https://interracialerotica.net/erotica en-us N/A blueartllc@gmail.com Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:29:51 CDT 20 Tracy Ames false false yes https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/540/A-Picture-Is-Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Contest.html Good evening folks!

Back to school is just around the corner so, obviously, everyone is watching their pennies. I thought it would be fun to run a contest but instead of going to traditional “Here’s a free copy of my book” route, I’ve decided to offer a $50.00 American Express Gift Card to the winner. It’s not much but every cent counts, right? It’ll put a bit of gas in your tank if nothing else.


Wanna play? Here goes:
Write a story of any length and topic using the picture below as your inspiration. The stories will be post on the site for votes…the story with the most votes wins. Simple. You’re invited to have your friends and family vote. If you or someone you know has a blog then I suggest gathering support.

If I feel there’s a bright star or a diamond in the rough without sufficient votes then I’ll take care of that person as well. I’m all about encouraging artists! Some people don’t have gaggles of family and friends but that doesn’t mean they lack talent. Don’t hate…put your backs into it and create some magic.

If you have any questions along the way regarding your storyline or need online writing resources, please let me know.


Who can enter?
Besides Super-Mega™ published authors, anyone can enter. Hey, is it fair to put you guys against the newbies? Nope!

The contest begins Monday August 16th and ends August 31st. The winner will be announced September 1st and the prize will be mailed once the winner’s address is confirmed.
 

How to enter?
Email me at Authortracyames@gmail.com. You can enter anonymously if you like.


Here's the link the Contest Page just in case you need it.


Good luck and happy writing!
 




]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/540/A-Picture-Is-Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Contest.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/539/Checkout-My-Novel-Sisterhood-Interview.html Hey folks! Please checkout my interview with Novel Sisterhood. I'll be answering questions and responding to comments throughout the day. Cheers!

**UPDATE**
Thanks for your support. Please feel free to ask anything you'd like. I have a conference call so I'll be in and out for the rest of the evening. 




]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/539/Checkout-My-Novel-Sisterhood-Interview.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/538/Work-Work-Work-The-Reason-I-Bleed.html Artist reading this post will sympathize, while the rest of you will give me credit simply to shut me up. 

I’m a method writer. I pour my feelings, blood, sweat and tears into my work. I sit with the characters, get into their heads, experience their pain and sorrow…in short, I bleed. This is fine during happy times but it’s the darker more serious bits that drive me up the wall. I get this tightening of the belly thing going and it sucks!

So I skirt around the areas of unpleasantness until I finally work up the nerve to address them. For anyone who has read “Make Her Want It”, you know which scene(s) I’m talking about. I’m tearfully beating my characters like a piñata, sending their guts spilling to the ground for my readers to partake. Only then can I piece their lifeless misshapen bodies back together, better than before. It’s emotional, it’s gut wrenching, it’s numbing. It sucks!

Talking to fellow authors who aren’t method writers, I hear the same thing, “Oh, be happy you can dig that deep. The readers can feel what the characters are feeling.” To this I say, “Shut up!” and see picture below...:)

It’s true, the emotions of the characters and scenes are made more powerful because we can conjure these feelings and lay them on paper. However, we’re left open like a festering wound….crumpled on the floor heaving for air, our beating hearts resting bloodily in our outstretched hands to the applause and jeers of our fans and critics.

This is what method artist go through. It’s not always pretty…it’s damn near unattractive. Once we commit to the scene/song/character, we go all the way. Hell, Heath Ledger ended up taking anti-depressants while reading the script for the Joker...mind you they hadn’t even begun shooting! Hello, what part of this screams healthy?!

Moving on…

I’ve reached that pivotal point in “Wicked”. All of the words and scenes are in my head crying to be put on page. There’s no skirting around it, I have to muster the strength to do it. Actually, “Wicked” has about four different ending because I haven’t decided which one to use.

Other notable method artists, just to name a few, are:
Anthony Hopkins
Christina Aguilera
Jeff Goldblum
Alice Walker
Jane Austen
Ray Fiennes
Matt Damon
Spalding Gray
Laurence Fishburne
Sarah Vaughan
Ann Rice
Patti Labelle

I remember reading a few years ago that Patti Labelle dreads singing “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” because, emotionally, it takes so much out of her. Leading up to the song, she feels sick. I completely understand what she means but we power through it and count ourselves blessed to have loyal fans/friends. Still, we bleed! :)

Anyway, I have three manuscripts, three short stories, and two novellas staring back at me. I’d better get to work. Chat soon....


I could SO see Jane Austen flipping the bird!








]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/538/Work-Work-Work-The-Reason-I-Bleed.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/537/Convoluted-Career-Ending-Mess-.html “What do you do when you’re genuinely attracted to your sub?”


This was the question posed by a fellow Dom. Okay, a bit of back story before I launch into my reply.


The Dom in question, we’ll call him Ned, has been in the profession for twenty plus year. He’s strikingly handsome (bloody HOT!), well read, and unforgivably single with a thing for Sisters. Second to Bren, Ned is one of the most professional and talented pure Kink Doms I’ve met which is why I was taken aback when he asked me this question.


The first thing I thought was ‘Oh hell no! Not good! Abort!!’ This is a huge no-no unless you’re in a steady relationship with your sub. The balance of power is thrown off—mistakes can be made—feelings can be hurt—precious gear could go unused! Of course he knows all of this so I didn’t bother pointing it out. It’s plain to see that he’s really hurting. No BS, he was/is in a bad place.


He and the sub, we’ll call her Jill, met through our network of pro Kinksters. Jill sent him an introductory email and he halfheartedly replied because his work schedule was quite full. Over a three month period he felt her out and decided to do a face-to-face meeting. Yes, it does take us months to weed out the weirdos. Like I’ve said, pure Kink isn’t about hooking up and having sex; there’s loads of gray mushiness to consider.


Anyway, they met, he was pleasantly surprised, and he made her an offer to be his sub…though he wouldn’t collar her for some time. No problem, she said. Things are going great between them…better than either expected. Perfect, right?


Wrong. He’s begun having feelings for her. Strong feelings. Like ‘I wouldn’t mind having a real relationship with you’ kind of feelings. Trouble is she has no idea he feels this way and goes about her life blind to his yearnings…which makes his Dom rise…which makes her more submissive…which makes him love her more…which makes her eager to please him…which makes him appreciate her efforts…which makes her smile…which melts his heart.


Do you see the cycle? Not good.


As Dominants, we’re trained to stay somewhat detached emotionally from our subs because ultimately we’re responsible for their safety and emotional well-being. As Dominants, we adhere to our subs hard and fast breakpoints while pushing their limits. We’re expected to feel without feeling; to care without caring. We’re expected to balance it all while minding the lines we Do Not cross. This is especially true when the sub isn’t our spouse/lover*. It’s not easy because we have to be tuned into our subs needs in scene and out. This is why I sneer when people make degrading comments about Doms. They don’t have a clue as to the pressure we’re under!


Moving on.


Its one thing to write about a Dom and sub crossing the line but in real life where there are feelings and reputations involved it’s more complex. This is where Ned finds himself. He knows better than anyone the power subs have over Doms. One small look from them can give us goose bumps. He’s long past goose bumps for this one folks.


What’s my advice? First, he needs to distance himself from her and sort out his own feelings…and understand that his choice could negatively impact his reputation. If there’s the slightest chance his affection won’t be reciprocated he might wanna spike it and move on. Second, he needs to have an open and honest talk with her. If she feels the same for him then fine…if not, then he’s buried himself and he’ll have to deal with the consequences. Trust me, the consequences aren’t going to be pretty.


I don't mean to sound like I'm hating. I'm not. Here's the thing: Submission is a desire for someone else to take charge. They, the subs, have confidence in our ability to not only provide them a safe enivornment where they can surrender into that altered state called subspace but also to bring them back to real life unharmed and better than before. Therein, Doms have a heavy cross to bear. We have to be present at all times. Anything that hinders us from thinking clearly (crushes) have to be done away with or at least sorted out. Control is the key word here. Control at all times.


Knowing Ned and his method of training, Jill is head over heels for him. He’s an amazing man and whatever happens I wish them the best.



* Spouse/lover to sub = Good old sexiness
  sub to Spouse/lover = Convoluted career ending mess with a thousand invisible strings attached. Tread carefully.
 



]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/537/Convoluted-Career-Ending-Mess-.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/536/Greetings-From-Iowa.html Yep, we’re still in Iowa on Greg’s family farm which stretches some 2,200 acres. It’s not so bad, really. It’s not like our house in Greenwich is located in the city.


Eva returned to CT the other day and should be arriving in Switzerland next week to begin her summer session. BC has taken a shying to one particular cow and is hell bent on bringing him home with us. No! I’ll string Greg up a tree if that cow even looks like it wants to step one hoof on the plane!


Speaking of Greg, I’m not sure if I mentioned this in the past but Greg received his pilots’ license at the age of fifteen because his grandfather needed someone to dust the crops but didn’t trust their hired hands. The reason I bring this up is because Greg has gotten his bloomers in a bunch and now wants to take to the skies. No way! I’ve seen him fly—he knows what he’s doing but I’ll be damned if I’m getting on-board. John John Kennedy ring a bell?! Hell, I barely fly with Shawn and he’s a career commercial pilot.


Momma Ames is doing much better. She’s upward mobile but still not 100% herself. BC is working on that. He’s also working on getting himself lost in the corn fields every evening. *smh*


Me? I’m good. I’ve working on two manuscripts and I’ve been invited to do a collaboration novel with another writer. I can’t go into detail about the novel until everything is hammered out. I was approached by a publisher who wants to purchase “Answering His Call”. I’ve decided not to sell. The story will continue on the site.


I’m glad you all enjoyed “Hers For The Taking”. AJ goated me into writing it but I’m glad I did. I was a little worried that you guys would think I’d gone off the deep end. Ha! Now I want to see what AJ comes up with. I challenged him to write a story from the lesbian perspective….and combine romance and sensuality…no Kink (which is his fallback). Oh this should be good!

I'd like to thank all of the artist who've submitted their photos for use. You guys are truly talented and I look forward to displaying your work. Seriously, great stuff! I'm extremely gratefully to have you all on hand. Keep it coming. Cheers!


That’s all for now. More to come later….






]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/536/Greetings-From-Iowa.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/535/Hers-For-The-Taking-a-New-Short-Read-is-Now-Available.html Hey guys!

I’ve posted a new short read entitled “Hers For The Taking”. This story came about after a chat with a friend (male) who challenged me to write a piece from the males perspective. I hope you enjoy…please let me know what you think. Cheers!



]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/535/Hers-For-The-Taking-a-New-Short-Read-is-Now-Available.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/534/Thanks.html Thank-you for all of the kind words on Part I of my Waterfall series.  Part II is now available.

Best,
Michelle




]]> no@spam.com (Michelle Jefferson) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/534/Thanks.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/533/Answering-His-Call-is-Now-Available.html I’ve posted a new story entitled “Answering His Call”. A couple of months ago I received a reader request for a slightly kinky story with a dash of romance and plenty of dirty talk... meant purely for escapism. I sat the story aside because my publication schedule as been extremely tight but the other day I received a photo from one on the photographers I use. For some reason his photo captured my imagination.


Actually, the story was completed in less than two hours however I’ve been so exhausted I keep falling asleep before I could edit the damn thing. I still have to go back over it again. Anyway, it’s available and I hope you enjoy but steer clear if ‘whore’ or ‘slut’ or spankings aren’t your thing.


BTW, I love getting vague story ideas…especially the ones like “Write me a story around this flower.” WTF does that mean!? You don’t have to spell it out for me but PLEASE, for the love of hair grease, at least give me the emotion you want to evoke. Love y'all!




]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/533/Answering-His-Call-is-Now-Available.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/532/An-After-Thought.html I thought about my emo post yesterday. Maybe perhaps it wasn’t a good idea after all. What if, by talking about my loss and subsequent meltdown, I inadvertently triggered painful memories for my readers? What if they didn’t have the support system I have and they’re all alone mere seconds away from self-harm?


Dude! That sucks! Sorry if I upset anyone. I didn’t mean to trudge up events you’d suppressed. Maybe I should think before I post, lol! If anyone needs to chat offline, you know how to reach me.


Cheers




]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/532/An-After-Thought.html https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/531/Pure-Emo.html For the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling unappreciated. It seemed that no matter what I did it wasn’t good enough, clever enough, or recognized and it doesn’t help that I’m really missing Brendan. At times such as these my rational Buddhist “life isn’t without suffering” thought process kicks in and I’m feeling better in no time. However, today I couldn’t bring myself around. I literally fell apart.


We’re still in Iowa tending to Momma Ames—which is a blog post unto itself. Anyway, the family left me behind to check emails while they ran errands. I've decided to delete my Yahoo account which means hours of weeding through thousands of unread emails. I came across one from Sonya, my girlfriend who committed suicide, BC’s aunt.


I’ll spare you the entire content of the email but I will share the last lines. “Right now life is bigger than I am. It’s too big…I don’t have space to put all of my hurt and disappointment. Tee, I’m sad.”


I lost it; absolutely, completely, utterly lost it. I’m talking about chest heaving, ugly face crying. Her words were hers yet they're exactly how I’ve been feeling the past two weeks. I know, I’m crazy blessed, there are people doing far worse than I am. Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn’t. If anything it pisses me off. It’s like someone say, “Hey, look on the bright side. At least you’re not died.”


Once the blubbering tears subsided, I wiped my snot, curled up in bed with Momma Ames and held on to her for dear life. Funny, we’re going through the same thing. We didn’t try to cheer each other up or offer words of comfort…we just cried and talk about what was bothering us. To be honest, we both feel a little better.


Bottom line: I miss Brendan dearly. He’s passing took a large chunk out of me and it hasn’t been easy. I find myself needing to ask him questions no one else, not even Greg, can answer but he’s not here. And I realize my feelings of inadequacy and being unappreciated stem from this loss as well as me giving too much of myself to those who are undeserving…I call them vampires because they suck the life out of you and give nothing in return, not even a nod or a pitiful thank you.


So, how do we go forward? Where’s the happy ending? I wish I knew. There isn’t a quick fix. Time will lessen my feelings of loss, though, I wish I could grieve all at once so I can move on but I can’t. The loss hits me when I least expect it—completely out of the blue at the most importune moments. It’ll never go away but if handled properly the impact won’t be so devastating. As for the vampires, they’re in for a rude awakening. I can’t continue to put myself out there for people who don’t appreciate my time and energy.


I spoke with Greg about my meltdown and he’s come to the conclusion that I have to die first because he can’t imagine how I’d cope if he died. He’s probably right!...:)



]]> no@spam.com (Tracy Ames) https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/blogs/531/Pure-Emo.html