Hump Day Reflections

Huntington Beach US Surfing Open 2011 by Pedro Szekely

A surfer is a lean mean fighting machine who manipulates and masters Mother Nature with every twist, turn and flying leap!  It's a beautiful sport to watch, plus it means sitting on the beach checking out the guys in sleek rubber suits or tunks staying on by defying gravity - can't be bad!

Missing in Paradise with its retired professional surfer, occassional big wave and more often any other wave riding hero, releases September 7th at Ellora's Cave.

What's on my mind today...

Because of a notorious murder in my family back in the twenties, I've known about Elizabeth Short's, The Black Dahlia, unsolved case for most of my life and still think about it.

She was a young woman, brutally killed, mutilated and her body dumped in a public setting.  As if that wasn't bad enough, it was further sensationalized by the media to the extent no one knew what was real and was pure conjecture, and her killer has never been found.

For some reason I'll often think about Short when a horrific crime or young woman is labeled as missing occurrs in Southern California.

The Black Dahlia is mentioned for this very reason in Missing in Paradise [releasing September 7]:

"Screw scandal, I hope she doesn’t wash up on the beach or become the modern day Black Dahlia."

It's interesting to see up close how various events throughout our lives play out later. Who knew reading about Short's murder as a child would be in my head when I wrote as an adult about a young woman who goes missing - I certainly didn't.

Naughty Thought for Monday

Okay, it's Monday, you didn't do any laundry which means no clean underwear...what do you do?

No problem, pick up Bronze Underwear from Dacotang on Etsy for $777.00.  They fit all, come with a hefty rope to keep them in place, "are wearable under most pants" and the bronze is skin friendly.

It's the later that kind of makes me pause.  Does this mean it can be used as a, um, well, condom of sorts?

The designer says it can, for some, boost the libido so I think it's a legitimate question, especially when the upgraded version is seen.

For a mere $7777.00 you can purchase the Luxury Bronze Underwear with 14 Tahitian Pearls attached.  Surely those are for a partner and not the wearer - right?

In my opinion, if a woman was in a bar and checked out a man's crown only to find lumps where a slick hard-on should be, they'd run!

The Countdown Has Started

End of a Perfect Day by Tom Brown - owned by Tilly Greene

Get Ready to Laugh!

The Sneeze

A man and a woman were sitting beside each other in the first class section of an airplane.

The woman sneezed, took out a tissue, gently wiped her nose, and then visibly shuddered for ten to fifteen seconds.

The man went back to his reading.

A few minutes later, the woman sneezed again, took a tissue, wiped her nose, and then shuddered violently once more.

Assuming that the woman might have a cold, the man was still curious about the shuddering.

A few more minutes passed when the woman sneezed yet again.

As before, she took a tissue, wiped her nose, her body shaking even more than before.

Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man turned to the woman and said, "I couldn't help but notice that you've sneezed three times, wiped your nose and then shuddered violently.

Are you OK?"

"I am sorry if I disturbed you, I have a very rare medical condition; whenever I sneeze I have an orgasm."

The man, more than a bit embarrassed, was still curious.

"I have never heard of that condition before" he said. "Are you taking anything for it?"

The woman nodded, "Pepper."


**This delightful treat is courtesy of WooWoo, thank you, darlin' - that was a good one :-)**

A Favorite Aspect for AAD is...

It started in 2010, was requested by many and so there again in 2011, and Voodoo the favored tattoo artist for Authors After Dark will be traveling to New Orleans in 2012!

There were three tats done this year that I saw up close and they were all as unique and fabulous as the next.  Stella has a beautiful snowflake on her inner wrist and was being interviewed by a PBS crew while it was happening - the chick was dead calm, spooky.  Another was Bindah's [sp ?] of a partially opened book that looked ready to read on the back of her hip - totally delightful.

And the third belongs to Eon [of Augusta Li and Eon de Beaufont fame], the man to the right who recently stared as Frank-n-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I begged him for a pic of his bicep tat because it is gorgeous and I wanted to share it here - thanks darlin', hugs!  The color of the heart is so bright, it says Boss over the top and fits on his arm perfectly.

Yes, tattoos were happening around the clock at AAD and none of them are the similar.  Can't wait to see who gets what next year!

Recognize Him?

It's that Scottish hunk Gerard Butler taking part in charity football match!

Long hair looks pretty good on him and, dang, those abs are not to bad either.  Anyone know what role he's pumping up to play next?

Everyone Loves a Skull

I've talked here on the blog about tattoos and briefly on piercings in a few of my books, but Missing in Paradise is where the two intermingle and join forces.

The hero, Mike Kane, has quite a few tats, all of which depict various events in his life.  There's a 3D tattoo of a wound being stiched back together, a shark in the tribal style and then there are a few skeletons mentioned.  While a skull tattoo generally represents a big change in life through it's link with death, the more common association taken today is with danger and fear.  The former is more how Mike views them

Meanwhile the heroine, Mary Miller, chose her particular piercings for personal enjoyment and, even though she has a job in the public's eye, she words hard to keep them private.  They're for her pleasure and whomever she wants to share them with, and not fodder for the gossip mills.  It was an interesting turn to have her deciding to change her jewelry to reflect changes she was undertaking to live a more fulfilling life.

The fun part of working with tattoos and piercings, these in particular, is creating unique pieces specific to the characters involved.  If I could draw them, I would, but I can't and so did that with words.

Missing in Paradise, a contemporary erotic romance with bondage, will be released at Ellora's Cave on September 7th.

Naughty Thought for Monday [NSFW]

Okay, I'm writing an article for another blog and during the research phase came across this unique toy - to each their own I believe, but, well, yes...a unique toy.

The article will be on BDSM Book Reviews on October 25th and it's not about toys.

The Who Am I? Answers

1. So, I'm an Olympian that isn't perfect, but am married to beauty - who am I? Hephaestus

2. I'm an ugly god with a sarcastic and lusty attitude who never hides his most important attribute - who am I? Priapus

3. Basically, I'm a smart diverse Olympian who loves both sexes, and am sometimes seen with a snake or lyre - who am I? Apollo

4. We are a primordial race with 1 being our thing but 3 of us being the most well known - who are we? Cyclopes, specifically Brontes (thunderer), Steropes (lightning) and Arges (brightness)

5. In short, I'm an Olympian who is a patron of many things, but never to busy to ensure a delivery is made - who am I? Hermes

Who Am I? Greek Mythology Brain Teasers

1. While I don't have a birth certificate, I consider Zeus and Hera my parents, and am a god. While mother and father are both hot tempered, I'm much more calm, peaceful, and think before I act. I'm not an immortal who sits around and looks pretty, far from the latter. Despite my physical limitation, hard labor is how I spend my time, and I do it very well. Many of my bretheren request my expertise. My work keeps me fit and yet my gorgeous wife strays.

So, I'm an Olympian that isn't perfect, but am married to beauty - who am I?

2. I get little respect for me or all that I do for humanity. There is no major worship sessions for me other than an occassional ass and agriculture goods. I'm a minor rustic god, but I'm very important. Despite my mother - at least the one I claim today - being beauty incarnate, I'm not much to look at, but a part of me is huge, and always appreciated. I'm a guardian, protector, and the harder I grow, the more things grow around me.

I'm an ugly god with a sarcastic and lusty attitude who never hides his most important attribute - who am I?

3. Zeus is our father. I have a twin and am considered the ideal kouros, a beardless youth. That means all those Greek statues of naked athletes you see in museums and books are based on me. I know just about everything, even how to divine the future, and continue to monitor various fields advancements such as medicine. Something I will not stand for is competition. There is no one better than me in any field I choose to master and will dispose of all challengers as I see fit. That includes my love life. I'm not married, have children who have gone on to do great things, and play with both men and women.

Basically, I'm a smart diverse Olympian who loves both sexes, and am sometimes seen with a snake or lyre - who am I?

4. We were born from Gaia [earth] and Uranus [sky] coming together. From the beginning we were big and strong, so much so, our father feared us and what we were capable of, and chose to lock us away. Eventually a relative released us to help him takeover power and we supported his endeavor. There is nothing handsome about us, but we are physically powerful, all of which encourages people still fear us by sight.

We are a primordial race with 1 being our thing but 3 of us being the most well known - who are we?

5. The man I believe is my grandfather holds the weight of the world on his shoulders, while my father rules it. I'm an Olympian god who works and it entails a great deal of travel. Some have said I'm a thief while others have called me the bringer of good luck, charming and a schemer. The stone marker on the side of the road pointing you in the right direction is mine. I flutter from bed to bed and as a result, am a single father of boys, girls and a little something in between.

In short, I'm an Olympian who is a patron of many things, but never to busy to ensure a delivery is made - who am I?

There you go, a few teasers to get you thinking - I'll post the answers tomorrow. Have fun!

The Problem Crossword Puzzle Answers

Here are the answers to the Tilly Greene’s Mythos Masquerade Greek Mythology Crossword Puzzle questions which I handed out at this years Authors After Dark Mythos dinner.

ACROSS


 2 Goddess of the hunt, virginity, archery and all animals. (7)
Artemis

3 Penetrating warning sound. Greek sea nymph whose singing lured sailors to their destruction. (5)
Siren

5 What was left as a consolation inside Pandora’s Box? (4)
Hope

7 An analgesic and sedative. [derived from the*] God of dreams. (8)
Morphine

9 They were the twins who weren’t really twins. (6-3-6)
CastorandPollux

11 She was seduced by a swan. (4)
Leda

12 God of Wine, theater and ecstasy. (8)
Dionysus

13 He was a very powerful god, serial seducer, and carried a bolt of thunder. (4)
Zeus


DOWN
1 Food of the gods. (8)
Ambrosia

2 God of light, music, poetry, prophecy and archery. (6)
Apollo

4 She offered Paris the love of the world’s most beautiful woman and won the golden apple inscribed ‘for the fairest one’. (9)
Aphrodite

5 Married to the most beautiful goddess and he was not physically perfect. (10)
Hephaestus


6 The 12 Titans are descendents of Gaia and him. (6)
Uranus

8 Agres, Steropes and Brontes had 3 eyes between them. (8)
Cyclopes

10 Titan who carried a sickle and castrated rivals. (6)
Cronus

Hope you enjoyed figuring them out as much as I did and I'm sorry if it was more difficult than fun.  If you're in the mood for a bit more Ancient Greek mythology, I'm posting tomorrow the brain teasers I dropped in various places leading up to the conference.

Told you the other day I liked puzzles!

Crossword Puzzle Problems

I like puzzles, they make my mind work and I feel satisfied when I get the right answer.  Knowing this, it shouldn't surprise you to read that I created and placed a crossword puzzle with a pen on each participants chair at the Authors After Dark Mythos dinner and, from those who turned one in, picked a winner for a Nook. The puzzle was meant to be fun, get everyone in the mythology mood and that wasn't the case.

Apparently it was too hard.

Well, here you go, the Tilly Greene’s Mythos Masquerade Greek Mythology Crossword Puzzle questions.  Give it try for yourself.

ACROSS
2 Goddess of the hunt, virginity, archery and all animals. (7)
3 Penetrating warning sound. Greek sea nymph whose singing lured sailors to their destruction. (5)
5 What was left as a consolation inside Pandora’s Box? (4)
7 An analgesic and sedative. [derived from the*] God of dreams. (8)
9 They were the twins who weren’t really twins. (6-3-6)
11 She was seduced by a swan. (4)
12 God of Wine, theater and ecstasy. (8)
13 He was a very powerful god, serial seducer, and carried a bolt of thunder. (4)

DOWN
1 Food of the gods. (8)
2 God of light, music, poetry, prophecy and archery. (6)
4 She offered Paris the love of the world’s most beautiful woman and won the golden apple inscribed ‘for the fairest one’. (9)
5 Married to the most beautiful goddess and he was not physically perfect. (10)
6 The 12 Titans are descendents of Gaia and him. (6)
8 Agres, Steropes and Brontes had 3 eyes between them. (8)
10 Titan who carried a sickle and castrated rivals. (6)

*=I should have put this on the original puzzle and didn't, my bad!

I'll post the answers tomorrow.

Remember, the people at the dinner weren't there to think but to have fun, get their party feet moving, and it may not have ever been a subject they were as fond of as I am. There was also a time constraint - but I loved seeing all the smart phones working :-)

Oh, and it's GREEK mythology, not Roman.

Because I'm sleepy...

Todd Sanfield, bodybuilder, from handsome-boys.com

...so is my hump day hottie!

Nap time :-)

Conference Panel Comments

I've sat on a few panels over the past few years that talk about a variety of subjects, but they all are based in romance and books/ebooks.

From shifters to blogging as an author, bondage to genre definition, there are no guarantees how it will be received. Participants, both in the audience and those there prepared to talk about the subject, are all coming from their own places and experiences, and they are what make it work when they come together and enjoy the session.

Last year at AAD I remember sitting on a panel and listening to a reader share her personal life in regards to the subject [BDSM] with cameras rolling. If we go there as authors, that's one thing because we've set out limits, but for a reader to step up is a big deal and I worried about her and any potential backlash being on YouTube might present. I remember talking to her a couple times over the next few days about my concerns and she was okay, so I followed her lead.

Fast forward to this year, AAD Philadelphia, and another camera crew showed up for the BDSM panel. I took my moderator roll seriously and, with that reader in mind, forewarned everyone that they may show up on YouTube or elsewhere talking about tying up their lover. With everyone ready, we set off on a fabulous ride. The conversation was flowing and then I posed a question for the audience. For a second I wished I could take it back and then I saw her, Lady Dee, that fabulously calm and composed woman from last year was the first this year to pipe up and put a real face on the subject [a delicate one at that].

Loads of people are telling me it was a great panel, thank you, but I think it was a room full of great people there to share, learn and laugh while doing it.  If you have time, go check out this years BDSM in Romance panelists, they're fabulous!  They are James Buchanan, Eliza Gayle, Cat Grant, Mari Freeman, Bridgit Midway, Brynn Paulin, Melissa Schroeder and me, Tilly Greene.

Now, in case you're wondering what makes a panel fun, it takes the readers throwing in their opinions, comments and questions and panelists stepping away from the desk, deadlines and promotional pitches to make it fun and rewarding.

Think About It...

KY Jelly ad found on Dark Roasted Blend



Up for some fun?!?

Are you in or near Philadelphia?

Then come to the Doubletree Hotel [237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia] today!

Saturday from 2-5:00pm at the Authors After Dark event there's a big booksigning open to the public and then, starting at 8:30, you can come into the Victorian Steampunk Ball for a $20 charge at the door.  The Olde City Sideshow are the band, there's photos, another signing, vendors, psychics and an Absinthe Party to check out as well.

A great way to spend a Saturday - hope to see you there!

Funny and Naughty Ends the Week

Do you want your partner to worship your throbbing rod of thunder and lightning with her sweet mouth and she has an excuse?

Well, now you can get what you want, feed your lover's desire for chocolate and play dress up time all at once!  

Don the hat of a Viking, Indiana Jones or Halo's Master Chief on your penis and reap your reward.  There's only one problem, I can't find the website that showed how to make these, so you're on your own - sorry!

Fine Naughty Jewels

Sperm Ring by Betony Vernon

A ring that is sure to raise questions such as: 

Is that a sperm swimming around your finger?

or

Will you honor, cherish and love Joe Shmoe and his sperm?

Hump Day Visual Naughtiness

Model Eric Belanger Photographed by Rick Day
was found on Homotography.com


Sweaty muscular man is nicely naughty for hump day delight.

Tuesday can be naughty too

Can building a book or ebook be naughty?

Absolutely and also interesting!

What I'm talking about is in the font and this one by Gatis Cirulis is called Bound Type, and here is the alphabet:


Bound Type by Gatis Cirulis

You can find more on this typeface and by Cirulis here on Behance Network.  Although artistically done and not obvious, the site has individual pulled out and painted making it - possibly - NSFW.

It's Naughty All Week!

Rose of Weimar

I'm either getting ready, traveling or having a blast at Authors After Dark in Philadelphia and in celebration I'm posting a variety of naughty stuff all week.

Because of the Tease Tea Tasting party is one of the things I'm preparing for, I thought china would be the ultimate starting point.  First up is a cup and saucer from a 12 piece limited edition set of fine porcelain.



I first discovered the Rose of Weimar pattern on the Elit Alice site.  Can you see yourself at High Tea sipping the leaves with a crustless sandwich on the side and pinky in the air whilst holding this gem to your lips?  Conversation could possibly be about the nice ta-ta's on the cup.

What about a dinner party, placement of the food on the plate below would be interesting.

DesignSpotter Details
Designer: Dirk Kels (Germany)
Manufacturer: Weimar Porzellan (Germany)
Inspired By: ... der Rose von Weimar
Price: 249 euro per set ( 12 pieces )

Time for a fun movie!

We recently watched Rango and absolutely loved it!

Not having read the blurb, the cutie and I had no idea what the story was about, and were surprised by what we watched.  It was hilarious, thought provoking, western-ish, serious, a bit dark, all with a hint of green.  One for kids and adults alike.

The characters were fantastic, everyone of them was a true gem.

There's an owl mariachi band who act as narrators and a young lady called Beans, HA, she is quite a character!

Speaking of the band, I loved the music - that's a soundtrack I shall be purchasing and the movie will go to the niece and nephews to the right of us for Christmas.

Fantastic fun!

Beautiful Beetles, Really!

Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth
by John Singer Sargent, 1889
Thanks to Collection Tate

In specific, I'm talking about the Jewel Beetle and only their wings are involved - meaning it's a little less gross.  Add into the mix two of my favorite things, fashion and John Singer Sargent, which makes the ick-factor almost disappear.

Almost.

Anyway, where do these three things meet up and tickle my fancy side?

Lady Macbeth.

No, I'm not a Shakespeare fanatic, but maybe you've seen the painting of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent.  It is in Collection Tate and currently hangs in the Tate Britain, London.  And, as for Ellen Terry, she was a famous Victorian actress whose home, Smallhythe Place, is run by the National Trust and they will be showing the actual recently conserved Beetle-Wing dress along with more Terry theatre costume collection.


Original conserved beetle-jewel dress
thanks to The History Blog

 And that is what I want to see - the 120 year old dress, created specifically for Terry's role of Lady Macbeth played at the Lyceum Theatre, took 5 years, 1300 hours and 1000 real jewel-beetle wings to put back together.  Put back together, conserve, fix, none of that offers a hint of how difficult and unique this work actually was to do.  In the National Trust Magazine there's a small column where Paul Meredith, the House Manager at Smallhythe, says:

"many of the original beetle wings had fallen off and these were re-attached, along with others that had been donated, by using small pieces of Japanese tissue and a mixture of wheat starch paste."

Wow, what a detailed work of art, which was originally meant to be worn for the length of a play, multiple nights.

Must See!

A Hump Day Hottie

Thinking of Billy Idol singing 'Hot in the City' with this pic of model Branden Haley by Christos Karantzolas as found on Homotography.

"Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, tonight"

An Unknown Delightful Connection

I recently handed in the edits for Missing in Paradise to my editor at Ellora's Cave and had a wonderful surprise when I stepped out of the edit cave. The locations of this novella are that it takes place mainly in Malibu with brief stops in Hollywood, LA and NYC. The hero is a professional surfer forced to retire after a shark attack, and the heroine hosts a tv show highlighting ideas for reusing things. They are lovers who hit a rough patch on their way to forever or it's over. Missing in Paradise is a contemporary erotic romance with a bit of bondage - hmmm, bondage on the beach...nice!

That's one side of the connection, now let me back track for the other.

There are so many great blogs that offer interesting stuff on and about books, ebooks, and publishing industry, to name a few, and I subscribe to them. Sometimes a week or more will go by and I haven't had time to check them out, but when I do, boy do I get lost in the wealth of interesting information.

Ok, so I had a bit of free time, and started to delve into the treasure trove of good book stuff when I found a connection to Missing in Paradise I hadn't know about, and it was utterly delightful! I thought I had unearthed a great deal of interesting information about a particular person during my research, but it looked like I missed one of the most important bits.

Agatha Christie was a surfer!


Agatha Christie with Surfboard from
Guardian article Museum of British Surfing/SWNS.com

I kid you not and you can read about it on the British Guardian newspaper site.

How fun is that?!? I knew the woman was fabulous and unique.

And there you have it, an unknown delightful connection between Agatha Christie and my hero in Missing in Paradise, a book she inspired and plays a small role in - coolness!

Naughty Thought for Monday [Sort of NSFW]

Intersting napkins for a dinner party - not sure I could keep a straight face while wiping the corners of my mouth after a fork full of meat.  {oh man, did I really go there?}

Thank you Trend de la Creme for the introduction of the In Plain English linens from Afroditi Krassa.