Sunday, December 1, 2013

Writing Yaoi Sex Scenes

A few weeks ago, I got into a discussion about writing sex scenes with a new author who found them difficult and embarrassing. She thought that readers would believe she had done the things her characters did. Every time she'd get into a groove, the thought of family or friends reading it would make her freeze, stifling her creativity. I'm not sure if I can help with that feeling. I am often mortified when I hear that my mother-in-law has been reading my erotica. I mean, who wouldn't be shaken up? I can't help an author with qualms over who may be reading his or her works. At some point, an author needs to own the work and be proud of all that effort and time and tears.

Keep It Real


As for writing sex scenes? I could say wing it. There seem to be no wrong ways in yaoi even if they defy the physical facts of male anatomy or physics and gravity, in some cases. It's clear that even some of the best writers out there don't know a lot about gay sex. One of the first mangaka we localized admitted that her agent had purchased gay porn for her to watch to improver her accuracy. She's very well known, and this is still a problem. I think getting the sex right is worth the effort. Mechanics are easy to research. Without spending any money, you can find quality porn that will give you the basics. Do not look at anime or manga yaoi for instructions on actual sex. Too many of them get it wrong (I mean the physical mechanics are just plain wrong) to use as an example of how to write your own scenes. However, to really write how characters feel during sex, it really helps to have had great sex. I'm not saying that having had great sex is essential in writing great sex scenes, but it really, really helps.

For me, sex is a way to reveal a character – no pun intended. How they make love tells a lot about who they are. Sex between the characters is just another way of communicating. It's really jarring to have a character take a 180 from his normal personality when he is in a sex scene. A playful Seme becoming a hyper-violent bully in bed rings false and can be a complete turn off. Likewise, the uber macho Seme who inexplicably gets lovey-dovey cutsy during sex is really off putting as well. Using the personalities seen outside of the bedroom actually makes writing the scenes in the bedroom easier. Creating a whole new persona for a character is not easy. I'll give you some examples of how I write and then a few suggestions for films and anime to watch that have terrific character driven sex scenes.

The Dominant/submissive or Seme/uke Relationship


As I have said many times before, there is more to this relationship that physical restraints or violence. My biggest baddest dominant or Seme, Darius Galatea, begins seducing his gorgeous and willful uke, Andreas Hesper, the first time he touches him. Darius is the most powerful man in a planetary system. Aside from that he is extremely hot and sensually compelling. His regard can be so intense that he cannot work with anyone on his staff that is attracted to males. There have been too many misunderstandings and broken hearts and obsessive stalkers. The arrogance in Darius is fully justified. Yet he takes nothing for granted when he really wants something or someone. Andreas Hesper has relatively little power compared to Darius. However, he is powerful in his own world. He knows instinctively if someone means him physical harm and knows how to protect himself. Andreas is also incredibly beautiful and sensual and full of mischief. Those qualities catch Darius' interest and complete attention. Just as he would in a complex business deal, Darius immediately began calculating the way he would pursue Andreas. He wants to addict Andreas to having sex with him. He wants him to willingly give himself completely for an indefinite amount of time. This entire plan begins with a dance in Ensnared Volume One .

The decision was made in a split second. Before Mykos could offer a course of action, Darius was on his feet. A second later, he was pulling Andreas into his arms. In one smooth movement, Darius entwined his long, elegant fingers with Andreas’ then pulled his left arm behind his back to bring him close. The other hand firmly held the right hand to guide the dance. Andreas was stunned for a few seconds, but soon he was moving in a sensual counter rhythm. Andreas relaxed in his grasp then met his gaze. Darius was impressed, and not just because of the way Andreas felt in his arms. They fit well and moved very well together – almost like they had danced that way before. What Darius admired was the attitude he was getting from Andreas. The challenge was there, but there was also curiosity in those incredible green-gold eyes. He met Darius’ eyes without fear, yet there was fascination and appreciation there as well.
Andreas Hesper was not fawning over Darius. He was subtly fighting, him all to the beat of the music. Every 8th beat, he tried to pull back and get some distance from the Cosi’s body. No one watching them knew just how hard Andreas fought against being overwhelmed. He was very graceful and very subtle in his movements. Darius was just as graceful and subtle pulling Andreas back pressing him close without grinding against him. Though he knew that his face remained impassive, Darius felt a spark of lust from holding Andreas that he hadn’t felt in some time – if ever. He had to fight a nearly overwhelming urge to grab him by his hair and kiss Andreas long and hard. He wanted to weaken him to the point where he’d be willing to give his body for thorough use until he could come no more. Yes, that was deeply appealing and completely impractical.
Instead, Darius dipped his head to one side to scent Andreas just behind his ear. He smelled of warm spices. With that honey colored skin, Darius was certain that he tasted delicious. The Crew Leader inhaled sharply then leaned into the hold Darius had on him. The Cosi looked Andreas in the eyes once more. What he saw almost ended his fragile resolve. The fight was still there but this time his eyes were dilated and a little dreamy. This time, when he tried to pull away, Darius was certain that Andreas was fighting himself. Darius wondered what he would try next to escape.
I’m Andreas Hesper, Lord Galatea,” he said. Darius found he liked that deep, rich voice a little desperate.
I know that now,” Darius replied mildly. “It’s unfortunate that I’ve never dealt with you personally. That may have to change.”
Andreas swallowed hard just as the song ended. Darius released him with clear reluctance.
Thank you, Lord,” Andrea said softly.
Darius wasn’t sure if he was thanking him for the dance or for releasing him. He returned to his table heedless of the gaping eyes upon him.

When circumstances force Andreas to seek protection from Darius, words are used to seduce him into complete surrender.

Andreas leaned heavily on the wall and stared absently out the window. Though his mind was still racing, his body felt like it was made of lead. He didn’t even notice that Darius had returned until the Cosi was looming over him. In that weakened state, Andreas found the man’s presence overwhelming.
Darius...what...what will you have of me?”
What do you mean?”
Do you want me to be...naked for this whole time I am with you?”
Ah, yes....always naked...always ready to receive me,” he murmured with a ghost of a smile playing on his face.
Yeah,” Andreas managed with a hard swallow.
Do you want to be always naked and ready for me?” He asked huskily.
Andreas felt his face flush. It was in his head to say hell no, but his brain couldn’t make his mouth say the words as he looked up into the Cosi’s hot blue gaze. What was happening to him?
Darius gently took Andreas by the chin once again and gently tilted his head up.
We will share a great deal of pleasure, sweet Dami,” Darius said. “I know you have a profoundly sensual nature. I am not willing to share that nature or your beauty with anyone. You are not permitted to be unclothed for anyone save me. Nor is anyone else to touch you.”
Andreas was deeply relieved.
The morning has caught up with you,” Darius observed. “You probably didn’t sleep well the night before.”
No. Not really.”
Go find the Master Suite, and lie down,” he said. His voice was gentle.
But...don’t you want....aren’t I supposed to...”
I will have you until you can’t come anymore,” Darius promised. His voice became sultry. “Have you ever been wrung dry, Andreas? Have you ever begged to stop coming?”
Andreas felt his knees weaken as his mouth went dry. He shook his head and waited for the kiss and the crush of that hard body against his.
I want you awake enough to enjoy all the torment you’ve courted,” Darius murmured as he ran his thumb along Andreas’ lower lip. “Take your rest. You’ll wake when you’re hungry.”

Once in the bedroom, long before pinning Andreas down or shackling him to the headboard, there is the kiss. Darius uses kissing to weaken knees and drain resistance. By the time he gets around to using a restraint, Darius has taken the fight out of Andreas. That uke is willing to give Darius anything. He doesn't even have to demand. Meanwhile, Andreas wants to caress Darius as he is being caressed, but he rarely has the presence of mind to do anything but moan and come really hard. Andreas doesn't really mind any of this despite the power he possessed outside of his Seme's penthouse. In fact, the more Andreas gives in to his Seme, the more he wants to yield. In the latest short story, Enthralled (available for free in YGG Magaizine Issue 1), Darius finds out just how far his uke is willing to go to submit to him. But beyond being dominant and arrogant, the same humor and tenderness that comes out in their conversations comes out in their lovemaking. Andreas is playful when he isn't coming really hard. Darius is exasperating. They laugh often in bed.

In short, make sure that you get some good examples of actual sex. If possible, have great sex yourself. Finally, make sure the characters are the same inside the bedroom as outside. Also, don't worry about people thinking bad things about you for writing erotica. Such critics will find a reason to be haters no matter what you write, so write what you enjoy!

For love scenes that fit the criteria described in the blog, I recommend Judas Kiss featuring hot man on man
action with some sci-fi elements.View free here:  http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1876468505/ And for character sexiness on the run there is Desperado http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112851/?ref_=nv_sr_1 I think that the best anime I've seen for in character sex that looks accurate (especially the last sex scene) is Ikoku Irokoi Romantan http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47F1A8E36AF6C8F2.

Have fun writing, and please share your results on the Yaoi a GoGo Facebook page. We may put you in YGG Magazine!

Monday, November 25, 2013

New Blog Soon -- Meanwhile...

YGG Magazine -- The Yaoi Convention in Print -- is LIVE now. Digital versions are FREE!
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/655621

A Future blog will cover the ever growing fanservice in mainstream anime. Here is a fan reaction to one such instance in FREE! Iwatobe Swim Club.



Sunday, September 29, 2013

Rise of the Stealthy Seme

With all due respect to Fujoshi and Fundashi with fetishes that can never change, but not all Seme need to be big shouldered with big muscles and even bigger voices. They don't have to be stern or angry or overtly pushy. I know Iason Mink is not all of these things. I'll leave him out of the mix for this argument, so more of you may listen to what I am proposing. More and more mangaka and novelists are realizing this and crafting characters that are so complex and subtle that it is hard to spot the Seme in the room. Conversely, the uke are no longer all timid and quivering. This is very refreshing, and to me a far more interesting read. Who wants to read what is the same story over and over again? It also never made sense to me why such strong and uncompromising characters would be interested in the timid and weak willed. This sort of attraction always smacked of Seme that aren't really the incredible lovers they were purported to be. One might argue – and more than one has – that these Seme are being protective. If that is the case, what IS up with the raping and over all physical abuse? That's real protective. And it's real manly of someone who is often twice as big as the uke. And no, that horse will never be too dead for me to stop beating.

Where was I? Ah, yes. With all these changes, how do you spot the Seme in a manga or anime? It's still easy enough. It's all in the personality. A Seme is a catalyst for significant action in a story. He's doing stuff, and usually that stuff is ahead of the curb of everyone else. He has irresistible charisma or force of personality that gets even the hesitant to do his bidding. That is NOT the same as being able to bully someone into obeying. This is the ability to make what they want to do so compelling that everyone – not just the uke – feels they must to it. They are self possessed in general. This can manifest itself in a couple of ways. Either the Seme is supremely confident of their personal abilities or they know what they want from life. Sometimes, it's both. The main thing is that the Seme brings order to a uke's life as well as love. Sometimes that is actual protection in some fashion and other times it's personal fulfillment. To bring this kind of order, a Seme MUST have control of himself as a person. Also, a Seme doesn't have to be the one always pitching sexually. He's brave enough to know what he wants and have it.

And it's time to play 'Whose Your Seme?' Some of these shows are yaoi, some of them have tons of shipping or fans creating doujinshi. Let's begin with fans Starfighter webcomic. Everyone and her uncle thinks that Cain is the Seme because of his rambunctious greeting of Abel early in the story. He certainly seemed to be have his way with Abel whenever he felt like it. But Cain does not have enough self-possession to be a Seme. He can barely keep himself in check enough to keep from fighting his fellow gunners at the drop of a hat. Meanwhile, since their first mission together, it's becoming more and more clear which one of this pair has more self control and more control over the relationship. Abel kept Cain from starting a fight with some snots that really needed a punch in the face and then there is this line during the last mission: I'm not going to let them hurt you. Given what they were facing, that's a pretty badassed Seme line to me!


I've debated about Whose the Seme a number of times but never more than with the debut of Free! IwatobiSwim Club. It is an anime (not yaoi) show with five really hot and interesting male characters who have an intense dynamic between them. The shipping began before there were trailers explaining what the show was about (basically, the adventures of a newly formed high school swim team who are trying to overcome past problems and make it to the national competition). Most everyone agrees that the show's lead hottie, Haruka Nanase (Haru) http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Haruka_Nanase and the most recently recruited member of the team, Rei Ryugazaki http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Rei_Ryugazaki are uke. Where I diverge from most is who the Seme are. The popular wisdom had Haru shipped with his closest friend and neighbor, Makoto Tachibana http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Makoto_Tachibana (one of the most complex and compelling Seme I've ever seen) and former friend and rival Rin Motsuoka http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Rin_Matsuoka. While I agree that Haru and Makoto are a couple (probably for all of their lives – it's a 'till death do we part pairing), Rin is not a Seme. He has no clue who he is or what he wants. He has no self-control. All he could bring to a uke is turmoil and misery. He tried mightily to bring that to Haru as well as his own Kohai, Nitori http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Aiichiro_Nitori. Fortunately, Haru has a Seme that brings order and peace and love to his life and other loved ones that bring him happiness. And if Rin is not Haru's Seme, he certainly is not the big Seme for this series. That honor goes to the most stealthy Seme of all, Nagisa Hazuki http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Nagisa_Hazuki . Though shorter and more cherubic, Nagisa possesses all of the traits of a real Seme. He was not only the catalyst behind the return of the high school swim club, he was also responsible for recruiting a highly reluctant Rei, the vitally important 4th man that allowed the team to move forward. He is responsible for getting the highly reluctant coach to help them. He is always rallying them when they need it most and making things happen through sheer force of will. And he is ever protective of his team. Give him five years, and I daresay that he could go toe to toe with Iason Mink himself as a Seme. Note: In the photo below, I've aged Nigas to the age of his older teammates to give an idea of the Seme he is on his way to be. Rei had better brace himself(forgive my crude artwork)Note: In the photo above, Nigasa has Rei gleefully by the collar. That day will come faster than he realizes that Nigasa will want more from him than a butterfly stroke. Rei already has trouble refusing him.


Finally, I think these changes to Seme are wonderful, because it has caused the rise of the Dangerous uke. The uke of Tightrope and Ikoku Irokoi Romantan and Tyrant Who Fall in Love could not have existed if these tropes had not changed. That kind of change is truly a beautiful thing. Observe: 








Sunday, September 1, 2013

Book Review - His Beautiful Samurai

I am not one for stories that mix timelines (past and present) or anything that remotely smacks of the paranormal. Thus, I went into this story with a lot of trepidation. Oh, how wrong I was! Sedionia has a gift for sparking lightning in a bottle!

Book Review - His Beautiful Samurai by Sedonia Guillone Ai Press - 

 
This novel about a serial killer terrorizing an old neighborhood in Tokyo begins in the Edo period of Japanese history with the intensely felt though thoroughly doomed love affair between two Samurai and its tragic, brutal outcome. Suddenly, the reader is in present day Tokyo where a killer has been killing couples in doomed affairs the exact same grisly way with a katana that could have only come from a swordmaaster from that distant era! There are clues from oldest part of that cosmopolitan city that point to a modern day killer with a macabre flair for the distant past. However, one by one their most promising suspects are cleared even as the victims pile up. The press is having a field day with this Ronin Killer. Even lead Detective Toshiro Genjin is beginning to believe that the killer is unstoppable. Adding to the insults from the press, his Captain accepts the assistance of psychic, John Holmes to help solve the case. Toshi knows that there is much more to John Holmes' talent than a parlor trick. From the first touch, both men know that there is something that will not be denied that will further complicate the case, endanger their careers and put their lives at grave risk.

Sedonia Guillone creates an absolute marvel of suspense and terror mixed with heart pounding romance and toe curling eroticism in His Beautiful Samurai. Through well drawn out and full realized characters, she draws the readers into the lives and loves of people from vastly different times and walks of life. All of them ring very true and all of them are compelling. The lives of the Shogun's Samurai from Japan's Edo period are as believable as that of the modern Tokyo police detective. This is very important, because when the more fantastic elements of the case are brought forth via John Holmes, they are also believable. The murderer could be a jilted lover with some knowledge of ancient Japan and access to some really nasty artifacts or in could be something far more frightening. It all works.

And let's not forget the romance between Toshi and John. It is so moving and tender while being white hot at the same time leaves this reader a breathless, heart pounding puddle of goo. These guys are so incredibly strong and stalwart while being remarkably vulnerable. They are swoon worthy with the first touch. The careful construction of these worlds and characters allows the reader to just get absorbed in the place and time and let the story take them over. It was so hard to leave that world for even a moment that I devoured the book in one sitting. I cannot wait to read the sequel!


Ratings:

Characters: 10/10
Each and everyone from Toshi and John to the most minor characters are very well drawn and absolutely believable.

Plot: 10/10
The series of killings from past to present is well thought out. The plot twists work very well in this carefully constructed universe. Nothing seemed arbitrary.

Sex: 10/10
White hot and tender and emotionally moving and completely character driven. There is no 'insert random sex scene for every X number of pages.' It's all organic to the story and the characters.

Overall: 10/10

To Read Excerpts or Purchase go to - http://ai-press.net/2013/05/14/his-beautiful-samurai/

Sunday, July 28, 2013

New Ensnared Story in New Yaoi Magazine!

Has Darius become a brutal Seme like so many others? If he hasn't, why does everyone think so? What does Andreas think? If you want to know, read the NEW STORY from Ensnared in YGG Mgazine http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/570718 a free digital magazine by Yaoi fans for Yaoi fans!





Here's a sample:

Darius considered releasing Andreas from the shackles, but his Dami didn't seem to mind them. He was, in fact, soundly and contentedly asleep. His face had the same blissful expression it would when he dropped into sleep after being well used. He only sighed as Darius gently cleansed him.

“What were you up to, exquisite one?” Darius murmured as he moved the warm, damp cloth lower between those beautifully formed cheeks.

Andreas gasped then as if he were in some discomfort. Darius frowned. He then noticed how angry some of the love bites looked.

“Did I harm you?” Darius asked aloud softly. “Would you tell me if I had?”

The Cosi pressed the button along the headboard without giving it a second thought. A moment later, after covering Andreas with a warmed bath sheet, he beckoned Yannis to enter.

“Yannis, I'd like you to summon Dr. Heller at his earliest convenience,” Darius said quietly.

The Major Domo hid his surprise and concern quickly behind his usual professionalism.

“Yes, milord,” he said. “Lord Estevan is en route.”

“Is he?”

“Yes, milord. He told me that I need not interrupt you, but he did wish to speak to you as soon as you were free,” Yannis replied. “Shall I see to some refreshment for him?”

“Please. I shall be out shortly. Thank you.”

“Very good, milord.”

Darius smiled to himself as he finished drying Andreas. He then unhooked the shackles. His endearingly cheeky Dami seemed to have caused a protective streak in everyone, including his frosty Second.

“Darius,” Andreas murmured as the Cosi gently rubbed his wrists. They were red already.

“Shh,” Darius said softly. “All is well. Rest...”

Andreas smiled again and turned onto his side facing Darius. His hair had grown longer since the collar had been replaced. It suited him, especially with the gold comb Darius gifted him with to pull the soft, dark hair up and away from his ear. He seemed to want to show the Dami tag at all times of late. He was revealing the collar more and more as well, according to Lexo. Darius removed the comb then smoothed his hair.

“I wonder if that has anything to do with your behavior today?” Darius murmured, rising to dress for the arrival of Mykos and the doctor.

Andreas hadn't been afraid when Darius came storming into Lady Santorini's solarium. Were Darius about to take on an opponent in a fight, he could have taken Andreas' reaction as the appraisal of an adversary. His green-gold eyes were alert and wary. Darius knew he was seeing the underworld Crew Leader in those eyes just then. However, for an instant before Darius reached for him, he could have sworn there was concern in his expression before the wariness returned. Yet he didn't resist in the least when he was pulled hard against Darius and kissed senseless. It was as if he expected all of it to happen.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Battles Not Joined - AX 2013

In the end, I was not allowed to fight any of the battles I had planned to fight at Anime Expo 2013 (AX2013). That wasn't because anyone tried to stop me. No one would dare try to do that. The Hubs was unsure how I could pull off establishing a magazine while picking fights. I had one angle figured out really nicely – I made my beefs part of the interview questions for the first quarry, Crunchyroll.com. I had just joined their subscription service last month when I needed to follow a new anime that this service was simulcasting. I got really irritated to find that they didn't carry Junjou Romantica, one of my favorite yaoi anime. I assumed that they didn't carry yaoi after I tried to find a couple of series on the site. Well, I got steamed at the idea that they didn't run some mild yaoi erotica but were running some terrifying, blood spewing horror and supernatural stuff. Since I had just done an essay about that very type of hypocracy in books, I was ready to take on the entire company over the issue during the interview. Well, the first thing I see is a banner for the spinoff series to Junjou Romantica. While I was getting information on how to set up an interview from the helpful young man at the counter, he had me sign into my account. There I found the spinoff series on the banner. So, no fight there, but I am setting up an interview with a cool company.
The next battle hadn't been planned until I saw the list of vendors. Among them was SmithMicro, creators of
Manga Studio, a comic drawing program I've been experimenting with. Or, I'd been trying to. It's been giving me a devil of a time despite many distress calls to customer service. The last problem was so vexing that I had abandoned it entirely in favor of pencils and inks and manual work. And while I have found that productive and satisfying, I had paid for the program. Well, when I saw they had a booth at AX2013, I thought I'd confront them about this so-called user friendly program and get some answers. Well, the very nice young people at the booth asked me if I had left on the beginners tutorial feature that turned off many of the typical aspects of the program. I had heard that at some point before, so I conceded that may be the problem. They were so nice and earnest, I just had to. Thus, another battle was thwarted.
The last battle was over before I got to say anything. I was thus left to enjoy the convention, make my magazine connections and do my interview. It was a relief, frankly. I hate being openly combative despite owning a whip and other such implements. Those, however, are never used in anger. And what about all of those internet rows I start? They aren't anger fueled. They are more intellectual or philosophical disputes. There is no heat behind them. I was glad that baggage was cleared and cleared quickly. We had a lot of ground to cover – two football fields of ground to cover.
Our mission was three fold. First, take photos of the cosplayers for my Facebook page, Yaoi a GoGo. It has
a weekly feature called Cosplay Friday. Since the cosplayers can turn up anywhere we might be, I had to point out the ones my page fans would be interested in seeing so Jon could snap them. Then, I was recruiting subjects for interviews for upcoming issues of YGG Magazine, the publication from the Facebook page. All of this is to promote my novels and the books I edit. They are a lot of work with the upkeep, luckily, I do enjoy the content quite a bit. Third, was to enjoy the convention with our friend and publishing partner, Marie. She is fluent in many forms of geekiness and really enjoys the weird. There are few that I can think of whose company we enjoy more.
On all accounts, the day was a smashing success. We got to re-connect with some of my favorite writers and publishers. We made introductions with some established and popular publishers we hadn't seen at Anime Expo before. And we found some brand new to the yaoi scene whose work looks amazing. I can't wait to include them in upcoming issues. I really want to read everything they've done. I felt so jazzed by their talent that I was thrilled to be a part of the genre. All of this work was being produced in the US, and it had the same quality of what I was seeing in Japan. It was awesome and lots of fun to interact with. Of course we dropped in on all of the many booths under Digital Manga to say hello to the lovely ladies who supervise our localizing gigs. We usually only see them in a twice monthly web conference. Most of our communication day to day is via email. I think it's always good to occasionally see people in person to forge a good working relationship. We also brought them cookies. Jon and I gave them to most everyone we interacted with. It was inadvertently Japanese of us to give a little gift to the people we either do business with or wish to do business with.
The interview was with a Japanese manga artist named Toshi Maeda who was a special guest of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshio_Maeda . He was a fascinating and charming individual that I really enjoyed spending time with. I will save the specifics of the interview for the magazine article. However, I can say that he was very thoughtful about his work and his legacy. He was also very appreciative of the fans of his work. I spent nearly an hour watching him do custom pieces of art for fans while he talked to them about the art of drawing manga. Since I have taken up drawing once again, I was very interested in his techniques. I've even been trying them on some of my sketches.
convention. He also happened to be friends with Brent Millis, a translator on the localizing team and one of my favorite indie publishers. Maeda-sensei is the father of a manga genre called Tentacle Hentai . He was a fascinating and charming individual that I really enjoyed spending time with. I will save the specifics of the interview for the magazine article. However, I can say that he was very thoughtful about his work and his legacy. He was also very appreciative of the fans of his work. I spent nearly an hour watching him do custom pieces of art for fans while he talked to them about the art of drawing manga. Since I have taken up drawing once again, I was very interested in his techniques. I've even been trying them on some of my sketches.
In the midst of all of this, there was a lot of fun to be had. There are two football fields worth of vendor
booths with all kinds of merchandise. This stuff is far more sophisticated than the pins with characters from the shows we like. All manner of crafts are used to make geeky collectibles of all types. And then there are all kinds of combinations of genres or shows. These mashups provided some of the most interesting merchandise at the convention. Luckily, Jon and I didn't have a lot of money to spend on such things, because we also don't have enough room for all this stuff. It was a very pleasant outing. I even made a real Parisian style lunch of a jambon et fromage sandwich on a baguette with some lovely white wine. That gave us a great respite from all that walking (four miles inside the building). A very good and productive time was had by us all!

To see what we saw at AX2013 go to:
 http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_2814.html
 http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_10.html
 http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/p/cosplay-at-ax-2013.html

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Kinky Seme Games - An Ensnared Short Story Series Preview

As a Dominatrix, I truly enjoy it when one of my pets feels free enough and safe enough to truly unleash their sensuality. I so enjoy taking a shy girl or boy who blushes when I demand that they tell me what they want from me to a point where they are comfy being completely naked for me and my guests. And when I say safe, that does not mean that I softly cuddle with them while they are in my care. I have brought fourth tears from them shortly before they come like crazy.

Despite my objection to non-con and rape in yaoi, I do think the tears of a uke pushed to his limits are beautiful. But that kind of tears comes from an experience both Seme and uke agreed upon. And there is a lot of care afterward. Are these relationships lacking in tension or dull when they reach that level? Hardly. A uke who trusts his Seme enough to be completely exposed and vulnerable, blossoms like the subs I've seen. Their sexuality runs free and they are willing to try more an more daring things for the pleasure of the Seme and himself.

I've begun to explore that aspect of uke's life with his Seme in Ensnared through a series of illustrated short stories. [Haven't read Ensnared? Chapter excerpts are in the menu on the right.] Andreas Hesper never really showed his sensual side when he was living in the frightening no man's land in the city of Eris. And even when he was an underworld crew leader in Kacia, he kept that side of his personality locked up tight. In the back of his head, such displays invited unwanted attention that could end in a knife fight. He also believed that he wouldn't be taken seriously in his position if he let his sexuality show in anyway. Perhaps he also sensed that his Second, Viktor Stamos wanted more from him than he was willing to give. In any event, Andreas was well known for being beautiful and compelling, but he kept his sensuality firmly in check until Darius put that collar on him for the second time. By then, he also has considerably more power to surrender to his lover. Between that and being at the side of the most powerful being on the planet, Andreas is safe to act any way he wants act.

Beyond, the power and protection Darius offers, he is an irresistibly seductive lover. The uke in Andreas loves the way Darius overwhelms him physically. He doesn't have to be strong the way he does in the rest of his roles (Underworld Crew leader and a Lord with several businesses to manage). When Darius seizes him by the hair for a kiss, Andreas can let his mind shut down and focus only on the needs of the big, beautiful body claiming him. Sex with a master at seduction like Darius is addictive. Darius is beautiful and powerful in and out of the bedroom. It is a point of pride for Andreas that his surrender makes such a man come so strongly. He wants to do and see more. He wants to make his Owner come. Andreas knows that what will drive Darius' passion more than anything is his surrender.

Thus, this series of shorts is about how Andres slips further and further into the role of Darius' Dami or plaything. Andreas is subtly changing his look and how he wears the collar and tag of ownership. There will be a lot of kinky scenes that push the Seme/uke dynamic to it's farthest edge. All of the artwork is mine, so be kind. I'm posting a work in progress of Andreas with this blog. The shorts will be free. I'll do a collection of them at some point for purchase, but they are free for now. Look for them in the next couple of weeks. I plan to show the joys of ownership of a pet that does NOT include non-con! Yes, I will beat that horse until it moves no more.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Hurt/Comfort, Big Announcements and Best Sellers

A few weeks ago I wrote a not so popular diatribe about why I didn't think most of the Shizuo x Izaya pairings I've read worked. Now, I'd like to talk about the ways they could without coercion of either character or substantially changing who they are. In fact, these methods involve using their most famous traits to bring them together. After all, it's not like Izaya doesn't stand a hope in hell in getting Shizuo. Despite the many friendships the bartender has with women, he's never been known to be interested in a woman beyond protecting one that may be in distress. He's a very healthy guy. If he was interested in a woman, he'd find a way to be with one no matter what was going on in his crazy life. Also, despite many protestations to the contrary, there are times when he goes after an otherwise pre-occupied Izaya to chase him around. The interest is not one sided.

Shizuo's Personal Honor

Despite the violence that surrounds Shizuo, there are some things that he has managed to hold onto in his life. Shizuo has a strong personal code of honor. He won't stand for an unfair fight, and he always protects women and children. Also, once he has given his word to someone, he will keep it no matter the cost. I think under the right circumstances that kind of pledge could even apply to an enemy like Izaya. Meanwhile, Izaya courts many kinds of battles, but given the kind of life he leads, it is easy to believe that a battle could come to him that he isn't anticipating or can't handle on his own. There are certainly many who might be willing to betray him. Without changing a thing about Izaya or how Durarara is set up, it is easy to see him running into a rival that could overwhelm him and leave him completely vulnerable. The problem is getting past Shizuo's fury at Izaya on any given day long enough to make him realize or care that he is in an unfair fight not of his own making. Shizuo's justified fury will be the biggest obstacle in any pairing of these characters. But there is a way around it, and it is one of the oldest tropes in fanfiction.

Hurt/Comfort

And when I say hurt, I don't mean the rape/torture scenarios common in yaoi. In this tried and true fanfiction trope, the usually strong willed hero or seme gets injured in accordance to what may happen to their character in an actual story. If that character is in the military or law enforcement, it's a bullet or knife wound that takes them down. If they are the outdoor type, it could be a fall off a cliff or a snakebite that does the trick. All others may come down with pneumonia. The object is that this typically nearly unapproachable character is rendered helpless in a believable way for a while giving the uke a chance to get to know him in a way that wouldn't normally happen. Meanwhile, the Seme gets to see the uke in a whole new light as he is being cared for. I used this device in A Soldier's Choice to give my younger character, Vincent, a chance to take care of the man who had been his military trainer and then commanding officer in an intimate way. He had to depend on his uke in a way he'd never imagined while Vincent got to play the role of protector for the first time in their personal history. This leveled the playing field between the two characters and deepened their relationship.

Shizuo is supernaturally strong, but he also spends a lot of time injured. The challenge becomes making him
completely vulnerable to Izaya physically in a scenario that would not only keep him from permanently harming Shizuo but actually force him to tend to his needs. Despite his sadistic tendencies, I think that Izaya has a strong enough survival instinct that he could set aside his pathological desire to hurt Shizuo if he needed the man to keep him alive. Then, the comedy can begin! Imagine Shizuo's reaction to having to allow Izaya touch him. Of course, they would have to be holed up somewhere alone with one bed (Izaya would never sleep on the floor). It's all very sexy having to bandage (needs to put arms around him to wrap the torso). There might even be a sponge bath! The hurt/comfort scenario is a great device for building trust and sexual tension between the characters while not changing who they are. It gives these enemies a chance to trust each other when they are most vulnerable. Trust leads to intimacy and that leads to sexy time!

Of course, this does not magically change them into calm individuals around each other. Even if they discover they like being in bed together, Izaya and Shizuo would still find ways to make each other crazy. And then there are the people of Ikebukuro that inhabit their world. How will Celty or Shinra or Kyohei or Tom react to this new intimacy between those two? Often, I use the reaction of those outside of the pair as the main source of tension for the new lovers. This is how I operate. Once my pairs are together, that's it. They stay together. The danger comes from outside of the pairing where the world is trying tear them apart.

Thus, Hurt/Comfort gets a difficult couple together long enough to build trust and allow that sexual tension to build to the point where it must be acted upon. Best of all, this can happen while keeping the pair in character. I hope more Yaoi fanfiction writers will give that device a try with this pair. I'm about to put my money where my mouth is and post such a story myself!

Big Book Announcements and Bestsellers

I've been tooting my own horn all over the net, but I have neglected to share this with my official yaoi blog! I'm shameful. I am extremely pleased and proud to announce that Digital Manga's eManga division will be distributing all four of my Yaoi titles: A Soldier's Choice, A Soldier's Fate and Ensnared Volumes 1 &2! I was thrilled to open the company's newsletter http://www.akadot.com/news_letters.php to find this image:

I'm sure you will recognize one of those pairs from the banner above. This is a dream come true for me to be a part of such a company! I hope my lovely readers here will spread the word and get others to try my work. Here is the link for the eManga page: https://www.emanga.com/detail?itemid=1187 . From this page, you can find the rest of the books.

Meanwhile, the manga titles my team and I have localized are doing very well. Our fist book, Again
Tomorrow, is in the top 20 on the Amazon Bestseller list for Manga Erotica http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/6391519011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_kstore_1_5_last . Meanwhile, Get! Volumes 1& 2 are in the top 50! I'm so stoked!

This would not have happened without your support. Thank you! Some really hot smut is in the works to tide you all over between novels!



Thursday, May 2, 2013

Otome's Way - Yaoi Manga with Interactive Audio!













There has been a great deal of curiosity about Yaoi Publisher Otome's Way http://otomesway.com and the purported game changing difference it will bring to ebooks. Recently, the people behind the company kindly agreed to an interview on how it will all work.

1. How is Otome's Way different from companies like Digital Manga and SuBLime?

Otome's Way is similar to other BL/Yaoi online publishers with a few key differences. Instead of translating already published manga and marketing it overseas like the previously mentioned companies, we're starting fresh with new faces, new talent, and new stories. Rather than trying to get our hands on what's already popular, we're helping unpublished artists get their creations out to the whole BL-loving world with bilingual, online releases.
In addition, we've got some fundamental differences in the digital releases themselves. Instead of just offering simple images and stories, we've also got interactive animation, audio, and color embedded in some of our manga files to make reading itself an all-encompassing experience. We figure that if we've got all this great technology at our fingertips, why not use it to make digital manga live up to its cutting-edge name?

2. How many titles per year will you be offering?

We have plans to release at least one new title every month, with potential for a greater amount as we gain more popularity and resources. To start with, we're featuring some works from each of our new artists every month. Our goal is between 12-15 titles per year at least.


3. Will readers be able to download these titles or will they be able to read them only from the website?

Both! Using our partner site, Tigris+Reader, users can access and read our titles online from their PC or smartphone. Some titles are also available for download, depending on the wishes of the artist and whether they want to allow downloads. Those are coded as EPUB files and can be read with iBooks or other comic reader apps.

4. How did you get the idea to have audio and visual elements to your manga?

We saw how so few online manga sites took advantage of the whole fact that their manga isn't printed on paper. It seemed a shame that such interactive potential was going to waste with simple digital copies of manga, so we decided to make some of the manga titles that we had to offer extra special. Not all of our titles include these special effects, but we intend to continue to release more of these truly digital creations in the future. We hope that the readers will enjoy a chance to have a unique manga-reading experience, too.


5. Will you make appearances in North America or Europe at conventions?

Plans are in the works! As of right now, we don't have any concrete schedule, but we definitely intend to visit both North American and European conventions in the future.


6. Can you tell us about the first title Otome's Way will be releasing?

Our first releases at Otome's Way are going to be these 3 titles:
A Fujoshi's Guide to Japanese: An interactive Japanese study guide.
Rensou: A love story set within the traditional Japanese performing art, kabuki.
Yusura Ai Anthology 1: Short stories by our featured artist, Yusura Ai.

Otome's Way looks forward to hearing readers' reactions to this interview and to

Monday, April 15, 2013

Voice Over Actor Interview #1 Jamie McGonnigal

Jamie McGonnigal https://www.facebook.com/JamieEqualityMcGonnigal is an organizer and founder of TalkAboutEquality.com. He is also a contributor to Huffington Post and LGBTQNation. He currently works as the Community Engagement Manager for the New Organizing Institute.

As an award-winning producer and director and as a founding producer of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, Jamie has created some of New York’s most important theatrical events over the last decade, raising funds for victims of floods, earthquakes, tsunami and inequality. His World AIDS Day Concerts were named the best theatrical events of the year from 2003-2007 and his concerts have featured performances from Rosie O'Donnell, Ben Vereen, Chita Rivera, Betty Buckley, Laura Benanti, Jai Rodriquez, Mike Nichols, Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie, Gavin Creel and hundreds more.

As a photographer, Jamie’s work can be seen at EqualityPhotography.com and on the cover of Tracy Baim’s book, “Obama and the Gays.”

As a voice actor, Jamie can be heard on more than 100 anime titles including Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Viva Pinata, One Piece and many more.

 
1) Do you see more fanservice aimed at yaoi fans in recent years? If so, does this surprise you?
I actually don't have my finger on the pulse of the fan service, so I wouldn't really know about the volume of the fan service. I am rarely surprised by anything though. I think the first thing I ever saw when I was hired to play Barry in Pokemon was a dirty drawing of him and Ash getting it on, so no - it never surprises me.
2) Can you see a day where a yaoi series can run on Hulu or even Adult Swim?

If it was a series that wasn't too risky sexually, I could see it happening. Something like Kizuna (if it was more than three episodes) would be appropriate. But to be completely honest, considering Kizuna is the only yaoi title ever even dubbed professionally in the US, I'd be really surprised to see that happen. Additionally, there is still a great deal of homophobia in this country, and sexism. So while the media has no problem showing a boob or "down there" on a woman, they very rarely show the male private parts on screen. So again - I'd be pretty surprised to see Yaoi on anything that would be as accessible as Adult Swim or Hulu - but hopefully I'm wrong.
3)What do you think about fan creations based on your shows (cosplay, amateur Music Videos and fanfiction)?
I LOVE THEM! I'm not a hugely well-known voice actor, so when I see someone recognizing something I've worked on, I'm really honored. Actually, I've been uninvited to judging cosplays because the first one I judged, I gave the big award to someone who was cosplaying one of my characters - and I will absolutely admit it's because I didn't know any of the other characters. As for music videos, I'll search youtube once in a while and comment on things people have created - again - I find it really flattering...even (and especially) the yaoi pairings.
4)Not that we want you to drop names (HA!), but I must put you on the spot the way a con panel would. Do all Voice actors react well to finding their characters in explicit doujinshi?
HAHA! No. They most certainly do not. There's one voice actor who shall remain nameless, but is a big celeb. Anytime I've been on a panel with him and someone has asked a question about this, he's been very vocally upset about yaoi pairings of his characters. This always confused me because when I first met this actor, I thought he was gay (as did most of the people who work with him). But apparently he's not, therefore he's very offended that someone might think a character he did a voice for might be gay.
Most voice actors are pretty cool about it and well...I love it. But once in a while you run into someone who's fairly homophobic and is truly not a fan.
5) Do you advise your fellow actors on handling a different vision of their characters than they might have envisioned?
Well, we never really have the opportunity to work together in the studio. Additionally, it's bad form to tell a fellow actor how they should do their job. Where I do get to advise, or talk to my fellow voice actors is on the issues affecting LGBT people on a daily basis. Many of them come to me when they have questions about equality and the LGBT movement. So that means a lot that I'm able to pass along some of the things I've learned.
6)What characters would you love to play that you have not?
Truly, anything fun. I haven't done much of late since I moved to Washington D.C. two years ago. I finished out what I was working on in Pokémon and there's not much access to new things down here, but I'm certainly open if someone calls!

Big Update about Free Yaoi!!

As a reward for all of your support through my own dramas, I am planning to publish some short fiction around the characters from my yaoi novels. Moreover, these will be illustrated stories! The Soldier's stories will be from the timeline between the two novels and involve some military adventures. The Ensnared stories will be set between volumes two and three. All of the stories will have a great deal of good lovin', some crazy Seme possessiveness and some clever uke humor. They will be free initially. They will never cost more than 99 cents when I do charge. I'll also do some doujinshi stories based on some of my favorite anime characters. Those will also be illustrated. Since I can't sell those, they will always be free.


Also, I have some huge news that I can't really talk about. All I can say is that your support of this page an my books gave me a high enough profile that I have a deal in the works with a major publisher/distributor! This is why you all deserve a reward! So, look for the story announcement in the next couple of weeks.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Shizuo x Izaya – Why it Really Doesn't Work & How it Could

This makes some sense to me.
No one likes seeing Shizuo and Izaya go at it on Durarara more than me. They are exciting, and they are often hilarious. However, I seem to be almost alone in not viewing their testosterone drenched, city wide battles as anything more than mutual hatred. I suppose when pushed, I could believe that there is an obsession on Izaya's part toward Shizuo that is based on desire. The only reason that I'm willing to give in to that is that there is speculation amongst the show's characters about what is going on between those two. If it is there, I doubt Izaya is aware of the reason behind that compulsion. He wouldn't want anyone to have that kind of influence over his emotions. That may explain why he has tried so hard to destroy Shizuo. So, let's say that he wants this incredible Bishonen and wants him badly at first sight. Subconsciously, Izaya senses the loss of control around this man. Consciously, that comes out has hostility. He's like a little boy with a school crush who has no idea how to seduce his crush, so he punches him in the arm. Or in this case, starts knife fights or tries to get him arrested. It is clear that Izaya of starts most of the near lethal battles between them when there is no need to even glimpse each other in the neighborhood.

Okay, I'll buy that Izaya has something for Shizuo that makes him lose control and do very bad things. What
does that get him? Endless scheming and constant dodging of flying vending machines, that's what. He certainly can't get as close to his heart's and body's desire as Celty or even some school children can. He can't get within 20 yards of the man. Destroying Shizuo might end the torment, but that has not worked. In fact, one might argue that the efforts have backfired. Physical attacks have made him stronger. And antics like trying to get him thrown in jail have left him with more allies who think Izaya is a douche. Some of those allies like Tom Tanaka are as heavy hitters in the underworld as Izaya. Actually, Tom is a great case in point that Izaya has no control around Shizuo. You would think that a guy who enjoys scheming and upending the order of everything would try to do what Tom did – befriend Shizuo and get him to be an ally in his mayhem. I doubt he'd succeed – and maybe that's why he didn't try – but the vendetta against Shizuo would make more sense if he had tried and failed. Perhaps, he needs to rethink this problem and find another angle.

Taming the Beast

There have been different ways that writers have helped Izaya have his wicked way with Shizuo. I've seen rape, I seen blackmail and I've seen drugs among others. Aside from not approving of any of these methods, I don't think they would work with Shizuo in the universe in which the novels and the anime were written. Before I go on, let me quickly say that I am not a prude. Far from it. Read my fanfic of yor (the link can be found in the menu on the right for those who dare). I own implements of pain as a lifestyle dominatrix, but I have never caused a moment of unwanted discomfort. I have never caused humiliation. I don't think force or drugs is worthy of anyone who claims to be a true top or Seme. Those methods speak of insecurity in their prowess as a lover and a lack of knowledge of how the human body works when under duress. In short, it ain't sexy. I want to read about lovers who really know what they are doing. But nevermind me, force of any sort will not work on Shizuo. His response to any kind of assault on his person is intense rage. Izaya was never strong enough to take him on alone and force him to have sex. I don't know if a dozen men would work to rape him. Blackmail wouldn't work either for the same reason. Shizuo would be affronted by anyone placing people close to him in any sort of peril for any reason. That the reason is for sex with him would trigger a volcanic reaction after some maniacal laughing. Drugs could work, but I think Izaya would want Shizuo to be responsive. He's arrogant and self absorbed enough to need a response from his prize at the very least. Besides, I think that it's likely Izaya's fear of losing control stems from his desire to bottom for this beautiful and powerful man.

It seems then that this pairing is an impossibility, but there is a way. Shizuo has a strong moral and ethical
code. He doesn't hit women, and he is protective of children. He is a man of his word. If a greater danger came to Ikebukuro that caused the factions to work together, I could see this pair in a situation where they were truly interacting and not fighting. And given that the neighborhood boasts a demonic sword and an Irish death spirit, I think such an enemy exists that could make them fight together and not fight each other. During a truce Izaya could make sure they were often side by side or back to back. There would be protecting of each other and watch over each other. There may even be eating a meal together. During such a truce Izaya could safely reveal his desires. Oh, their would still be an explosion, but it wouldn't lead to bloodshed. Sparks would fly. There would be some shouting about lusts and desires. I can imagine such a story being very funny. And I think such an arc could lead to something really, really sexy.

I don't believe that just because there is smoke there is fire. Nor do I believe that because a pair of anime or manga characters look good together that they can automatically be shipped. However, I am open minded. Give me something that fits their characters and makes sense within the story arc, I'll go with it.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Yaoi Love and Families, Short Shorts and Bestsellers

I am so sorry for posting so infrequently. I've become involved in a time consuming Facebook page (I'll go into that at the end of the blog. I'm sure my gentle readers here will enjoy it). But mostly, I've been really busy editing for Digital Manga. Last year, my team was doing a title every six weeks. This year looks as busy already. This is not all bad. First, two of our titles made the Amazon.com bestseller list this week. They are Get! Volume One and Get! Volume 2. Second, While it has slowed down my posts on this blog, it has fueled my fantasies about what I want to write about in my fiction and on this site. In other words, my gentle readers here will benefit from my crazy busy schedule. But onto business.

Yaoi Pairs and Families

While ever good Fujoshi enjoys a story of hot headed Seme dragging his uke away to his lair where they bang like bunnies until forced to part. I like reading such stories. I really like writing such scenes. That is why I write such scenes. It isn't easy to place such isolated encounters in novels that tend to be filled with action. I must have those long hours where my young and untried uke is vulnerable and alone in the clutches of his seemingly formidable and unbending Seme. Will all the uke's teasing and stalling lead to force? Or is this where the real seduction begins? Or is it a little of column A and column B? Will the uke ever want to leave? Is it hot in here? At any rate, these kinds of scenes are stables because fans adore them.

However, there are more and more yaoi/BL that are expanding their horizons. Now, couples have to deal with families and co-workers that are parts of their relationships. Heck, there are a couple of stories where that family is the Yakuza. All walks of life are represented now. In A Soldier's Choice, when Colonel Rik Heron realized that he was in love with his volatile subordinate, Vincent Greven, he knew that the beautiful young man was a package deal. He had a younger brother who adored him. Rik was certain that he'd end up with both Grevens in his house though he really wanted to keep Vincent all to himself. He locks his lover away as often as he can. However, despite the reputation of Altered Soldiers being loners, Rik and Vincent find that they are a central part of an ever growing extended family. This is great in some ways, but problematic for finding time alone together for one. Their 'family' likes to be around them – a lot. Snuggling on the sofa is not easy with an audience. But Vincent is more of a Seme than he is a uke. He won't tolerate anyone interfering with skin to skin time with Rik. Beyond that, there is the young squad of Altereds the men trained. Among them, is a Major that has fallen in love with Rik. Viper tries very hard to stay close to Rik by staying close to Vincent's brother, Bobby looking for an opportunity to plead his case. Viper is not used to hearing the word no, so he will become a problem. By and large, however, the family is about too much love. Vincent is flummoxed to find himself and Rik in two wedding parties. He hates that kind of attention. Their bigger problem is how to handle a new squad of unique recruits who have pairs forming within. How can they site military rules against such relationships when they are living together and were once subordinate and superior? This situation provides a lot of fodder for conflict, drama and humor. Pinky swear, I will start posting snippets of the new book here very soon.

Short and Sweet

Speaking of snippets, I have been inspired to write some short works of fiction in the worlds of my books. There are some things I'd love to do with my characters that don't fit in the character arcs I have in mind. I'm going to take a page from the deeply talented Hamlet Machine in her Starfighter Webcomic and have special editions that are stand alones from the main story. In those settings, I can explore some really wild and even dark fantasies while remaining true to what my pairs are about. It is my plan that these stories will be illustrated. And yes, I will be taking some of the story ideas from reader suggestions about what they'd like to see. I hope it will be a case of having ones cake and eating it too. This kind of story also means that I won't have to say goodby to my bishie boys even after their arcs are resolved.

Yaoi a GoGo

I've posted about this Facebook page, Yaoi A GoGo , before, but it has grown into a major bit of work. Since Yaoi-con, I've been building a site for news, trends, reviews and all the fun bits from the fandom. We're approaching 5,000 likes. I'm even posting the first reviews from guest writers this weekend. There is Cosplay Friday and AMV Wednesday for fans to share their stuff in an ever growing range of fandoms within Yaoi/BL. Come on over and join us! Note, the drawing on the right is a different interpretation of Darius and Andreas from Ensnared.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Get! Vol 2 -- The Confident vs Arrogant Seme

Get! Volume 2
by Akiro Kanazawa

Hino Ryosuke is on top of the world. Class president Kaonji Kyo, the most beautiful student in school, is his lover! Each day brings them closer. Each time they make love, Kyo shares more of himself. Their growing intimacy makes Ryosuke think about their lives beyond college. But then, there is a campaign of threatening letters and blackmail photos. It seems that Ryosuke just gets a handle on that when rumors spread at school that he is making extra money as a gigolo! Even Kyo seems to think there is something to those stories. It seems that things can't to get any worse for Ryosuke. That's when Kyo's handsome and accomplished cousin returns from studying abroad determined to come between the two. Enough is enough! No one who wants to take Kyo away has reckoned on a determined Ryosuke in love!
This 'Too Hot for Kindle' title is available in most formats HERE: http://www.emanga.com/detail?itemid=981.
See Some Sexy sample pages HERE:  http://www.sybpressyaoi.com/p/blog-page_11.html .


The Confident vs Arrogant Seme  

I've gone on and on about the arrogant Seme, but Get!'s Seme, Ryosuke, brings me to the topic of the confident Seme. Well, how are they different? A Seme like Usami Akihiko from Junjou Romanitca or Masamune Takano from Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi are as arrogant as all get out but they are not completely confident about their holds on their respective ukes. Part of the reason for this is that siad ukes can be a bit vague when declaring their love, but a large part comes from the scars left from broken hearts of long ago. Hino Ryosuke is an arrogant Seme who is also very confident that he has Kaonji Kyo's heart and beautiful body – no matter who is after him or how many there are.

It isn't easy to be Kyo's lover. While he is incredibly beautiful, Kyo does not have an easy personality. He is strict and exacting in following school rules while Ryosuke is far more carefree. Kyo's pride in his high standing in school makes him vulnerable to blackmail. His lack of experience with sex makes him oblivious to people who are predators. While he does feel strongly for Ryosuke, he is reluctant about going public with their relationship. These factors often put Kyo in compromsing positions. However, Ryosuke never, ever doubts his lover's commitment to him. He always sees through the predators' plans and finds a way to thwart them. Kyo may not always be pleased with his methods, but he remains by Ryosuke's side. Their love life does not move nearly as smoothly as this sounds. There is often a lot of mayhem involved before the potential tresspassor's intent is uncovered and the danger is averted. This makes for a lot of crazy comedy. What is amazing about the ever confident Ryosuke is that no matter what craziness is swirling around them or even how mad Kyo is at him at any given moment, he always finds a way to coax his uke to a secluded place for some very hot, intense sexual escapades. Rysosuke is such a seductive Seme, it is entirely possible that he could get Kyo to have sex with him while they are involved in a car chase!

Ryosuke's confidence in Kyo's commitment does not mean that Get! Volume 2 is without suspense. There is a lot of mayhem coming at them in that book that could tear apart the strongest relationship. It's not clear that this confident Seme will succeed even with his confidence and determination.

I find Get! To be a refreshing change of pace. I adore arrogant Semes. And I really love insane, arrogant semes. However, I sometimes get tired of the trope that always has the Seme wondering if the uke really cares about him. It always rings a little false with these guys who seem to have all they need in life to get anything they want. This doubt gets really annoying if it continues over many volumes. I've always maintained (and I write that way) that you can still have suspense even when it's clear that the Seme has absolute faith in his uke. Get! Volumes One and Two prove this can be true.
 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Realism and Food and Yaoi

More about this below.
I had some very nice comments on my work this week and last week. On the site, All Romance, where I am a bestseller (yes, I like saying that), a reader wrote that she enjoyed all of my work. On a different site, a reader said 'just read all of her work.' That was mighty nice. Yet the most fascinating and fun comments have been about the realism I've managed to put into my books. A reader who went to see Zero Dark Thirty  said that the Seal Team Six in that film reminded her of Falcon Squad from the Soldiers' books. I had done some research on special forces units in general. We worked with one on Demon Under Glass. He came to our attention after commenting that it took longer to strangle a man than we shot in one scene. This formidable crew guy found film far more peaceful than the military (geez, he must have had a hard time as a soldier to think that). Yet, he was really affable, laid back and funny in a very twisted way. The actor who played Rik in the short film version of the Soldiers' book actually was in such a unit as well. Why do they drift toward film. Beyond that, I interview others who were in a unit or were close to people who were. The freedom about hairstyles and operating outside of protocol were not made from whole cloth. I was very pleased that someone saw my guys in characters that were even closer to the real thing. I was asked by a different reader if the menu I go into loving detail about in Ensnared is real. The answer is yes. All food I mention in my books are dishes I've had. Often times, I've made them as well. Food is an excellent way to ground even the most far flung of fantasies in reality. There is a cookbook 'written by' Vincent Greven that covers almost ever dish I mention in the Soldiers' books. The current release date is in time for the Writers Romance and Rainbows 2013 Book Fair. We'll see.

This week, I received a lovely note about a yaoi story I wrote for the e-zine, Full Metal Orgasm, called The Companion. This incredible anthology of really good and sexy prose is only $3.99! There is a large sample of the story on this site. My story starts on page 18. The story was inspired, in part, by a character in the web comic, Teahouse, that I fell in love with. Gilder is big and likely dangerous while being romantic, tender and highly sexy. The reader turned out to be a very talented writer who thought highly of the story. He also sensed the tension and danger to the main characters and that their was a great deal to the society that created their dire situation. I revealed that the civilization in The Companion is a past society from the Ensnared universe. It is one of The Time That Was. He encouraged me to write more from that civilization and the others. I do plan on doing that when I get the time. I was very proud of that story. It was difficult to put all that back story, erotica an nuance in less than 20,000 words. It was a lovely thing to take the time to do for a writer, and I really enjoyed the interaction with him. So, gentle readers, I'm here and willing to chat about writing and my work any time – even if you don't absolutely love my work. I'll be writing a really hardcore yaoi story for an upcoming edition of Full Metal Orgasm. I'll reveal more about that when it gets closer to publication.The Companion manages to have some food references as well. In fact, it took everything in me to not get carried away with talking about food and food preparation.

He is the Wild Boyfriend!
I love that yaoi is full of food in the manga and anime. Since I love writing about food, it was great to know that it wouldn't look weird in the yoai novels. And I really loved that all the dishes are real. I've had this whole ongoing adventure with cooking Japanese food, because I decided to look up octopus wieners after an episode of Junjou Romantica. I thought it would be fun to do a video blog on food seen in yaoi anime. Later, I decided to include the foods in the manga I was editing for Digital Manga in the video blogs. Ironically, the video that I saw as the first one of the Cook Like a Uke with actual ukes is only getting edited this coming week. I shot it almost a year ago! It's Tonjiru and features a real like Misaki from Junjou Romantica. So, next week's blog will be all about the two new Cook Like A Uke videos. One will cover the long overdue Tonjiru. The other will be based on a story in Sakira's 'Too Hot for Kindle' yaoi manga, Wild Boyfriend. They will both be worth the wait!