I thought I’d post these just for fun. All artwork by Augusta Li.
This first is a Nereid, more of a sea-spirit than a true merboy.
Next is a tropical merboy.
Last one for today! These fellows were a birthday gift for my friend Melanie Tushmore. I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing.
Hi everybody! Today, we’re delighted to welcome fabulous author of fantasies and historicals, Rebecca Cohen.
*****
There’s something incredibly satisfying about creating a world, whether it’s a completely made-up realm or a semi-real nodule meant to slot seamlessly into our own world. And I believe, that no matter what sort of writing you’re attempting, you need to build the setting for characters with care attention.
My first novel, Servitude, was a fantasy, set in a realm that is largely the product of my 
fevered imagination. There are deliberate similarities to Earth sprinkled about but, on the whole, I was able to run amok and let my imagination run wild. But my new release, Duty to the Crown, and its prequel, The Actor and the Earl, are historical, specifically Elizabethan, and set in London and the Home Counties in 1599/1600. Now, as much as I love a good dragon or rivers of magma, I could find no historical source or slightest snippet of text that would let me get away with that. And to be honest, the plot wasn’t going in that direction either. So, for these novels, my world building had to take a different direction…
Having had a love of Tudor history since I was a schoolgirl there was no hardship on my part to research the background I needed. In fact, it was harder for me to pull back and not include all the marvelous little details that would have the story reading like a text book. Nevertheless, this type of novel (a m/m historical romance) couldn’t be wholly transported into Elizabethan England. The period was not what you could call gay-friendly and, as much as I like to think that Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall could only have benefited from a little man-on-man love, I had to accept that I’d have bend things a little for my plot to work. The key for me was to add the layer of detail to build the world enough; the clothes; geography and buildings helped set the scene. Adding everyday details are important to make the setting, but also a double- edged sword when going back nearly 500 years as the available evidence for even the most mundane of things can conflict. The way of making everyday things differed greatly between estates (you would not believe how many different ways there are to make soap and beer!), and the naming of commonplace items has mutated overtime.
Building characters with nod to those in history also helps. It’s no secret that Anthony Crofton is inspired by Robert Dudley, and that young men played the role of women in the theatre like I have with Sebastian.
Here’s an extract for Duty to the Crown where I hope gives the feel of the backstreets of London in 1600:
The evening air was stale, the warmth of summer a claustrophobic blanket across the city, stifling the back streets that sprawled behind the Globe Theatre. Sebastian weaved through the short-tempered mass of people, annoyed by the heat and the pungent smell. He was hot, too, hidden as he was under his heavy traveling cloak, but being dressed as a man was nowhere near as uncomfortable as being Bronwyn. Sebastian had slipped away from Anthony at the end of the play, pressing a note into his hand and smirking before disappearing into the throng of theatergoers.
A couple of tankards of wine had steeled his courage and helped to while away enough time for the evening to set in properly. Long shadows appeared in the wider alleys and in the others, where the sun hardly penetrated even at midday, it was now almost dark. These were the alleys Sebastian was interested in, their darkness a perfect cover for his plan. It was the kind of place Sebastian had frequented only on very rare occasions when he’d lived in London, having been warned off by the tales the other actors had told of cutthroats and pickpockets lurking around every corner. He checked that his dagger was close at hand before heading into the warren of little alleys where London’s least salubrious inhabitants would perpetrate the most disreputable deeds.
Sebastian didn’t stop to worry about what went on behind the closed doors of the buildings on this street; he had no wish to be seen as a nosey passerby and ultimately a body that would need to be disposed of. He rounded the corner briskly, relieved to enter a better-lit area where the local water pump was situated, grateful that he’d found the place he’d been searching for without getting lost.
And this is the wedding feast from The Actor and the Earl, which I admit is one of my favorite bits of either book:
A quartet of minstrels began to play as they entered the dining room. Following behind was a large collection of wedding guests, again most of them not known to Sebastian. But he was distracted from trying to place the faces when he saw the spectacular arrangement on the table in front of him. The head table was draped in green silk and dressed with three large green branches decorated with peacock feathers and violets.
At either end was a gilded cage holding two turtle doves. And from a spike on the top of the cages were a host of ribbons in the colors of the Crofton crest of arms. Sebastian stared into the cage, cooing at the speckled feathers of the doves, as he and Anthony made their way to the two chairs in the middle of the table.
The guests, in sways of rich velvet and silk, took their places at the tables and stood waiting to be given permission to sit. Anthony picked up a knife and rapped it against the side of a silver candlestick until he got the silence he wanted.
“Lord and ladies, honored guests, thank you for being here today.” He raised his goblet, which Sebastian noticed was already full of red wine. “A toast to my lovely new wife. To Lady Bronwyn.”
The guests murmured their agreement, each picking up a goblet from in front of them and drinking a toast.
“Please,” said Anthony, “enjoy the feast to celebrate this special day.”
As Anthony sat, two oak doors that Sebastian hadn’t noticed before were flung open and a stream of servants entered the room carrying the platters of food for the first course of the feast. He could see a quarter of salted stag, numerous stuffed chickens, and, judging by the smell as it passed, a loin of veal. But the most amazing thing was an enormous pie, carried on the shoulders of two young men, which was set down at the end of the table. Sebastian craned his neck to watch as the crust was removed by a serious-looking woman with a silver dagger, and he gasped as a whole roe deer, a gosling, chickens, pigeons, and a rabbit were revealed, all baked together.
Sebastian was presented with a selection of the meats in thick slices by a servant, his mouth watering at the delicious smell. Picking up his knife, Sebastian made to help himself to a large chunk of rabbit when he stopped himself, having caught a glimpse of one of the ladies staring at him. He carefully cut the meat into small strips and watched woefully as Anthony speared a large piece of venison on the end of his knife and bit into it enthusiastically.
Anthony saw him, reached over, and picked up a piece of rabbit. “Come, my love, let me feed you.”
Sebastian was set to refuse, but, conscious of the wedding guests, he opened his mouth. Anthony smiled and fed him the small piece of rabbit, stroking Sebastian’s cheek with his other hand as he did so. The light touch of Anthony’s fingers made his breath hitch and his heart rate quicken. He opened his mouth wider to accept another morsel, which Anthony happily provided.
For a moment, it was as if it was just the two of them, alone. Anthony’s pupils dilated as Sebastian licked his lips, but the spell was broken as a cheer went up, and a burly man seated at the head of the table on their left called for another toast.
“That,” whispered Anthony as the guest wished the couple a successful marriage, “is Lord Tobias Tallin, one of the richest men in England. The women to his right, who disapproved of your table manners earlier, is Lady Alice, his wife.”
Sebastian nodded, not trusting his voice as Anthony rested his hand on his thigh, the heat from it radiating through the layers of his skirts. He reached out to pick up his goblet for the toast, but knocked it sideways, spilling the red wine across the silk cloth.
Sebastian was on his feet, flushed with embarrassment as the wine spread across the table. “I… I’m sorry.”
Anthony shushed him, picking up the goblet. “It is just wine. Nothing to be sorry about.”
A servant was already cleaning up the spill, and another refilled the goblet. Sebastian yelped as Anthony pulled him back so he was sitting in his lap. Sebastian looked quickly to the guests, expect them to scandalized by Anthony’s antics, but while a couple of the woman narrowed their eyes at the impropriety, most of the others were smiling and laughing at the sight. Anthony offered Sebastian his own goblet to drink from for the toast, which Sebastian accepted, unable to drag his eyes away from Anthony’s, and he thought Anthony was going to kiss him again, but instead he took the goblet back and drank deeply from it.
The next course arrived, and Sebastian attempted to sit in the empty chair, but Anthony held him firm, his arm around Sebastian’s waist preventing him from escaping. The second course was just as extravagant as the first. Silver salvers loaded with chickens and pigeons were presented to the guests, and three large sturgeons cooked with parsley joined the food parade, with the centerpiece being a whole roast boar with an apple in its mouth.
Throughout the courses, Anthony was attentive, feeding him bits of meat and sugary delicacies or stroking the back of his neck while being careful not to dislodge Sebastian’s wig as the minstrels continued to play. The food was so expensive that it would’ve been mere fantasy for him to afford during his time in the theater. Over the different courses, guests came to give their blessing, either individually or as couples. Anthony introduced each in turn, and Sebastian realized every one of them must’ve been a member of the nobility and a regular at court. But although their words sounded sincere, Sebastian could tell by their expressions or something about their eyes that they were more curious about Anthony’s choice of wife than having any real desire to wish them well in their start to married life.
So do you have any must-haves you want to see when it comes to world building, or the setting for characters to play in?
Links:
Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/
The Actor and the Earl: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3429
Duty to the Crown: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3637
Hey guys! I just want to let everyone know that all of my Dreamspinner Press titles are on sale until March 22nd, including those co-authored with Eon de Beaumont.
Ash and Echoes ebook is on sale for only $3.50–that’s for a 125K novel. So if you want to read it before the sequel, Ice and Embers, comes out tomorrow, now is the time to grab it. You can also pre-order Ice and Embers to take advantage of the discount.
The rest of the books on sale are here. Happy reading!
<3 Gus
To celebrate the release of Ice and Embers, Book Two of the Blessed Epoch, I (Gus) will be guest posting at the following blogs, talking about my characters, their world, and writing fantasy. I’ll have some prizes to give out along the way. On April 18th, I’ll choose one person who comments ON THIS POST to win a copy of the book and their choice of the three acrylic charms shown below, which they can choose to have on a cell phone lariat or a chain bracelet. So leave a comment on anything to do with the series, or feel free to ask a question. Make sure to leave a reliable email address so I can contact you if you win! Please note that I moderate comments to avoid spam, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t show up right away!
Here are the blog tour dates!
March 16th-DSP Facebook Chat (Q&A, Excerpts, and Prizes!)
March 18th-Kim Fielding’s Blog
March 20th-Jamie Fessenden’s Blog
March 25th-Anne Barwell’s Blog
March 29th- Elizabeth Noble’s Blog
March 30th-The Armchair Reader
April 2nd- JR Loveless’s Blog
April 4th-Andrew Gordon’s Blog
April 8th-Dawn’s Reading Nook
April 10th-Chris T. Kat’s Blog
April 15th-Dean Ocean’s Blog
And there’s more good news! Between March 15th and the 22nd, all of my Dreamspinner Press titles are 25% off! Check those out here
Despite their disparate natures, Yarrow, Duncan, and Sasha united against overwhelming odds to save Prince Garith’s life. Now Garith is king and the three friends may be facing their undoing.
Distraught over Yarrow’s departure to find the cure to his magical affliction, Duncan struggles with his new role as Bairn of Windwake, a realm left bankrupt by his predecessor. Many of Duncan’s vassals conspire against him, and Sasha’s unorthodox solutions to Duncan’s problem have earned them the contempt of Garith’s nobles.
When word reaches Duncan and Sasha that Yarrow is in danger, they want nothing more than to rush to his aid. But Duncan’s absence could tip Windwake into the hands of his enemies. In addition, a near-mythic order of assassins wants Sasha dead. Without Yarrow, Duncan and Sasha can’t take the fight to the assassins. They are stuck, entangled in a political world they don’t understand. But finding Yarrow may cause more problems, and with his court divided, King Garith must strike a balance between supporting his friends and assuaging the nobles who want Duncan punished—and Sasha executed.
Book Two of The Blessed Epoch
Despite their disparate natures, Yarrow, Duncan, and Sasha united against overwhelming odds to save Prince Garith’s life. Now Garith is king and the three friends may be facing their undoing.
Distraught over Yarrow’s departure to find the cure to his magical affliction, Duncan struggles with his new role as Bairn of Windwake, a realm left bankrupt by his predecessor. Many of Duncan’s vassals conspire against him, and Sasha’s unorthodox solutions to Duncan’s problem have earned them the contempt of Garith’s nobles.
When word reaches Duncan and Sasha that Yarrow is in danger, they want nothing more than to rush to his aid. But Duncan’s absence could tip Windwake into the hands of his enemies. In addition, a near-mythic order of assassins wants Sasha dead. Without Yarrow, Duncan and Sasha can’t take the fight to the assassins. They are stuck, entangled in a political world they don’t understand. But finding Yarrow may cause more problems, and with his court divided, King Garith must strike a balance between supporting his friends and assuaging the nobles who want Duncan punished—and Sasha executed.
Available March 15th from Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by Paul Richmond. Coming to Dreamspinner Press in March!
Yay, they’re finally here! Yarrow, Sasha, and Duncan from Ash and Echoes and the upcoming Ice and Embers.
It should go without saying, but Deadpool is not mine, nor is he in any of the books. Stay tuned for chances to win these guys. I’ll also have them at conventions!
~Gus
Who is/was your childhood idol or inspiration?
There’s always that never ending question of who was your childhood idol? Who inspired you to take the path you are on? It’s kind of hard to pick one of those when you’re a writer, I think. Even if there is one specific author that you follow consistently, there will always be others that you read and enjoy the words of, who inspire you to pursue your dream a little further. I believe the same can be said for musicians and artists. There’s too many beautiful songs, drawings, and books to consider only one of them to be your true idol or inspiration.
As a child, I read all the time, when I wasn’t making up my own stories with my Barbies and dolls that is, eventually leading into writing my own. My favorite book was E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Even though there was a tinge of sadness to it, it still gave you that happy feeling when you found out that Wilbur would live and not be made into tomorrow morning’s breakfast meat. After I graduated to middle school, I moved on to reading The Black Stallion series. I’ve always had a love of horses and The Black Stallion was one of my favorites. I read every single book and I was in love with the television series they created based on the novels as well. Walter Farley was a great and wonderful writer and to this day his books are read in schools worldwide.
I would have to say out of every author’s work I enjoyed in my growing up years, E.B. White and Walter Farley definitely stuck with me the most. Perhaps The Black Stallion was the inspiration for Mantacor in Touch Me Gently as both horses were handled roughly in their lives and they both found themselves overly fond of a young male character who’d been through a traumatic event like them. Until now, writing this post, I hadn’t even realized the similarities. Their stories are different, but the same as well. The connection was a subliminal one. I guess that’s where ‘write what you know’ comes from. The stories that impact our lives, real or fiction, leave an impression so deep we never forget them, even if they are buried in the back of our minds.
I like to think the stories and characters I enjoyed as a child helped shape the author I am today and left an impression in the back of my mind because those authors… they were amazing storytellers. Their novels have been read the world over for over forty years. That is something every writer hopes to achieve.
Who or what is/was YOUR inspiration for the path you chose for your future? Was there someone or something that you feel guided you toward your current career or even hobby? Just post your comment below to enter this week’s contest for a tote bag with the cover from His Salvation on the front. 
You’ll get to enjoy two very hot men every day of the week!
Don’t forget that the comment made this week (and every week) grants you one entry into the drawing for a Grand Prize bundle at the end of March!
Websites to follow updates on my current works in progress, blog tour posts, events, contests, and upcoming releases:
http://jrloveless.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorjrloveless
Excerpt:
Gabriel nodded. “Fine. Surface scratches.” He turned his attention away from Alex to Tank. “Are the vehicles topped off?”
Tank grinned at his boss. “Ready and waiting, boss.”
“Hurry up and eat,” Gabriel directed at Jason and Alex. “We’ll be heading into town in ten minutes to get you both some clothing. We’ll be here a while.”
“How long’s a while?” Jason demanded, sitting up straighter. “We have a life, you know.”
At the same time, Tank spoke up, “Are you sure that’s a good idea, boss? Taking them into town? What if someone spots them?”
Cocking an elegant eyebrow at Jason, Gabriel replied, “Not much of one, if your files are any indication.” Directing his attention at Tank, Gabriel stated, “It’s highly unlikely Vincetti will know where to look right now, as I’m sure he’s still ripping into whoever didn’t manage to stop us. We’re in the middle of nowhere with a population of roughly two thousand and not exactly going to draw attention to ourselves at a Walmart. It’ll be easier for them to get everything they need if they go. We won’t be returning to town again. Jackal will accompany them to make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”
Files? The ADA had files on them? Alex wondered what exactly the files contained about them. Did Gabriel know he preferred men? Was that why Gabriel seemed to dislike him? “What the fuck!” Jason exclaimed.
“Jason,” Alex admonished gently, nudging his brother in the ribs with his elbow. “Don’t use that kind of language.”
“Fuck that! Files? Why would they have files on us?” Jason demanded.
Gabriel continued to butter his toast, giving off an aura of carelessness, but Alex saw the slight tension in his shoulders. “The ADA has files on every known Deviant. For your protection as well as our own.”
“I want to see these files.” Jason’s hands fisted on the table, and Alex knew what happened when his brother got angry. He could already see several of the dishes on the table shaking, shifting on the table in response to Jason’s emotions.
The others must have picked up on it as well. Tank stood up, towering over Jason. “This is why you were discovered in the first place, dude. Because you can’t control yourself and your powers. If you have a prayer of having a life, you need to listen to Gabriel.”
“I don’t have to listen to anyone,” Jason snapped at Tank, standing to face off with the giant.
Alex saw Jackal’s mouth parted in astonishment. Apparently it was a rare occurrence for anyone to stand up to Tank. His size alone would probably make the strongest person shake in their boots. Tank smirked at Jason. “You think you could take me, kid?”
“Jason, no!” Alex jumped up, grabbing his brother by the arm. “Stop it. You promised.”
Gabriel stood abruptly, shoving his chair back. It scraped sharply over the wood floor, drawing each of the men’s gazes. “Enough. We risked our lives to break you out of that hell hole. If you think you’d be better off with someone like Vincetti then you can just walk out that door and go right back to him. As far as I can see, you need to check the attitude and listen for a change. Otherwise you may end up dead or worse.”
Worse than death? Alex trembled at the possibility of anything being worse than death. His brother’s muscles were taut beneath his hand, and he knew it wouldn’t take much to make Jason snap. He looked up at Gabriel, becoming ensnared in the haunted look shimmering in the man’s amber eyes. “How is being here any better than being held prisoner by this Vincetti?”
Jason’s question pulled Alex’s attention away from Gabriel. He saw Bear’s hand come out and land on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Don’t, Gabe.”
Whatever Bear meant must have registered with Gabriel, and the man grimaced, straightening. He glared at Jason before wordlessly stalking out of the room. Bear reached out and cuffed Jason on the back of the head, shocking Alex’s brother into silence. “Stupid, pup. You have no idea what fate Gabriel has saved you from. Pull your head out of your ass and look around. Are you in a cell? Are you drugged and unable to fight? Are you handcuffed, tied, or restrained? That alone should show you that you’re far better off here than there.”
Alex would have laughed at Jackal’s expression if the situation hadn’t been so serious. His eyes appeared huge as he stared up at Bear in shock. Jackal spoke in a hushed tone to Lizard the moment Bear swept from the room. “I think that’s the most I’ve heard him say in three years.”
His brother didn’t speak and sank back into his seat. Alex sighed and sat down again too. “You promised to give it a chance, Jace. Why must you always let your anger get the better of you? Didn’t Grams tell you that it’s going to be your downfall? Now look where we are. Kidnapped, held prisoner, and now in a house full of strangers. “
Jason didn’t respond. He just stared down at his plate. Alex shook his head and stood. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Exiting the dining room, Alex heard a low murmur coming from the living room and trod softly, inching closer to listen. “Damn it, Bear. I can’t do this!”
“Yes you can, Gabe. Bryan asked you to handle this because he knew you would be the only one who could. Remember that by helping these boys you’re helping Rafael.”
Gabriel’s voice came out in a low snarl. “Rafael’s dead.”
“You think I don’t know he’s dead, Gabe? I know it just as well as you do. I was there too!”
A hand wrapping around his wrist startled Alex and he jumped, stifling a squeak. He turned around to find Lizard glaring at him. “Eavesdropping, kid?”
“N… no,” he stuttered before hanging his head. “Yes.”
Lizard yanked him away from the living room, shoving him toward the bathroom. “The bathroom’s that way.”
Kitchen servant Yoli is one of only three men who know a carefully guarded secret about High Commander Koehen, the brilliant general who united their lands against a common invader. The enemy wants that secret, and they are willing to use either kindness or cruelty to obtain it.
Yoli will have to decide if his loyalties lie with the commander, who has shown him more affection than anyone in Yoli’s life, or with his own best interests. Commander Koehen’s attention is capricious at best; he summons Yoli only when it is convenient for him. Will it be enough to hold Yoli’s devotion when Yoli is offered his fondest dream to betray it?
CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains a HFN ending.
What do you think of my much improved cartography skills? Here is the expanded and more detailed map of the world of Yarrow, Duncan, and Sasha. Ice and Embers, the sequel to Ash and Echoes and Book Two of the Blessed Epoch will be available at Dreamspinner Press on March 15th.
