Scattered Thoughts Mini Rant On Writing – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Final Thoughts on Literary Titles !

Hard to believe that once again September is winding down. Well, it has been an eventful month. Hurricanes, flooding, and well, just plain old tons of rain pouring through my communities have a dampening effect that washed away my planned thoughts for posted blogs. Maybe we will see those slip into October, one of my absolute favorite months!

Yes, its still pouring outside even as I type. This will go down as the wettest two, maybe three months recorded for our area. The mold being reported is off the charts. I will try to locate plants that love water for the backyard. Submergents anyone?

Meanwhile back to some wonderful suggestions for our own literary days of the month. Remember we had a giveaway going?

This was the contest:

Literary Event Title Giveaway

If you all were to suggest a Literary Event for the calendar, what would it be? An International LGBT Romance Story Day? Triad in Lust Day? Quiltbag Aliens HEA Day? Give me some titles for our own special September literary events. Let’s call it our LGBTQIA Literary Event Title Giveaway! Have your title chosen and we will have Stella set you up with a $10 gift card from Dreamspinners. And here’s what you all came up with.

Here from Purple Reader:

It does look like quite the week lined up. I’ve seen a cpl of Free Lib boxes pop up in my neighborhood here in Chicago, and I had to smile. Some more ideas for days:
– GLBTQ Reads That Surprised You Day
– Older GLBTQ Readers Can Have Fun Too Day
– Read a GLBTQ Book Together Day
– Smile & Touch through Words Day
– Read the Book, Visit the Scene Day
– Honoring GLBTQ Books Where You Live Day
– GLBTQ Books That Changed the World Day
– Ok, I gotta stop this day, lol

From Ami: Read in Public Transportation Day

From H.B. Donate a Book Day

From Jen:

If I were to add another literary event to the calendar, it would be “Give a Kid a Book” day because reading meant so much to me as a kid and it means a lot to my kids. Reading can help kids in so many ways.

And also from P.R….Ok, This has been stimulating … and dangerous. Here goes with my imagination (I hope this is what you had in mind, because I had some fun here after not having time to think even scattered thoughts for a while):

Question Mark Day (Never Stop Asking Why)
Readers With Guilty Pleasures Day
Out-of-the-Limelight GLBTQ Genres Day (spreading the love to less popular genres)
Out of Your Comfort Zone Reading Day
Readers Reviewing Reviewers Day (let’s give THEM some feedback!)
Co-Authors Day
Pay It Forward with Words Day

Thank you everyone for participating. Congratulations to Purple Reader on the winning ….many of them entries! Please contact Stella about the gift certificate!

Meanwhile, we have a great week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. Great tours, great books (audio and ebook), and did you all notice we slipped in another new reviewer on you? Welcome, Ashez, our new reviewer to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words!

It’s going to be quite the week. So don’t miss out on a day of it.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 23:

Release Day Blitz for Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (excerpt and giveaway)
Final Thoughts on Literary Titles and Our Giveaway
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 24:

Dreamspun Bru Baker on Hiding in Plain Sight
Review Tour – Darcy by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
BLOG TOUR Ride or Dye by Aimee Nicole Walker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Counterpoint (Twisted Wishes #2) by Anna Zabo
A Stella Review: Of Dreams and Ceremonies (Butterfly Hunter #2) by Julie Bozza
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Darcy (Boyfriend for Hire #1) by R.J. Scott and Meredith Russell

Tuesday, September 25:

DSP Promo John Inman+giveaway
OWI TOUR grydscaen: beginnings Author: Natsuya Uesugi
RIPTIDE TOUR RUNNING BLIND, a Havoc novel by SE Jakes
A Lila Release Day Review: Dragonslayer (Twitterlight #1) by Matthew Lang
A Lucy Review: Hard Truths by Alex Whitehall
A Stella Release Day Review: Strays by A.J. Thomas

Wednesday, September 26:

DSP Publications Matthew Lang on Dragonslayer
Review Tour – C.J. Baty – Starting Over
The Hunt by J.M. Dabney & Davidson King (Michelle) Blog Tour and Review
Blog Tour “no way out” by Eric Alan Westfall
An Alisa Release Day Review: Guarding His Melody by Victoria Sue
A MelanieM Review: The Hunt by J.M. Dabney & Davidson King
An Alisa Review: Starting Over (The Knights Club #1) by C.J. Baty

Thursday, September 27:

DSP Promo Xenia Melzer
Guarding His Melody (A standalone in the Enhanced World) by Victoria Sue
Release Blitz Tour – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey – Ryker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Band Sinister by KJ Charles
A Free Dreamer Review: Witchbane by Morgan Brice
A Lila Audio Review: His Leading Man Author: Ashlyn Kane and Kenneth Obi (Narrator)
A Stella Review: Falling Into Love by Nell Iris & Kris T Bethke

Friday, September 28:

BLOG TOUR COUNTERPOINT by Anna Zabo
Exclusive guest post – CJ Baty Starting Over
Release Blitz – A Taste of Agapi by Chris Ethani
An Alisa Release Day Review: Love you so Special by Tara Lain
A MelanieM Review: Building Forever by Kelly Jensen
A Stella Review: The Thousand Smiles of Nicholas Goring (Butterfly Hunter #3) by Julie Bozza

Saturday, September 29:

Release Blitz – Distant Cousins by Eric Huffbind
Release Blitz – Keira Andrews – Honeymoon For One

There’s More to Romance …

The last couple of weeks we’ve been discussing the elements that “break” our romance books. The things that stop the reading cold or leave us with a DNF. Cheating is up there on the list. And at the end of today’s blog hand out a few gift certs and post the last of the comments on the subject.

But what about the opposite?

What in our romance stories gladdens our hearts? Makes a story jump out of the ordinary? Widens our outlook? Let’s us perceive something special about a piece of the world or aspect of falling in love that we hadn’t seen or thought of in the same way before? That in some way the author dug a little deeper into your heart with their tale, that some element that connected you so completely to the characters and their relationship hooked you, that even now, you can’t forget their love story.

Something that made that story magic beyond your expectations.

I was thinking Shelter the Sea (The Roosevelt series) by Heidi Cullinan , Clear Water by Amy Lane, and RJ Scott’s the Texas series (and attached Legacy group), Watermelon Kisses by Freddy MacKay,Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan,Tales From Verania series by T.J. Klune just for starters. Those are a few that leapt to mind in seconds. Can you guess what elements in each might have made them memorable? Have you read the stories?

Of course my list stretches for far longer. That’s merely a tease.

But each of those grabbed at my heart while stretching my mind and horizons in some way. They made me cry and laugh and fall in love. Over and over.

Quickly now…which books popped into your head? Let me know…let all of us know and why. And then I’ll fill you in next week on more of my choices and why they made my list as well.

Now let’s put a close to our Romance No’s:

From P.R.:

I’ll chime in here – so busy couldn’t comment last week but agree with most everything. My perspective is that I understand why folks can not like cheating – ONE reason folks can like rom is for escapism, and they don’t like RL intruding b/c they already have too much of that. In that way, I think rom is a type of fantasy, and I can relate. Been there. But I usually appreciate more where MCs have RL flaws, and that’s reality, which includes in a majority of straight & gay relationships, “cheating,” (I love the Boystown series). And my being a cis gay male amongst other gay guys, let me tell you – I know there is much more diversity there than depicted in m/m rom, that it’s part of the culture, and frankly that’s why many guys think gender makes a difference among authors b/c one does not often “get it.” I think personally it has more to do with targeted audience, experiences, preferences, empathy, deep understanding … and it’s all good. You said it best “Life is messy and its always been about how the author has handled the subject.” A WELL-WRITTEN TALE TRUMPS A TROPE EVERY TIME (pun intended).

Ami:

Holy! EXCREMENT!?!? WTH!!! Okay, that will be a HUGE NO for me

Furthering my comment from last week in which I can still tolerate cheating but getting really pissed off when it comes to threesome, or ‘forced’ threesomes brought me to a couple of books. “A Vintage Affair” by Josh Lanyon made me VERY angry because the love-interest suddenly brought a woman to sleep with the MC because he wanted to “challenge” the MC that sex is just sex. Then I also DNF “My Heartache Cowboy” by ZAM who also introduced threesome scene in the middle.

I guess i’m good if the threesome is stated in the beginning, or the book is marketed as threesome. But if it somehow introduced in the middle, without any warning, it’ll be huge NO for me.

And H.B. with a no on poo, “Blood play and humiliation would also bother me.”

Yep, poo is a big no for lots of us.

Very enlightening! And while cheating still remains a big no, it still comes down to the author and great writing.

Winners Announcement!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is handing off $10 gift certs to: Chris Tharrington and ashleyomelia

Please contact Stella at scatteredthoughtsandroguewords@gmail.com and she will get your gift cert to you. Congratulations!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 8:

There’s More to Romance and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Release Blitz – Riza Curtis – The Dragon’s Thief
The Pet Stylist and The Playboy by Rebecca James Release Blitz

Monday, July 9:

DSP Promo Scotty Cade
Release Blitz for Tight Quarters by Annabeth Albert
BLITZ – Nectar and Ambrosia by E.M. Hamill
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: WITH A KICK Collection #1 by Clare London
A MelanieM Review: Hard Contact (Guild Enforcer, #1) by Ali Atwood
An Ali Audiobook Review: Familiar Angel by Amy Lane and Narrator: Gomez Pugh

Tuesday, July10:

Leaning Into Forever by Lane Hayes Blog Tour
DSP Dreamspun Promo j. leigh bailey
BLOG TOUR The Wulf Chronicles by Wulf Francu Godgluck
A Caryn Review: Love Me Louder by Christina Lee
An Alisa Review A Desperate Love by J.D. Walker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Leaning Into Forever by Lane Hayes

Wednesday, July 11:

Review Tour – Garrett Leigh – Believe (Skins #3)
Temple of Time by Geoffrey Knight Blog Tour
RELEASE BLITZ Love it Like You Stole It by Ki Brightly
A Jeri Review : Believe (Skins #3) by Garrett Leigh
A MelanieM Review: Bloodlines (Boystown #7) by Marshall Thornton
A MelanieM Review: Born of Air (Dragon Soul #4) by Sean Michael

Thursday, July 12:

Harmony Promo Annabelle Jay
Release Blitz – The Omega’s Second Chance by Kenna Grace
DSP Promo Andrew Grey
An Alisa Review: Discovery (Kinky in the City #3) by Quinn Ward
A Stella Release Day Review: Camwolf by JL Merrow
An Ali Audiobook Review: Family Man By Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton/Colin Darcy (Narrator)

Friday, July 13:

DSP Promo Z. Allora
BLOG TOUR for Badlands by Morgan Brice
99c Book Blast – Double Dare by Jeanne St. James
A MelanieM Review: Ground of Insurrection by Mell Eight
A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Balefire (Whyborne & Griffin #10) by Jordan L. Hawk

Saturday, July 14:

BLOG TOUR (Exclusive Post) Pursuing Happiness by Jessie Pinkham
Release Blitz – To Love & Protect His Omega by Quinn Michaels
A MelanieM Review: The Wolf at Bay by Charlie Adhara

Category: Scattered Thoughts Mini Rant On Writing

Final Thoughts on Literary Titles ! and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Final Thoughts on Literary Titles !