I was going to post something about my upcoming book, Ripping the Bodice, and the sordid history behind it, but after an evening of working on a non-fiction project and feeling distinctly cranky about it (Zin, my notorious Muse, is NOT happy about being pulled away from the fiction erotica AT all, crabby creature), I thought I'd share another part of my life that's always added inspiration when I've needed it the most! 

I love all animals (even the ugly ones), but I’ve always had a special affinity for felines. Like many other kids, I used to fantasize about having a pet tiger or lion. The heck with owning a horse; I wanted a black leopard named Sheba as my companion. I knew on some level this was an impractical dream, but not until I hit my mid-thirties and started volunteering at the Exotic Feline Breeding Facility/Feline Conservation Center (otherwise known as The Cathouse) did I fully understand just why exotic felines do not make good pets.

This is me and Paco, a jaguar cub born at EFBC/FCC.  While it isn't the sort of cathouse where women sell sexual favors, there is a lot of sex going on at EFBC!  Rough, wild, and very brief bouts of feline love-making.  A satisfied female leopard rolls on the ground...the males just look kind of smug. 

Volunteering at EFBC-FCC has been a life-changing experience (click here to read about my experiences) and I would urge anyone in the L.A. area (or willing to put in a bit of a commute) to check out the site. 

And next post will be about Ripping the Bodice and writing!  I just have to get Zin to cooperate. 

Tags: efbc-fcc | cathouse | felines | ripping the bodice | writing | muse

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You know that sick feeling you get when you've spent a lot of time with someone you really enjoy, but now you've got to leave them indefinitely? It's almost the same as being homesick. Well, I have it...but over a character.

I'm wrapping up the second novel in the Blood & Sex series, and I'm finding that I have a severe case of separation anxiety. Jonas and his new love have been such entertaining people to spend time with. I've enjoyed writing his story and watching them fall in love. As always, that fratello has taken me to some pretty kinky places and shown me things beyond what I could have imagined. He's so fascinating and such a strong personality that throughout the story, I found that I was dreaming about him. I would wake up and couldn't wait to write more, just so that I could see him. Talk about a case of writer's schizophrenia!

Now, I'm finishing the edits and still writing about him here and there. It's new stuff that has nothing to do with his romance with Elena. It won't even be in the books, but I can't stop. He's insatiable. I thought that he just enjoyed watching me drool. But now I'm starting to wonder if he's going to make room for the third hero. Michael was fun, but by the time I was done with Michael's first draft, Jonas was standing around, tapping his foot, and occasionally flashing a set of handcuffs and a lascivious grin in my direction. The third hero is quiet, not quite the flirt that Jonas is.

I think I'm going to have to strap Jonas into some of his bondage equipment and leave him there while I spend a little time with bachelor number three.

Until tomorrow...

Angie

Tags: Blood & Sex | bondage | characters | Elena | handcuffs | Jonas | Michael | muse | new work | process | ravenous romance | schizophrenia | vampire | vampires | writing

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This is my Muse (and yes, her picture has changed - she's a mercurial sort!). You will note she has a glass of wine in one hand.  This is not unusual.  Muse (we'll just call her Zin for her favorite varietal) is very fond of wine.

But I digress.  Zin and I used to hang out a lot together.  When we were kids, she and I were basically inseparable.  Zin got me through some rough times by entertaining me endlessly with stories and characters (sometimes when I should have been paying attention in class).  We wrote a lot of stories together and usually got A's in creative writing, even when several teachers told us to 'try and write something a bit less morbid next time.'  Zin and I LOVED horror.

Then puberty hit and we discovered sex.

Ooh, boy.

I have notebooks full of stories, partial novels and little vignettes of all genres, all of them with some pretty steamy sex scenes considering my lack of actual experience at the time. I would scribble endlessly in notebooks and on my IBM Selectric (please don't try and figure out how many years ago that was... it's not kind) at work when I wasn't actualy working, and Zin sat on the edge of my desk and provided inspiration.

Then Zin left me for periods of time.  Took off like some moll on the lam, leaving me with months and sometimes years when the writing  didn't happen.  She'd show back up at the damndest times, usually in the middle of the night, pounding on the door with some sob story about how I had to hide her or they'd drill her full of holes... Zin has always been a drama queen.

When I started writing for Ravenous Romance, Zin had been gone for a while.  I'd gotten my first mystery novel published, true...but that was after 15 years of intermittent visits and lots of rewrites.  She was notably absent for several years.  And then...all of a sudden, Zin showed up at the door again and I wrote SUCCUBUSTED in a few days, with the same giddy, words-won't-stop-flowing feeling I used to have when we were writing sexy vignettes involving Han Solo and some lucky girl pulled out of my imagination.

I started on Ripping the Bodice, my first novel for Ravenous.  Zin was there at my side almost every day (she took off a couple of days for Napa) and the word output was amazing.  And I had fun writing it.  It was like old times.  Me and Zin together, giggling and imagining all sorts of fun, exciting and rather naughty scenarios.

I decided to get Zin tipsy the other night and talk to her.

"So. What's the deal here?  You ditch me for months, sometimes years on end, and suddenly you're a full time roomie again.  I'm not complaining, mind you, but what gives?"

"Well..." Zin takes a thoughtful sip of wine (okay, she guzzled it, but I'm trying to be polite here) before answering. "You're writing about sex and romance again.  I like sex."

"So when I was working those horror screenplays, you left me to it because they weren't sexy enough?"

Zin looks offended. "Hey, I was there with you part of the time.  But you had other writing partners for those.  I didn't think you needed me."

Awww... "Jeez, Zin, I ALways need you."

Mollifed, Zin replies, "Well, I guess that's true.  But you sure didn't act like it. And besides, you're not whining about all the other stuff you have to do these days.  You were a real whiny bitch there for a while.  Now you're just having fun like you used to.  I like the 'no whiny bitch' thing. And did I mention I like sex?"

"So...you'll stick around for a while this time?"

"Sure!  You've got 7 more books to write for Ravenous...and I'll bet I can help you come up with some more good ideas! Lots of sex!"  Holding out her empty glass.  "Fill her up, barkeep!"

Zin's hanging out in the living room with me now, demanding a movie. We've been working hard, so it's a night off with Tropic Thunder.  I think she's earned it.

Tags: muse | writing

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