A Word From Lex Valentine
Saturday, August 29, 2009 | Coffee, Books & a Blog
I’m a coffee snob. I admit it freely. I drink my Starbucks Sumatra, done quite strong in a French Press pot, every day of the week. I have a little espresso machine. I have a scoop and a grinder and a steamer. When the weather is rainy there is nothing I like better than curling up in the recliner with a cup of my Sumatra, strong and sweet with a bit of Crème Brulee creamer, and a good book.
Times have changed though. My good book may not be a paperback any more. It might be on my netbook in pdf format. Certainly, until this month, the books I wrote were for the e-pub market. But this… thing… happened. The thing is Tales of the Darkworld Volume One and it’s *gasp* a print book!
Tales of the Darkworld Volume One is the first two Tales books, Shifting Winds and Hot Water, in paperback. It only just this week came out and I can’t wait to feel one in my hot little hands.
My Tales series is very near and dear to my heart. Shifting Winds was my first contract ever. Funny to think that was less than a year ago. I had already started Hot Water when Pink Petal Books contracted SW. You couldn’t believe how happy I was to find this series a home!
Both SW and HW were very well received, but I had major plans for book 3. First, it was gonna be M/M. Second, it would be a prequel. Third, it would be a lot longer, nearly 60K in fact. Fire Season released last month and has been a huge success. As of yesterday, its number 4 on All Romance eBook’s main top ten list. I’m stunned at its popularity and all the 5 star reviews it’s garnered. Actually, reviewers seem to love this book. The lowest score it’s received is a 4.
To give my other works their due, none of them have gotten less than a 4 either, but some of them have not received a 5. Fire Season seems meteoric to me. It amazes me that people love it so much. It’s done so well that in October, it will be out in print too. I could talk all day about these books. Look how many words I’ve whipped out already! *wink*
So, here’s my deal. I’ll be hanging around all day. If you have questions about the Darkworld, the Tales books, the print books, the ebooks, the entire series (there is info on my website on the WIPs page), the characters, or even my other works, ask me a question in comments! My kid – or Louie my faithful pudgy cat who hangs with me when I write – will pick a winnah later. The winner will get a copy of Fire Season in e-book format. If the winner already has Fire Season, he/she can choose from my backlist.
You can also ask me about computers (I’m an IT geek), the cemetery (I work at one!), my kid and her Twilight spoof, my blog Sunlight Sucks, my sex life, TVC, my publishers, my coffee addiction, my crush on author Patric Michael, or even the Fire Season magnets I seem to mailing all over the world.
C’mon! You know you wanna ask me something TMI! Just dooooo eeeeeeet!
Lex Valentine
LOL. I think I’ve asked you enough computer questions…and I know by reading excerpts, your stories are great.
I just want a chance to win one. Hope this counts…
Here’s a question: How was your day. teehee!
(((hugs)))
August 29th, 2009 at 8:57 pmThere is no such thing as TMI from you Lex!!!
Love bunches
silver
August 29th, 2009 at 9:00 pmSo Lex….
Any question, huh? Let’s see… What do I want to know most.
Have you ever ridden bareback in the rain on a Harley? No, too obvious.
Have you ever had a boyfriend/SO that you hated, except when you were in bed? No, too tame.
How about, would your books be so hot if you didnt work at a mortuary? No. Of course they would.
Hmm… What is it then that I want to know? Aha! I got it!
WHAT CRUSH?
When did that happen, and why didn’t anyone tell me???
Ok, yeah, that’s two questions. But still!
Lex, congratulations on Fire Season. It was terrific!
Now, about that crush….
August 29th, 2009 at 9:44 pmAfternoon, Lex
I think I’m fairly up to date on all but the coffee thing … I have a coffee plungers (French Press, to you), grinder (but I want a burr one, only have a blade one at the moment) and I have to balance bean against source and style (prefer Fair Trade and organic wherever possible) and price. Koha from Roasted Addiqtionl is the current choice.
Oh! I don’t have a Fire Season magnet (and I’m about as far flung as one can get). *pouts*
Pls write more m/m k thx.
Cheers
p.s. I have a big crush on Patric, too (but it is a sekrit).
August 29th, 2009 at 10:04 pmWhat is TVC? Congrats on all of you success. It’s well deserved!
August 29th, 2009 at 11:17 pmDo not drink coffee and only recently started drinking tea regularly so I do not usually have any beverage around when curled up with a book. Enjoyed reading the Darkworld books and though ebooks have grown on me there is still something about print. Do have to adjust my reading when switching between the e-reader and the books. I love your blog and Marcus. Thanks for sharing.
August 30th, 2009 at 1:31 amI don’t know how I missed this series
but I’m glad to hear about it now! I can’t wait to start it.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:13 amThanks for the chance to win a prize. I heard about this through AWH yahoo group.
OK – my question – If you HAD TO appear on Fear Factor what challenge would make you drop out instantly? (being covered with bugs, heights, eating toenails, something else….)
Jenna
August 30th, 2009 at 5:47 amI’m sure plenty of people have asked who your favorite Darkworld character is, so I’m gonna be just a bit different.
Which character in the Darkworld stories has driven you the most crazy? Made you tear your hair out and wonder why you created them, either because of their personality or because of how difficult they were to create and write about?
August 30th, 2009 at 6:58 amI love twisted fairy tales. Will you be doing any more in the foreseeable future? Also any more books in the Mating line? I adore weres and can’t get enough of them.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:26 amHi there,
Congrats on your upcoming print book. How exciting.
You said to ask you anything. Since you’re an IT girl, are there any online classes you recommend to teach me about html? I can just barely figure out how to update my website. Total dork that I am. I don’t want to always pay my webmaster to do it for me.
Thanks,
August 30th, 2009 at 11:55 amBecky
Hi Lex,
Congrats on your series and Fire Season doing so well.
Okay, Question: How do you come up with your ideas?
Janice~
August 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pmWow hon! Big success! Okay, my question is this, what do you plan to do when you’re uber famous?
AMe
August 31st, 2009 at 11:44 amHey Lex…
See what happens when you spend time talking to strangers? They come to haunt you! Anyway being that you’re a new-to-me author I had to check out your books and I’ve now got Shifting Winds & Hot Water in my TBR. Just need to sit back and read, which I’m looking forward to.
KathyK
August 31st, 2009 at 2:24 pmThank you all for commenting! I’ll be back tonight to answer them all and Nicki and Louie will choose a winnah!
August 31st, 2009 at 2:32 pmLisa – My Sunday was great! I was at Ethan Day’s Gay Day and it was loads of fun!
Silver – But you haven’t heard some of my worst TMI stories! LOL
Patric – What’s not to crush on? I love gay writers who are great with words and seriously amusing. If you’re around to banter with, my evening is always so much better.
(It doesn’t hurt that you LURVE my dragons!)
Mistry – I have and will write more M/M. Send me your addy and I’ll save up goodies and send you out a big box of em. I do that international mail thing a couple of times a year for some hotties I know.
Lynda – TVC is Throbbing Vampire Cock! My friend Dave calls my erotic vampire stories TVC. You can read about TVC and see a cartoon at these two URLs.
http://www.blogography.com/archives/2009/08/puntabulous.html
http://puntabulous.com/2009/08/17/guest-post-a-throbbing-doom/
Lindsay – Thank you! You know, Shifting Winds and Hot Water are now available together in print and Fire Season will be out in print in October!
bl0026 – Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoy the books!
Jenna – Being underwater and held down. Freaks me the f**k out!
Karenna – Sean is an asshole and as such I often don’t like what he does. I just want to do to him what Eden and Colin did! But in the end, you’ll see who Sean truly is. We may not like his style, but he’s a good man.
Gayle – The second Twisted Tale will be finished hopefully in January. I have a lot of projects I’m juggling and that one has gotten backburnered until then. And The Pixie Prince has had such a lukewarm reception by readers that I’m a little discouraged with the series. The Watchers series (Mating, Runaways) will resume in 2010 probably with Joey and Angel’s story.
Becky – There are tons of great free tutorials out there! And video tutorials on You Tube. The internet is so full of information and help that I think you could learn to do anything on it!
Janice – Usually, one thing spirals off of another in my head as I’m writing. I got the idea for Hot Water while writing Shifting Winds. Got the idea for Ride the Lightning while plotting Fire Season and so on. And I dream some crazy shit too. LOL
Ame – I don’t think I’ll get uber famous, but it’s nice to have fans and supportive friends. I’m not much of a promo go-getter nor am I the type to court an agent until one takes me in. The whole agent thing kinda freaks me out. If I ever got uber rich though, I’d buy a yacht to live on. Rott and I would adore that.
Kathy – Thanks so much for getting my books! I really hope you enjoy them!
Drumroll please…. Nicki and Louie have chosen a random number – 8! And when I count down the comments that is… Jenna!! WOOOOT! Jenna you win a copy of Fire Season. If you already have it, you can choose another book from my backlist. Just email me and I’ll send you the book.
(lex at lexvalentine dot com)
A huge thank you to all of you for coming by and asking me questions! Now, go forth and read the TVC cartoon. You will LOL, I promise!
August 31st, 2009 at 8:09 pmHey,
Great interview! Fire season is great the winner is gonna love it!
September 1st, 2009 at 3:45 pmHales