Ray's House of Love Vol III

Lillian_Blaire · Apr 8, 2018

I'm glad you're still kickin', Maryn.

I want to query my manuscript and then I read stuff like this and I think I'd rather just crawl back under the rock I came from. Writing books was always my dream and I've done it. Publishing them is another matter entirely. lol

Trevor Bruhn · Apr 9, 2018

Yes, I self-pubbed Dominion Vote and Dominion Vegas. I cringe to look at my Amazon author page because of how the Femdom Cave publisher marketed another novella i sent them with some harder-core stuff.
Just filed the taxes, all of $27 from kindle direct. I think it helps to think of writing fiction as a slower way of spending money than owning a boat.
Trevor, bailing

Maryn · Apr 9, 2018

This is the place where I make off-color remarks about plugging the holes, right?

FWIW, at the Erotica board's Blue Light thread, behind a password, many authors, including the self-published, have openly shared what money they earned on what type of book--since fitting into a niche definitely affects sales, along with marketing and overall quality. I've toyed with the idea of opening a separate thread there for sharing such things, and offering people the option of letting me post any numbers they care to share under my account so nobody knows who sold this kink well or that sub-genre poorly.

As I recall it, the numbers were all over the place, from close to zero into the many thousands. As you'd expect, the people with a great many titles sold more of each title. The ol' name-recognition, branding thing, I presume.

Trevor Bruhn · Apr 15, 2018

Back from a week of travel. First stop Albany, where daughter #1 turned 42 Tuesday. The number every major league baseball player will be wearing today, btw. Second stop, middle earth, Vermont, to hang with two friends from college days,won't say how long ago but the White House ambiance then was likened to Camelot (as opposed to Chaos, the current state). First friend, the current Vermonter, has just sold his memoir of fifty years (oops) work as an ER physician to a publisher who will print it. Release date July something. He gave each of us two advance copies which we pledged to use to help promote sales. I plan to visit my indie bookstore and learn who makes decisions about which new titles to buy. Author has a small budget for promo travel which he will spend to travel to the west coast around release date. All very exciting.
Maryn, I'm sure I've lost that password. The one I recall started out like the treble cleff in music. Can you resend.
Trevor, unpacking.

Maryn · Apr 15, 2018

Trev, we've been forced to make a sea change on password distribution. Nowadays you ask either MacAllister or AW Admin for it, stating you are 21 or older even though they know you are, what with Camelot and all.

That's exciting about your friend's memoir. Are you a teensy bit jealous? I might be, although I'd hide it from him and genuinely wish him much success. The last writing class I took, the one in which I realized I knew more than the instructor, included a doctor trying to write his memoir, but he was not at all good with words, or grammar, or structure. He dropped out after getting feedback once, which is a shame. All that stuff can be learned. Maybe it was just something fun to dabble in and he's moved on to other hobbies.

Albany, huh? I hope you faced west and waved to me. It was only a few hundred miles.

Maryn, nestled between the Great and Finger Lakes

Trevor Bruhn · Apr 30, 2018

(Pours a bucket of hot water into the chill tub)
That's the way April is making its exit here in Philadelphia,b-r-r-r. The almost-four granddaughter, a devourer of playgrounds, has been getting more trips to the library on grandpa's child care rounds. May looks better, tho.
Question about very high stilettos (inspired by Lillian's avatar): do any women enjoy wearing such? Do they make the feet feel good? I have, 2nd hand exp from the ex, a very contrary impression.
Trevor, loafer-clad

Maryn · Apr 30, 2018

Oh, that's better. I was afraid the hot tub would develop an icy skin overnight.

Those stiletto heels have always been both painful for me and kind of risky--you can literally fall off them and twist an ankle. Ones as high as Lillian's avatar, I'd literally have trouble walking in. The pressure on the ball of your foot can be horrific, especially if you're not some waif.

However, in my experience, you do feel kind of sexy in them. In my younger days, I owned some tall heels which I'd wear tripping into and out of some romantic restaurant, then take them off in front of the fire, if you get my drift.

Maryn, whose highest heels these days are under two inches

DanielSTJ · Apr 30, 2018

Hot tub party? Okey.

I’ll go in my pyjamas!

Maryn · Apr 30, 2018

In time, we'll get them off of you... or maybe not. But do make yourself comfortable. The bar is open, as always, and snorkeling is not allowed at this time.

Did you bring any snacks to share?

Silly story: When our kids were real little and we had a wading pool, they liked to conduct experiments on what food was good to take to the pool. I'd be giving them stuff like carrots or grapes--pretty pool-safe--but no, they were sneaking Oreos, half a piece of toast, Cheerios, or part of a bagel. (The bagel held a lot of water!)

DanielSTJ · Apr 30, 2018

I brought oodles of crackers and a barrel of cream cheese.

Will this suffice?

Maryn · May 1, 2018

I suppose it would be in poor taste to dive head-first into the barrel of cream cheese? Yeah, I thought so. Nobody will want it once there's a hair in it.

DanielSTJ · May 2, 2018

We can always scoop it out.

It's in the freezer anyway.

I also brought THIS:

Eat up!

Maryn · May 3, 2018

I do believe you have won us over entirely! Also, the American Diabetes Association salutes you, as does Weight Watchers, thanking you for the extra business.

Oddly, I haven't been in a real-life hot tub in years. I think the last time was at a hotel that messed up our reservation, which did not involve a hot tub, and the only remaining room was a semi-suite with a Jacuzzi, which we enjoyed. The pity is that my well-stocked travel stuff does not include a single-use bubble bath.

Maryn, socking down coffee

Trevor Bruhn · May 5, 2018

So how does the multi-use bubble bath kit work out?

Maryn · May 5, 2018

Like, how does a bottle work? Pretty well, actually.

We have a soaker tub and when The Kid moved, she gave me her bubble baths that were liquid. While they're very nice, filling that damned tub completely empties the water heater. We should have gotten a regular tub. One of several mistakes when we redid the bathroom, I guess. Live and learn.

BTW, Trevor, I have completed the first draft of a novella that might be right up your alley, so to speak. When I think it's ready for a beta reader, might you be interested? It's only 14K in its present form.

Maryn, who actually writes despite rarely discussing it here

Trevor Bruhn · May 9, 2018

Anytime, Maryn. Without reciprocal obligations even.

Trevor, R2R (ready to read)

DanielSTJ · May 9, 2018

I bring a boon!

Homemade-Honey-Bubble-Bath.-Great-gift-idea-Find-the-recipe-at-livelaughrowe.com_.png

Maryn · May 9, 2018

Excellent. For that donation, you can choose either to skip the towel being snapped on your backside, or getting an extra snap. What will it be?

I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but our daughter is getting married in August. While we plan to give her some cash as a wedding gift (both their cars are over twenty years old!), she mentioned the other day that her dad was making her a wedding card box for enveloped containing cash or checks, and what was I making her? Yikes, I hope she doesn't mean to suggest I finish the massive quilting project that's been cut out for a decade. I fear she does.

Worse still, the other daughter may be marrying in the fall. No way I could possibly do two quilts in that time. Even if I quit writing.

DanielSTJ · May 9, 2018

I'm going to slip in the bubble bath formula when no one is looking.

Maryn · May 9, 2018

Will it deal with the tub's algae bloom?

DanielSTJ · May 9, 2018

Maryn said:
Will it deal with the tub's algae bloom?

Maybe it'll blend together and surprise us all?

Maryn · May 9, 2018

A new life form oozed to the surface of the hot tub, unnoticed by its users, until...

Trevor Bruhn · May 11, 2018

It began developing tendrils and seeking ankles to wrap around...

Maryn · May 11, 2018

Once all the ankles were restrained, it sought wrists...

DanielSTJ · May 11, 2018

...I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor....

Ray's House of Love Vol III

Procrastinator Extraordinaire

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The Wandering Bard

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The Wandering Bard