"Bed of Roses" has been reprinted in JustusRoux.com's Guest Writers corner! Go take a peek!

Excerpt:

She stalked up to him. The high-heeled thigh-high black boots she wore gave her stride a predator's grace. Her heels crushed rose petals with every step she took, surrounding her in a heavy cloud of fragrance.

When she stood in front of him, she reached up to cup his face with her hand. The petals of the rose she held caressed his cheek. Its stem pressed into his skin. Beneath the smell of the flower, he detected Margritte's scent.

She pulled her hand back from his face, leaving the lingering feel of rose petals and the ghost of her scent. He felt something wet on his skin. When he touched his fingers to the spot, they came back with a little smear of blood on them. He'd been so entranced by Margritte that he hadn't even felt the thorn scratch him.

"Come on," she said, hooking her finger through his tie and using it to lead him into his bedroom. With each step, the aroma of bruised roses grew stronger.

When they reached the bedroom, she released his tie and took a step back, watching his face for his reaction.

He used the respite to see what she'd done to the room. Flickering white candles illuminated the bed. He had covered her bed in red rose petals. She had covered his in white roses. He leaned over and tentatively patted the bed. The blooms were a springy mound beneath his palm. He pressed down on them and then jerked his hand back with a startled cry of pain. Blood welled from a puncture wound on his finger. Betrayed, he stared at the rose-blanketed bed. This time he saw the thorns peeking through the leaves.

Read the rest by going to http://www.justusroux.com/34.html and searching for "Bed of Roses" to reach the story (lower down on the page).

x-posted a little because, well, I want people to read my stories!

Teresa Noelle Roberts safirasilv is posting an interview with Rakelle Valencia and me today on the syndicated blog lust_bites. The subject, of course, is Lipstick on Her Collar, which I’ve talked so often about already that your eyes may be glazing over even as you read (or cease reading).

We’ll be checking the site frequently during the day, and responding to comments and questions, so I hope some of you will fling ‘em at me. (Also, I’m told that there’ll be a cute picture of my co-editor, Rakelle Valencia, with one of her even cuter newborn foals. Pay no attention to any pictorial imposters.)

There’s a tradition on Lust Bites of awarding a book prize to some lucky (or hapless) commenter whose name is chosen at random. I don’t know how to arrange this officially, but I will, in fact, donate a copy of Lipstick (or your choice of one of my other anthologies) to one reader who chimes in tomorrow.

For those without time or inclination to check out the interview, I want to clarify something here about the book. It’s true that the title suggests an emphasis on glamorous femmes, and we do have a fine assortment of those. But there are also many stories that focus as much on the butch hearts beating below the collars as on the lips that made their marks there. There’s something for a wide variety of tastes, no matter who you lust after, or who you want to feel like while you’re lusting.

Circle Dark Publishing has released our first individual short story, titled "Two's Company, Three's..." by author Penelope Friday.

"Sebastian and Tom have always shared everything in their lives, but Tom's engagement to Kerry has changed things – or has it? When Tom and Seb hatch a plan for Seb secretly to watch Tom and Kerry having sex, it just seems an extension of their friendship. But things don't go quite to plan when Kerry finds out...."

If you choose to purchase, I sincerely hope you enjoy!

--Sabrina
Co-Owner
Circle Dark Publishing

Just received acceptances on *two* historical short stories for the as-yet untitled Freya's Bower m/m anthology, which is scheduled to appear in early 2008.

Color me stunned -- and very happy! ;)

Shane Allison's project, the Hot and Delicious erotic anthology, has been canceled. It appears that he was unable to find a publisher for it. What a shame.

Every word of this is from dearauthor_com here. You should take a look at this.

***

http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007/05/17/simon-schuster-wants-you-forever/

Just as a prefatory matter, I want to explain a bit about copyright law and how that works in relation to authors. Authors create a unique work to which they own a copyright. That copyright gives them the right to copy and distribute that work. Authors sell that right of copying and distribution to publishers. These rights can be very specific, i.e., U.S. hardcover rights which means the publisher who purchased the rights can only distribute the book in the U.S. and in hardcover format.

Most rights are more general and these days include all formats, including e-formats. In return for the bundle of rights granted to the publisher, the publisher pays the author money in the form of an advance. If the author earns out the advance (sells enough copies so that her royalties meet the advance), she then is entitled to royalty payments. The advance is really a prepayment of royalties.

Most contracts state that if there is a matter of time in which the book is not in print, these bundle of rights revert back to the author. Such is the case with author Michelle Albert. The rights for two of her books reverted back to her. Now she can decide whether she wants to resell them to a publisher or try to sell and distribute her own copies.

Simon & Schuster wants to change the landscape. If you recall, this was one issue that is an aggravation for Ellora’s Cave authors. Ellora’s Cave does allow the reversion of rights which for ebooks would mean they are no longer offering it for sale OR if sales drop below a certain amount within a year.

***

Simon & Schuster has changed its standard contract language in an attempt to retain exclusive control of books even after they have gone out of print.

Until now, Simon & Schuster, like all other major trade publishers, has followed the traditional practice in which rights to a work revert to the author if the book falls out of print or if its sales are low.

The publisher is signaling that it will no longer include minimum sales requirements for a work to be considered in print. Simon & Schuster is apparently seeking nothing less than an exclusive grant of rights in perpetuity. Effectively, the publisher would co-own your copyright.

The new contract would allow Simon & Schuster to consider a book in print, and under its exclusive control, so long as it’s available in any form, including through its own in-house database — even if no copies are available to be ordered by traditional bookstores.

Other major trade publishers are not seeking a similar perpetual grant of rights.

We urge you to consider your options carefully:

* 1. Remember that if you sign a contract with Simon & Schuster that includes this clause, they’ll say you’re wed to them. Your book will live and die with this particular conglomerate.
* 2. Ask your agent to explore other options. Other publishers are not seeking an irrevocable grant of rights.
* 3. If you have a manuscript that may be auctioned, consider asking your agent to exclude Simon & Schuster imprints unless they agree before the auction to use industry standard terms.
* 4. Let us know if other major publishers follow suit. Any coordination among publishers on this matter has serious legal implications.

Not good, sadly.

1. Clash of Swords turned down my story about my medieval executioner, and I was really really proud of that. Anyone got any suggestions where else I could place it?

2. The current agent enquiry was rebuffed.

3. Better: My submission to Clean Sheets made the first cut.

*dusts self off, gets back on the horse*