being such a good sport, Rodd.
And now, for the readers’ pleasure, here’s the blurb and an excerpt of your book


A Cache of Killers:
A Brantley Colton Mystery
(The Brantley Colton Mysteries Book 2)
 
Brantley Colton never set out to be anything but normal...but with tragedy came transformation. In his search for peace he is confronted with the darker aspects of men’s souls and plagued by horrific murders at every turn. “Why does evil seem drawn to him like a wise virus contaminating his body?” In “A Cache of Killers” Colton runs across a ring of child abductors and killers and sets out to enact his own brand of justice…saving a life because his is so torn and tenuous.





Colton had driven around the damp canyons of downtown Portland, he had traipsed through residential streets and cruised blocks where drug addicts casts webs, wooing others to their dens, as spiders ingesting blood from the creepy-crawlies they preyed upon. He had seen most portions of the city where the tourists visited and observed parts where the natives didn’t venture, and through it all he was still amazed at how much the city could astound him.
The deaths of the boys had their affect, but it seemed unremarkable to him. The world still revolved, papers were still sold on the corner stands broadcasting additional information and tastier news, business men still walked carrying attaché cases along the downtown streets, and preachers still held court from the pulpit on each and every corner and in every church…but few were obsessing over dead runaways and street urchins like Colton had been.
Somehow he suspected Art Peck was involved in the boys’ disappearances, but there was no proof to that. The only thing he had seen had been evidenced that Peck’s arrest for solicitation had been well-founded. He was a sexual deviant and patron of those purveyors of human sexuality. But that still didn’t make him a killer. As boring as his time spent trailing Peck had been, he rationalized he might have to do it again, choosing to wait until the upcoming weekend. If Peck was going to show him something, it might be then.




You can find Rodd’s book on Amazon and on Wordpress

And you can follow him on Twitter




Monday, August 18, 2014

To Be or not to Be... translated



Hello! *waves* How are you? Remember me?


Oh, come on, you MUST remember me, I wasn’t gone that long! And I had a good reason. A very good reason! I swear! I was working. *stands proudly* that’s right, working.

Working??? I hear you say. Doing what? Some of you are asking.

Well… Translating of course!

And I’m here today to say thank you. Thank you for being my friends (some of you for such a long time now), thank you for trusting me to translate your books when you didn’t have any real proof that I’d be good at it, thank you for staying by my side even if I didn’t log on a lot these past months. Not only did I find real friends all around the world, but I also found a job that I’m loving. I love it. I really do. But I have a problem… I suck at promoting. Oh, no! Don’t get me wrong, I’m good at promoting the books I translate. We have a network of French bloggers and reviewers and they get involved every time one of our translations is published, plus forums and groups where we discuss each release.  I just suck at promoting myself. And in case you didn’t notice, that’s what I trying do here (see? I told you I totally suck at it!). 

Ok, let’s begin again…

Hi, my name is Jade Baiser and my friend Valérie and I have decided to create a translation company called Juno Translation. Well, it's more an association than a company, but the goal remains the same. I translate, Valérie is proofreading, and we deliver high quality translations (at least that’s what the French readers say after reading the finished product!)

True, we only translated MM romance… until now. Since we love what we’re doing so much, we thought “why stop at one genre?”. So we are now translating MM, FM and we hope MFM, and MMM (my dream…). The only thing requested is that we like the story. We don’t want to translate anything just to make money. That’s not our goal at all. We want to share books we enjoy with the French readers, books they would have never read if we didn’t translate them. We love when they discover a new author and they are charmed or aroused by the way they write.

The truth is (and I’m speaking for myself but I’m sure Valérie feels the same) when one of my translations is released, I jump up and down everywhere, I look at the ratings every two seconds, and I’m as excited as the author. In fact, it’s almost like it was my book. But it’s not. Except for the love I put in my translation, the story, the style, the feelings, all are the author’s.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, promoting…

If you have a book you would like to translate in French, I’m your man… um… your woman. So please, don’t hesitate to contact me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/junotraductions or send me a message jadebaiser @ yahoo.fr (with no space).

Have I gotten your attention? Are you interested in broadening your audience of readers? Do you long for a true French kiss to be bestowed on you? Feel free to message me with any and all questions you have… all you need is slightly wet lips, an imagination that makes you tingle and of course, a paypal account.

There, how was I?



Monday, January 20, 2014

Story Orgy

So, after missing last Monday “rendez-vous” (and I hope you will forgive me about that) here I am again. My story still doesn’t have a title (I really suck at finding titles!) but it’s still about Shane and… well, you’ll have to find out!

And remember, living a comment is always welcome (it strokes my ego, and I need it sometimes lol)

The prompt today is: Promises were broken.

I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Sorry, my computer won't let me upload the pic for this week, so I'll try later, but if I can't, hopefully you'll be able to see it on the other Orgiasts' blogs.






*Untitled*

       pt. 2

             copyright © 2014 Jade Baiser







Spence barked as soon as he heard the key turn in the lock, making him jump back into the present. Shane sighed. His dog wasn’t going to be happy to be left alone tonight. Oh well, he would leave him with plenty of toys and Spence would have a lot more fun than Shane was going to have, no doubts about it. He opened the door and let his furry friend jump on him and lick him, thinking that it would be the only form of love he would have the whole evening, anyway. Oh for God's sakes, stop pitying yourself! Grow some balls already! After dropping his keys in the decorative bowl he kept by the front door for this purpose and kicking the door closed, he quieted his more than excited dog and dragged himself to the bathroom to take a shower in anticipation of the evening. Anticipation, yea, right!

A stop in his room to undress was priority number one. He hung his suit on the specialty hook installed on the back of the closet door and grabbed his underwear, socks and shirt to put them in the laundry basket. One could be depressed without being a total slob. Entering the bathroom, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Haggard, tired eyes devoid of any light… he really needed to do something with his life.

The water on his skin made him feel better, chasing a bit of tiredness he dragged with him since morning. While his soapy hands roamed his body, he imagined other hands – his hands – caressing his chest, slowly going down to his belly button, pausing there to tease him, and then resuming their descent to his swollen cock. He hissed as he remembered the feel of these hands on his body, the way they used to send shivers through his spine, making him feel whole.

He wrapped his right hand around his cock and began to slowly stroke it while his left took hold of his balls, tugging at them gently at first, then a little harder until it began to hurt. His cock twitched in response and his hole quivered, wanting to be filled. Taking advantage of the fact that his hands were covered with soap, he reached back with his left one and let a finger slip down his crack to reach his wrinkled entrance. He slowly sank it to the first knuckle, giving time for his body to adjust to the intrusion, but not too long. He withdrew it, took a deep breath and quickly plunged two fingers to the hilt. A flash of pain shot through him, sending electrical waves throughout his body, nearly knocking him down. His eyes filled with tears and his vision faltered, but his erection didn't diminish; on the contrary, it amplified to the point of becoming excruciating, screaming for some harsh attention. His fingers curled inside him, trying to reach that spot, that small button that would make him fly. The hand on his cock tightened while still sliding up and down his shaft, making him hiss whenever his thumb passed over his slit.

Shane closed his eyes and saw his face over him, a crooked smile on his lips. A voice echoed in his head and let himself be soothed by the other man’s words.

You like that, don't you? A little pain here, a little pain there, and it's all you need. You take off like a supersonic plane. Come for me, Shane. Let me see how much you want me, come for me, now.”

Shane came on the shower tiles, a silent scream on his lips, sparks burst behind his closed eyelids and his body began to shake uncontrollably. He surfed the wave, letting his body take control over his mind; he didn't want to think anymore, he just wanted to feel. Feel like he felt with him, even if everything wasn't perfect. Promises were broken after all, but for the moment, he didn't want to think about it. His ears began to buzz, his breathing faltered, and his legs gave way. He let himself fall heavily on the shower's slippery floor, holding his head in his hands and began to cry. He wept until the water turned cold and reminded him that he needed to get a grip and get out of here. He was expected somewhere, and Dan wouldn't appreciate if he let him down.

He got up painfully, washed quickly and rinsed with cold water. Shivering and teeth chattering, he turned off the faucet before grabbing a towel. He began to dry himself vigorously, hoping that his body would forget what had happened when he heard a ringing. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went into the bedroom where he had left his phone. He looked on the screen to know who the caller was and winced when he saw his friend's name. Apparently, Dan was serious about his presence and he was calling to remind him not to be late. Shane didn't really want to talk right now, but not responding would only delay the inevitable. He knew Dan enough to know he wouldn't give up; he’d call until Shane picked up the phone. He took a deep breath and pressed the button to answer the call. “Hey, Dan. You miss me already?” He asked with a voice as happy as he could manage.

He heard his friend's chuckle at the other end of the phone and Shane couldn't help it, he had to smile. Dan had this effect on him. No matter how down he was, Dan seemed to always cheer him up, just by his presence. “I always miss you, you damn well know it,” Dan said before getting serious, “I just wanted to be sure that you are coming tonight. I’m really concerned about you, you seem so sad lately. You know I’m here for you, right? If you need to talk, or anything else.”

Shane sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “I know, Dan. I’m not ready to talk about it yet, but when I am, you’ll be the first to know.” He bit his lower lip, not knowing what to add. “Listen, I was in the shower, so I need to leave you now, because I'm soaking my bedroom carpet. Don't worry. I’m coming to your place. But you gotta stop calling me so I can get ready.”

 “In the shower? You mean you’re talking to me while naked? Don’t move, I’m grabbing my camera and I’ll be there in five minutes!”

“Ha ha! Very funny. Leave me alone, Dan. I really need to get ready if you want me to get there on time. Although being late is very fashionable, so they say. Maybe I should follow the fashion for once...”

“Don’t you dare! If you’re not on time, I’ll drag you here. And you know that I’m dead serious!”

“Calm down, I’ll be there. I’ll even pretend to enjoy myself,” Shane said, bitterly.

“Shane…” Dan warned him.

“I know, I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. Don’t worry, I’ll behave.” Shane heard Dan’s sigh and he felt bad. “So, who will I have the pleasure to meet tonight? Anyone interesting? Or the habitual crew? Although I don’t know any of your friends, so I don’t know why I’m asking.”

“You know Rick. And you got along pretty well with him last year, if I remember correctly.”

Shane groaned inwardly. Great, Rick would be there. Just what he needed to feel better. But what did he expect? Of course Rick would be there, he was Dan's best friend. He ran his hand through his hair once again, feeling miserable. He didn't know if he could face him. After all, Shane was the reason Rick and Luke broke up, and he wasn't proud about it. And for what? Four months of intense sex before he backed away, afraid of what he was feeling, unable to assume who he was. But it wasn't only sex, wasn’t it? No, he fell for the guy, hard and completely. But until he could face who he was, he wouldn't be able to be happy, or at least try to grab a second chance if it ever came about. He knew it, but he couldn't accept his nature.




As usual, don’t forget to see what my fellows Orgiasts are offering you today… Personally, I know that I can’t wait to read where their stories are going today! You just need to click on their names, and... tada! 




Monday, January 6, 2014

The Story Orgy's back!



Well hello Story Orgy lovers…

I can’t believe it’s been a year since the SO didn’t post any of their Prompts… I don’t know about you, but I certainly missed it. Even if we never were far from each other (on the Internet, of course, not in real life… sadly) posting every Monday kind of bring us closer. So I’m very happy to be back, even if it’s only for a month… or a year.

Ok, you know how it works. The Goddess gave us a prompt: he hadn’t seen him in a year.

Oh, if you’re new to it, I need to explain a little who is who and then, you'll click on their name to read their stories, ok?

Our Goddess: Em Woods

My Kind Sir: Lee Brazil

My Fur King: Hank Edwards

My yang: Havan Fellows

My Sunshine: JR Boyd (no link for the moment, my Sunshine will come when he's ready)

You noticed the “our” and “my” right? Good!

Now that you know everybody, back to the prompt. So, the Goddess gives us a prompt, and we have to write a story with it in it.

So here’s my story (I still don’t have a title, so if you think about one, don’t hesitate, leave a comment – although you can leave a comment even if you don’t have a title *winks*)

Now, I’m no writer, but these wonderful people keep accepting that I post a story with them. I’m more a “photo person”, you know, the camera girl, so I’m more proud about the pic I made than the story I wrote, but at least I tried J


He hadn't seen him in a year



 

*Untitled*
       pt. 1
             copyright © 2014 Jade Baiser

 

“So?”
Shane lifted his head from the computer and looked at the man standing impatiently in front of his desk. Dan was persistent, to say the least. Shane sighed and prepared himself for what was about to come.
“Hi, Dan. And yes, I had a wonderful Christmas, thank you for asking.”
“Oh please! We all know you spent it all alone because you refused to come to my place. But this time, I won’t take no for an answer. You’re coming to my New Year’s Eve party, and that’s it!”
“Hey! I wasn’t alone! Spence was with me. And we cuddled all night long in front of the fire place. That was… nice.”
Dan rolled his eyes. “I love Spence, but it’s just a dog. You need some human interaction. You used to be so funny, Shane. What happened to you?” He put his hands on the desk and leaned to look in his friend’s eyes. “The last time I saw the real you was at your birthday party, and that was seven months ago. I don’t know what happened then, but you need to get a grip. And lucky for you, I’m here to help you do just that. So… Be at my place around nine. You don’t need to bring anything, just be there!” He turned around and left, leaving Shane with his mouth open to obviously refuse the invitation but not giving him the time to do so.
Shane closed his mouth and looked at his friend as he went back to his own desk, a few steps away. Damn, Dan would not give up. He would harass him until Shane agreed. He sighed again, louder this time. After all, maybe he actually needed to take his mind off of things. He was living as a hermit for almost seven months now, only leaving home to go to work, and for what? He was punishing himself, but he wasn't the only one to blame in this.
His phone rang, snatching him from his dark thoughts. With a last glance in Dan's direction, who pretended not to see him, he picked it up and spoke to the customer who called. This was going to be a long day.
 
***
 
Shane hurried home. Of course, he had to deal with a very unhappy customer – working at a help desk wasn’t his first choice, but he needed money to pay his rent – and now he was late and Spence would be mad at him. Not to mention that he would have to leave his dog alone for the evening to attend Dan’s party. As predicted, his friend didn’t let go. While Shane was hoping for a quiet lunch break, Dan kept telling him – ordering him – to come to his party. Shane finally agreed because he wanted Dan off his back. And also because he really wanted to get out of this prison he had locked himself in.
 The subway ride was challenging, as always at this hour in New York; too many people and not enough room. He hated this promiscuity. In fact, he wanted to live in the countryside, but no one needed a computer expert there, so he was sentenced to stay in the Big Apple. His parents were farmers, and his fondest memories were on their farm. Unfortunately, they died in an accident when he was eight, and having no other family, he was placed in state care. He had somehow made ​​his way through several foster families and discovered a passion for IT in one of them who owned a computer. Since then, he was more comfortable with computers than humans. He had tried to mingle without much success. Until last year, at the same period... He had thought at that time that there might be hope for him. He could remember it just like it happened yesterday…
The music was loud, so loud. Shane began to regret having come at all. But he had promised Dan he would make an appearance, even if it went against everything he wanted. He was not very comfortable in society. When he was going out with Dan – just as friends, they didn't have that kind of relationship – it was easy. They got along very well, and Shane could let go and show his true nature. And they were having fun like crazy. But today, all these people scared him. Where did Dan meet all of them? He and Dan were inseparable and Shane couldn't remember seeing him with other people beside himself. So where did they all come from?
“Shane! You made it!”
He turned around to see his friend smiling like a fool.
“Of course I did. I promised, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did. And I’m very happy that you came. Come on, let me introduce you to an old friend. He’s from my home town and just moved here to follow his boyfriend. I’m sure you’ll love him, he’s a doll!” Dan kept babbling while pushing Shane though the room full of people, nodding to some of them but never stopping to talk to anybody. “You’ll see, he’s really a great guy. I haven’t seen him in a year, so you’ll understand that I’m a little excited about it!”
“A little excited? Well, that an understatement! Will you stop pushing me already!”
They finally reached the small kitchen where a man was standing, alone, and talking on his phone.
“No, that’s okay, take your time. I’ll be here… Yes, I’ll tell him…”
Shane observed him while he talked. He was tall, maybe a few inches more than his own six feet three inches. Dark hair that brushed his shoulders and slightly curled at the end. He couldn’t see his eyes color, but his eyebrows were thick and he was frowning. His lips seemed full but were drawn in a thin line at the moment. Well, he didn’t look very happy.
“Alright, see you then… Me too… No, no, I’m fine, really…”
He didn’t seem fine to Shane, but he wouldn’t say anything about it.
“Yes… I need to go now, Dan’s here… Yes, no problem… I love you.”
The last words were whispered, but Shane heard them nonetheless.
“Luke says hi”, the man said while closing his phone. “He’s sorry he can be here now, but he’ll try to come later. Some problem with his sister. You don’t want to know. Hello, I’m Rick”, he added to Shane while reaching out to shake his hand. “You must be Dan’s friend, Shane. He talked a lot about you.”
 
 TBC...