Wednesday 12 December 2012

BODY LANGUAGE - 99p FOR A LIMITED TIME


Hi everyone

Sorry it's been rather quiet on the blog front. I had to take a little time out following a brief period in hospital, but thankfully I'm back writing with lots of great ideas and plans for 2013.

I'm halfway through writing a new novella which will be published in eBook next spring. I'm also researching and planning for another full length novel and will be getting stuck into the writing of that in the new year.

I've written a short story called The Changing Man which is going to be included in a new anthology from Cleis Press. Steambath - edited by Shane Allison will be published in the first half of 2013.  Another of my stories has also been picked up for an anthology from Bold Strokes Books called Pay for Play.  This one of edited by R Talent.  I'll post more information regarding both books and the other contributors as soon I get them.

In the meantime, my story collection Body Language is available at Amazon for a limited time for the special low price of only 99p. If you haven't already got your copy then here's a perfect opportunity. Don't forget to let me know what you think and post your reviews on Amazon.

Finally I'd like to thank everyone who has read one of my books and made 2012 such a great year.  The greatest reward for a writer is to know that people are reading and enjoying your work.  Many many thanks.

Merry Christmas and very best wishes for 2013.

Thursday 27 September 2012

GOODBYE SUMMER AND Q&A


Summer is over, autumn is with us and the curtain has risen on The Sex Cabaret. I can't quite believe how quickly 2012 has gone so far. It's been a busy one for me; writing The Sex Cabaret, self-publishing my short story collections, getting to grips with on-line promotion etc; it's been a real whirl so far.

Thank you to everyone who has bought and downloaded the new novel. It's a thrill to have that instant connection with readers. The publishing industry has changed so much since the publication of my last novel The Chain back in 2003. There is a lot more work involved as an author these days, especially if we chose to go down the self-publishing route, but the rewards are exceptional.

I'm taking a short break over the next month; doing Best Man duties at my brother’s wedding and taking a very late summer holiday. When I come back its full steam ahead with the next book - a M/M romance novella and then in 2013 I'll be writing the first of a trilogy of books set around the 1960s music scene. I can't wait to get started.

Below you will find a short Q&A relating to The Sex Cabaret.

Enjoy

 
Your last novel was in 2003. What made you return to novel writing after almost 10 years?

I didn't intend to leave to so long between The Chain and The Sex Cabaret but there were many different reasons. Firstly the publishing house who committed to my third novel went bust in 2004. I spent a year or so trying different publishers with no success. This was before the boom in ebooks and erotica and for a long period it looked like erotic fiction was a dead genre, existing only on free forums. Then I decided to do some study and spent three years working on a diploma in creative writing. After the diploma I took a little time out to recharge my batteries, by which time the digital boom had taken off. I had a lot of unpublished stories in files and decided to collect some of them together in a couple of ebooks; mainly this was an experiment to see how the ebook process worked and whether I was capable of editing, designing and publishing a book myself. I was very happy with the results and am immensely proud of both Bedtime Stories and Body Language.

So it was late in 2011 when I started to think seriously about writing a new novel.  Once I had the idea and the story I went into lockdown until the book was finished.


How would you describe The Sex Cabaret?

I think it's a fun, sexy page turner, full of intriguing characters and situations. I'm not really sure where The Sex Cabaret sits in the current market or trends for gay erotica. It couldn't really be classed as a M/M romance, though there is a strong M/M relationship between the characters of Clive and Alfie. It has an ensemble of characters with Daniel and Dietrich and I think the sex scenes are more explicit than any of the current books I've read. If anyone has read any of my short stories they'll know the strength of my sex scenes.  I like it to get pretty hot.  Maybe too much for some readers?  I hope not but we’ll see.


What is your writing process and where do you work?

I like to write at the kitchen table with music playing. I recently redecorated my study but find it difficult to get creative in there. The study is a place of business - emails, taxes, blogging etc, so I like to write in the kitchen, preferably with something tasty cooking in the oven. The Sex Cabaret took longer than either of my other novels to write. The first draft took about six months. I don't work on anything else when I'm completely a first draft. I like to focus on one project and work straight through to completion. I spend a couple of evenings a week writing and try to complete 2000 words across them, then I spend one full day at the weekend writing, aiming for around 3000 to 4000 words. There's no real secret to it - just sitting down and completing the book word by word, page by page.

I like to have a pretty detailed outline of the novel prepared in advance, around 5 to 6 pages. I don't always stick to the outline but find it much easier to finish a book when I know what I'm aiming for.  This book changed considerably from the outline, especially in the second half, but I still like to have that outline to hand for those moments I get lost.

It took about four weeks to heavily revise the manuscript for my second draft and then the third draft took about two weeks. It's an intense process. A writer also has to learn when to stop and let go. I could continue through 10 drafts, constantly revising if I didn't enforce a cut-off point.


What have you been reading?

Josh Lanyon's Adrian English series, Sylvia Day's Bared to You, some old James Herbert and Stephen King novels. I've been rereading some of the original James Bond novels and have a whole load of other goodies on my kindle ready for my holiday next month. Like most other people I did start reading the Fifty Shades trilogy but gave up early into the second book.

What can we expect next?

Well there won't be another 9 year wait for my next book. I've already completed a short novelette and am about to start writing a M/M novella called Feel The Benefit. My plan for 2013 is to start a new novel in January - the first in a 3 part saga set during the 1960s and 70s. Researching that project has been so much fun.  I can’t wait to get started.  I've written some horror/ghosts stories that I hope to publish under a new pseudonym at some point next year.  I’ve also got a few new stories in my folder, so there will definitely be a third volume of shorts in the next year or two.

THE SEX CABARET IS AVAILABLE NOW AT AMAZON.

Monday 24 September 2012

BODY LANGUAGE - FREE EBOOK

Hi

Thanks to everyone who has bought The Sex Cabaret so far.  I do hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.

If you haven't already got your free ebook of my short story collection Body Language then hurry over to Amazon.  The promotion is due to end at midnight on Tuesday so don't miss out.

Thom

Thursday 20 September 2012

THE SEX CABARET LAUNCHES & BODY LANGUAGE FREE EBOOK


My brand new novel, the first since The Chain in 2003, is published exclusively on Kindle this weekend.  The Sex Cabaret is 75K words and approximately 240 printed pages.

Check it out:

Amazon USA

 
 
 
The celebrate the launch of The Sex Cabaret my short story collection Body Language is being made available free on Amazon this weekend. Enjoy. If you download the book, don't forget to leave your reviews - they all count.

Love Thom

Thursday 13 September 2012

THE SEX CABARET - 21ST SEPTEMBER 2012


 

 
Announcing The Sex Cabaret.

I’m pleased to announce that after many months of hard work and drafts my new novel The Sex Cabaret is ready to launch. Following the short story collections Bedtime Stories and Body Language this is my first full length novel since The Chain in 2003.





Young and naive, Daniel Higgins, is drawn into a world that will challenge his inhibitions and ideals.  Taking a job at The Viaduct, he is introduced to The Sex Cabaret -- a spectacle of erotica and exhibitionism like nothing he has seen before.

Clive Bronsan is a successful lawyer, happy with his family and achievements, until a visit to the cabaret reveals what has been missing from his life.  When the curtains rises, everything Clive holds important will be changed forever.

Alfie Garcia's drop dead looks have made him the biggest gay porn star in Europe and the cabaret's reigning show boy.  Men travel from all over the country to see him perform, but are any of them really interested in the man behind the visage?

As the lives these characters intertwine sex, love, desire, jealousy, fame, ambition and violence all play their part in a highly charge novel of eroticism and sensuality.

Three fates collide when the curtain goes up on The Sex Cabaret.



T
he novel is really a celebration of things I love: cabaret, theatre, erotica, movies. I’ve been working on the project full time this year but it’s genesis goes back over a decade. Following The Chain, I was due to write another novel for Prowler which was going to the called The Sex Cabaret. Unfortunately Prowler ceased publishing and the book never happened. The Sex Cabaret was a title that never really left me, though the new book shares little in common with the original other than a title and a few themes.

The Sex Cabaret will be published exclusively on Amazon Kindle on 21st September 2012 with other formats to follow.

Saturday 8 September 2012

BEDTIME STORIES/BODY LANGUAGE TRAILER

It's been a busy couple of months again, finishing off the third draft of my new novel, writing a new novella, planning my next book and trying not to panic about the Best Man speech I have to write very soon.  Yikes.

I've just uploaded a combo trailer for my two story collections and thought you might like to check it out.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

REMEMBERING "WORDS MADE FLESH"




First off apologies again for the lack of recent updates. 

While I'm well through the second draft of my new novel The Sex Cabaret, this seems like a good time to say a few words about my first published novel Words Made Flesh. The book was originally published back in November 2000 by the now defunct Virgin imprint Idol but is making a return this year courtesy of Random House and their classic imprint. The ebook is available now and a new paperback is due in November/December



Best-selling novelist Glenn Holden has an appreciation for the rougher side of sex. But when a handsome stranger breaks into his house claiming to be a character from one of Glenn's own thrillers, the author is suddenly thrust into a surreal sexual adventure that goes further than the concoctions of his own dirty mind - a bizarre world full of mysterious men and even wilder sex.
Back cover blurb.


I started developing the book in 1999 as a direct proposal for the Idol range. At the time I had been writing erotic stories for magazines like In Touch, Indulge and Freshmen. When Virgin announced their new Imprint for gay erotic fiction, I jumped on the opportunity to write for them. I put my success in securing a contract down to a combination of good luck and naive self confidence. Words Made Flesh (originally titled Vivid) was commissioned on the strength of a synopsis and the first 15,000 words. When I signed a contract I had only written the first three chapters. I realise now how incredibly lucky I was to secure a deal like that as an "unknown" author. I had something of a name from the magazines and a handful of short story anthologies, but I hadn't written or published anything of significance. Anyone who has tried to find a mainstream publisher for their work in the last few years will know how rare and unlikely those deals are now. Ah, the good old days. Unless you're JK Rowling or Stephen King, it just doesn't happen.

Idol's commissioning editor Kathleen Bryson gave me three months to deliver a completed manuscript. I put my head down and finished the first draft in a blur of activity, writing every spare moment I had. The book was already well plotted from the synopsis so the story was never a problem. I wrote it exactly as planned; producing as many as 5000 words per day. Despite my limited experience, I knew that my first drafts were pretty ugly; so I structured the work to have as much revision time as possible between finishing the first draft and the deadline. Three months to write, redraft and edit a 78000 word novel!

As a result of the deadline, the final version of Words Made Flesh is very rough and unpolished. Looking back I'm not even sure how I managed it. I can't work in that manner these days. To put it in context: I've been working on my new novel for seven months so far and it's still several months away from being finished I guess I was fuelled by youth (I was 26 at the time), excitement and a "can do" attitude. Before Random House stepped in to republish, I had plans to release the ebook myself, giving it a thorough rewrite and including it in one bumper package with the original version as bonus material. But Random House have republished the 2000 version as it stands.

My feelings are divided on Words Made Flesh. Personally I find it too rough and unpolished. When I knew it was coming back I tried to read it again but gave up after a few pages. I guess that's just the writer in me; we never stop wanting to revise and rewrite our work. A bumper ebook containing both a 2012 and 2000 draft would have been a nice compromise but it's out there now as it is. Maybe that's a good thing. It is what it is - a product of it's time - like an embarrassing photograph of the fashions we used to wear. I've got new books and stories to write so maybe I should just let Words Made Flesh be. Get over it, Thom.

For better or worse - it's out there.

BUY NOW AT AMAZON.COM






Thursday 17 May 2012

FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE


It’s been a big day today with the first draft of my new erotic novel complete.  There’s been so much work involved in the last few months, so much more than I ever anticipated in getting to the end of the book.  I’ve been through this process before with two published novels so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise but it was.  The amount of time needed to just sit down and write.  When you have another job and commitments, it seems like some days the world is conspiring against you to prevent you from writing.  But there’s no easy way around it – just need to put your bum in the chair and get the work done.
The fact that it was such an effect to make the time for the book, makes finishing it so satisfying. 
So now what?  What will I do with my time now I no longer have that self imposed daily word count to hit?  The answer is simple, more writing.  The novel needs to be put aside for a short time now so I can gain some distance from it, before I start the process of rewriting and editing.  I’ve always found the mistakes and errors show up more obviously when some time has passed.  I’m putting the novel in my desk drawer for about three to four weeks while I get on with other stuff.  It’s a good opportunity to write a couple of short stories and maybe start making notes towards the next book – I already have great ideas for three more novels so it’s a case of shifting through my note book and deciding what has most potential.

I’ve already chosen the artwork for the new book but it’s too early to begin posting that just yet.  I’m currently aiming for an autumn publication of the e-book – probably November, but that’s not fixed.  It all depends on how well the second draft goes.

In the meantime my very first novel WORDS MADE FLESH is about to be reissued in e-book format by Random House.  A paperback version is due via print on demand later this year.  Check out this link for more information on that project.


 Big news too from my good friend Kevin Killian.  Kevin’s new novel SPREAD EAGLE has just been published in paperback and e-book format.  I’ve only just received a copy so I’m looking forward to some quiet time this weekend with my feet up and Kevin’s new book.  I’ll post a review on here very soon as I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Saturday 14 April 2012

BEYOND HALF WAY


First up - sorry for the lack of updates recently. I'm deep into writing my new novel, pushing to get ahead with my deadline. It's a very exciting time. I'm currently 46,000 words into the first draft, I'm over the half way stage and on track to finish by the end of May. It's going very well, with no major problems so far.  Writing a novel is hard work; staying focused and getting the words onto the page are a priority. There is no secret to doing it other than discipline.   The novel is my main focus right now with every spare moment spent working on the book.  I don't want to jinx the writing process by going on about too much yet, but when the first draft is complete I'll be posting the title and story details right here.

I do have a couple of short stories that I need to do one final proof read of before posting them here on the blog for download. I'm going to try and fit that in this week and post the first story on here in the next couple of weeks.


There has also been an exciting development regarding my first novel Words Made Flesh, originally published way back in 2000 by Idol Books. Idol ceased publishing in the mid 2000's and the book has been out of print since then.  The good news is that the novel is about to be republished by Random House as an ebook and as part of their print on demand range. There is currently a tentative publication date on September 2012. I'll be posting more information about the book nearer the time.  Also in the pipeline for 2013 is a 10th anniversary edition of my novel The Chain.  I have a lot of surprises  and additional material planned for that book.  The publication might still be a year away but the work starts now.

Bedtime Stories and Body Language are continuing to do well on ebook. The response I've received regarding the books has been great and I'm thrilled to hear how readers are enjoying them. Bedtime Stories is currently available on Amazon for the bargain price of 84p.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

BODY LANGUAGE INTERVIEW


Tell us about Body Language

Body Language is my new collection of short stories published exclusively as an e-book.  There are eleven stories in the book which where written over a period of about seven years.  I began putting together the collection last summer when I realised that I had a wealth of material in my files that for one reason or another had not been published before.  Some were written for magazines or anthologies that didn’t happen; others were written for my own pleasure with no real target market in mind.  So I chose my favourites from the archives and put them together in two loosely themed collections: Bedtime Stories and Body Language.

I write the kind of erotica that I want to read.  The literary porn market has changed incredibly over the last ten years; the traditional publishers have disappeared while on-line niche markets have blossomed.  As a reader I have never been wholly satisfied with the trends in porn that have followed.  There is a lot of gay porn now written by female writers where the emphasis is placed heavily on romance rather than sex.  That’s great for some people but erotica romance is really not for me.  Please don’t think I’m having a go at female writers.  Some of the best gay porn I’ve ever read is by a female writer called Dale Chase.  Her recent collection If The Spirit Moves You is absolutely amazing.

In my stories men are men and they fuck like men.  They have big appetites and big libidos.  I also like them to be fully developed characters with physical and emotional flaws and imperfections.  The kind of porn I like to read (and watch for that matter) features real men having hot, passionate sex, and that’s what you get in Body Language.



When and why did you first start writing erotica?


I must have been around 14 when I used to write stories in my note books at school. While they weren’t strictly erotica, there was always a strong sexual content. I had my first erotic story published in 1994, in a magazine called Overload. The story was called Love Hurts. I had been reading a lot of short stories in magazines and thought I could do better. Of course I couldn’t, that first story was terrible, but it was a beginning. From there I began to take it more seriously as a genre and to improve.

I can’t really explain why I write erotica or what drew me to it as a genre. I have tried to leave it behind and concentrate on other kinds of writing, but I always come back to porn. I think it’s just instinctive. I don’t even question it anymore.


Do you have any other jobs as well as writing?
I do have a day job in the Criminal Justice System. This maybe answers the previous question. The day job is very intense and stressful, dealing with difficult people and situations, so my writing is probably a way of escaping all that, into a more ideal fantasy world.
How do you enjoy reading erotica? Are you a paperback, ebook or audio book lover?
I like paperbacks and e-books. Like a lot of people I’m new to e-books and e-readers. I wasn’t sure I would really take to the format but I absolutely love my Kindle. I actually read more on the device than I ever did before. It’s so easy to use, to buy new titles, to get hold of books that have long since gone out of print. It’s brilliant.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement to date?
I’ve had two traditional novels published and two e-book collections of my short fiction. For any writer, getting your work into print is a wonderful achievement. To have people read it and tell you how much they enjoy it makes the lonely hours worthwhile.
What would you like to have achieved in 5 years time? What are you doing to help you achieve it?
I hope to still be writing and doing what I love. I aim to publish more erotica as well as fiction in other genres, particularly horror. In order to achieve this I’ve set myself some very strict deadlines and goals for this year. Books don’t write themselves, it’s all about sitting your arse on that chair and doing the work. I’ve set myself a daily writing target, of 3 pages every night and 14 pages over the weekend.

I’m writing an erotic novel right now and have set myself a deadline of 1st May to complete the first draft. Then I’ll have a couple of months to rewrite and revise, before deciding how best to proceed with the finished book. I haven’t quiet decided whether to search for a traditional publisher, or whether to go it alone with a self published e-book. Both have their pros and cons, so right now I’m concentrating on writing the book and will worry about that later. Either way I intend to have the book finished and delivered by the end of August.
September is holiday time, after all that work I’ll need it, and then from 1st October I’ll start work on my next book – a horror novel, with a target to complete the first draft in 5 months.
I need planning and goals to achieve the things I want.

If you could have a fantasy dream date who would it be with and what would you do together?
That’s a really hard question. Most of my fantasies make it into my stories in one way or another. I don’t really dream about celebrities, I’m more interested in the guys I see on the street, or at the gym, or the supermarket.

My dream date is pretty boring, it would involve a good meal, probably Italian, lots of good wine, good conversation, plenty of laughs and great sex.



What keeps you awake at night?
This sounds a bit depressing but it’s the decline of society and morality. The people I work with in my day job cause a lot of despair. As the third and fourth generation of families who have never worked and live on state benefits, their attitudes are completely entrenched. State hands outs are their right and if they can’t afford something they want, then it’s perfectly acceptable, in their opinion, to steal it. If they are challenged about their behaviour or attitudes they retaliate with anger, verbal abuse and violence. Last year my office was burned down because someone didn’t like being challenged over their behaviour (they had been making threatening phone calls to staff). It’s a scary world out there.
In what television show would you most like to be a cast member? Why?

It would have to be something exciting and fantastical. Something like Torchwood. I would love to be a character in a James Bond movie; that would be my ideal. Or a in an old Hammer Horror film, one of the 70s classics like Vampire Circus or Lust for a Vampire.

Who is your favourite celebrity? Why?

I’ve been a fan of Kylie Minogue since she first appeared in 1987. Initially I was a fan of her music but over time I’ve come to admire her strength and attitude. Her willingness to break away and experiment in the 1990s, her return to pop success in the 2000s and her triumph over illness. I’ve been inspired many times throughout my own career by her music, videos, concerts and imagery. I find her more recent output less interesting that what she has done before, but I am still a massive fan.

Sunday 29 January 2012

BODY LANGUAGE - NEW E-BOOK AVAILABLE NOW



The second collection of erotic fiction from the author of Bedtime Stories, Words Made Flesh and The Chain.

In “The New Puppy” two older tops get to know Dave’s insatiable new boyfriend Chad. Married business man Tony meets Lucas at the exclusive Regent Hotel for a night of executive relief in “The Night Porter”. Two strangers find warmth together one cold October night in “The Boy at The Farm”.

Leather men, wandering husbands, eternally youthful vampire twinks and romantic lovers are among the men vividly conjured up in the eleven stories that comprise Thom Wolf’s Body Language.

Avaialble now from:

http://www.amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.com

Friday 20 January 2012

BODY LANGUAGE - ONE WEEK TO GO

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with two main priorities:

- the publication of Body Language
- writing my new novel.

The manuscript for Body Language is all set to go. The final step in formatting the book was to transfer the digital edition onto my Kindle to check that everything looked the way it should and that there had been no formatting errors in the transition from Word document to e-book.

The results look fantastic and I’m very happy with the finished e-book. The ten stories that form the main body of the book vary in style and tone taking in themes of adultery, submission, vampirism, afternoon liaisons and long term affairs. It’s a pacy, sexually charged collection and I can’t wait for people to start reading it.

The book will go live on Amazon on Friday 27th January. Next week, to coincide with the books release, I’ll be posting a brand new story right here on this blog. Killing Time is not included in the book and will be available to download as an exclusive PDF e-book.

Work on my new novel is underway. Despite all the other distractions I’ve had since New Year I’ve been very strict about hitting my daily target of a minimum of three pages per day throughout the week, six to nine pages on Friday. While that might not seem like a lot to some other writers, it’s a steady progression for me and after just two weeks forty pages have been completed. Not bad going. With a bit of stamina and determination I’m aiming to finish the first draft around April or May.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

NEW YEAR, NEW BOOKS, NEW POST

Firstly – very happy new year to one and all. I hope this year brings everyone the cheer and success they are searching for.

As you can see from the flier above, my new book Body Language is almost set for release, with the handsome young cover boy from Bedtime Stories making a return appearance. I’ll be posting further details about the new collection over the coming days. The book is in the very final stages of formatting and due for a release on all digital formats on Friday 27th January. Writing a novel requires a far greater degree of discipline and planning. I know there are still a lot of writers who like to the find their novel in the writing process, not really knowing where it is going or how it will end when they begin. I’m not one of them. Before I start writing a lengthy peace like a novel, I need to have a detailed synopsis (around five or six pages) written in advance, together with a full character list and notes for all of the major characters. I like to think of it as setting out on a journey with a map. I might change my route along the way, but I know in advance where I am going and roughly how I am going to get there. If I need to do any research then it becomes apparent at this stage and I factor it into my pre-work.

I’m rather old fashioned in the way I write these days. I like to do my first draft in long hand in a hardback note book, sitting at the kitchen table with some music playing. I’ll write for about an hour, or however long it takes to until I’ve written three pages then take a short break, before sitting back down to write another three pages. Once I’ve written my daily target of six pages, I start to type up my hand written draft, revising the text as I go. A lot of writers would argue that it’s quicker to type the first draft directly into a word processing programme but for me, the writing is in the pen and paper draft; that’s when I get time to think and really get into the scene.

We all have our own routines and methods of getting the work done.

Thom X