Thursday, May 29, 2008

Thursday 13: 13 WIPS

Vivien: Since 2008 is half over, and Pepper is done with her graduate program, we've been taking stock of our obligations and evaluating what we need to do versus what we want to do. So today, our Thursday Thirteen is all about the 13 stories we're going to write in the latter half of 2008.

1. August Calendar Boys story. We chose to do a monthly series for Amber Quill of gay novellas, called "Calendar Boys." The story we're just now starting - after a crazy weekend of oodles of editing - is August. Let's face it, nothing happens in August. So we went astrological. We've got a lion shapeshifter who's forced to take a virgin sacrifice on the cusp, only to discover that he doesn't want to kill this particular virgin.

Pepper: After we finish the August story, we're returning to the Master Chronicles. Book 7 is Renaissance in Blood and we already finished 30k before we were forced to take a break. I would provide a summary but I'm not sure how to do so without spoiling it. Suffice it to say, things are going to change for Jesse and Gideon.

Vivien: 3. It's back to the het after Renaissance. The AQ pax, "As You Like It," is all about fetishes, and we're submitting a story, An Innocent Proposition, about a voyeur and his virgin wife who discovers her exhibitionist side.

Pepper: 4. As soon as we finish An Innocent Proposition we must return to our Calendar Boys. September is about a Labor Day BBQ, and the single father who really hopes his hot neighbor could be interested in him as more than just a friend.

Vivien: 5. Then it's Book 8 of the Master Chronicles. This is slotted for an October 1 release, and marks the beginning of the end for us. The book is as yet untitled, and I can't reveal too much without spoiling 7 even more, but I can tell you it's going to be uber hot. And Gideon and Jesse get groupies!

Pepper: 6. Back to the Calendar Boys for the October Installment! We, uh, don't have a real bunny for this yet. We're thinking maybe a goofy Halloween story (since scary Halloween is so obvious). Or maybe a hunting trip at a lodge with a big fire? What else happens in Oct? Columbus Day? Yeah, it'll probably be a Halloween story.

Vivien: 7. Another Calendar Boy story, this time for November. Another one we haven't decided, lol. But we try to subvert major holidays, like the vampire Valentine's in February, so I imagine we'll end up doing something for Thanksgiving. Oh! Except Veteran's Day is in November, too. We could do something with ex-soldiers. That could be hot...

Pepper: Ex-soldiers WOULD be hot! 8. Is Book 9 of the Master Chronicles, as yet untitled. I would go into it, but honestly, the fact that we plan to end the series at book 9 depresses me too much. On the one hand, we don't want Jesse and Gideon to overstay their welcome. On the other hand, I'll miss Jesse so much! But we have a few surprises and tricks up our sleeves that I don't think anybody will expect.

Vivien: 9. Our last Calendar Boy story then. December. Will it be a bloody Christmas? A winter solstice that's hotter than it is cold? We're not likely to know until we get there...

Pepper: 10. AQP's "First Time Around" pax. This is just on the list of things to do we. We don't have an idea, or a title. The premise of the pax is that it is the first gay relationship of at least 1 character. I'm looking forward to writing a story about self-discovery and self-acceptance in the context of hot gay sex, but I think we're going to rue the fact that we only have 40K words to work with.

Vivien: 11. Those are our actual obligations out of the way. Which leaves us three slots of stories we choose to do just because we want to. Stories without homes at the moment. The first of those is 10,000 Kisses. We've actually already started this one, and have just over 2k so far. It takes characters we introduce in one of our summer releases and sees just what happens to them. Macaulay Jensen and Wendy DeMartino come from two different worlds. He's alt-country and she's a hardcore rocker. Their chemistry and passion is undeniable, but their careers have always come first. If they want a shot together, they've got to learn how to break old habits.

Pepper: 12. A story we simply call "Spence/Becca". Unfortunately, we don't have a title. We do, however, have 17,000 words. And for some reason, I really don't know why, I already have a blurb for it.
Spencer Cole risks his life every night on the backs of the world’s most dangerous bulls, and that’s the way he likes it. A rising star on the professional rodeo circuit, he is poised to be one of the most elite bull riders in America. Until he sustains a devastating injury—a concussion that brings his future as a bull rider into sharp question, and a torn shoulder that requires major surgery. He is forced to turn to the only friend he has in town, Rebecca Rankin.

Rebecca’s annual trysts with Spencer Cole are the high point of her Independence Day Celebration, but it never occurs to her to seek out from their relationship. And she is not prepared to be thrust into the role of nurse-maid for a bitter, angry cowboy. She is obliged to put her own blossoming career as a photographer on hold, but vows it will just be until Spencer can take care of himself—or hire a real nurse to take care of him

Spencer and Rebecca have always shared a strong attraction, but their thin emotional bond is almost destroyed by Spencer’s fear and anger. They gradually rebuild it as Rebecca shows Spencer that his life didn’t end when his career did.



Vivien: 13. There's a lot of possibilities for this last spot, but since Pepper and I hate to have stories started and languishing on our computers - which thankfully doesn't happen too often - there's only one other that we need to finish in order to wipe that clean. It's a story we actually started nearly a year ago for the vampire pax sold at AQ this past January. It's called Runaway Red and we hit 7k on it and realized it was going to be longer than 40k. That's what happened with Spence and Rebecca, too. The stories we started for pax commitments announced they wouldn't be satisfied with just 40k and so we had to temporarily shelve them. But this one is about a female vampire on the run, and the antiquities shop owner she kidnaps to help her. Hot, hot, hot, and I'm sure they'll appreciate us getting back to them.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

OMG... So much longer than Tuesday's WIP list.

I hope you find the bunnies for all those bunny-less stories.

P.S. I also think ex-soldiers is a great idea for November. You can even combine it with Thanksgiving somehow. Yes? :D


~Maggie

Vivien Dean said...

We're not that worried about bunny-less stories. It usually takes Pepper and I only a few minutes to come up with something we like, and not that much longer to get going. Our biggest concern is finding time, lol.

"Fortune's Return" comes out today, by the way. As soon as we get our copies tonight, expect an email from us. :)