Sometimes writing takes incredibly long time - or, in this case, editing. I'm working on the sequel to A Russian Bear, and Tom is getting better at his karate. Better than I am, in fact.

That means that I've just spent a long time researching that incredibly difficult kata I once learned at a seminar (or, rather, attempted to learn, but let's not dwelve on that). That in itself takes quite a lot of time (I didn't know that you may use it for your second dan grading examination, for example). But then there are all the other interesting things you find when you Google something: Original videos featuring Kanazawa, syllabus, and oh, I know that guy, I just have to see what he's been doing lately...

In other words, research is interesting, but time-consuming. And then we're not even talking about the stalling. But hey, I found a yummy-looking bread recipe, so at least I won't be starving. 

Sigh. Yeah, it's 2012, but there are still people out there who don't believe that gay romance is "real" romance. I guess that shouldn't surprise anybody.

What did surprise me is that this discrimination takes place in the romance writers' own organization, Romance Writers of America. The Tulsa Chapter's contest judges are (quote) "uncomfortable" with same-sex pairings - and they have therefore banned same-sex entries to the More than Magic contest.

I can't even begin to explain why this makes me sad, so let me keep to the professional reasons: Gay romance allows the writer to explore entirely new dynamics when it comes to the characters' interaction as well as plot development - dynamics which aren't there in good old "straight" romance. There's a reason why so many straight women read gay romance.

If you disagree with this decision, please go here to sign author Sara York's petition to the RWA.

I'll spend tomorrow on Torquere's blog, guiding everybody on a tour through my favorite fictional men. Well, some of them, anyway. I had to stop myself when I got to the fourth post, so I never got to tell anybody how much I love Andy and CK.

Come and join me and talk about your favorite men.

As you perhaps know by now, I'm deeply fascinated by "what ifs". What if my main character does this, what if things were like that - or what if Plato really were right: We all have a better half, and we can be united with him or her. Oh, and what if that strange Himiko thing in space was something even more mysterious than the scientists think it is.

It turns out that I'm not the only Torquere author who loves imagining what might transpire after the world we're familiar with changes forever. Lee Benoit is over at the Romance for the Rest of Us blog telling about her Servant of the Seasons, and Syd McGinley will be along later to share a bit about Out of the Woods. I might pop by as well if I figure out my password before bedtime...

Aaand, here's the good news: You now have the chance to see what we think would come in handy after the apocalypse. In other words, the three of us put together a prize package filled with essentials for surviving alien invasions, zombie apocalypses, or pear-shaped camping trips, including books! And duct tape! Comment on any of our posts today to be entered in a random drawing in a week's time. One entry per commenter per post.

In order to make sure that I'm not giving either Mischa or Tom a split personality, I'm actually reading A Russian Bear today before I begin editing the sequel. And it's really weird.

First of all, there's the familiarity; I've spent so much time on this story that I almost know it by heart. And then again; it's also weirdly unfamiliar because I haven't seen it for so long. That makes for a strange combination.

Then there's the remorse. All of the "why didn't I change that" and "why's he using that word so soon" and "God, I need to clean that up in the next edition". I am grateful that I've learned a lot since writing ARB, but it's still kind of frustrating to witness your own flaws like that.

But still, I like those guys, and I need to make them as good as possible, so I'll keep reading. Even though it makes me grind me teeth now and then...

However much I like to write, finally arriving at those two words is very sweet - and I just wrote them! Yep, the first draft of A Russian Bear II is finished. I still need to write a couple of things into the story and edit and proofread and have some betas read it before submitting it and repeating the whole process all over again - but apart from that tiny detail, I just finished another book. That's not a small accomplishment, since I've had a busy year and a particularly nasty bout of the winter blues.

So, what can you expect from our heroes this time? Well, more of the same, luckily: Mischa is still growly and Tom is still acerbic - and they're both still insanely hot together. But the attack on Tom has made a bigger impact on both of them than they realized, and this book describes their struggle to get back to the way they were before the assault. It's an eye-opening experience for both of them, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

I just had Tom and Mischa get into a giant fight. I'm writing the last chapter of the sequel to A Russian Bear at the moment, and our heroes have a lot of fights. Some of them are quite serious, but this one was just delightful to write. Fighting really comes naturally to those guys...

Funnily enough, it also comes naturally to me. Not in real life; I'll do whatever I can to avoid serious confrontation in real life. But when I'm writing, some situations are easier than others. Sex scenes are easy, and so is dialogue - those are apparently the situations in which my characters really show their true nature. A good argument seems to combine the intensity of the sex scene with the back-and-forth of the dialogue, and I really like that. I simply feel like I get to know my characters better when they fight!

That doesn't mean that I'm going to deprive our heroes of their well-deserved happily ever after. Quite on the contrary - I've just written the most wonderful scene. Can't wait to share it! And it seems that the end of the novel is in sight now...

_Are you looking for the sun? I know I'm bordering on desperate, but in the meantime, I spend my time reading. And here's the good news:

Torquere's spreading a little sunshine with 15% off your purchases from now through the end of day Saturday! Just put 'sunny2012' in the coupon code box any time you check out at Torquere Books before Saturday at midnight to get 15% off your order. This is your chance to check in with Tom and Mischa in Of Russian Myth and Lore - or how about a little Hurt/Comfort in Alphabet Soup?

Sale good now through Saturday, January 21 at Midnight (est).

Get a bit of sunshine -- buy a book from Torquere Press today!

The first day of a new year is a time to look forward. Yesterday was all about taking stock of the past year, whether it's to celebrate the successes or mourn the losses. It's not necessarily my favorite day of the year; I find I rarely live up to my own expectations.

As a matter of fact, that's the exact reason for my thoughts today: My new year's resolutions. For many years, I didn't make any; I couldn't see the need for any more goals I would never achieve. Then it occurred to me that a new year's resolution didn't necessarily have to be another ambitious goal. That's how I decided on my goal for 2012: I want to have a better balance between work and spare time. Mainly, I want to have some spare time. Mostly so I can keep writing (if I get too stressed, I can't write). However, it's also a simple question of survival: I have a tendency to drive myself so hard that I get sick with stress. I mean well, but in the long run, it's counterproductive to say the least. Debilitating as well.

So, my new year's resolution basically means that I'd like to be happy and well-rested in 2012. What about you - do you have any resolutions?

And I didn't even notice it until now! I'm both absentminded and apparently quite determined to work myself to death... A bad combination!

But it really is true: The readers of Goodreads M/M Romance have nominated Alphabet Soup in the BDSM category of the 2011 Members Choice Awards. If you feel like it, you can vote for it here - and you can see a lot of other great books nominated (among other several stories by Kate Sherwood).

By the way, the M/M Romance group is wonderful - I can recommend it. Ironically, I've banned myself from going there very often; it's that good. I would never get anything written if I allowed myself to go! But if you haven't got a novel to finish, it's a wonderful group:).