My Favorites from "Unscripted", Featuring Queen of Spades

If there is any author that I say I admire, it is Ms. Queen of Spades. Her words and prose are like a warm flame on ice, melting away ones literary desire. She is just amazing. I am blessed to have her here with us today. Everyone, welcome Queen of Spades.

Greetings everyone! For those of you who have been reading and supporting Pleasure Prints, many thanks. For people who are just joining the fray, All Authors is in the midst of its Pleasure Prints blog tour. Today is my feature day where all things are “Unscripted”.

I would like to discuss my favorite three parts of “Axana … Unscripted” as well as the reasons behind the choices.

Excerpt One

She surveyed the landscape. The grass was high, tinted yellow with neglect and saturated with candy wrappers, beer bottles, cigarette butts and ripped condom wrappers. A repugnant scent—a mixture of rotten eggs and raw sewage—gave foil to an otherwise clear day. If Axana were to guess, various neighborhood miscreants had taken liberties in the outward redesign of the grey building. However, the artistic direction lacked sync. The left side of the building—doused with profanity. The right side of the building—devotional mosaics of fallen comrades.

One portrait was of a little boy, who looked no more than six years old. His eyes were so big, his gaze so innocent and full of wonder. Axana wandered closer to the image and rubbed his button nose and robust cheeks.

What was this boy’s story? Why was his spirit called so soon?

With this, I wanted to paint a clear picture of the element that Axana was walking into. Although some people may be used to it because it’s what they see every day, this scene is not familiar to her, which is why it gives her tremendous trepidation. I also referenced the mural of the little boy to recognize that so many of them are taken from us too soon due to external elements. However, I leave the reader to come up with one’s own story as to the little boy’s demise.

Excerpt Two

Axana strutted over to the window. For a fleeting moment, she thought that Zube was studying her movements, but dismissed it just as quickly. She busied herself with different poses until he barked, “Don’t do any of that. It looks stupid.”

“What?”

“Axana, this isn’t a modeling shoot. I don’t need you to work the camera. This needs to come across as natural.”

Axana huffed, her forehead dimpled with lines of confusion. It was always championed that women tended to not know what they wanted. They had not come across Zube.

Zube placed his camera back on the tripod to approach her.

“Axana I wasn’t calling you stupid. I’m just saying that life isn’t staged so it doesn’t make sense for you to pose. You must behave as if the camera isn’t here. Look out of the window, think about how you are feeling and make it visual enough for me to capture … whatever that is, even if it’s unpleasant. For example, how did you feel when you first arrived here? I don’t imagine it’s an emotion associated with walking the runway.”

In this exchange, I wanted to capture the camaraderie between Axana and Zube. Both of them have awkwardness in different ways. Axana is slightly sensitive to Zube’s directness, and Zube does not have the eloquent finesse to deliver his request until in hindsight.

There is also a microscope on the operation of life. When one takes pictures for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and the like, we have time to make things pretty and perfect. Yet this is not what Zube is going for at all. Life is not staged or pretty. It often flows without opportunity for what’s appropriate or correct.

Excerpt Three

He didn’t answer, just pointed to the bed and instructed her to get comfortable. Just pretend he’s not here was the mantra Axana placed in her brain. Yet, she felt exposed. It had been a while since she’d been in this state of dress around anyone.

The more she attempted to dilute Zube’s presence, the more amplified it became. The silhouette manifested itself into him, adopted all of his features. The sensations pulling her closer to this fantasy rattled her rationale. Axana’s body was no longer her own. Some primal entity operated as her puppet master.

Axana’s eyes smoldered with lust while she looked into Zube’s camera lens. One brassiere strap, of its own volition, slid off her shoulder. One hand, originally on Axana’s thigh, slid closer to her secret treasure.

A tightrope is present between suppression and surrender. What is it about Zube that makes Axana’s cautionary wall feel comfortable enough to crumble? Is he that damn fine? Is it his art? Or seeing multiple sides to him? Perhaps, it’s just been a minute since she’s been sexually shaken up and she throws caution aside, thinking that she only lives once. Did they just kiss or go all the way? Those questions I left unanswered on purpose, for there’s really no wrong answer.

For more of Axana and Zube, don’t hesitate to pick up Pleasure Prints.

Peace.

COMING SOON

Synful Desire Speaks: The Consequential Absence

One of my best friends and a wonderful author ... today, Synful Desire stops by!

Hello everyone! Let’s talk … transparency.

Are the lows of life really an acceptable excuse when progress is at a standstill? Although I’m prone to believe there should be exceptions to every rule, others in the world do not share that same view. Most, in this day and age, tout that the show must go on.

What happens when the entire “supposed” show ceases?

Okay, no more code speak. Audience, you know that isn’t my style.

One of the first tragedies I went through was the suppression, damn near deletion, of stimuli to continue with the whole Convoluted Prism development. The main factor influencing this was the loss of someone who was the driving force for the final book of the story. Unbeknownst to a lot of you, I tend to plot out my titles and summaries far in advance, with an outline of how I want things to go. No, Convoluted Prism, in and of itself, isn’t nonfiction, but traits of certain characters in parts were.

My attitude became, “Why even continue with this?”

The sour in my normally sweet decorum started in 2015 and continued through 2016. It was a miracle that I was able to create “The Satiationship” for Concordant Vibrancy 3: Lustrate. Yet, I pushed forward, because I already committed to the project.

Along with that, things were crumbling with the All Authors Family. Not as much with the individual writers but more so with management. There was this air of discouragement, frustration, and exhaustion that trickled down the pike.

Yes, management did their best to keep things afloat, but it didn’t take a genius to pick up that something was wrong.

I wasn’t sure which came first: the elimination of the magazine or the changes within the publishing house. To me, I felt like they were both happening at the same time. I understood the Vice President’s pain and how hard she worked to keep everything afloat when the President behaved as if she didn’t give two craps. It wasn’t long before I took a side, admiring the Vice President while feeling anger and disappointment with the President.

When the VP finally had her fill and resigned, I threw down my pen as well. It added to my not wanting to write another word.

There was one snag. I was the person keeping Pleasure Prints from reaching completion. Everyone else’s stories were in, but because of all the All Authors chaos, production had been postponed from 2016 to 2017.

2017 came and went. Never had I experienced so much sadness. I wanted to confide in other All Authors brethren but didn’t want them getting caught up in my personal feelings toward the President. I reached out to the former VP to see how she was faring. She did admit to missing the creative process of All Authors but was not a fan of where things were going and how exhausted she was in taking the wheel for two.

Since my heart was still broken, so was my inspiration.

I gave the rest of the writers the option to produce Pleasure Prints without me. They all took a vote and refused. It would either be all or none.

I still felt bad but I couldn’t force what didn’t exist.

It was the middle of 2018 when I got a spark, based on a conversation I was having with a fellow author, confessing how stuck I was with Convoluted Prism. I remember her telling me there was nothing to stop me from writing about other elements in the CP world—perhaps doing that will give me the mojo to approach CP again.

Hearing that got me back into note taking mode—the preliminary process I go through while developing my stories.

I was working my way back, back to my paradise—the paradise of writing.

It made me think of the Pleasure Prints question, yet there was still no word on Pleasure Prints. The former President and Vice President were doing their own things.

Fall of 2018, rumors sprouted of a conversation—about how much each head missed All Authors. Yet, really All Authors never died, just the previous manifestation of it did.

What if All Authors could function without all of the extra—just an assembly of people putting out transcendent literature?

Finally, at the end of the year, both heads were in agreement. All Authors got new life, and so did I.

I know that it isn’t coincidence that just as soon as there was peace with my publishing family, my creativity would burst forth.

I recognize that I am not a writer who can write against the turbulence in my life. It puts me on pause. When my environment isn’t right, I’m not right. It’s how I’m set up.

I mean no disrespect to my sisters in write, Da’Kharta Rising and Queen of Spades, who have the ability to take pain and put it effortlessly on the page, whether they are personally going through it or not. I’m not able to compartmentalize—add, subtract, multiply, and divide as I see fit.

If I am going through something, I’d rather take my time and deal with that than to dare stain the pages with what could amount to garbage on my end. There’s enough garbage literature out there for me to add to the lot.

It only took me about 2 weeks, maybe less to write “Onus”. If one wants to add my doing extra editing and add-ins, about a month. Yet, I have the same rush of pride in this, as I did with “Seven Days of Stimuli” for Crackles of the Heart.

Despite all of the commotion in the background, each story in Pleasure Prints—definitely worth waiting for. No worries though, we won’t make you wait another four years for the next collection.

I would say “Scout’s Honor”, but I’m not a Scout.

Until next time,

COMING SOON!

Divergent Ink Concept: Da'Kharta Rising's Thoughts

Hi again!

This week is going to be full of exciting content. Today, the one and only Da'Khata Rising graces the stage of my Blog to bring her thoughts on Divergent Ink!

After you, Da'Kharta!

What’s cracking? The SASS here, stretching my achy muscles (don’t ask) to speak on the Divergent Ink collection as a whole.

I know you are probably trying to figure out why a Slightly Antisocial Socialite would get involved in a project with five other people, along with why this project.

First off, I don’t work with people whose work I have not peeped. Nor do I work with people who suck. I have read at least one book by each of the authors in here and can tell you which books or stories I enjoy the most from each of them.

Oooh, so you want to dare me? Okay, game on.

As far as the Mann (you folks know him as Adonis Mann), I have to go with the joint venture with he did with Desire, Simmer: Smoothe & Sweet. That scene when ol’ boy got caught. What can I say? The drama and the clapback thrilled me to no end. You just have to read it yourself.

Since I brought up Synful Desire, it’s hard because she’s got so much atypical stuff. That’s what I dig about her the most. If I am forced to choose one, I have to go with “Seven Days of Stimul”, her story in the first Divergent Ink. Normally, I wouldn’t read anything sappy but it was the comedy of Bette’s circumstances and relating to Bette as an overall person that kept this a page turner. Nope, I’m not going to tell if she gets the guy.

Speaking of sappy … I mean C. Desert Rose (just joking Rosie if you’re reading this; it was a nice lead in) … it’s cool what she’s doing with the whole Angels and Demons segment. Don’t tell her I told you this (it may go to her head) but her strides in paranormal loosely inspired my vision with the Transcendent Choice collection. Yet, my favorite book in her Fate’s Endeavor series isn’t her first book but the 2nd one Demonness Enchanted.

Knowing my favorite read of Y. Correa is very easy. It’s everything Earth 8-8-2. Genesis is a beast! I’m like that fan that feels like she’s been waiting too long (like Game of Thrones) for the next book to drop. I’m not trying to rush the next book and yet, I am. Y. Correa, don’t be like Game of Thrones.

In contrast, deciding on my most enjoyable read from Queen of Spades is the most difficult. Depending on what she writes brings out lots of emotions, some I thought I iced ages ago. She reminds me that I can be vulnerable, and that makes me like her and shake my head at her simultaneously. Although it’s one of her older contributions, I consider it timeless. That would be her poetry collection Private Pain: Amidst These Ashes.

Nobody that’s part of Divergent Ink sucks.

As far as “why Divergent Ink”, just sound it out. Doesn’t it resonate like smooth liquid going down your throat? On a cold day, for me, hot chocolate. You can pick whatever beverage makes you feel good.

More than that, just knowing that the topics change each time is a challenge. It gives one freedom to craft the answer in one’s own vision. It does help that there’s no word maximum, but I think I’m the reason they creators decided to give a 1,000 word minimum. What can I say? I like to get to the point.

I’m uncertain if they’re going to put a cap on how many books but no matter how many there are, this author right here will be a part of them.

For good reading, you can’t go wrong.

COMING SOON!

Dennis the Menace--An Interview with Dennis from "Fleeting Moments"

Hey there, y'all!

Today I am bringing you a fun look into Dennis from my story "Fleeting Moments" which was featured in "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2". Here we go!

Q: How would you describe yourself to someone who’s never seen you?

A: I guess I would say that I am just an average guy. Average height, average weight, average looks. Just like the guy next door only not as hot as the movies would have you believe. I am “that guy” you see everywhere.

Q: Do you really like hot chocolate or were you just doing that to melt Helena’s heart?

A: I wasn’t really trying to melt anyone’s heart. She looked lonely, not to mention bored. Since one never knows who is a coffee person and who is a tea person, I figured that hot chocolate was a safe bet and a good ice breaker. I don’t know many people that don’t like hot chocolate. I guess it was just a gesture of kindness for a person who looked like that needed a friend.

Q: In your opinion, why does Helena act the way she acts?

A: She seemed like a tough cookie, that Helena. But I’ve been around people long enough to know who is really that hard core and who uses it as a defense mechanism. Helena used the tough exterior to get where she wanted to go. I get and respect that. But that by no means meant that she was happy with life and with herself. Her behavior was all a mask that I thought she could do with getting rid of. Just my personal assessment, I guess.

Q: How could you deal with her attitude on a nightly basis?

A: I didn’t really. Lol.

I ignored it. Plus, half the time I just left the hot chocolate on her desk whenever she was away. The other half of the time, I chatted her up a little, gave her the cup and left. It wasn’t too much to deal with per say, if you really think about it.

Q: What instincts did you use in order to develop insight on Helena’s wants?

A: Basic instincts, I guess. I think that the Universe gave me the gift of discernment. I have always had this 6th sense that lets me read people.

Q: What is it like to work while battling an illness?

A: It’s life. I don’t know, I never gave it much thought. I just did what needed doing. Besides, who was going to pay my bills? You just learn how to take things one day at a time and get things done.

Q: Would you have ever wanted anything more from Helena besides friendship?

A: No, not at all. Besides, it would have been selfish and unrealistic of me to want more when I knew my situation. It wouldn’t have been fair to anyone. So, friendship was fine by me.

Q: Outside of work, what other activities do you like to do?

A: I love baseball. I watched a lot of baseball and did a lot of baseball related things. LOL

Q: How do you define friendship and do you believe that you and Helena achieved it in the span of time you two knew each other?

A: I define friendship as the acceptance of a person regardless of their social status, appearance, characteristics, and personality. Friendship is just being who you are to a person who is who they are without compromise or judgement. And, yes, I think we did.

Q: What is the best advice you can give to someone who is going through challenges in life?

A: Stick it out. It’ll probably get better. Who knows? Maybe it’ll get worse. No one knows what tomorrow holds, but life goes on no matter what happens. Take things as they come, do the best you can, and please, by all mean … LIVE A LITTLE.

Odyssey of Rhapsody: Behind the Scenes

Hello and good day, everyone!

Today I am pleased to bring you the one of a kind Mr. Adonis Mann speaking on his story "Odyssey of Rhapsody" which was included in "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2".

Donny, take it away!

There are method actors and, believe it or not, there are also method writers. The similarities between the two are the tools they use to portray the story. They both use their emotions as an emotional catalyst to give firmament and profundity to the tales they are attempting to tell.

Such was the process when telling “Odyssey of Rhapsody”.

Originating from a place of darkness and emanating the same, “Odyssey of Rhapsody” is a place where the potential ramifications of mental-illness become clear. Furthermore, it is a probable nervana for the mentally ill pleading for solace.

I, to be clear, am not saying that it is right; I am saying it is unfortunately likely.

With the theme question being “Where is paradise?” coupled with my mind-state at the time, “Odyssey of Rhapsody” became the obscure yet complex retellings of a troubled mind.

When in my darkest moments, my mind feels trapped; captured and cornered by the rampant whirling of vertiginous rumiations.

And so, the story commenced.

I envisioned a person being held captive in a rubber room, hands tied behind his/her back with a strait-jacket. He/she sat on the bed, legs crossed, rocking back and forth—uneasy, afraid, believing that everyone is against him/her. Also, this person would be beguiled by the idea that a savior would come to set him/her free from captivity. Therefore, he/she becomes so enthralled and obsessed by the idea of salvation to the point where the lines between reality and figment become blurred.

It would stand to reason that a person in this situation would seek salvation, seek paradise as it would offer the only real condolence to their current and perpetual hell.

From this idea, “Odyssey of Rhapsody” was born.

“Odyssey of Rhapsody” is a short story telling us about the long and arduous journey of S, the Doctor and D.

As some of you may already know about me, I don’t always give my characters names. Many a time, my characters names/initials are a space holder for human emotion and fantastic ideations.The theology being that the reader can, through these means, step into the body and mind of the character and live the narrative from the character’s perspective.

Now, S is convinced that the world is plotting against his/her person, starting with the Doctor. The Doctor truly and deeply wants to help his clients, but he is at a standstill with S. D is another situation altogether. But, I will not ruin it for the reader. I will let you read the story for yourself and make up your own minds.

Simply put, my answer to the theme question via “Odyssey of Rhapsody” is that Paradise is in the mind.

Until Soon,

COMING SOON!

"Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2" Cover Reveal

Hello and welcome!

Today, the All Authors Publishing House family is offering up a big treat. Please sit back, relax and enjoy this unique Cover Reveal for the upcoming anthology collection called, "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2".

Before giving you a glimpse at the cover, we here at All Authors decided to interview the cover. No one knows the cover concept than the cover itself.

Without further ado ... We present you with the first ever "All Authors Ask the Cover Interview".

1) Why the rainbow colors as part of the design? 

I do worry about the rainbow colors for two reasons. First one is because those kind of colors are your signature Lady Desire and I would hate to look like I am a copycat. Second is because some people may mistake me as an erotica or LGBTQIA classification instead of a short story anthology. Other than that it's fine.

2) How do you feel about your backdrop always being black?

It is my favorite part. It makes me versatile. A number of colors can work on me.

3) Do you like your dimensions being smaller than the typical 6 x 9 size? Elaborate on the answer.

Well, the truth is that I don’t mind either size. It isn’t the size of the boat, but the motion in the ocean. Right? Right … I think.

But honestly though, I like to think that the 5 X 8 is fun sized, and Divergent Ink is nothing if not fun to read.

4) Why both foot and finger prints?

This collection’s main title is Pleasure Prints. So, I thought that it would be important to show a variation in prints because it would speak to the versatility in the content as well as the theme of the book. Also, different prints leave different impressions. At the end of the day, that is what Divergent Ink is all about, giving the audience a variation of interpretations for a single question.

5) If you had a choice about what order to put the stories in inside of you, how would you organize them?

Well, either by length or by emotion.

Length, from shortest to longest, because it builds up reading endurance. If one has the longest story first, the reader may mistake the rest of the works as being just as long as the first one. Humans don't have the greatest attention spans.

Emotion, from solemn to sunny. Most like the happily ever after in the end. Plus, with a title like Pleasure Prints, shouldn't the end result be a pleasant one?

6) You seem to like abstract art as opposed to realistic art, why is that?

I do a prefer abstract over realistic. The reason is because perception is reality. The Divergent Ink collection gives us a myriad of theories based on one fundamental question. Since perception is reality, there is no black and white, meaning the clarity of the answer may not be so straightforward. The reason that abstract art fits Divergent Ink so well is because it “sits in grey”. This means, that everyone can come up with their own hypothesis of what and why.

Blurb:

Divergent Ink is the mesh of different frames of thoughts, various interpretations of one core question that yearns for universal expansion. Although the subject matter may change every year, the purpose of the Divergent Ink series will remain the same.The second book in the Divergent Ink anthology series, “Pleasure Prints”, revolves around the following question:

Where is paradise?

Six Divergent Inks exploring "Pleasure Prints". Will the destination cause one to sip a tropical cocktail or cock an eyebrow in amazement?

Featuring:

Adonis Mann: Desperation and delusion are a marriage of emotions. Sentiments collide when three lives tell their tales. Hypnotizing and melancholic are the days of the souls who pursue the "Odyssey of Rhapsody".

C. Desert Rose: Helena can be cumbersome and crude, while her life is at a standstill, she likes it that way. Amidst the orange glow of office lights and a steaming cup of hot chocolate, Helena learns that life is a series of "Fleeting Moments".

Da'Kharta Rising: For Masato, there's no time like the present. Is no limit too great to accomplish “Masato's Zion”?

Synful Desire: Cecilia Teflon knows she doesn't have much time left. Before she leaves this earth, she must make a confession. Will this revelation grant her entrance into spiritual paradise? Explore the twists and turns of “Onus”.

Queen of Spades: Axana has always lived a very careful life but a lucrative advertisement shreds her comfort zone. Paradise is where one least expects in “Axana … Unscripted”.

Y. Correa: Myth or memory, which can it be? A life so scripted can be less than desirable. To go or to stay, it is that question that leaves, "Nalani at Heaven's Gates".