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.

 

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!

The First Kiss Blueprint in Yaoi

Yaoifix.com ran this quote on Facebook the other day:

“The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender.”
― Emil Ludwig

This is an awesome quote, especially where yaoi is concerned. Every Fujoshi anticipates that first kiss between Seme and uke. For me, that kiss is even more important than the first time they have actual sex. Ludwig's reasons are my own for this obsession with the initial lip lock. That kiss does tell me a lot about how the relationship will unfold through the rest of the manga or anime. This works for yaoi novels as well. A kiss is a far more personal act than a sex act. Perhaps because it is more eye to eye. I'm not sure why, but many professional sex workers deem the kiss as something so special that it is not a part of the paid act. Kissing isn't necessary to get a client off. That act can be 'saved' for people who mean something more.

For example, in Junjou Romantica, Usagi-san had already gotten Misaki off with his hand before any kiss happens. He didn't kiss the young man until Misaki tried to comfort him after a devastating loss. That kiss is long, open mouthed and quite intimate. Their bodies are completely flush. Usagi-san's kiss is overwhelming to Misaki that first time just as their relationship and their lovemaking tends to overwhelm him. During that kiss, Misaki surrenders himself at the same time he is comforting Usagi-san. And that is how their relationship unfolds. Everything about the dynamic between those characters – including the humor – is in that kiss. Misaki isn't shouting at Usagi-san at that moment, but he had been a few seconds earlier. Everything between them is there.

The first kiss looms largely in my erotica. The kiss reflects how the characters will make love and how the dynamic between them will work. For example, there is the first kiss in A Soldier's Choice.

“I didn’t think your eyes could get any darker,” he whispered, swallowing hard.

“You’ve watched my eyes, Vincent?” I whispered in return as I stepped closer to him.

“How else would I know how much trouble I was in back then?”

I smiled at him. “How much trouble are you in now?”

He tried to glare at me. “I’m the rookie here. Will you just do something?”

“So much for my carefully planned seduction,” I sighed stepping almost flush with him.

“Dammit, Rik...”

I took his mouth then. I’d always wanted to shut him up mid-tirade, but I’d never dreamed it would be while claiming such a delicious kiss. That sauce with the wine was really nice on his tongue. His mouth was hot and sweet. His lips trembled with the newness of the kiss just before he opened for my tongue. I wondered if this was his first.

I hoisted him up on the counter so that he was above my head. Vincent deepened the kiss as I undid his ponytail and sank my fingers into that thick, silken mass. Hardcase may have been a rookie in this, but he was always a lightning fast study. He was ravaging my mouth with that deadly tongue and weakening my knees by the time the rice cooker clicked off.

Vincent tore his lips from mine, but I had him by that glorious mane of hair. He wasn’t getting far. Those hooded amber eyes met mine as we panted at each other.

“Supper’s ready,” Vincent rasped.

Lord, I didn’t want to let him go, but I did. Patience was something I always harped on when Vincent was in my squad. I couldn’t give in to the intense wave of lust washing over me. I reluctantly released his hair then set him on his feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I wanted to grab him again; he looked so beautiful in that aroused state.

Rik kisses his subordinate mid-tirade. Tirades were and are a frequent form of communication between them. Rik is very pleased at finding a very satisfying way to end one. Initially, Rik dominates the kiss, but soon Vincent is asserting himself and taking what he lusts for. The kiss becomes a duel for dominance that is a hallmark of their love life. The only difference in the first kiss is that it is Vincent's very first. He is less sure of himself then than during the kisses that follow. However, that uncertainty does not stop him from fighting for control. And that is a huge feature of his relationship with Vincent.

In Ensnared, the first kiss comes after Andreas gives himself to Darius as a sex slave for a year. They had done nothing more than dance together before this:

“Relax, Andreas,” a voice said from behind him.

Andreas put his hands down and removed his helmet. Darius was walking toward him with the air of a man in full command of a situation. His beautifully long, silken hair gently stirred in the breeze. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, making his face look cold. Andreas wondered if he should be worried as he came very close. Somehow, he found the courage to get off the bike and face him.

“What happens now?” Andreas asked, trying not to tremble.

Darius removed his sunglasses and gazed intently at Andreas.

“I will offer you my protection in my home while this contract on you is investigated,” Darius replied. “It is obvious that the only way you will be completely safe is in my custody.”

“I can't argue with that,” Andreas said. “But what do you want in exchange for this protection? I don't have very much.”

Darius smiled at him. It was a beautifully predatory smile that sent a chill down his spine.

“I want you, Andreas. Wasn't that clear the other night?”

“You want me...as a lover?”

Darius shook his head. The smile, like his eyes, grew hotter.

“We will be lovers, but that isn't enough for me, exquisite Andreas,” he said softly. “I want you to be my Dami. I want to own your body, mind and will for at least a year.”

Andreas felt like the ground dropped from beneath his feet. His body was reacting even as his mind was rebelling. He wanted Darius like he'd never wanted anyone before, but could he give himself so completely to someone he barely knew? Could he risk turning him down? What would he become if he accepted?

“Trust me, Andreas, and submit to me completely. Now.”

That voice made him hard and weakened everything that was trying to fight this. His final thought before he spoke was that Viktor would never let him hear the end of it.

“Yes, Darius,” Andreas said softly as he met the Cosi's gaze. “I will be your Dami. I submit.”

“Good,” he murmured, taking Andreas by the hand.

They threaded their way through the vehicles until they could see the would-be hit squad. They were quite safe as the Cosi security team outgunned them and were on a hair trigger for any movement. Andreas couldn't believe that they remained with all that firepower and the police still there. How much were these guys being paid or what were they facing if they failed? The security shield dropped.

“Attention,” Darius said in a booming and commanding voice. “Andreas Hesper is under my protection from now hence. He is my property and as such, you will have to take on the Cosi and me to get to him.”

Andreas inhaled sharply causing Darius to turn toward him. The Cosi's eyes were hot as he dropped Andreas' hand to grab him by the hair at the back of his head. Finally, those full, firm lips were on his. Then, that tongue was pushing inside his mouth, claiming him more forcefully than words could. The kiss was voracious and demanding. Andreas responded even as his knees weakened and he sagged against the larger man. Darius lifted his head and smiled down at him.

“Yes, Andreas. You are mine,” he murmured.

This kiss is the blueprint for everything intimate between this Seme and this uke. Darius is demanding and possessive from that point hence. Andreas always buckles under the heat and intensity of his kiss. His knees buckle even faster once he has known Darius as a lover. His submission becomes more and more complete with each surrender. And it all begins with that first kiss.

Okay, I need to go watch or read or watch some yaoi now. Links to longer excerpts can be found in the menu on the left. Links on where to purchase the print and ebook versions are there as well.

Bent-con Wrap Up & Manga Review

Bent-con (it's like Comic Con – only gayer) was bigger and better than last year. I only got to see one day, and it was still jam packed with fun. There were even more booths with indie comics, film and book vendors. And there were really cool panels that go behind the scenes in all these geek oriented, creative industries. It took a little longer to have long, drawn out conversations with these great vendors, but it was still possible to do so. Do you want to find work as an artist? There were people to hook up with. Do you want to know how to get your own book published? There were people to answer that. There were even people who could talk to you about where to pitch that screenplay. For Fujoshi, there were lots of beautiful artwork of any type of male beauty (from lithe young bodies to the biggest bears) in all states of undress everywhere! There was even a stage with beautiful men to draw. They weren't as naked as the art that was available for sale, but they were very pleasant to see nonetheless.

My goal for this year's convention was to introduce gays and lesbians to Yaoi. I had a couple of encounters with both groups during this year's Yaoicon. I was a bit taken aback by a pair of gay men who had come to Long Beach to check out the convention dismissing Yaoi as fetish based porn. Meanwhile, the lesbians who spoke to us were puzzled over other lesbians who were obsessed with the genre. I wasn't sure if I could disuade the one opion or explain the obsession, but I was certain that I could talk about the evolving nature of yaoi and the direction I felt the genre was heading. To that end, I ran a panel called Yaoi 101 where I covered the initial types of yaoi were stories with no plot or point (the original definition of the word) to manga and anime series like Junjou Romantica that had complex character arcs and were increasingly dealing with the realities faced by gay men in Japanes society. Ironically, shortly before the convention it was announced that Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai, the spinoff to Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, was going to have it's own anime series http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-29/sekai-ichi-hatsukoi/yokozawa-takafumi-has-anime-in-the-works . This series deals with a homosexual relationship between co-workers. One of them is a widower with a young daughter. These mangas and animes have had the best character arcs and the highest emotional and professional stakes ever seen in yaoi. They are proving to be very popular with a growing audience. By fortunate happenstance, I spoke after a panel run by Lyn Jensen on the early history of yaoi. The genre was well represented.

Women Make Queer Genre was my other panel and one that I was blessed to moderate for a second time. Pioneer indie comic artist, Wendy Pini, and Iconic TV show writer and producer, Jane Espenson, were the speakers once again. They talked about how they came to write gay characters in their work and the kind of reception that departure from the mainstream attracted. Jane Espenson had been trying to write a gay character on Battlestar Galactica since her arrival on the writing staff. Finally, she was able to reveal that Felix Gaeta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Gaeta was gay in literally the final scenes shot of the series. “If not now, when?” she had argued. Ironically, the grief she got over writing a gay character was for taking so long to do it. Wendy Pini has already written an epic gay romance that takes place in a world where sexual orientation was a non-issue. Wendy Pini's Masque of the Red Death presents powerful and comples characters who just happen to be gay. Still, Jane's statement gave her pause about Elfquest, the legendary indie comic series that she created with her husband, Richard Pini. In the wake of that panel Wendy decided to write a same sex romance for the current series that 'will have a lot of drama but will also have a happy ending.' This already compelling panel broke major news on the US comic scene!

You can see more of my Bent-con photos here: http://www.sybpressyaoi.com/p/bent-con-2012-photos.html

I can't wait to see what next year's Bent-con brings! I hope to see a lot more Yaoi fans. This convention really appreciates all that is Bishonen, and it really loves Cosplay! 

Manga Review: Hoshi no Yakata or Palace of the Stars by Tori Maia

This manga was highly recommended by some attendees at my panel on BDSM at Yaoi-con. I was complaining mightily about how badly the BDSM lifestyle is done in most yaoi. These attendees promised me that I would really like it and that it was amazing. That is a tall order to fill with me. And this is not just because I'm snarky or prone to nit picking. I understand that this is fiction. I get that works like these are meant to be looked on as fantasy. My experience has been different.

Because I talk publicly about being a Dominatrix, I hear from a lot of people who seem to have trouble separating fact from fantasy. And these aren't just net friends. I have personal acquaintances who think that the writings of the Marquis Du Sade were an instructional manual! For the record, they were fictional work that brutally satirized the social mores of that time. I've had to advise many a reader that they might not want to jump into a hard core S&M scene with someone that they barely know from the internet. I nearly ended a friendship with a long time friend that I knew was not interested in being anyone's sub, because he insisted that there was some way that he could be comfortable with those scenes. The woman in question was smoking hot. He did not find a way to be comfortable, but he didn't stop until he ended up in the ER. I cannot give bad BDSM a pass because it's fiction.

Hoshi no Yakata is an anthology series that centers around the employees and clients of an upscale BDSM brothel. Overall, I found the first volume interesting. I disagree with the negative reviews that claim there are no pots and no characters. That is not fair and not true. It may be hard to notice the characters in the middle of all those whips and chains and dildos...so many dildos of ever size and shape. I do wonder why they used that many dildos when everyone is male. But I digress. I'll get back to why the dildos are a problem later.

The first story, Kneel Down and Kiss my Boots, was an impressive start. In it, the Number One Dom is startled to realize that he has fallen in love with a client and that that love is not returned. During their last session together, the Dom cannot help but give some much needed advice to the client to pass along to his lover on how to play hard in scenes without causing injury. The scene was really hot. There was a nice character arc for the Dom, and the information was quite good. Things go down hill rapidly after that for me. There is the mysterious Master encouraging a trainee Dom to kill his boyfriend, so that he could be a great employee. Really?! If he can kill a man he professes to love, why is it not likely that he will kill a client who is simply annoying? What kind of business model is that?

After the brilliant information in the first story, we move on to making Dom's available as subs at a special price from special clients. NO!! Doms may do that in their personal lives with their lovers, but that is a bad idea for a pro. What if I'm a client of that Dom who I view as the pinnacle of power – the only one who could take me down, and I see said Dom crawling by on a leash held by someone who looks like a child (I'll get into that later)? That would be my last visit to that bordello. And as I am really vexed by that plot, I get the Master himself being drugged by his Number One (BAD) and being worked over by their most submissive of subs (WORSE). To have such a strong beginning followed by these egregious transgressions was jarring. It became difficult for me to read through to the end of the volume.

These are not nits. Let's look at this as a business. Even high end bordellos that are allegedly above the law will not cross any line that will endanger their guests or their employees. Drugs would be verboten. Using them on the boss would get an employee fired at the least. They may get beaten to death by a guy who encourages employees to snuff their boyfriends. And then we have clients and employees that look like children. That is incredibly dangerous for a place that trades in discretion. One disgruntled client or employee could bring down authorities on a place that has children about. I'm painfully aware that the drugging of sex partners and shota and incest are a part of yaoi (oh, I forgot to mention that there was incest in one of the scenes). That doesn't mean that it isn't lazy writing.

Now, in the category of nit picking, there is the look of the characters. This is beyond Bishonen. I really couldn't tell that they were men or girls for the most part. That took me out of the pleasure, because I like to look at males that are pretty but very clearly males. And then there is the constantly being in fetish gear even in off hours. Real pros don't do that. They need to get out of their 'Dom space' or 'sub space' every so often for their own sanity. And I think a reader can tell who the Doms are even in civvies on in nothing at all. It's in the way they stand or their expression. I had a server at a bar on his knees when I was in frumpy clothes fresh from the farmers market. I even had a little push cart of vegetables. I raised a brow at him rather than reaching for my martini. He got on his knees to bring the glass closer – as he should have.

I'm not sure if I'll read all five volumes. I'll have to be persuaded that the other stories are more like the first.

Joys and Terror of an Insane Seme

I've blogged a lot about the possessive Seme and a bit on Seme on Seme relationships, but there is a Seme I really adore but don't see too often that I'd like to talk about today. The Insane Seme has all of the characteristics of the typical Seme – gorgeous, strong, passionate, possessive and sex crazed. On top all of that fun, this Seme is quite a bit nuts. I have few examples, so I'll talk about the first one I ever ran across and my absolute favorite.

Usami Akihiko from Shungiku Nakamura's Junjou Romantica has all the traits of a great Seme, including great wealth and talent. When I first saw the show, I was thinking 'Okay, another arrogant Seme about to set upon this poor, vulnerable young man.' The spooky room full of toys gave me pause, but it wasn't until Usami-san was seated beside that big stuffed bear on the sofa that I realized he was bonkers. By the end of the first episode, I was madly in love with this Seme. Usagi-san's state of mind is the result of complex situation within his family during his childhood and his being a writer. For the most part, writers are wacky. How wacky varies from writer to writer.

Usagi-san is really, really wacky. That's quite a combination with arrogant and possessive. One might think that it would be too much for 18 year old Takahashi Misaki to handle. But I think that the overt nature of Usagi-san's zaniness revealed the vulnerable side of this rich and powerful Seme to Misaki. He could see through all of this man's formidable defensiveness better than people who have known the man for decades. Misaki knows and understands Usagi-san better than his brother who has been his best friend. This gives the uke a measure of power in the relationship. That power grows as Misaki takes on more and more responsibility for aspects Usagi-san's life. All of this began because Usagi-san was obviously a bit nuts.

Junjou Romantica's premise does not seem to be exciting. At it's simplest, the plot revolves around an orphaned college student who lives with a writer who has family problems. Their lives are filled with deadlines and the occasional family squabble. The beauty of the pair Shungiku Nakamura created and this manga and anime is that even without the high drama and threat of violence, they are fascinating and exciting. Despite the love of teddy bears, Usagi is a real Seme and quite capable of going to find his uke and drag or carry him home. Usagi-san is also not afraid to strip said uke naked and pound into him that he belongs to said Seme. Usagi-san's instability makes the story very scary to me. He has a lot to lose if he snapped and did something in a public setting. Misaki is very afraid that his Seme will do something unwise in front of the wrong people. He would never lose his money – unless he managed to spend it all on too many suits for Misaki. But he could lose his writing career which is more important to who he is as a person than the money. There are people in Usagi-san's life who want to protect that career, but they don't realize that his survival as a writer and a man has become wrapped up in his relationship with Misaki. That misunderstanding and Misaki's reluctance to admit that he has fallen in love with a man makes Junjou Romantica really scary sometimes. Usagi-san is crazy enough where Misaki is concerned that he is willing to risk everything to keep his uke beside him.

There are other insane Semes, I'm sure. Takano Masamune of Shingiku Nakamura's spinoff series, Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi is certainly nuts. However, he isn't the kind of gleefully batty that Usagi-san is. I'd love to see more variations of the arrogant and possessive Seme. I would certainly welcome the humor that a nutty Seme brings to a story. I'd be very interested to hear other opinions.

Andreas Comes Alive, Naughty Freebies and Protective Ukes

I have to preempt my planned blog to have a flailing fit over a photo I spied in a web magazine called Gaytwogether.com. This image appeared on Friday. Maddeningly, there is no name for the model. There is no listing even for an agency!! Anyway, feast your eyes on the embodiment of Andreas Hesper from Ensnared. He would have no beard or mustache, but that's him! I was distracted most of the day trying to find out who represents this dreamboat. I was hoping to hire him to do some photos for posters and the like. Alas, there was no info on him to be had from the website or the photo. At any rate, it isn't often that I've seen an near perfect representation of a character in real life. I thought my readers might enjoy looking at that face as much as I did.

Now, where was I?

Naughty Freebies

I'm planning on doing a few convention appearances this year. Thus far, there is The West Hollywood Book Fair in September, Yaoicon in October and Bent Con in December. For those occasions, I am planning on giving away some fun merchandise that is in keeping with the themes of my yaoi books. This has made for some entertaining things turning up in my search history. I'll bet you never thought about how many kinds of key words it took to find novelty packets of mini lube. The right word is pillows. Pillows??!! I found them on Amazon, believe it or not. Little did I know that putting them on my wish list or favoriting something on Etsy like the 'Pocket Sadist' mini flogger would end up on my Facebook page. Not that I hide my interests or the nature of my writing, but an image of a big bucket o' lube (really, amazon?) or an image of a mini flogger is waaaay more 'in your face' than I ever am. Ah, well. On the plus side, I did find a lot of really cool things to give away at these events. And no worries if you aren't planning on attending any of them1 I'm planning on contests that will coincide with the events where my readers can get a chance to win some or all of these items. Along with the naughty things, there will be fun stuff like illustrated short stories featuring my yaoi men and an illustrated cookbook by Vincent Greven and a Dami ear tag and collar from Ensnared. I'll have more details and images of all of the freebies closer to the events.

Onto my original topic of the day!

Protective Ukes

I've talked a lot about possessive Semes, because I adore them. What's the point of being a Seme if it isn't to be crazy possessive? I've also talked about the headstrong uke. There is another type of uke that I adore reading and watching and writing. I really adore the protective uke. That trait seems to be counter-intuitive. The definition of being a uke is being submissive to a dominant partner. Such dominants are powerful people. How could a uke think his Seme would need protecting? The Seme's I like the best are very complicated. As powerful as they really are, there is always some vulnerability in the Semes I like to follow and most definitely in the ones I like. Let's take one my very favorite yaoi couples, Akihiko Usami and Takahashi Misaki of Junjuo Romantica. Usami or Usagi is a very powerful man. He is wealthy and successful and well regarded. His confidence is so absolute that it often drifts into arrogance. Yet, from the beginning of their relationship and before they were really lovers, Misaki sensed that Usagi was fragile emotionally. He is protective of him even from his own brother's insensitivity. Later, he is vehement in defending Usagi against anyone who had a bad word against him – even if those words were true. I adore the complex interplay between these two adorable men.

My own ukes are very protective of their Semes. Darius Galatea of Ensnared Volumes 1&2 is literally the most powerful being on the planet. Yet even he is vulnerable if he has a perceived weakness or eccentricity. His choice of Andreas Hesper as a lover alone could endanger his life. Andreas is sensitive to this concern from the start of their relationship. He is very protective of the image Darius presents while they are together. Though Andreas cannot bear the thought of being apart from Darius, he is consumed with the concern that their relationship will cause his lover's downfall or even his death. Many of his actions during Volume Two, including cutting himself off from his oldest friend, are about protecting Darius from forces that are almost as powerful as he is seeking to take his position and his life. In the Soldiers books (A Soldier's Choice and A Soldier's Fate), The physically powerful Colonel Rik Heron is vulnerable from forces in the military that helped create him and he is emotionally fragile. Upon his return from oblivion Vincent has two purposes in life – loving Rik Heron and protecting him from all threats. Vincent is also willing to protect his lover from even those closest to them. In both cases, the ukes biggest fight in protecting their respective Semes is with the Semes themselves. Often, it is their own behavior that causes the biggest problems. For Andreas, this is a very delicate dance he must do with his Seme. Darius was literally bred to lead. His words are like laws – they must be obeyed. It is difficult to get him to accept that he even needs protecting let alone allow others to act on his behalf. Vincent, on the other hand, can be much more direct. He makes sure his lover eats and rests. And everyone knows that to cross Rik means that Vincent's powerful anger and his dangerous abilities will be aimed squarely at the threat. This facet to these love stories makes them more compelling for me as a reader and a writer. Hopefully my readers will feel the same. For links to excerpts from these books or links on where to purchase the books, see the MENU to the right.

Next time, an exciting preview to the next yaoi manga I worked on for DMG. It's Sakira's white hot Wild Boyfriend!

Non-Con Again, Scary Semes and Twisted Views

I thought this blog would be about the next Cook Like a Uke Video. The last few days have been spent doing strange research like finding lingerie – specifically teddys – that fit muscular guys. My Hubs looked over my shoulder, exclaimed 'whatever you're planning, count me out!' Then, he fled to the study. Silly Billy! It's nearly time for a new video shoot on Cook Like a Uke. Meanwhile, the latest edited video will go up by Friday. It's a real like Misaki from Junjou Romantica. However, I didn't get as far in my planning as I had hope. Instead, I'll talk about something that keeps coming up in reader e-mails.

Despite previous blogs like the one on Power Exchange, I've had some emails from those kind souls who've taken the time to read the sample chapters of Ensnared and some of my blogs. They raise some interesting points – even the ones that kind of called me a hypocrite. I have blogged against and have often spoken out against the continuing use of non-consensual relationships in yaoi (I hope to have an even bigger panel on this subject at upcoming conventions this year). It paints a picture to the outside world that all yaoi is about rape and torture. These opinions have become really important of late as companies like Amazon and Apple have banned yaoi. And, for a short time, Smashwords was going to ban erotica with such themes. It could be argued that it wasn't non-con that got those books banned, but why give anyone that ammunition when it isn't necessary? These perceptions can impact where we can buy yaoi or even if we can buy yaoi. I am a publisher as well as a writer who doesn't want a tired trope impacting my bottom line. I'm not trying to be provocative in saying it's a tired trope. I think times have changed in the decades since Yaoi was young. The general public know a lot more about gay men and their relationships. It isn't looked upon as something to be ashamed of. Thus, there is no need to have these pairings begin with an act of force or blackmail or any kind of coercion.

And as I mentioned in the Power Exchange blog, I think there is often a fundamental misunderstanding of how dominant/submissive relationships work. I plan on revamping my Primer on Writing BDSM and offering it for free as an e-book later this summer. I love D/s fiction! I adore strong, even overbearing Semes. Who doesn't love Usagi-san in Junjou Romantica or Al from Ikoku Irokoi Romantan? They are a tad pushier than I like, but overall, they are loving and protective and devoted to their exasperated ukes. They are irresistible in their arrogance. I'm with you all with regard to this type of Seme. I want yaoi to remain as sizzling hot and sexy as always!

The gentle readers who wrote were asking how the scenario I set up between Lord Darius Galatea and underworld gang leader, Andreas Hesper was not a non-con relationship. I admit that it looks like a duck and even quacks like a duck. But it isn't a duck. It's more like a platypus. Part of my point in creating that couple was that I wanted to prove that there could be all the tension and drama between the Seme and Uke that there is in a non-consensual pair while being a consensual relationship.

But readers of the excerpts point out that it seems that Andreas is being pressured to stop hanging out with his childhood friend and second in command, Viktor. This situation is not at all what it seems. I'm glad that the sample chapters intrigued readers enough to write me with these observations. I will respond to them as best I can; however, the best way to see that this story is not the usual trope but one that turns that trope on its ear is to read the entire story over the two volumes. I will answer what I can without revealing too much if only for the sake of not having readers think I am being a hypocrite. I must first give a little background.

Early in the existence of Zed Crew, a couple of members who held powerful positions were either booted from the Crew or, in one case, killed over love affairs that went very badly (in that, a jealous lover killed the Crew Member). These unfortunate events caused Andreas to issue a decree that none of Zed Crew was to be involved in high drama relationships. Further, there were restrictions on how much drinking and partying was allowed. The new rule suited Viktor as he was secretly in love with Andreas and didn't want anyone else closer to him than he was. This rule also coincided with the opening of Club Zero, a nightspot popular with almost all strata of that society and their Crew's base of operation. Thus, no one who frequented that club, including those who lusted after Andreas, ever saw him party hard or show a romantic interest in anyone. Viktor had spent years at Andreas' side and never saw him show an interest in another man or woman.

To Viktor and the others who wanted Andreas, Darius seemed to be able to waltz into the building and take what they all wanted. Despite everything they witnessed with their own eyes to the contrary, they couldn't accept that Andreas was the one who initiated the first encounter between him and Darius. So there is jealousy from those who want Andreas. Coupled with those intense and dangerous feelings, there is a plot to remove Darius from power by forcing him to take an outrageous action against those who want to trespass into his relationship with Andreas. This is the backdrop to what appears to be irrational possessiveness on the part of Darius. The only danger for Andreas and his freedom is the very real possibility that Darius will deem it unsafe for Andreas to live his life as he has. There are real physical dangers to this uke as those who lust after him grow more and more frustrated that their feelings are not returned. It is Darius' prerogative to determine how best to keep Andreas safe. Under the terms of their contract, Andreas must obey – even if that means being locked away or chained to Darius' bed. This is not a non-con relationship, because Andreas agreed to accept the terms of their contract without hesitation and without coercion. The fun of reading the book is finding out whether or not Andreas can find a way to stand up to such a powerful being and keep his freedom while keeping his Owner happy. And, if this is possible, how he manages to pull it off without triggering Darius' world famous temper.

To get the answers, you will have to start reading!

Big Change for Cook Like a Uke -- Hot Actor Ukes!

I've been very pleased with the support I've received for Cook Like a Uke. One of the few criticisms – aside from the criticisms based on foreign Japan-o-files thinking that yaoi is something that the Japanese found offensive – is that there aren't actual Ukes cooking the food. I gave that some thought, and realized that this was a fair criticism. And there were things I could do about it. I am a filmmaker, after all. And I live in the land of hot actor boys. Thus, I've decided to use the itsy-bitsy marketing budget I have for the yaoi titles to do some shoots with actors cooking like a uke.And I had a logo done for some new aprons!

I had a casting call last week. It's the first one I've had in a number of years, and I worried that the low budget would limit the choices for the parts. I needed actors who were hot, had a presence on camera AND had credible cooking skills who were willing to work on such a modest budget. I was not very hopeful. Thus, I was very pleasantly surprised when I found four such actors to fill the roles of the various kinds of ukes. At lest, they looked good in their photos and had some very nice reels. But there is more to casting this sort of part than those basic requirements. I had to meet with them to see if they actually looked as good in person (I've been unpleasantly surprised during casting sessions when actors turned out to be a lot older than the photos and reels they post or they've had a few years of hard, hard living since their last head shot and reel was shot). Then, I had to find out if they were truly credible in the kitchen. There are many stories from beleaguered directors about actors who claim they can roller blade or ride a motorcycle only to end up in the hospital and markedly set back en entire film or TV shoot. I didn't want to have an actor or me in the ER from a knife wound, nor did I want my kitchen or me set on fire. The last thing I had could only gauge in a a face to face meeting is how comfortable the actors would be with the subject matter. That meant, explaining what yaoi is and why it has a rabid, mostly female audience. I basically gave them the history I wrote in a blog last November, Kitchen Supplies, Bromances and Other PicturePostcards. Just scroll down the middle of the blog for the Bromance part. Later, I sent links to episodes to Junjou Romantica and Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi that relate to cooking food.It was funny explaining all of this if the passers by were any indication. Ah well, it wasn't the weirdest casting meeting I've ever had.

The four actors chosen fit the requirements for the roles, and they embraced the spirit of the webseries. I have four different types of guys who will cover some of the various types of ukes, or, in some cases, the very serious, buttoned down Semes who are cooking for ukes. The plan is to make dishes from yaoi anime and manga (this includes a dish from Nabako Kamo's Again Tomorrow that I worked on with a team of localizers for the Digital Manga Guild). The first shoot is scheduled for April 2^nd. I'll post behind the scenes photos of the shoot that day. The first video from that shoot are slated to be posted on April 6^th. The actors who will appear during the run of the series are:

Ryohei Watanabe

Ryohei Watanabe, a Japanese actor/dancer/director who has been in the US for five years. He is an avid cook who has his own recipes for many of the dishes on the schedule. You can find out more about him at ryoheiwatanabe.com.

Kyle  Valle

Kyle Valle, an actor who is also an avid anime fan and foodie who is a talented, self taught cook.

Donal Thoms-Cappello

Donal Thoms-Cappello, an actor/comedian who is a trained cook.

Edward Swimgler

Edward Swingler, an actor/dancer/cinematographer who loves to cook.










As you can see, they are very easy on the eyes. I can't wait to see what they will bring to this fun and irreverent little series.

Cook Like a Uke -- A Seme Breakfast

Cook Like a Uke -- A Seme Breakfast is LIVE (click the title)!

A gentle reminder that his series is a PARODY. This episode was certainly a comedy of errors (technical problems abound). My sound mixing software seems to be possessed by an annoying demon. There are sound FX that I didn't record and some things I did record are missing. I fogot to put in my transition FX and I know there are some captions missing. But the sucker is up and still chocked full of really good info and techniques. 

As I said in the earlier blog, This video is based on a breakfast made by Misaki Takahashi from Junjou Romantica episode two. Misaki-kun is the epitome of the cooking uke. He always has the apron and cleaver ready to keep his Usami fed despite his crazy hours. This reminds me that I need to try some of Misaki's salmon recipes at some point. I did not do two dishes from the breakfast. I've never cooked with natto beans, so I didn't think a video shoot was a good time to start. Also, my own Seme (or actually, my husband who THINKS he's my Seme) doesn't do fish in the morning. I like to make meals that we'll actually east, so we aren't wasting food. So, I substituted those with pork sausage!

Here are the recipes and the links to more information and equipment from the video. As always, thank you for your support and patience.

Dashi Soup

4 cups of cold water

approx. 3x5 inches of Kombu Kelp

3 oz of Benito Flakes

Miso Soup

2 cups of Dashi Soup

1 tbs of white miso paste or any kind you like

cubed firm tofu

green onions

Tamagoyaki

2 eggs

½ tsp soy sauce

1tsp mirin

salt to taste

oil for fray pan

Basic Japanese Rice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DovkRLdU_DE&feature=colike

RunnyRunny999's Typical Japanese Breakfast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopkrEA66sA&feature=colike

Tamago Pan http://amzn.com/B000HS0SHA

Onigiri Molds http://amzn.com/B0033RRTLA

Cooking Chosticks http://amzn.com/B0000CDHN8

  Ensnared Volume One, the Paperback is now  on Amazon.com HERE

 Ensnared Volume Two is LIVE on Kindle HERE
The paperback is available HERE
Ebooks for all types of players available on Smashwords HERE  
Ensnared Volume One Kindle Ebook Available HERE 
Check out full chapter excerpts for Volume One and Volume Two under Hot Links in the Menu on the right side of this page!

Cook Like a Uke February Update

The next Cook Like a Uke episode will be up early next week. I've been delayed again by my various real life obligations. One of them, as I mentioned last week, is an editor for Digital Manga. My localizing team, Heaven's Blade, was putting our first title to bed. Again Tomorrow by Nabako Kamo was as fun to do as it was challenging. I wrote a brief blog about the Semes in the book and their tendency toward really public and explicit public displays of affection HERE.

I have managed to shoot most of the video while juggling my other work. I just have one scene to re-shoot. I'm doing my version of the perfect breakfast from Junjou Romantica episode 2. I've added and deleted some dishes. I'll explain that more fully when I post the video. The one after that will be the Pork Tonjiu recipe from episode 1 of Junjou Romantica. What can I say? Misaki Takahashi is adorable, and he really loves to cook for his Seme, Akhiko Usami or Usagi. I should have a more consistent shooting schedule now that I have a stable routine for the rest of my work. Meanwhile, I'll be posting a regular cooking video that is a response to video posted by one of my favorite Japanese chef's online, Ochikeron. If you're interested in Kara Age Style Buffalo Wings, subscribe to my channel or just check in there early next week.

Thank you for your patience and encouragement. 

 Ensnared Volume One, the Paperback is now  on Amazon.com HERE

 Ensnared Volume Two is LIVE on Kindle HERE
The paperback is available HERE
Ebooks for all types of players available on Smashwords HERE  
Ensnared Volume One Kindle Ebook Available HERE 
Check out full chapter excerpts for Volume One and Volume Two under Hot Links in the Menu on the right side of this page!