Longing for Love With What?

Longing for a Story of Love with What?

Michael Mandrake

Good morning to all attending the Jay Di Meo blog tour. I’m excited to talk about a story I’m very fond of called Longing for a Normal State of Vertigo. The short is actually a tale already published in the anthology through Sizzler Editions called Riding the Rocket.

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When I looked at the submission call by Sascha Illyvich, the editor of the collection, my first thought was to write a story of my main character receiving blinding love and passion from an immortal, something other than a vampire. *shudder*

At that time, I was very new to the genre and wanted to get a shot at being in this anthology by creating something totally new and different from any of the others he might have seen.

When I started writing, my first thought was to make it a historical since my main character Hayden Curry was a scientist from the 1900’s in Britain. Then I thought of the secondary character, David. He had to be someone strong and unique. Could he be a shifter, a chimera as Sascha offered that he might be? Who knows! Honestly, in the beginning, I had absolutely no idea what kind of being he actually was. Just as Hayden was clueless, so was I.

Then, I contacted Sascha later on after the anthology was released to ask him about doing a longer version. When I pulled the story back out of the WIP file, I looked it over and got more of a sense from David almost immediately. What I came up with without giving all the details is an immortal, some kind of angel or demon with powers to read minds, change forms, as well as an endless amount of sexual energy that Hayden takes a lot of pleasure in. *snicker*

Unlike some of the other blogs I’ve seen here on the tour, my story really has no mythological basis. It’s a complete fantasy story with the only factual things being the setting of that time period, the clothing of the characters, and the speech. The other thing I truly enjoy about my tale is the love and chemistry between my two men. How they communicate, get through trials and shortcomings during the early parts of their relationship, all the way to the ultimate test at the end which to this day I am astounded by what they asked me to write.

And to think, the basis was really, nothing! What did Hayden fall in love with? An angel or a demon? You’ll have to read the long version of Vertigo to find out.

I’d like to thank Jay for allowing me to be part of this exciting tour. Please enjoy a little from Longing For a Normal State of Vertigo in this next part and any comments today will win a free copy of the anthology.

Look for the full book to be released in 2012.

Vertigo

Definition: A sensation of dizziness or abnormal motion resulting from a disorder of the sense of balance

Vertigo is a three part series of short stories regarding the love life of Doctor Hayden Curry and his quest for a relationship after losing his companion, Lawrence to a state of mental illness. However, the scientist, revered by many as an individual looking for the newest discoveries and succeeding at some while failing in others, is in search of something different and extraordinary from the love he has already experienced. Hayden desires something new as well as fulfilling, giving him not only a state of happiness, but also a weird since of euphoria.

Set in the early 1900’s in the town of London, England, Hayden, at the age of thirty, begins this quest and unbeknownst to him, his surroundings, the environment, and situations, have been prearranged in order that he shall receive the lover he is looking for.

PG Excerpt, Subject to change before publication

When he walked away, I placed my cane onto the seat in the carriage. Seconds later, I heard the steps then a voice. “Ah Doctor Curry, I am so glad you could come on such short notice. Never seen anything like it,” said Captain Tiddle, the head of the London Police approaching me with an outstretched hand. “Inspector Fine is scared to bits. He did not even want to touch it.”

Firmly, I shook his gloved palm with my own. “Good evening to you as well, Captain,” I smirked.

Hearing what he had said, I turned my attention to the heavens. Every time the city morgue had something they did not want to bother with, they called me. All because I had made the mistake of announcing to everyone how boredom had set in with regular coroner work. Sometimes I wish I had taken the suggestion of an old friend who said I should go to America to start anew.

Nonetheless, I did not because of my love for Lawrence at the time. I knew he wanted nothing to do with leaving London, so I stayed here for him.

Although I had gained some popularity with some of my latest discoveries, such as my attempt to develop a medicine to stop the aging process, I did not appreciate the second job the department had thrust upon me as inspector of unexplained objects.

 As I hobbled away from him, I needed to state my disdain for being called to do this. “Captain Tiddle, Fine needs to grow thicker skin. What on earth is he an examiner for if he cannot handle-” The stench stopped me from continuing my statement. “What on God’s green earth.” My nose twitched, the hairs tickled my nostrils.

The closer I came to the covered body, I felt slightly nauseous. I grabbed my handkerchief from my coat, placing it over my nose and mouth.

The wind blew swifter as it continued drizzling. That did not deter the crowd who the constables held back. They were eager to see what lay under the sheet.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here…” Slowly, I uncovered what looked to be wolf-like man.

With the cloth still on my face, I traced its features with my other hand. The skin felt rough and hard as if it were decaying. As much as I wanted to take off the whole sheet, I decided to leave it on until I returned to my laboratory.

I placed the covering back over it before getting up. The smell was not as strong when I knelt down to it so I put my rag back in my pocket.

“Well Doctor, what do you think? Is it human, is it-” Captain Tiddle said.

“Not sure Captain. I will just have to dissect it and see what happens. I have not seen anything like it either, though I have heard of some sightings out in the country. Well, I will phone you once I have something to discuss. Berrows!”

Immediately he came with our wooden box ready to take our new project home. Burrows, not intimidated by anything, picked up the body and lowered it into the coffin, shutting it tight.

Tiddle stared, eyes bulged, seemingly amazed at how my driver did not act scared of what lay under the sheet.

“Uh Tiddle, can your men give Berrows a hand to put it on my carriage,” I inquired while drinking a little scotch from my flask.

“Oh, of course Doctor, sorry…” Tiddle motioned for four men to help Burrows with the box.

“I shall give you a call when I find out what this thing is. Good night Captain.” I tipped my hat and walked in the direction of my transportation.

“Night, Doctor…” I heard him say as I walked out of sight.

“Alright people, you can go home now. Nothing more to see here.” One of the policemen started to usher the throngs away from the square as I hopped back in my buggy.

As soon as Berrows cracked the whip, the people separated, giving us room to ride away.

I settled back in my seat thinking of the thing I had just put on the back of my carriage. What could that be? Seemingly, only things like that were figments of a horror scribe’s imagination.

BIO: Michael Mandrake is a BRIT!

A 39 year old Brummie who loves to write tales of love and romance between two men that aren't afraid to show their sexuality.

At least that's what this 39 year old mom from the US thinks he is. They talk on a regular basis, Sharita and her muse.

Now for the truth, Sharita, who also writes under Rawiya and BLMorticia is a happily married mom of 2 who loves everything about British culture and hopes to visit someday.

Michael M is her most successful pseudonym. To date, he is the only muse with 2 sole author books, 2 more coming before the end of 2011. He is contracted through XOXO publishing, Sizzler Editions, and does shorts through STARbooks Press.

Michael shares Sharita's love for writing tales where the characters aren't perfect, they cross into new territory and resolve their struggles through communication and mind blowing sex.

At the moment, Mandrake’s books are only small steps into what’s to come. Look for longer works from Sharita and the muse, Michael very soon.

Links

The Literary Triad - http://www.thelitriad.com/#!
Michael Mandrake - http://tabooindeed.blogspot.com

BL/Rawiya – http://blrawiyaerotica.blogspot.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/rawiyamikembl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSharitaLira
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3542690

Its Raining Men Blog - http://rainingmenamen.blogspot.com

KindleGraph -  http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/rawiyamikembl

My Sexy Valentine Series - Sascha Illyvich

Our final day of the My Sexy Valentine promo is a special one. Why you the ask? Because it brings the editor of the hottest anthology this year to my blog... *laughs*


Sascha Illyvich, writer and editor extrordinaire has been kind enough to answer these questions for me. I do appreciate it too, since i know the man is busy. (He puts up with me) ;) Anyway, here he is giving answers the only way that he can, Sascha style... enjoy...

MM: This anthology you put together is indeed a great mix. Is that what you were going for? No two stories are the same.

Sascha: Yup. I wanted something diverse enough for sales purposes and something that the readers would take away a piece of the author with each story.

MM: About how many submissions did you have for this anthology?

Sascha: Enough j/k

MM: The writers all look up to you and appreciate your honesty and kind feedback. Would you like to work with these same four writers again?

Sascha: I like to work with any author willing to shut his or her mouth and listen to experience, act on it and at the same time willing to ask questions and try new ideas on me. I’ve been around a long time and have been where you are, where you will be. But I’m not so jaded that I can’t recognize that there are more than one road to Rome.

MM: What anthology is next on the list?

Sascha: Our Erotic Bondage Anthology! We wants stories of love, eros, complications of the heart, and BONDAGE! Creative bondage works best from what sales say, but what I want specifically is stories about love and how bondage plays a part in that love. Why or how is it integral to the story? How does it help or hinder the romantic conflict?

MM: From a personal standpoint with your own writing what is coming up?

Sascha: Forced Pleasure is the working title of two novella of BDSM romance. In the first story, Francine is overstressed and the only relief is her boss. With her dominant out of town, Micah feels he can address the growing heat between them using domination until he realizes she’s getting too close to her heart. Fed up with his games, Francine finds her way to one of San Francisco’s hottest bondage/Goth clubs and stirs the passion of a younger man. When he leads her away to a private room, she finds herself surrounded by him, her boss and her Dominant. Can the foursome come to some sort of agreement in dealing with Francine’s stress levels and Micah’s need for her in his heart?

In the second story, young Gawith has been trained by Nick and Micah, forced to submit along with Francine in order to make him a better Dominant. At twenty seven, he’s more sure of himself than the average young man until he meets Samantha, an older woman willing to submit to him even as she tests his boundaries. In a previous edge play scene, he royally screws up but vows with Francine’s help to re-establish his dominance over Samantha and give her what she deserves through forced submission; his heart. This is for Sizzler Intoxications.

The other story I’m working on will be sent probably to another house when Saritza has looked at it. But it’ll be based loosely on Bing Crosby and Bob Hope’s movie “The Road to Singapore.” I’m even going for comedic effect AND ménage!

Find more at http://saschaillyvichauthor.com

MM: When doing a collection such as this one, do you have tough choices as far as who to not accept?

Sascha: I don’t accept poor work, authors that can’t follow directions and those who are not willing to grow. It’s never a tough choice.

MM: What do you want readers to take out of this anthology?

Sascha: That’s up to the individual authors as they wrote them. My overall theme was a celebration of Valentine’s Day, one of the two holidays I still LIKE! The other thing I wanted to get across to my readers is the new (talented) blood in the industry that we BADLY need along with some old hat authors to guide and expose their audiences. I think I did all right J/k

MM: As an editor, what kind of stories do you look for to put in your collections or at Sizzler?

Sascha: It’s an easy choice for me. I want authors to push personal writing boundaries, I want them to bleed and sweat for their work and I want their characters to grow throughout the story but most importantly I want stories that stir the heart as well as the groin. We’re talking erotic romance here so the romantic conflict is key to defining the story . I want stories that could come from authors who may eventually win RITAs or be nominated for RT awards.

Thank you Sascha for that great Q & A. This has truly been fun, listening to all the other authors as well as our editor, and learning new things. I have never had so much fun being part of an anthology. It is the closest knit group I have ever worked with. I hope that we will get the chance again.

Readers, thank you for following, hope you enjoyed this series and don't forget to go buy the book!

The Book is OUT!

Well, the book is OUT! The anthology with four fab authors, including me. *laughs* Em Petrova, Daisy Harris, Ike Rose are the other brilliant writers that have contributed!

The My Sexy Valentine edited by Sascha IIlyvich is available on the Sizzler/Intoxications Website and will be on Amazon fairly soon.

There are four fantastic tales in this book. 2 Hetero, 2 M/M. It is a fantastic mix and one I am sure will titillate and intrigue readers.

An excerpt of my story, "Only When I Lose Myself," will be up on the Wicked Sexy Writers today and I will be featuring each author with a blogpost and/or interview on Rawiya's blog next week.

Here is the book trailer...

In the meantime, go buy the book! You will NOT be disappointed!

Woohoo... Another one...

Another acceptance for Me, Michael Mandrake into the Valentine's Day anthology through Sizzler/Intoxication, the erotica imprint for E-Renaissance. An even bigger coo that it was selected by famous erotica author and editor, Sascha Illyvich. The story, "Only When I Lose Myself," is a m/m tale about a very popular musician whom falls in love with a young man who has Asperger's Syndrome.

The story was actually rejected by another publisher, then when I finished the first part and submitted it to Mr. Illyvich he accepted it. WOW, I am truly overwhelmed.

Of course, I will let all know when the release date is as well as the buy link.

In the meantime, enjoy this excerpt...

The minute he got past the box office, waiving at the ticket agent, Laura came around the corner with her assistant, Diana.

She smiled at him while rubbing her hands together. “Matthew, hiya doin’. Did you check that list again to make sure that we did not forget anything; he should be here in about a half an hour.”

“Yeah, Laura, I did. You guys act as if it’s Jesus second coming or something. He is only a man…damn…” Matthew said looking at the piece of paper once more.

“Uh, Matthew, let me remind you that he is the…”

“Second biggest selling solo artist in the last decade, yeah, I know. Still, he ain’t no God. Now, let me go down to catch up on working at something I adore; keeping up with the cleaning supplies and counting them, repeatedly. Here you go ladies, have fun…” Matthew put the slip of paper into Diana’s hands while trotting away.

When he made his way down the long corridor, Laura called out to him. “Matthew, don’t you want to meet him? He is quite a hottie you know…”

Matthew stopped in his tracks before turning around to face his two bosses. “Uh, so. What does that have to do with me? You know I’m not good at talking with people. I only talk to the two of you because I have to.”

Matthew was right about that. Seriously, he was not one that enjoyed face-to-face conversations. He was more comfortable with email or chat because he was not in front of anyone. Matthew only talked to the managers because that was part of his job, he never attended any social gatherings outside of work, he’d always left in a hurry after his tasks were done. He was definitely a loner and had not had any kind of romantic involvement in quite awhile.

Diana shrugged, walking a little closer to him, “Matthew, I heard he is the sweetest guy. Not only that, he is openly bisexual; he has hinted how much he likes to be around young men.”

Matthew folded his arms, “And again, so! I mean, even if I wanted to be even remotely interested in him, I do not like talking with strangers, I don’t like in person chatting, and furthermore, he has already put me out with this insane list of demands. So Diana, no, I don’t wanna meet him…” Matthew’s brows furrowed.

Just as Matthew finished, Bret Davenport walked in with his pride and joy, Adrian Vanderguard in tow, carrying his guitar case.

“Ladies, we are here!” Bret sprinted over to the two women holding Adrian by the hand.

Bret was definitely a flamer. Standing only about five six, weighing about one eighty, had spikey black hair, brown eyes, and black rimmed glasses that sat very far down on his nose. The way in which he marched told everyone that he had learned to walk the runway at some point and did not care who knew it.

Again, Matthew rolled his eyes while trying to escape, but before he could, Laura grabbed his arm. “C’mon Matthew, just stay here and meet him; I heard he is really sweet.”

Matthew stood, rolling his shoulders. The sight of Adrian was a nice one. The star looked about six foot three, weighing a tad over two hundred; he appeared to be one that was no stranger to the gym. Adrian’s short brown hair with the blond streaks in front made him unique, along with the light brown eyes, killer dimples, and winning smile.

When he walked over, immediately his eyes met the green orbs of Matthew who was only about an inch shorter than he. Seemingly, the singer liked what he saw because he was not looking at the two attractive females that had their hands outstretched, only at the environmental engineer wearing tight jeans with a form-fitting tee to boot.

“Allo, I’m Adrian, nice to meet you…” Adrian said in a heavy British accent to Matthew, who had no choice but to greet him.

“Hiya, I’m Matthew, good to see you as well,” he said really, fast while shaking his hand. When he finished, he walked away from the group, shying away from the inevitable conversation.

Adrian’s eyes followed Matthew before Laura took his hand into her own. “Uh, Mr. Vanderguard…”

Adrian interrupted, “Call me Adrian, please…”

“Hi Adrian, I’m Laura,” she blushed. “I’m the manger here and this is my assistant, Diana…”

Diana lightly put her fingers atop Adrian’s. Although he smiled at her, his mind was still on the fine maintenance man that was sweeping the hallway.

It's absolutely