Unlikely Otaku

Just a Little Wicked is now released, and I'm in it.

2021-03-20T14:37:00.004-05:00

I signed up for a bunch of anthologies where stories (as long as novella length) will be bundled up with others. Some are for charity; some are for profit. All are fun.

This is the first, a collection of witchy tales for those of us who like to see the full gamut of witchy wonders. Here's an excerpt my story, "Best Witch in Town":

Sylvia took another sip, grimaced, and slammed the cup back into the saucer. "You have to do something about that crazy cat. She knocked the card right out of my hand. My reading was ruined."

"Was it?"

"I did not tell him what he wanted to know. He needed reassurance."

May tsked. "Sometimes, you cannot give them what they want. They pay for truth."

Sylvia huffed and blew a perfect lock from her face. "What would they know about truth? You know nothing about business."

May's sunken lips twisted into a little smile. "True enough, Sylvia."

Sylvia stepped closer to a wavery mirror, ancient and made with blown glass, to admire herself. "This mirror is worthless."

May said nothing, though the ancient mirror was technically priceless and she'd been offered more than one fortune for it.

Pouting, Sylvia leaned on the counter and a huge black cat with tufted ears and long luxurious fur rubbed against her. She made a sound of disgust and pushed it away. "I don't know why you insist on filling my shop with all these fuzzy monsters when you know I'm—I'm –achoo!"

"You're not wearing the medicine bag I made you," May said, gathering up the huge cat in her arms and cooing to him.

"That pouch of herbs? I'm not wearing that. I told you. It's ugly and it smells funny."

May sighed. "And you needn't be mean to Beltane. He's the only one that likes you."

"More fool him." She glanced around the shop and nodded at the more obvious depleted stock, notably some soft cotton dresses in flowing fabrics imported from India, several nice silver jewelry pieces, and a statue of a dragon that had graced the entryway for nearly a year. May was already limping around the shop, pulling out additional dresses and jewelry from the cupboards behind the counter. "I see you sold that stupid dragon. I told you it would never sell. I can't believe someone bought it."

"You were right. I gave him to someone who needed him."

Sylvia shook her head with a tinkle of jewelry. "You gave it away? Who in the world needs a dragon statue?"

"Joe did. I knew someone would," May said placidly, hanging more of the dresses on the hangers.

"Whatever. I'm glad to be rid of the eyesore. This is the list of spells I was asked to cast. Write up the invoices after you restock. Did we sell anything expensive?"

May set down the box of jewelry and fished a notebook from behind the till. "A few things. I made a list," May said, handing her a notebook and taking the single sheet of paper Sylvia offered her. May looked over the list of spells and her skinny brows rose. "You didn't actually agree to a death hex? Spells like this have a karmic backlash that you can't just shrug off.".

"None of your business," Sylvia said. She looked over the notebook, snorted, and tossed it back. "Good thing I'm making money, or this place would go under in a week. And I heard you severely discount that necklace earlier."

"She needs it and only had enough to pay a hundred. She'll come back soon enough."

You can buy it right now for just 99 cents. http://smarturl.it/JustALittleWicked

Challenge Accepted - New release

2019-04-21T17:31:00.004-05:00

Technically it released the end of March but I'm slow, what can I say.

You might be thinking. big deal, in your in another anthology (though, hey, that is a big deal so there). What's so special about this one? Well, for one thing, I'm the one that put it together, and, though there are sixteen other talented writers involved, I chose and edited it. And, of course, it was my idea. and anthology that celebrates the every day heroes who already walk among us, taking on challenges most of us can barely imagine. Not objects to be pitied. Not relics in the future often written out as if they couldn't exist. Not mistakes. Not sidekicks. Seventeen stories where someone with a disability takes center stage and proves, again much like they do every day, that they can solve problems without someone coming to rescue them. All proceeds will go to the Special Olympics.

A blind spaceship pilot.

Cops and maintenance personnel in wheelchairs.

Taking on bad guys with only one leg or no arms.

It's not what you are that makes you something special. It's who you choose to be.

Seventeen stories about people who rise above anything that tries to stop them, even their own limitations.

With stories by Stephanie Barr, Misha Burnett, J. A. Busick, Adam David Collings, Steve Curry, Scott G. Gibson, Joyce Hertzoff, Jane Jago, Clarence Jennelle, Jeanette O'Hagan, Layla Pinkett, Jen Ponce, Connor Sassmannshausen, Lynne Stringer, E. M. Swift-Hook, Margret Treiber, Andy Zach.

Here's an excerpt from my story, "None So Blind":

"Not pirates," a third voice said. "We're more like explorers—space explorers—out to conquer new territory for China much like your ancestors did our neighbors a few centuries back."

All three laughed at this, leaving Renaud sputtering. "Are you actually telling me that this act of piracy is sanctioned by the Chinese government?"

There was a pause. "Why should some international company have a stranglehold on the growth of replacement organs? Why them and not us?"

"Didn't they develop them?" Weston asked and was smacked again for his trouble.

"It's too much power for one company to have," the brute retorted. "And, if they can't preserve control over it like we would definitely do, they deserve to lose it."

There were a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence. She would have to adjust her flight in nine minutes or they would be committed to a long elliptical orbit that would use up all their resources, including oxygen, unless she killed most of these men. She wasn't set up for a several day mission.

Something pinged . . . twice. Sin was so clever with her signal—that also meant she was back in the cockpit. The other seven men were still in the original room. That could even the odds. She slipped the toe of one boot under a flap of what looked like thermal blanket riveted to the floor and pressed a button, then pulled her foot back. She heard shouting from a distance, some of it quite vehement, and then the clang of multiple doors closing and locking. Now it was just the three of them on the bridge.

There were some grunts and the sound of hands grabbing hand holds and slapping metal, perhaps in frustration. "How did you do that? Open that door back up immediately!"

"What door?" she asked, feigning ignorance. She was always amazed how many people presumed that being blind meant she wasn't very bright.

"The door where my men are trapped. The door to the cockpit."

"You've been watching me this whole time. Have my hands moved?"

Something—likely a gloved hand, smacked across her face. Hard. Now she tasted blood as well. "I'm getting tired of your attitude. That door didn't close itself."

"Maybe they triggered the meteoroid alarm accidentally. That seals off all the internal compartments in case of leak."

"Is that true?"

Weston's voice was nasal. She wondered if they'd broken his nose. "Yes. Most ships have those. Or we could have been holed and it happened automatically."

"You mean, my men might be locked in a leaking compartment?"

"It's possible," Weston said.

"How do we know?"
Kayla smiled. "Listen for screaming."

Seventeen entertaining and empowering stories. You can find it most places ebooks and paperbacks are sold (and it's also available in large print at amazon.com).

If you want to find them all the books I'm in, you can find them on my website. http://stephanieebarr.us.

Twice the Man is OUT!

2019-03-24T23:15:00.002-05:00

My Bete novels are among my best received. Not because they're sort of but not entirely YA while still appealing to adults (and I've had almost no one but adults read them). Not because they have adventure. And romance. And science. And magic. And a broken spaceship. And some of the best snarky banter in town, especially my bad-ass venomous snarky shipcats. Okay, maybe it is the shipcats.

And now, finally, I have finished the original intended trilogy with each of the original three best friends taking center stage in turn. Of course, none of the books were a one-man show, but the ensemble cast aspect, where half a dozen and more players have big parts, has become more pronounced with each successive book. And I love it.

I may come back to my little world of castaways. We still have flooding there and a sentient arthropod out in the depths of the ocean not to mention that unexplained wormhole. But I tied up the most current stories, just like I promised. For a series that inspired by a manga/anime and written with my now adult daughter in mind (who never read it, ironically), I have had a world of fun with the Bete series, and I hope you do, too. If you want to find them all, you can find them on my website. http://stephanieebarr.us

Here's an excerpt:

As if breathing in her essence woke her, Rem felt someone stir against his chest. How she always ended up curled on his chest, he didn't know. But he loved it. "How are you feeling?" he managed to ask, hoping he hadn't blasted her with death breath.

"Could you just kill me?"

"No can do, beautiful. And that was something I thought I'd never say."

"I am not beautiful, but, given what happened to me when I opened my eyes, I don't suggest you find out for yourself."

"I don't need my eyes to know you're beautiful," Rem said, chancing a little squeeze.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I don't feel up to flirting. Or fending off flirting. Or, in fact, breathing."

"Flirting is the best reason I've come up with since I woke up for breathing, though I have morning breath that could kill a badger-boar at ten paces."

"Not true," she said, stirring in a more determined way and levering herself into a sitting position. "You'd have to get, I don't know, within arm's length."

Rem chuckled and then used his freed arm to grab at his head. The pain had not abated one iota.

"Rem," Sinda said, lowering her voice to an intent whisper. "Try to teleport out of here. Now while no one's watching."

Rem, who had still not opened his eyes, used all of his consciousness to visualize Cil and will himself there. The pain neither abated nor increased. But he went nowhere. He willed himself to grow, to become his other form, but, if there was even the slightest change, he could not detect it.

"No joy, eh?"

"None at all," he whispered. "What now? I'd ask my talent, but I don't have one anymore."

He felt a slap on his arm, hard enough he opened his eyes without thinking, then reeled a couple of moments.

"Don't you ever," she hissed, "talk like that again. If you start moaning that you're worthless, I will totally lose my temper. I can't shift into anything and I haven't exhibited even one tiny talent, but you think I'm worthwhile. And you're right! Because I'm smart and capable and don't just curl up and die when challenged. And neither do you. Last time you had an impossible problem, you developed a new talent instantly. Not that I'd turn it away today but say that doesn't happen."

"You don't understand," he said.

"Yeah, boo-hoo. Grieve later, we got stuff to do. Gonna give up, let the bad guys win, fall all to pieces just because you're down to the same set of tools the rest of us humans have? If you do, I'll know your tolerance of humans was a lie from the beginning as well as every word of admiration you've ever given me."

"That's not fair!"

"I've heard you and Xander say that no one is superior to anyone else, that there isn't Prime and sub-Prime and, I presume, humans a step below that. If you truly believe that, you need to snap out of it. I get that losing a super-cool set of tools to play with is a bummer, but we don't have time for that. You have all the gifts of the smartest humans I know. Use 'em and let's figure out a way out of this mess, and, yes that may mean never getting your powers back. I promise, if you help find a way free, I'll let you wallow in your disappointment for two whole weeks, but only when we have the time to spare."

Rem had put his hand over his abused eyes, but he lifted it to regard Sinda through one eye. She really was wrong. She was still beautiful. "If I come up with a way out of this and it works, will you take my interest in you seriously? Treat me enough like a grownup that I have a chance to woo you?"

"Woo?" she went into a peal of laughter. "We're surrounded by hostiles who have purged the magic out of everyone, we are facing death, torment, or enslavement, and you want to woo me?"

"What better time will I ever have?"

"I'll tell you what, loverboy. You figure a way out of this and make it work, and I'll totally date, or go out, or whatever you kids call it these days. I'd seal it with a kiss right now, but I think the state of our mouths would kill us both."

Since they were both sitting, she was within delightful reach. "I'm willing to risk it."

He slid his hands up her arms, and, to his intense satisfaction, she blushed. But then she pushed his hands away. "C'mon, c'mon, woo later, solve problems now."

"Aww," Danai said, obviously enjoying the romance. Silly kid. Rem chuckled and given how protective Kert was of her, Rem figured she'd find out about romance first hand soon enough.

He sat back against the corner of the wagon, pleased that the horrific after-effects of the dart were starting to recede. Or maybe it was Sinda. Either way… "Well, we don't have the upper hand." Rem looked through the wagon sides, counting wagons and what people he could see of the natives and the exiles. "Looks like there are more of us. Everyone from the upper camp and most of the crew and teachers from the lower camp as well as the Bete that were there and the older teenagers. Maybe two hundred of us versus a hundred or so of them, if there aren't more in hiding. Probably, half are sleeping while the rest keep watch, I don't think any are missing. Or not many."

"Looks like most of the exiles are here so they're about half native and half the guys we kicked out. But then there are the wolves and I think that's their biggest advantage. That makes escape challenging as well as being a physical threat. Also, we have been drugged and are still disoriented from having our skills ripped away. They are armed and know the area, which we don't, so the advantage is still on their side. And, they can communicate whereas we can't."

"Plus, they're ruthless while we still have our humanity," Sinda added, a little grimly. It surprised Rem. She was usually pretty tolerant with different cultures, but she looked positively murderous. Perhaps the double dose of dart had seriously impaired her good nature. Most likely, her antagonism wouldn't last, but she had it now.

"That's not always an advantage," Rem said. "People who think like a sword tend to (a) think of things in terms of black and white and (b) think everyone else thinks the same. No nuance. Nuance can be useful."

Sinda took in a breath and released it carefully. "Sounds like something I would have said myself. You're too smart by half, loverboy."

New Release: Solvadron

2018-11-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

So, I was talking to Christina "DZA" Marie about her new release (out today!) of a graphic novel that goes alone with a previous graphic novelization and several novellas. She's passionate and then some about writing fiction that says the right things and makes the kind of social statements she thinks need to be made. And is another one out there proving that doesn't mean you can't write entertaining kick-butt literature.

Did I mention there are DRAGONS?

But, hey, here's what she had to say:

1. Tell us how you see yourself, first as a person, then as a writer.

I’m a partially over-caffeinated zombie who started the blog Dragons, Zombies & Aliens while being an extremely over-caffeinated zombie in college, because everyone else was stressing about finals and I needed somewhere to gush about all the fantasy and sci-fi books, movies, and shows that I love. Full-time I work as a community support staff—that’s job coach and PCA for people with disabilities—and when I realized I had no social life decided to volunteer for the Sexual Violence Center in Minneapolis.

As a writer, I adore fantasy and science fiction and am apparently incapable of writing anything without throwing some degree of magic or highly improbable science into it. The last few years I’ve written about LGBTQ+ angels, witches from Minnesota, and Canadian cannibals from the future.

2. Many people going the traditional route in particular make a point of leaving social commentary out of their work. You're not one of them. Tell us why.

Two reasons.

The first is that most great SFF works do have some sort of social commentary in their writing. Star Trek made a point to have its cast be as diverse as possible in the era of the Civil Rights movement and criticized the Cold War. Harry Potter talks a lot about prejudice and how it can be wielded as a weapon by people in power. Rick Riordan has recently been tackling LGBTQ+ and POC issues in his Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase series. So handled properly, social commentary makes good writing even better.

The other reason is because stories that don’t grapple with some sort of issue seem really...hollow to me. Social issues such as racism, sexism, religious persecution, ableism, homo/transphobia, and so many others affect all of us every day of our lives. Why wouldn’t you write about it?

3. What put you on the path to writing?

I’ve been writing since I was twelve, though I’ve only been getting published since I was twenty (so, three years now). Some people think my writing passion is genetic, as both of my parents are also published authors, but I like to think it would have happened even if I’d been born into a family of mechanics. It’s too much a part of my life to imagine being without it.

Mostly, I started writing because I was getting sick of seeing all the stereotypes and lack of relatable women in my media. Even at age twelve, I saw far too many girls and women in books, shows, and movies who cowered in the corner while their boyfriends saved the day. And someone—it was probably my mom—said that I should write what I want to read. So I did. The first (several) manuscripts sucked, but it got me going.

4. Why graphic novels?

Graphic novels are a new thing for me. Originally, Sovadron was designed as a traditional novel. But then I realized the story just didn’t have that rhythm, so I opted for a series of novellas. But at the time of that realization I was working with Endless Ink Publishing on their sci-fi illustrated novella series Earth’s Final Chapter (see above: future Canadian cannibals) and thought, You know? My work would be pretty epic in graphic novel format. It’s something I’ve never done before and I love sinking my teeth into projects like that. You have to shake things up from time to time.

5. Was there anything in particular that inspired your stories and novellas?

Everything inspires my stories and novellas. Usually historical or contemporary social issues (another reason I can’t write SFF without throwing some of that type of commentary in there).

Specific to Sovadron, that was inspired by my family’s Dungeons & Dragons adventures. The five major characters we meet in the series—Shakairra, Rain, Elkvein, Gundar, and Kyne (who was originally played as a guy named Quarrel-Kyne)—were characters played by me, my dad, and my brother. I loved our adventures so much that I decided to write them down, but quickly grew tired of the same old medieval European setting. After some trial and error and a bachelor’s in history that focused a lot on the United States, I settled on creating a world inspired by post-colonial America (late 18 th /early 19 th century), and then just let the characters loose.

6. How do you manage your time to write?

A question for the ages!

Honestly, a lot of it comes down to “write whenever you can,” since I work full-time, have been working a temp part-time position with a local political campaign, and have recently started volunteering. I carry my laptop with me everywhere.

I’m scheduled to be a PCA for one of my clients all day and she’s taking a nap? Time to write.

Sitting in the crisis unit with no phone calls or paperwork? Time to write.

It’s one in the morning and I can’t sleep no matter how hard I try? That is prime writing time.

7. What are your favorite things to read, either genres, authors, or any other descriptor.

Honestly, I read pretty much anything. Fantasy is my personal favorite, though I’m usually reading a history book alongside it. Partly for research for my own stuff, but also simply because I love learning new things.

Some of my favorite authors to date are Rick Riordan, George R. R. Martin, Robyn Bennis, Sara J. Maas, Margaret Fortune, and April Daniels. That’s YA urban fantasy, grimdark fantasy, steampunk military, YA(?) epic fantasy, hard sci-fi, and superhero genres, respectively. I’ve got more favorites listed on my website.

8. Do you consider yourself a character writer or is there something else you focus on?

Character writer, definitely. I find stories that are not driven by characters to be incredibly boring. If a character isn’t doing anything and is just going along with the flow, they either need to die or just not be in the story at all. I get that there are some stories—and real-life situations—where someone is initially kind of thrown into the plot or dragged along against their will (i.e. Hunger Games), but so long as they turn around and start actively contributing to what’s going on relatively quickly, then it’s all good.

9. Tell us what projects are exciting you at the moment and why.

Oh, boy, what isn’t exciting me at the moment?

Obviously there’s Sovadron. Right now we’re chugging along at publishing just one chapter at a time because budgets suck and I thought it’d be a great idea to self-publish this. (I still stand by that, but it’s a pain.) But I believe there’s some real potential in this story and people are going to love it. It’s new, it’s engaging, and full of action, adventure, and violence.

Outside of graphic novels, I work with a small publishing agency called Sic Semper Serpent doing a series of short stories called Twisted Tales. Basically, I re-write classic fairy tales into something a little more feminist. So far we’ve done The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast—now completely free of Stockholm syndrome! Currently I’m working on a short for them called “Tower of Dragons,” basically a flip of the traditional “princess trapped in the tower must be rescued by valiant knight who slays the dragon and marries her” plotline.

And early next year I’ll be returning to Earth’s Final Chapter. I left the Canadian cannibals on a hell of a cliffhanger so they’d hire me for some sequels. Worked like a charm. 

10. Why should we not read your graphic novel Sovadron?

It’s illustrated by John Hawkins, who is way better at art than anyone has any right to be.
It’s an epic fantasy not based on medieval Europe, instead using a completely different setting.
Due to budget restraints we can only publish it one chapter at a time at a snail’s pace. (At least until enough people buy it or become patrons on my Patreon page.)
Girl turns into a super-strong werewolf and crushes the skull of a giant in the first chapter. Giants’ brains are icky.
In the prologue, the immortals are stupid enough to curse the super evil goddess Sovadron to sleep forever in a coffin beneath the world she literally just tried to take over, because that never goes wrong.
On a related note, I may have stolen some plot points from Rick Riordan.
And some grimdark elements from George R. R. Martin.
It’s full of powerful women, characters of color, characters with disabilities, and characters who identify as LGBTQ+. Anyone who’s ever sympathized with Nazis or been called a “broflake” should probably stay away.

Bonus: What does the "DZA" stand for?

Dragons, Zombies and Aliens! The name of my blog for fantasy, horror, and sci-fi.

Thank you so much for interviewing me!

Want to learn more: Here's how to find her!

Website: http://www.dzamarie.com

Blog: http://www.dzamarie.com/blog and http://www.dzamarie.com/favorite_books.html

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/dzamarie

Sovadron page: http://www.dzamarie.com/sovadron.html

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaDZAMarie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CM_DZA

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cmarie_dza/

John Hawkins: http://www.johnhawkinsart.com

Adult Swim: Another Plunge into the Bizarre

2017-04-11T23:11:00.002-05:00

Wow, getting out a review every week may be a bit more than I can manage. I will still post one as often as I can. Sorry, folks.

One of the many reasons I like manga in general is how comfortable they are with fantasy and the like, as if it's perfectly natural. Since I'm also of the fantasy persuasion myself, it's easy for me to feel at home. But, more than that, I love the originality I often see when it comes to taking even an off-the-wall idea and making it front and center in an interesting book. Even better if the book can challenge some of my taboos, some of my views on things, making me both think and feel.

I've got to tell you, as far as I'm concerned, that's about as good as it gets with books. And one series that does just that is Ze by Shimuzu Yuki ("Ze," in this case means something like "Agreed" and has to do with the original bargain with the Puppet Master). I LOVE this series and I've read it probably a dozen times. I have all the books (except one, which is a story of it's own I'll note at the end).

The premise is that there are a group of people who, genetically, have a talent for kotodama, which in this series means "the ability to make things happen by saying it" and, for whatever reason, it seems to be limited to causing harm. The down side of this awesome power is that the backlash is pretty horrible so the more heinous things you do, the more you are injured yourself--and injuring yourself to the point of death is actually pretty easy for most of them. Enter Waki who, in an agreement with the patriarch of this clan, used his black magic to make hardy, damage-taking paper dolls that look and act like human beings, dolls that would become the tools of a single kotodama master and accept the damage for him, repairing themselves over and over until worn out or their core is damaged.

Now all of that may sound ho-hum. But it's not. For one thing, we explore again (and quite effectively, too, I might add) the question of what makes someone an individual, a soul, a human being. Obviously, they're not and yet, with this pretty brutal talent used for obtaining wealth for the humans in here, the "dolls" (kami) end up humanizing and making better humans of the people they interact with. The means for transferring wounds from human to kami involve contact with the mucus membrane (kissing and sex) with more intensive contact required for more extensive wounds. And Waki threw in his own wrinkle in that kotodama masters are only paired with kami of the same gender. It is, after all, yaoi. Though I think we could make an argument that the most sexually perverted, use-her-kami-as-a-sex-toy individual, happens to be a female.

Enter a regular person into this strange world of ownership and partnership, someone who refuses to see the kami as less than humans (and find the kami agreeing with him), watching the relationships with kami save some humans from becoming brutes, others from being brutalized, becoming more than vessels for healing physically but true partners in every sense of the word...totally fascinating.

This is made more so by an amazing array of compelling characters:

the naive cook who falls for the gloomy leftover kami,
the original easy-going kotodama so strong he single-handedly destroyed the village that tried to rape his sister and who keep three kami quite busy with his antics,
the young kotodama master forced to take over at a young age with a kami who hated him,
the even younger kotodama prodigy so powerful at birth he destroyed buildings with his first cries so they spelled him so he'd be strangled if he talked and the kami that worked tireless to protect him from a job where his power was a danger to all, especially himself,
the neglected child from outside the family who inherited a kami but didn't understand how to deal with him,
another from outside who swore never to use his kotodama because of accidentally killing his mother with it when he was a teenager.
And, behind them all, the enigmatic, potentially evil puppet master, completely consumed with a kami long since passed.

Kami can be revived, but their memories are gone. And trying to overcome that becomes a haunting quest. But overall, the story is really about coming to grips with the humanity of the kami and the humanizing influence they have on people in a pretty bizarre and ruthless profession. About what makes us unique and special and worth fighting for.

Now, the story hit on a number of my "can't stand" taboos, yet did so in a way where I got how and why it happened, and could even accept it, which is no small feat. I have a number of mangas I still love without accepting those aspects and an even larger number I just can't stand for those aspects. That's how good the characters are, and, if you've been following me for any length of time, you know characters are everything to me.

The entire series is eleven books long and there's something memorable in every one. I find the source story fascinating, even though it's told last, and the future even more interesting. I feel left in a good place, with a number of characters I love all where they belong. That does not always happen. Not so sure if Waki is reformed, per se, but he definitely has his moments.

Now, for the drag. This was released and then the company that released it stopped or went out of business after six volumes. Later, either they or someone else picked it up and started again with Ze 7 and, as an added bonus, released the first five volumes-- BUT NOT SIX! Oy, how irksome. I have #6 in German (which I don't speak) out of desperation and I have access to it on-line, and I have every other volume through to the end, but still!

Adult Swim: Diving into Hell

2017-03-11T23:47:00.001-06:00

Well, not really. In fact, this is a favorite manga and we're talking Buddhist hell which is a whole different story.

Which is part of the charm.

I won't lie. I love mythology and, though I grew up on Western mythology (Greek, Roman, Nordic), I always love to learn more. One of the many many reasons I enjoy manga so much is that they tend to enjoy injecting their mythology/religion into their stories as if it's perfectly reasonable. Maybe it even is.

Jigoku Miguri by Kuju Siam is a wonderful sort of story wrapped up in the Eastern view of Hell and, naturally, government servants who have to come in to straighten up the filing. In this story, a government worker comes to help out in Hell a few days a week and is coveted (sexually - it is yaoi) by the leader of this corner of hell, Enma-sama, a demon who was once a human being. Takimura Ono is an apparently normal human being but seems to have no trouble fitting it with the ruthlessness required of Hell.

However, as a nice aside, Enma doesn't use any sort of force or coercion and Ono has no trouble holding him off. Both Enma and Ono are rather popular with the demons about the place, all of which are part of the natural order of business (a nice way of looking at it, one I favor).

I'll have to note that I was as interested in the mythology/religious aspect and the bits and pieces of that as any part of the story. The crystal mirror (Jouharinokagami) that tells the truth and shows your deeds and deepest wishes. The levels of hell that vary in length and intensity depending on your crimes (after which, back into the cycle of rebirth). Fascinating.

But, hey, maybe you don't care about mythology or Buddhism. Well, the good news is the story is interesting as well.

Enma floated on their river of death after committing suicide from a rather tragic and short life and was put to work as a demon, still riddled by guilt (not going to spoil you as the story, but his sin is pretty tiny compared to some). Enter Ono who he's drawn to, suffering from his own unrequited love and the guilt from an affair he had with a married professor. Naturally, some of the mystique and magic of hell follows him into the human realm and Ono is tempted to use his new insight to help, even in small ways. That's a no-no that earns him some laps on the field of nails. And ends up getting him an affair with Enma. But, when the professor Ono loved finds his way into Hell to be judged, Ono interferes again, for selfish reasons, and their relationship is threatened.

And we still get the kind of sappy happy ending people like me still love. It's complex and convoluted with two sets of star-crossed lovers, but, in the end, ultimately satisfying.

The Unlikely Otaku is going to come back to life!

2017-03-05T21:46:00.003-06:00

I know what you're thinking: where the heck has Stephanie been? What, no more fanfiction? No more reviews? No more chatting in general about her manga obsession (which is still going strong, my friends; it's one reason I haven't had more time for blogging)?

Well, I heard your silent screams of despair and I have resolved to do better. I still love manga and anime. I still love talking about it. I still love interacting with people on my blogs. I might even come up with a bit more fanfiction if the mood hits me. We'll just have to see. So, though it's been languishing for far longer than I like to think about, expect to see me talking about all thinks otaku here in the near future.

And, yeah, that will still involve new releases, but brief and only for new releases. I won't be posting daily--got three blogs and a girl's gotta sleep--but I'll try to post something at least weekly.

For those who are still deeply interested in the writing itself, but don't like checking back on blogs and stuff, I'm starting a monthly newsletter. You can sign up on the right.

You'll get notifications of new releases and the single monthly newsletter and that's IT, but only to people who signed up, who actually want to know all that.

The newsletter will include some insight into my writing, why I love it, what I think about it and what I like or don't like, a handy reference for all my existing books and news about forthcoming events, and an original short story so my "fans" can get a first look on my stories. I want it to be fun and hope it will be because, though I hate "marketing" I love interacting with people and sharing things I hope they'll like.

If you're one of the people interested, sign up. I will not be using your email for any other purpose.

First Newsletter will go on next Friday, March 10.

Saving Tessa: Now it's Science Fiction!

2017-02-09T11:36:00.002-06:00

I have reworked Saving Tessa to be a science fiction YA adventure (though it was close to that already).

In the year 2045, smart tech is everywhere, much of it devised by the teenage prodigy Dylan Chroz. But being at the top of the technical world means being in demand. Sometimes, by people who should be looking out for you. Sometimes, by people who won't take no for an answer.

Tessa alone makes Dylan's life more than schematics and computers, a spot of vibrant color and irrepressible life in a dreary world of users and frauds.

So what do you do when someone steals your girl to make you perform your technical wizardry on their sketchy hardware? Do you curl up and cry? Do what they want? Defy them? Or do you outsmart them and do your damnedest to smoke out every one of them so they never can do this again?

That is, if Tessa doesn't beat you to it.

Also, as with Curse of the Jenri, I'm going to make it available in book form. Proof is on it's way to me now and I'll announce it when it's available. Eventually, I'll do this with all my books, but I'm excited about this one because I have a character frighteningly like me there.

Thanks for the gorgeous cover by Ryn Katryn.

Amazon

Smashwords

One of the things I did with this story when I moved it to 2045 is work on a post-Trumpian recovery. I found it therapeutic.

Curse of the Jenri is OUT!

2017-02-04T18:30:00.000-06:00

Curse of the Jenri is now OUT, out in ebook and, for the first time, I'm going to be putting it out in print as well. I got the proof, my first ever, today! I'm so excited (so no print now but soon; I'll keep you posted). You can find it on amazon and smashwords and it should soon be available at Barnes and Nobles, Kobo and the iStore. Links for Amazon and Smashwords are available now

.

Finally, a Sword & Sorcery epic like it ought to be: manly hero who swings a massive sword and stumbles into spells, lovely wife who can kick his ass, a fleet of fiery and fierce compatriots, dastardly villains with vile intents, even griffons, all that and a dragonet. Oh, and six kittens. Because every manly man needs kittens, right?

RIGHT?!?

Or, alternatively,

The world of the Jenri is a dangerous, primitive world, where women are prized as chattel, but the Jenri women, every one from the eldest archivist to the smallest babe, strike fear into battle-hardened mercenary hearts. It is a world where battle steeds are mythical beasts and magic is as deadly a weapon as a sword. Those who wield both are doubly dangerous and those who cross them are thrice damned. The Jenri are mistresses of all these things. If you love one of these marvelous women, you must best her in a contest of her choosing to win her love in return.

These were women who needed no one to take care of them. Until now.

It wasn’t enough that Jenri women had been stolen, including his wife, Layla It wasn't enough that those who had stolen them had nefarious plans. And phenomenal magic powers. And could escape in seconds. And an underground fortress in the midst of frozen mountains so cold Tander was afraid he’d shatter if he stumbled one more time. It wasn’t enough that he was surrounded by angry husbands worried about their wives and willing to take their tempers out on him if he was leading them in the wrong direction. It wasn’t enough that he was also surrounded by the remaining women from his tribe who were equally angry and more than capable of kicking his butt.

No, on top of all those little issues, he discovered he's no longer “just” an extraordinary swordsman, but also a great and powerful sorcerer with absolutely no idea how to use his powers. He was not just any sorcerer, either, but one chosen by six tiny kitten familiars who did know how to use his powers and who had no problem telling him. All the time. While they demanded to be carried all over his person, purring and taking inopportune naps. He didn’t want these powers or a flock of noisy but helpful kittens, but he was going to need them. He'd need all the skills and talents he and his companions possess in order to save their women—and Layla.

But we love you, Tander! Solace insisted, purring and licking his neck.

Things have got to get better soon.

Otaku Moment

2016-12-28T23:00:00.003-06:00

An extreme otaku moment (because if you're going to be an otaku, extreme is the only way to be):

As I finish watching the whole anime opus of (through episode 366) of Bleach for what I think is the fourth time (the first time was in subtitled Japanese) and I queue up Hell Verse because, what the hell, I gave a passing thought to my favorite Kido (or really Bakudo) 81 Danku ESPECIALLY when used by Kuchiki Byakuya who does it with negligent flair. Anyone else have a favorite?

Just wanted to share.

Amazing Changes on the Writing Frontier

2016-09-06T22:36:00.001-05:00

Many of you have likely noted my large repertoire of self-published novels and anthologies. I had a good reason for doing it, namely, I couldn't seem to connect with a publisher who appreciated my writing like, let's face it, I do.

And there's no merit in a story that sits forever in a virtual drawer. So I put them out there, where, they were mostly ignored, but nowhere near as ignored as they were on my computer alone. And, I maintain, that was largely because my marketing skills are not impressive. But the books...

This past year, I've dallied in a field I haven't dallied in in decades, short stories. Prompted first by contests, then a great friend, Chuck Larlham, who enjoyed reading my work and kept finding new opportunities to check out and, ultimately, write a story for. So, after a year, I've got more than a dozen new stories, mostly fantasy science fiction and fantasy, but several that are also in different genres I haven't tried before or, at least, not in a long time.

As I've been rediscovering my writing talent, Chuck's also been key to my sending it out there. I got in JAMM magazine (as I noted previously), have a story accepted in an anthology meant for book club type parties, and another short story in charity anthology to support a charity that works with domestic abuse (Dove).

The publisher for the Dove anthology specializes in science fiction and fantasy and the name could not have been more perfect for me: The Dragon's Rocketship Publishing. They're relatively new and small, which is fine with me, and also accept short stories. So, a story that didn't make any waves in a contest (I seem to do more poorly in those than straight marketing) seemed like something to try because I *liked* it. So did they. They in fact gushed in the way I've been dreaming of a publisher gushing since time immemorial and wanted to know if I could make it into a novel. Well, no, I hadn't intended to make it into a novel, but, oddly enough, I'd written two side short stories that were related to a novel I'd already written (Curse of the Jenri) and was weeks away from self-publishing.

Not the final cover, just my own concept

Well, they liked those stories and then the novel. So, here we are, a few weeks later and I have signed contracts on seven short stories (plus the anthology story) and a novel.

Am I happy?

I, who am never at a loss for words, can't even find a word to describe how fantastic I feel to find people who *get* what I'm writing ans saying.

If you're on facebook, feel free to go by their facebook page and give 'em some love.

A bit of Anime history for the Otaku

2016-08-26T23:00:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, I've been so neglectful. Nothing about anime and manga for months even though I do keep reading it.

Busy busy. Today Right Stuff Anime (who has sold me a tome or six and several movies/shows) sent me an email linked to an article about the history of Anime.

Fascinating stuff so I'm sharing it with you.

The History of Anime

New Story Published!

2016-05-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

My new story, "Second Life," is out in the e-zine "Just a Minor Malfunction" available now for a limited time at $0.99!

My story, "Second Life," is set aboard a space station so I get to use actual rocket science expertise and I allow a little bit of sleuthing for the biologically minded. With people trapped forever in space, finding yourself confronted with what might be an epidemic has got to be terrifying, especially since insanity comes with it. I hope you'll check it out

Chuck Larlham is in there, too, and a number of other awesome science fiction stories. In fact, it's one of the best collections of hard science fiction I've read in a long long time, so I'm proud to be part of it. Something for everyone, folks!

It's a steal right now. If you like science fiction or just being entertained, well worth your dollar.

Just A Minor Malfunction on Amazon.com

So, I sold a short story to a new e-zine of hard science fiction

2016-04-30T18:17:00.001-05:00

That's independent to an unusual degree. But, you know, I'm pretty avant garde myself. Looks like I'll be in the first issue of Just A Minor Malfunction along with my good writing buddy, R. C. Larlham. So, fun will be had for everyone.

I'm actually rather excited as it's set in a science fiction setting I'd been planning (and am still planning) to write a novel in, only this is more a prequel. Thing is, I'm so in love with my characters in this new short story, Second Life, I may have to make room for them in the novel.

But then, I do love a challenge. If you're interested in reading my story, Chuck's or any of the other stories gathered, check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/just-a-minor-malfunction-sci-fi-short-stories--2#/

New Release: Saving Tessa

2014-11-22T20:21:00.001-06:00

I just released my personal favorite of my novels (so far) today. You'll be able to find it at the compelling price of $4.99 at your favorite retailer.

Dylan Chroz, high school senior, had a reputation as the unchallenged king of the technical world, a genius with dozens of patents to his name. He also had a reputation for being as cold and calculating as the supercomputers he could design in his sleep.

So he was unprepared when Maxcomm discovered what really mattered to him: the spunky girl at the center of his existence. Or when they stole her away so they could use her against him.

It was a mistake, of course, to make an enemy of Dylan, even if he was hampered by his fear for Tessa. After all, people who threaten Tessa were definitely not going to come out unscathed.

And Maxcom didn't appreciate what those around Dylan will do to help him save Tessa.

But the real mistake they made was thinking Tessa was going to sit quietly by and get used. As if Tessa would stand for that!

That last mistake was really going to cost them

Contains some language and violence. You can find Saving Tessa on Smashwords

In the iTunes store

On Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Fourth book, third novel coming out September 15

2014-09-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

I have another book, Nine Lives, available for preorder that will become available September 15. Right now, you can order it for $2.99 (price will go to $4.99 after it's released). You can preorder it now from Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Apple as well as Smashwords, which has available in all formats including Kindle. (It will be in on Amazon.com sometime on September 15).

That's three books already out, Conjuring Dreams (short stories), Tarot Queen (adult novel), and Beast Within (YA novel).

"Trapped on a planet across the universe from their homeworld, more than a thousand youngsters, teachers and crew must make a new home for themselves in this beautiful and dangerous world. Some, however, are shapechangers, Bete, that many look on as demons, so they have more to fear than their new environment. At the same time, their powers have also saved all the refugees more than once. To protect themselves from the humans that fear or hate them, the Bete have started a separate colony from the rest.

With their little Bete colony going well with his foster brother, the intolerably perfect Xander, in charge, Laren, was feeling a trifle unnecessary, which didn't sit well with his pride. Or his temper. But when his arrogance nearly got himself and his best friend Rem killed, he decided to reign back his anger and deal with things with a little more thought.

He did so just in time because Xander became dangerously ill, hurting his mate, the healer, in his delirium. And, at nearly the same moment, the other colony was overrun with those that feared the Bete as demon-spawn. With an unknown disease in the camp and potential attack from outside, a level head was definitely needed. Who would have guessed that Laren would be the one to provide it?

Who knew this being in charge business was so troublesome?

Sequel to Beast Within. Contains some language and violence."

Unlike Tarot Queen, but like Beast Within, Nine Lives is a SF/Fantasy Adventure YA with an ensemble cast, so it's not as racy, not quite as violent and a bit more teen friendly. But, I do think it's quite interesting for adults as well. I make a point of not dumbing down language but letting context clues expand the vocabulary.

Links for all available books and pre-orderable books wills stay in the right hand column.

Beast Within

2014-09-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

So, two books all the way out, Conjuring Dreams and Tarot Queen, and now another book available at bargain prices for preorder: Beast Within

Update: Now it's been released, it's still available at the bargain price of $4.99

"When a ship of youthful refugees maroons on a strange and dangerous new planet, Xander had no choice but to take charge of his shapeshifting clan, the Bete, to protect the strange foreign healer, K'Ti, from humans as well as his own suspicious clan. Among humans, shapeshifting and magic were frequently equated with evil. The lives of the Bete and K'Ti would readily be forfeit if certain fanatical factions discovered their gifts.

After Xander convinced the captain to let them be the first to set up camp outside, the healer's extensive magical skills quickly became key to survival. When K'Ti discovered the Bete's shapeshifting abilities, Xander defied his clan to let her live.

To defend themselves, and the humans, from the vicious predators like the man-sized Klixit, of the new planet, the Bete will need every skill, shred of knowledge and capability they possess. Xander will have to weigh the needs of his clan with his trust of humans, the risk from the dangers all around them, and those that lie within his fellow refugees. "

Unlike Tarot Queen, Beast Within is a SF/Fantasy Adventure YA with an ensemble cast, so it's not as racy, not quite as violent and a bit more teen friendly. But, I do think it's quite interesting for adults as well. I make a point of not dumbing down language but letting context clues expand the vocabulary.

Note also that Beast Within is the first of the Bete series. Nine Lives, the second of the series, will come next.

Another book available for pre-order!

2014-04-16T19:47:00.002-05:00

I know what you're thinking: "I haven't even finished the first one (which was free)." True, but, if you do finish Conjuring Dreams and are jonesing for something else from my talented brain, you're in luck because you can get a deal on the next novel that takes up where the short stories stop.

Update: It's now out and $4.99.

This one's not free, but you can get a deal on it since you can preorder it for $2.99 - it and will go to $4.99 after it's published on May 15 (which coincidentally is my 25th anniversary as a Rocket Scientist since I started working at Johnson Space Center in May of 1989). This novel is a grown up story, but fun and hopefully thought-provoking.

Announcing Tarot Queen.

After nearly four hundred years as the Tarot Queen, Roxell might still appear young and beautiful on the outside, but inside she was bored and jaded. Reading fortunes and conjuring futures was no substitute for an adventure of her own, a life of her own. Instead, she felt a prisoner, exiled within the confines of her cottage, growing more and more contemptuous of the supplicants who came to ask for her insight. And, for four centuries, not one person had given her heart the slightest romantic flutter . . .
Until Dante stepped in and turned the life she knew upside down. Handsome, intelligent, capable, he was everything she'd ever dreamed up . . . except that a tryst with a succubus had left him a demon and therefore soulless. The cards said he was definitely her destined lover, but Tarot Queens only get one lover and she had no plan to become a demoness.

For love, she abandoned her self-imposed exile and set out with her ardent suitor on a quest to find a solution to their thorny problem. Turns out, Dante's demonic venereal disease was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to their problems and Dante's mysteries. And Roxell was going to have to depend on her wits and her magical talents far more than she'd ever envisioned when they first ventured out.

And she loved (nearly) every minute of it.

Contains some sexual situations (not erotica) and a modicum of violence.

You can preorder at Smashwords and should shortly be able to preorder from a number of distributors.

A note about Smashwords - they distribute to most of the major ebook distributors like Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobi, Applestore, etc. But, I don't know when they'll show and there's a lag. You can preorder from Smashwords right now in all of those applicable formats. If you're struggling with how to get the downloaded Smashwords files to work with your application or device, you can get insight into how to do it here.

Naturally, no one is required to read my stuff, but, for those of you who might be interested, I wanted you to know it was out there.

My first BOOK!

2014-04-12T08:01:00.000-05:00

At long last with a self-crafted book cover, I have self-published my first e-book: Conjuring Dreams And it's FREE!

"Magic-wielders, shape-shifters, mermaids, empaths and diviners and even teddy bears and computer programmers wander through 26 stories, written into life for situations thought-provoking, compelling or absurd. It's a collection of diverse stories, from the first one written when Stephanie Barr (then Beck) was13-14 years old to the last ones finished last year. The tales show off not only Stephanie's eclectic imagination but the growth of her story telling as she taught herself to write (in the way she wanted to) through writing. So it's all fiction and totally autobiographical at the same time. "

Smashwords: Conjuring Dreams

Hopefully soon it will also be distributed at Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, etc. Will post links when I have them. There are, however, formats available for most if not all readers/computers already available at the Smashwords link. There's also an interview of me.

I've also put it on Amazon but they wouldn't let me do it for free so it's 99 cents:

Amazon: Conjuring Dreams

My suggestion is to go ahead and download it for free on Smashwords since they have Kindle format there.

More books (namely novels) are coming so "stay tuned".

I love Yoshinaga Fumi.

2014-04-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

I love, just love, Yoshinaga Fumi. She's one of the best story tellers I've ever read and I can't help reading her books over and over, voraciously, even when she has characters do things I despise. They're that good.

Unfortunately, because of the format (manga) many of the readers I know would never even try these which is a great pity because the artwork is a key part of the effectiveness of the story. Even for those people willing to read manga (like my sister, Cheryl Beck Carvajal), I can't recommend the stuff I like best because yaoi (particularly Yoshinaga's yaoi) is not for the faint-hearted. Of the non-yaoi stuff, Garden of Dreams and Antique Bakery are great. Ooku, the Inner Chamber is also fantastic but horrible at the same time, but I can't stop reading it once I pick it up and can't sleep for two days afterwards because I can't stop thinking about it.

Sorry, I'm giddy because I haven't been able to track down the first volume for Gerard and Jacques (definitely yaoi) for ages, couldn't find any copy, even though I had the second one, until just recently and I even got it for less than a fortune. Don't mind me. Though I've written about Yoshinaga Fumi's work before:

http://stephanie-barr.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-all-about-story.html

I've written about her here and here on this blog, too. The more often I read her (and she's among the most rereadable authors I've ever stumbled across), the more I find myself entranced.

I think I might have finally figured it out.

2014-01-29T22:08:00.001-06:00

I liked manga and even yaoi, even before my husband left me, but I've been pretty consumed by it the past two years or so since he's been gone. I'm open-minded and all but even I was a little stumped as to why it (Boy's Love manga) was so fascinating to me, why I've all but ignored my regular novels and the like, why even the shoujo mangas (I'm stilling buying new volumes of to finish the series) were languishing while I read and reread my favorite yaoi.

What is it?

(For those of you who think this is better suited to my Rocket Scientist blog because this is all about me rather than the manga, fear not, I'm cross-posting it).

Today, as I'm wiping away tears reading a manga I've read before (single volume: Dekichatta Danshi by Mikagi Tsubaki), I think I finally figured it out, not just why I'm focused on manga, but focused on yaoi in particular. The tears, by the way, were only slightly because the story was touching (though it was) - mostly I was jealous because the touchy hard-case main character had someone who loved him desperately, unequivocally, with everything he had. I just loved Yu and I'd love to have him for myself.

Not Yu specifically (since he's way too young for me and I'm not doing that again, not to mention he's in love with someone else, oh, and fictional), but someone who loved me, treasured me. I used to believe I'd have someone like that in my life.

Now, of course, not so much; I'm pretty much sure that ain't gonna happen. But, for a long time after Lee left, I was starting to question if it EVER happens, if it's ever real. I mean, I love my children with everything. I cherish and treasure them (yes, not the same, but that notion that someone means more to you than yourself, that is the same) so I know that kind of love exists. And, intellectually, I know couples for whom that kind of thinking is part and parcel of their relationship, even if there are little strifes here and there. That devotion to one another remains at the core of their lives.

But I'd lost my faith in that magic. My faith in people who lay it all on the line (as I once did), who strive and struggle because there is someone in their lives they just can't lose no matter what. My faith in the happy ending.

And that was a serious concern for me. Not so much for how I live my life - I can survive the rest of my years as a bitter cynic, probably still even be a good mother if a little extra sarcastic, which probably won't bother my remaining children (the ones that live at home) until/if they start talking.

But it kept me from writing anything new fiction-wise and that was becoming a serious concern. When I write, I have to feel it or it won't come across genuine, won't come across real. It's not enough to tell myself it's true intellectually - I have to believe it.

Now, of course, I could write novels without any hint of romance, but I don't want to. I've almost always had some sort of romantic mush in my novels because I like it, I like reading it, I want to write it. I want to write novels that still believe in magic and romance and overcoming the nigh impossible. I don't want to be a cynical writer.

(For those of you who think I should publish this on Rockets and Dragons, since that's about my writing, fear not, I'll be cross posting it there).

So, Stephanie (the person) had to recapture her belief in the wonder of romance in a life deprived of same (and an argument could be made it always was) or she could never be Stephanie (the writer) again. Hence, mangas, where words and characters have more power because, hey, pictures. And yaoi because, hey, most are only a volume or two, the diversity in stories and scenarios is staggering, and the romance (in the good ones) is in your face - immediate and urgent because, on the whole, the romantic partners have a great deal more on the line, and stand a greater chance in losing everything just by mentioning their interest.

There are many other things in yaoi that are rather in your face (so be warned), but that's not why I read it (and the really smutty ones that are all sex/violence and nothing else don't interest me at all). I need that romance, I need to believe in it again.

I've read Dekichatta Danshi before and I didn't cry, I didn't feel it the same way. But this time, I did. I think that means I'm getting it back.

Yay, me.

Also, I know which manga I should review next.

Stepping out from the manga for just a sec

2013-10-27T19:01:00.000-05:00

Thing is, I don't just write blogs (in fact, one could make an argument I don't even write those given how I've let my blogs go fallow) or fan fiction or reviews of various manga.

I have and have always written fiction and I'm pleased to make note that one of my short stories was recently published in SQ's anthology Star Quake 1, available as both a paperback book and an ebook format. I don't know everywhere it's available, but I know it's available at both Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.

It's not a big thing, as real writing goes, but it's big for me.

More news, I'm gearing up to take my rather large backlog of novels and short stories and self-publish in ebook form (some of many different flavors of electronic book at once). Not because I don't believe in it, but because I do. I don't want to get rich. I want to tell stories.

One way or another, that's just what I'm going to do.

Stay tuned.

(Oh, and I'm still reading manga, one reason I've been so lax with work on the blog). I'll share more of what I've found charming later. No, really!

Adult Swim: Grown Up in More Than One Way (Pt 2)

2013-03-22T21:19:00.001-05:00

So, last time, I talked about Yoshinaga Fumi's non-yaoi work, some of which is really excellent (like Oooku) if not necessarily enjoyable and some of which is both (like Antique Bakery). I like and reread many of these books, but I don't like any of them as much as I like her yaoi with the possible exception of Antique Bakery, but I can't read Antique Bakery without reading the associated doujinshi which I actually read first. And the doujinshi is hard hard core yaoi. You can read the Antique Bakery manga without the doujinshi and it's well worth it, but, in my opinion, the doujinshi really completes it (at least the thirteen chapters I've seen) with considerably backstory including Ono's immediate reaction when he's rejected so cruelly by Tachibana and the reason he became the gay playboy he did.

Without the original manga, I still liked the doujinshi, too, but you should be warned. It's emotionally wrenching in some places and could also be a helpful hint how-to on anal sex so it's really not for everyone. Chikage and Tachibana are really expanded here but, of course, Ono (as the one unabashedly gay character) is the center of attention. And he is far from flawless. I'm a monogamous soul, so I'm not condoning all his actions, but I can see where he's coming from and don't dislike him (though I could understand if you did). For me, the doujinshi fills in the blanks (I'm guessing for the mangaka, as well, since she wrote them), but I won't lie, I find her romance and sex scenes very very compelling. And the romances feel real, and more touching because they aren't perfect rather than less. I won't lie, I bought the books based on the dj and never regretted either.

The graphic and no holds barred nature of the yaoi in the Antique Bakery dj is in keeping with the graphic and gory details of the sex in her yaoi in general. So that you know.

But wait, there's more. The yaoi selections, like the non-yaoi selections, frequently involve dark stuff. Cases in point include some of the stories in Don't Say Any More, Darling, Truly Kindly and Gerard and Jacques, all but the last of which can be readily purchased. In all cases, there are some sweet stories mixed in with bittersweet or even dark stories. Truly Kindly is a mix of dark modern stories with two that manage to have happy endings and a handful of historical stories (some dark, some not) set in ancient Japan and pre-revolutionary France (the latter precursors to Lovers in the Night). The dark aspects of "Chinoiserie", for instance, are completely in keeping with the historical setting and, in my opinion, were more poignant as a result. Don't Say Any More, Darling is another set of one-shot stories (not all are yaoi) that run from sweet (the first one) to downright depressing. Yoshinaga-sensie has a real gift for infusing life into short stories, by the way. Not everyone has it.

Gerard and Jacques, which is about an erotic novelist during revolutionary France who meets the son of an aristocrat in a boy's brothel. The start is about as dark a beginning as you can get for what turns out to be a very satisfying and sweet story. Once again, Yohinaga-sensei weaves such intricate and compelling backstories and paints (realistically) the environment so clearly that what seems like a heinous set of actions turn out to make a lot of sense, even be understandable. I'm frequently amazed how she pulls that off. Of the three darker works, Gerard and Jacques, which is one story set in two volumes, is probably my favorite of these three, and I never would have thought so if I'd read just the first chapter or two. Yoshinaga-sensei is sneaky like that. The only reason I don't own Gerard and Jacques is that I can't find them in English.

Moving from the darkest toward happier shores is Solfege, which has still a sizeable modicum of dark with a music teacher who gets involved with his earnest singing student (at least somewhat selfishly) only to send him away far more selflessly and eventually fall to ruin...only to be searched out again by his now world-acclaimed student. The happy ending is clear but the extent (did they get back together or not) is left to the reader to decide.

Lovers In the Night takes off after the French shorts at the end of Truly Kindly and is a single story of a spoiled but devoted gay French aristocrat (who becomes an emigre during the French Revolution) and his equally devoted and dominating butler. Normally, I'm not fond of the master-servant stories, but Yoshinaga-sensei does seem to delight in oversetting my personal prejudices with effective story telling. I do love happy endings.

But, I've found happy endings more frequently (and at least as satisfying) in the yaoi than her non-yaoi. I've also found as much if not more humor, which is always a plus for me (and Yoshinaga is really good at the kind of humor that tickles me no end). And the yaoi, which often deal with very realistic concerns of gay partnerships, don't seem to need to delve as frequently into the dark depths as the very real issues are compelling enough for interest. Of this ilk there's Moon and Sandals, a nice story of an adult romance and a student romance, with the crush of the student for the gay teacher nicely handled (as well as the romance the teacher has with a chef) and the subsequent romance the student has with another student. The student, particularly, is charming with his forthright earnestness and determination. The characters, as usual, are the strong element and quite appealing.

Then, there's Ichigenme, the First Class is Civil Law (which I've only found complete in published form, but, good news, it's published and readily available), which follows the charming but unexpected pairing of a serious law student (and eventual law professor) and his laid back and charming gay companion of the computer genius variety. That the computer genius' brother (also a law student) has his own affair with a professor, a story I also found charming. My description does not do the story justice nor touch on the profound but engaging humor spread all through this book nor the masterful characterizations often done with what seems a couple of lines of dialog and a few panels. I love them all but I have a soft spot for the long curly-haired computer freak. (There's a surprise).

All of these books I found interesting, most of them charming (with the occasional story I could have done without). Like most of Yoshinaga-sensei's work, even the most depressing stuff, it's amazingly rereadable, I think because the world is so real. They're great stories and it's almost a pity that those who would be squeamish about the portrayal of sex (gay and/or otherwise) would miss out on these because they are so interesting. If, however, you like effective sex scenes, these also include some of the best. And I think I'm becoming nearly expert on it. Good books, worth owning (which is good because they are almost all licensed and hard to find otherwise, at least complete) and, yes, I own every thing described here except the Antique Bakery dj and Gerard and Jacques. And I'd own them if they became available.

Update: I just found out there's an anime for Antique Bakery as well, strictly based on the books and not yaoi, but managing, in twelve episodes, the capture the gist of the four books. Clean enough for a teenage audience (children would not get the many subtleties) and well worth $30. I liked it (noting that Chikage provided the bulk of the humor, bless his simple heart - he's a favorite. How can anyone hate Chikage?) It's subtitled, but worth the trouble, at least to a fan like me. Comes in a nice little case with a booklet of Antique Bakery factoids and stuff.

Update: I got the first volume of Gerard and Jacques! Squee!

Adult Swim: Grown Up in More Than One Way (Pt 1)

2013-01-25T21:29:00.000-06:00

You may have all noticed that my posts often talk about a particular mangaka's body of work rather than just a single work. This may be more true in yaoi than other fields since yaoi is frequently (though not always) a one or two volume endeavor per story (if not a one-shot). Plus, it's been my experience that, when I stumble across a really good mangaka, it's worth my time to check our her (or his) other work. I frequently find other gems...and not always just in yaoi.

Which is how I stumbled across Yoshinaga Fumi. Actually, I'd read (but didn't consider a keeper at the time) a period yaoi set in Europe called Gerard & Jacques as it started pretty dark and I almost didn't continue. Even so, I was a bit intrigued (I love history) and, when I stumbled across something else later, I started to explore and then became entranced. I've since reread Gerard & Jacques many times and it's now one of my favorites. She still isn't my favorite yaoi author (probably), though she's on my short list of real favorites. She is, however, something really special in more than one way, first and foremost because she's one of the most superlative storytellers I've ever come across in any medium. When I say medium, I mean music, movies, anime, novels, short stories, manga, you name it. I read a single chapter (all that's available) on-line from Garden of Dreams and was struck speechless. It was a masterful example of evocative story telling and character building, as well having all the pathos of the best poetry. It was, in fact, much like a poem in manga form.

Garden of Dreams isn't yaoi. It wasn't explicit or offensive and it wasn't trying to make some societal point (as far as I know). It was set during the Crusades but involved relatively normal people who were incredibly complex, imperfect while being entirely easy to empathize with. They felt incredibly real, and touched me to an unprecedented degree. Based on the one short story, I bought the book (readily available at Amazon). I hadn't read the first thirty pages before I was compelled to buy a second copy and send it to my sister, wiping away my tears.

Although she writes some unabashed yaoi, she has also written many other manga that is not yaoi. All of it is amazingly grown up, even if it isn't R-rated, if you understand the distinction. Though some of it is that, too. In this part 1, I'm going to mostly talk about her non-yaoi work.

I'm convinced Yoshinaga's work would be suited for nearly any English class as an example of show vs. tell. Using her not inconsiderable artistic talent, she weaves complex plots in environments that seem almost static because the real drama is the exposition and interaction of her characters who are brilliantly revealed in tiny, seemingly unrelated vignettes until, before you know it, she's made a cohesive whole of brilliantly fleshed out characters that are so much more than two dimensional.

Her crafting is such that she frequently creates characters doing all manner of thoughtless, destructive, sometimes horrific things, but, as you learn more about them and where they came from you (or at least I) find myself understanding even when I can't entirely accept what they do. Some of her characters are unshakably noble and admirable. Some are thoughtless and selfish. Most are a combination of all of that, just like the rest of us. And, by showing us these people and actions as seen through the eyes of one party or the next, we have the opportunity to learn and appreciate these people to depths I have rarely seen elsewhere.

I have quite a collection of her works despite another trait I admire but don't necessarily care for myself: she is not afraid to leave the reader unfulfilled. There are, of course, happy endings in her books, but there are as many sad ones, wonderful characters who never find (or keep) their true loves, people who fail, people who can't overcome their own failings. Some of it isn't entertaining. Much of it is dark and sad and fraught with people making mistakes they can never recover from, or receiving scars they can't erase from their own hearts.

And example in point is Oooku, her award-winning manga, in this case, an alternate history story sent early in the Edo era (for those who are Japanese history buffs, well, you don't need me to explain, but its after Tokugawa took over the shogunate and his family kept power until the Emperor took it back the last century or so). Normally I despise alternate histories because they are frequently done by people who don't know jack about history or are done in such a slipshod manner with characters completely out of keeping with people of the day that it sends me up the wall. Not the case here. Yoshinaga spins a what-if tale of a plague that, over several generations, wipes out the majority of men in Japan. Instead of changing historical events as a result, she uses this idea to explain many of Japan's policies during that time including its isolationism and increasing feudalism, forcing people to be tied to the land. Real events are woven through but given impetus by this key change rather than happening despite. It's fascinating. No, really.

Historical Japan is a brutal and unforgiving world and Yoshinaga does not pull punches. In many ways, it's harsh and unfeeling and filled with callous actions, elitism, brutality, and downright unfairness. Truly wonderful and fantastic characters are misused, abused, tormented by fate, left to fend for themselves or live their lives bereft. Other people do cruel and inhumane things (by our standards) from their own torment, mistaken priorities, and, in many cases, necessity. It's brilliant. It's fascinating. It's sometimes depressing as hell.

I own all the Oooku books available in English and I've read it twice and I still don't enjoy reading it. Some time while reading the second volume, I usually ask myself why I haven't stopped reading because obviously I don't like it, but, once I start, I absolutely can't stop. It's compelling. And, even after I've read it, no matter how tired I am, I can't sleep the next night - so much is wandering through my brain.

The artwork is gorgeous and evocative. Actually, I'm impressed by anyone making a tonsured man look attractive. And, as much as I don't read it for entertainment, I'm glad I have read it and believe it to be genius.

Not everything non-yaoi is dark or lacking in entertainment. If most of her work has some level of pathos, she has a real gift for ribald and subtle humors she sprinkles about most of her work, even the darkest. Flower of Life is a school slice of life with the straight-forward main character, who'd missed a year of school due to leukemia, and quite the eclectic mix of other characters. All My Darling Daughters focuses mainly on female relationships (not homosexual), but familial. Kodomo No Taion is also about family, but from a man's perspective.

Yoshinaga Fumi also seems to have a fascination with food. Two other mangas are unabashedly focused on food: Not Love but Delicious Food Makes Me So Happy (restaurant hopping and life from a woman's perspective) and What Did You Eat Yesterday? which is non-yaoi other than the two main characters are a gay couple with the emphasis on the lawyer who goes shopping daily (with frugality in mind as much as taste) before coming home and whipping up a five course meal of authentic Japanese fair for his companion, who's main job is to exult over the flavor and texture of the meal. The latter is effectively a cooking show in manga form. Since I'm not a gourmand, I didn't really care for either of these manga, but I can see how a food nut could really get excited.

If I admire but don't enjoy all her books, there are some that I definitely admire and enjoy, so, if we're talking about non-yaoi genius, I can't forgo mentioning another award winner, Antique Bakery, which, if described, sounds as dull as dishwater but in reality is anything but. If we are hit over the head with more food (and we are, of the French style pastry variety) and we find a very gay character without being yaoi (which we do), none of that precludes that this as another brilliant piece of work about four very unlikely and complex men (OK, one not so complex man) who happen to run a bakery, the journey that brought them there, the non-romantic bonds that tie them together. I have not found Antique Bakery on line but it can be bought (all four volumes) in licensed book form (and, yes I have them and bought those for my sister as well). Don't let the description fool you, this is frequently hilarious, frequently touching, frequently thought-provoking stuff.

Actually, unlike most mangakas, because so much of her work is licensed, only smatterings of most of her work is available on line. That's the bad news. The good news is you can buy several of her works in book form most readily. In English and everything. Antique Bakery is just one example of that.

Speaking of Antique Bakery you can find on-line, one thing you can find (but not in book form) is the doujinshi (special extra mangas written by fans or authors to pass out at conventions) by the author of Antique Bakery which takes the story forward. But, if Antique Bakery isn't yaoi (and it isn't), the Antique Bakery doujinshi definitely is hardcore yaoi. So I'll save talking about it for part 2.

Adult Swim: As Sweet As It Gets

2012-12-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you've probably noticed a trend (that goes beyond manga, I might add, with my library of regular fiction comprising hundreds of books, but dozens of writers) of reading everything by an author/mangaka I like exhaustively. I might only mention the ones I like, but you can bet I read them all if they make the list of worth writing about it.

Many of the mangakas I favor like Naono Bohra and Kano Shiuku (who I haven't written about yet) are very prolific and have oodles and scoodles of titles. Actually, all those of that ilk I can think of are of the particularly raunchy variety - I wonder if there's a connection? Well, I'll worry about that on a different post because this time I want to talk about a mangaka, Nagato Saichi, who has, to the best of my knowledge, just one on-going manga. But it's utterly charming.

Now for those of you who think yaoi=pornography (and, yes, it frequently is), that might sound contradictory, but I could list (and intend to eventually) dozens of sweet stories that happen to include same sex couples who may or may not have overt sex on the page. Kou'un no Rihatsushi by Nagato Saichi is one of them.

The story starts with an overgrown teenager (Tsukasa) known as the "moody pillar" who gets a haircut as a result of rejection from unrequited love. Fortunately, he gets this haircut from a talented and gay barber (Nachi) who also gives him some overdue confidence and support. The haircut and advice transform Tsukasa into a hottie on the outside (mostly by revealing his face), so much so that he ends up a model/actor/all around idol. But this big beautiful guy (drawn marvelously) doesn't change one iota from the sweet shy self-conscious guy he was in the beginning, who manages to overcome his previous crush and tumble selflessly into love with Nachi right off the bat.

This all basically happens in the first five pages. After that, throughout the original one-shot (now first chapter), Tsukasa comes over whenever his schedule permits to "help out" Nachi, bringing snacks, fetching coffee, helping to clean up. And he does this for YEARS as his fame increases: no confessions, no demands, just happy to be around Nachi, who happens to be a huge fan and a genuinely kind (and shy) person himself. So, no, no shotacon. In fact,Tsukasa (younger) is a big burly man, my favorite when we pair different ages.Though they aren't that far apart in age.

Things might never have progressed (given the shy sweetness of our two characters) if one of Nachi's ex-lovers hadn't tried coaxing, then coercing the barber to work for him. Facing losing his crush and then faced with his crush being assaulted, Tsukasa is forced to act and our characters get the happy discovery that they actually have been in love with each other from the very beginning, but too shy/self-effacing to think the other could care about them. And it is adult.

It's a combination that could readily get sickly-sweet but doesn't somehow. Tsukasa and Nachi both come across as completely genuine, at least to me. Their future trials, in the subsequent chapters, are the product of misunderstandings, the demands of a showbiz career (without the associated ego), and other challenges associated with people who are not accustomed to making demands but need to.

It's funny and sweet without feeling contrived. The characters grow without losing their initial charm or becoming people they aren't. I couldn't help but love them.

And, if you're okay with a modicum of grown up action in the midst of a sweet love story, you might like it, too. It isn't, to the best of my knowledge, published in English. But, if it ever is, I'll be buying.