I'm being interviewed at GLBT Promo. It was a lot of fun and a true honor. Check it out here.
http://www.glbtpromo.com

This group has some wonderful links. Their myspace page is here:
http://www.myspace. com/glbtpromo

When I created my website, I wanted everyone to see it. I thought it was perfect and it should be given awards for being unique and beautiful. Was I disappointed to find that any erotic content or links to erotic content disqualified me from just about every web award on the planet. Not to be outdone, I created an Excellence Award myself, and started giving it out once a month. I did that for over a year, and it was an wonderful way to support the community and network, as well as gain name recognition. I put it aside for a couple of years, always intending to revamp it and offer it again. Now is the time.

This award will be undergoing a radical change to make it a yearly award with prizes such as free featured author space, banner creation, author promos, prepaid marketing workshops, promo material, interviews, book promos, free advertising, and more.

The first award will be presented in the fall of 2009. This sort of endeavor takes work, but the rewards, both personal and professional, are worth it. That is why I am making this a publicly offered and earned award, and am opening the program to be chaired by a committee. This email is a call for volunteers.

COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT:

The Ruby Award for Website Excellence committee will guide this award program to make it a recognized and sought after award in the erotica romance community, and a mark of quality in the industry.

The committee will oversee the creation of the entire program. It will set up the criteria for judging, recruit judges, obtain prizes, oversee the selection process, chair events, plan each year’s program, and make final decisions pertaining to the award.

RUBY AWARD MISSION STATEMENT:

The Ruby Award for Website Excellence is based on criteria and merit, rather than popular vote. It is presented to erotica authors who use the internet in positive and innovative ways; and for community groups providing reviews, education, and other services for erotica authors.

There will be four separate annual awards.

·         Simple - Sites created using free websites such as freewebs, geocities, etc.

·         Community - Community sites providing reviews, education, or other services

·         Author - Author designed and maintained sites

·         Design - Professionally designed sites (award will go to author and to designer)

Each award will be held for a one year period. Prizes will include such items as featured author space, banner creation, author promos, marketing workshops, promo material, interviews, book promos, free advertising, and more.

After the conclusion of the public nomination period, a panel of judges will visit nominated sites and vote based on a criteria that will be provided. An online presentation party will be held in a live chat format and the awards will be announced. Nominees will also receive graphics to post on their sites, and the winners will receive recognition on sites sponsoring the awards.

Those desiring an opportunity to serve on this prestigious committee, please join the Ruby Award Panel group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RubyAwardPanel/

Current co-chairs are myself and KarenneLyn from Coffee Time Romance.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=28106535

I saw a cool vid today of mountain suit gliding. This kind of thing is terrifying and yet beautiful to watch. It's base jumping with suits that make you look like a human adaptation of a flying squirrel. Check it out.

How cool! My book Alitus, Tales of the Chosen has been nominated on the P&E poll in erotica http://critters.critique.org/predpoll/novelerot.shtml and SciFi categories http://critters.critique.org/predpoll/shortstorysf.shtml

I'm in here on the author page too. :) http://critters.critique.org/predpoll/author.shtml

The anthology I'm in, A Time To... was nominated for an Eppie as well. And you can vote for it here on P&E. http://critters.critique.org/predpoll/antho.shtml

Thanks to those who nominated me. That is just too cool. It made my day!

Cobblestone Press is sponsoring the first Words in Motion conference, a totally free, online conference for both readers and writers. I'm proud and excited to be one of the first-year presenters. My topic is Marketing, and the title for my topic is "New Beginnings".  You can get more info here...http://cobblestonepress.blogspot.com/2007/12/words-in-motion-conference.html

Please come and take part in this new conference. Each day features a different theme. Here is the agenda.

Forensics: A Reality Check for Authors - M. E. McCombs
Image Building: Developing a Web Presence - Croco Designs
Workshop for Authors on Marketing  - Kayelle Allen
Writing the Convincing Villain - Melanie Atkins

Hope to see you there!

I submitted 1000 words to the Chasing the Dream contest earlier this fall, and was one of the finalists. Now it's time to vote for the winner. To help you decide, here's what I submitted.

Viator the Nameless
by Kayelle Allen

Chapter One

Colonies of Man, Umbra
Village of Janz

The scent of blood rose in the night, rank and heavy on the wind. "Pure carnage." The moans of the dying rang like the music of hell. It brought a tight smile to Viator's mouth. "You're sure none are ours?"

His adjutant saluted. "Yes, your lordship. All enemy."

"Good." He fingered the gilded cross around his neck. "You have flame throwers. Use them. Waste no time on the injured. What about the women?"

"Already off the field, my lord. Under lock and key."

"Good. See they stay there." He dismissed him as two men approached. The elder, Captain Handoval, strode toward him.

"Viator, I want a word."

"Do you?" He clasped hands behind him. "Why? I already assigned you more plunder than you earned. Surely your men have their fill of whiskey." He let his gaze go past Handoval to a young man on the fringes of the firelight. "Not enough casualties to warrant promoting your son-in-law. Let me lose half the Network first."

The man bristled. "There's trouble on the far side of the camp. One of your men is unarmed, and a peasant's after him with a knife."

"If he can't he defend himself against a peasant, perhaps he's one of yours."

"It's Mykin Kankill."

Viator threw back his cloak. "Wasting your time. He's my best man."

"As you say, he's yours. Perhaps he's not worth rescuing."

"Kankill doesn't need rescuing from anything."

Handoval tapped a foot. "Your own soldiers are laying wagers how long it will take him to die."

Viator regarded him with arrogant disbelief, weighing the matter in his mind. "Very well. Let's go watch him trounce a peasant."

The crowd of soldiers parted as Viator made his way to the ring of officers at the center. Inside, awash in the light of hand-held beacons, the broad-chested Kankill gave way before his petite attacker. Fatigue aged his face and sweat soaked his uniform, already bloodied from battle. If the man noticed his watchers, he made no show of it, pressed to full advantage by the peasant woman. She circled him like a cat, blonde hair loose, straight as a man's and cut ragged above the shoulders. Like most peasants, she wore a shapeless tunic and pants.

"She's skinny as a gun barrel," someone commented. "Why'd he want her? Looks like a man and fights like a demon."

"Aye," put in an enlisted man, spitting in the dirt, "but ye don't see no sweat on her."

Viator narrowed his eyes. Kankill did look a bit harrowed. "How long has this gone on?"

"A quarter hour," Handoval commented. "I'd have stopped it, but…"

Viator silenced him with an upraised hand. He resisted the urge to step into the ring. "He's letting her get over confident."

Handoval's son-in-law chuckled, but ducked out of sight when Viator glared.

Kankill tripped and hit the ground hard. The woman leaped. They rolled, over and over, Kankill's greater weight giving him the advantage. With furious determination, he forced the weapon from her left hand, gripping her wrist. He slammed one huge fist into her face. She lay sprawled, vanquished.

Amid cheers, the victor dragged himself to his feet and leaned over, hands on his knees, panting for breath. Sweat dripped from his face.

"Well," Viator commented, joining him. "You won." The woman's skin was white as death. "Worth it?"

Kankill lifted his head enough to look up. Sweat dripped into his eyes. He rubbed the back of his arm across them. "Aye."

"No pleasure in it? Isn't she your type after all?"

Even in the throes of exhaustion, Kankill managed a joke. "No, lord." He threw back his head, noting as if for the first time, the crowd of onlookers. He nodded toward the woman and wiped his face on a dirty sleeve. "I took her for you."

The crowd guffawed, until Viator directed his gaze in their direction. Scalp-tingling silence replaced it. Starting from the rear, the circle dispersed.

Kankill himself fell back as Viator's gaze reached his. "Forgive me, Lord. No disrespect meant."

"Fine. Since you have no use for her... I could use a scrubwoman." Viator gestured, and two of his men lifted her. "Is she heavy?"

One dropped her feet and the other tossed her over his shoulder.

Reaching his tent, Viator entered to hold the flap. "Chain her. Over there." He motioned to the foot of his bed. A loop of chain clinked into place around her throat.

As the guard left, his personal servant entered and stole a peek at the woman. Viator tossed him his cloak and seated himself in a canvas chair. "You may go, Taxus. The better food and drink's in the officer's mess. They all know you're my man. No one will bother you."

"Aye, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Post guards away from the door." He stretched in the canvas chair and yawned. "There's only clean up to be done now. Tell the men I've turned in and have no wish to be disturbed."

He winked. "Aye, your lordship, that I'll do." He wiped a hand across his mouth. "If you need me, sir, gi' us yer whistle." Stealing one last glance at the woman, he hurried from the tent.

She lay still and pale as a corpse. "Lord, what a repulsive wench."

He made himself a pot of coffee and nursed a cup while he made his report. It took some time to make connections to proper ports, and more still to remember passwords. In all that time, the woman didn't move.

"He's killed her." He squatted beside her body to feel her throat for a pulse. Her eyes flew open, startling him. She used the opportunity well; his weapon aimed itself at him in her hands.

"Move and I'll kill you." She pushed herself into a sitting position, gaze trained on his face. "I know how to use this."

"No doubt." He sat facing her, arms resting across his knees.
====

That's it. That's my 1000 words! This book will be set in the Colonies of Man, outside the Tarthian Empire. To vote (for Viator or for others) please click here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0pwu9Pn63FtqiXszW5qcxA_3d_3d  (last day to vote is November 30, 2007)
Thanks for voting!

I saw an incredible video by a 15 year old today. It touched my heart. Let it touch yours...

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=9485746

My morning commute takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on traffic, and I totally enjoy the ride because I can listen to music. I love the two rock stations in Atlanta that play Alternative and New Rock, 99.7 and 96.1 - however, when 99 is talking, I always flip over to 96 and listen to music. It's cool to have a choice.

Well, thanks to the programming geniuses at 96.1, there's no longer a choice in Atlanta. Now there's a boring man who jabbers in the morning. Yada yada yada, blah blah blah.

Unless you call maybe 3 songs an hour playing music, then there is zip. I can sometimes get into 99's talk show. They are actually funny. But this guy doesn't even have a pleasant voice. And who asked the listeners what they wanted?

Trust me, it wasn't 96. Bring back the music!

I am not into talking. If I was, I'd put it on AM750 and listen to weather and traffic every 6 minutes.

Until the new guy at 96 is gone, so am I.