Archive for March, 2009

Oh, my word!

I just got the artwork for the cover for Notturno. 8-O  It’s mind-boggling and beautiful, but also completely not worksafe. I went ahead and posted it under the “Find It Here” section on the Blog page of my website, and since this post will hopefully be transmitted to my other blogs, I will include the link, here.  Dang. It’s so gorgeous. Here’s a snippet of the book to go with it: 

“Caro,” he heard a voice say behind him. He was looking at the light panel on the elevator, watching the floor buttons fire up in a chaotic, random way that reminded him of science fiction movies from the ’50s. He jerked forward to step off the elevator again but was prevented by the hand holding his arm. He felt the whisper of Donte’s breath against his ear.

“I’ve called you and called you, yet you only just now come to me. Stubborn.

“What do you want?” asked Adin, refusing to turn.

“Only that which belongs to me.”

“And what would that be?”

“What do you think, Adin? Of course I want my journal back. And yet…I wonder if you recall how completely you gave yourself to me.” Donte’s sigh lifted the hair on Adin’s nape. “Perhaps I would like that back as well.”

Adin watched the blinking elevator lights and concentrated on thinking clearly. He kept his voice even. “Does this kind of thing work for you?”

“What kind of thing?” Donte stiffened.

“This whole, I am Donte.” Adin affected the accent, giving it a little more Bela Lugosi than was really, strictly necessary. “Come to me, caro, and your blood will sing in the moonlight.

“Now, I know I have never said that.” Donte put a hand on Adin’s shoulder.

“It’s only a matter of time, I’m sure.”

“I fear it loses a little of the oompah if you are not looking at my face.”

Adin snorted. “I gathered.”

“Turn around, caro,” Donte ordered.

“Nope. When I look you in the eye, things happen inside my head that I don’t necessarily like.”

“I promise I won’t use mind tricks on you right now.” Donte tugged at him. “I am a man of my word, if nothing else.”

“I can tell when it’s happening; it’s no use anyway.” Adin turned.

“You would be foolish to assume that in the future. Just because you can tell it’s happening doesn’t mean you can stop it.”

“What is it, anyway?” asked Adin. The lights on the panel had stopped blinking maniacally, but the elevator moved at an impossibly slow speed, giving the impression they were hovering, floating in the glass-enclosed space.

“What? Oh, I don’t know, a kind of hypnosis, maybe, a push of thought that takes root in someone’s mind because they are weaker.” Donte leaned against the steel railing that surrounded them like a skeleton inside the glass car.

“I see.”

“You don’t like to think of yourself as weaker. I understand, but Adin, you cannot hope to prevail against me as you are.”

“You can’t have the journal; I bought it with proper provenance, but you may try, if you like, to dispute it in a court of law.”

“Yes, well. That presents a problem, though, doesn’t it?”

“Do you really expect me to believe the impression you have been constructing? The biting, the mind control, the Vlad the Impaler accent.”

“Vlad— I’m Italian.”

“Do you expect me to believe that you are…? I can’t even say it.” Adin raised his brows. “The undead. A creature of the night. The prince of darkness.”

Donte pursed his lips. “I believe that was Satan.”

“Yes. Well. Do you?”

Donte’s eyes met his, and he was relieved to feel only an attraction, not a confused jumble of painful desire and fear. “I don’t care whether you believe it. Your belief doesn’t alter the facts. The journal is mine; I drew it. I illustrated it. I lived it. It belongs to me, and I want it back.”

“You will have a hard time proving that in court.”

Donte looked out over the city skyline. “Did you ever hear the story about the brothers who were camping in the woods when a bear crashed into their campsite, enraged, and began to chase them? The first brother says, ‘I must outrun the bear,’ and the second says, ‘I don’t have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you.’” He shook his head. “You know I cannot take this to a court of law, caro.”

Adin looked out at the city and the darkness beyond it. “Fair warning?”

“Yes.”

“I like you a lot better without the glamour, you know? Whatever causes it.”

Donte’s teeth shone even and white as he smiled, and Adin wondered about that, Renaissance dentistry being what it must have been. Looking at Donte, he wondered about a lot of things. His most immediate question, which he framed with a smile of his own, crowded out all those other thoughts.

“So, how long do we have the elevator for?”

Donte’s bark of laughter caught them both by surprise. “Caro, you imp. This is almost as unseemly as that airplane bathroom. There are cameras…”

“Then in the morning we can Google ‘gay elevator sex video’ and see if we get a hit on ourselves.” Adin approached Donte, which seemed to be the last thing he expected, and touched their lips together lightly. “I find I very much like tight spaces if they have you in them.”

“This is a glass elevator,” Donte countered, kissing him back hungrily. “I think you should know that whatever you have planned needs to be accomplished before we reach the tenth floor or everyone in the lobby court will be witness to our passion and subsequent arrest for indecent exposure and lewd conduct…”

Adin snorted. “I think you might be that quick off the mark, at your age, but—”

“Invite me to your room,” whispered Donte.

Adin froze. “Ah, yes, well.” He backed up, regret in his eyes. “Sorry. I can’t do that.”

“Superstitious? I could make you do it.”

“Actually, I don’t believe you could.” This seemed as good a time as any to test it. If Donte could get Adin to do anything he wanted, then the game was over before it began anyway. He felt a tremendous wave of emotion wash over him, deep fear, which crawled over his spine like a vine. It was an interesting sensation, but because he expected it, he found he could remain distant from it, acknowledging it and exploring it without letting it touch him. Adin searched the fear, probing it like a sore tooth. At its core, he felt a desire to reach out to Donte for protection.

Donte watched him curiously.

“Hey, nice,” said Adin. “If you could make people think they’d eaten you’d be a remarkable diet aid.”

“I am the very apex of the food chain on this planet, Adin. Try to have a little respect.” Donte’s mouth quirked, the beginnings of a smile forming on his luscious lips.

“Nevertheless, it isn’t going to work on me now that I can feel it coming.” Adin smoothed a hand over Donte’s jacket and tie. Adin’s own tie, which Donte took from him on the airplane. “The color suits you,” he remarked with asperity. “Trophy tie?”

“You spent on my tie, Adin. I’m having it cleaned.”

“Ah.” There didn’t seem to be much more to say. Adin looked back at the numbers.

“Well. This is awkward,” said Donte.

“Give me a minute. I’m warming up to asking you out for dinner.”

“Really?”

Adin looked up at Donte, “Yes.” Donte’s perfect mouth formed in a small O of surprise.

“If I go with you, does that qualify as takeout for me, I wonder.”

Adin laughed again.

“You seem remarkably calm in the face of what could a very short, very frightening night on the town, do you realize this?”

“Yes, I realize. You could probably kill me, then rent my room, then get your manuscript back. But you haven’t, yet. Instead you’ve turned on your enormous personal charm and turned off your mojo, so I have to figure I stand a chance, at least, to greet the dawn alive.”

“You think my personal charm is enormous, do you, Adin?” asked Donte, leaning in.

“As if you didn’t know you are every month in my Undead Playmate Calendar.”

“I like you, Adin,” said Donte warmly, and the elevator moved again.



 

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 31st

Uncategorized

Contest Winner

zam_drawntogether_coverlg11Hi everybody and happy Sunday.  As another week opens its jaws to swallow us whole (I hate Mondays) I wanted to update you on a few things.  

First, and most important, I drew Yamane’s surname out of my attractive hat, and it was Richards, submitted by the lovely and talented, K’s friend K, who thought Richard just the kind of a name someone like Yamane’s dad might have.  If I ever write in future about Yamane’s father then his last name will be Richards.  

Thanks to everyone who participated and sent in names from the ridiculous to the sublime, 8-O  I’m grateful to you all.  

Next, I’m halfway through The Family Unit, and I’m still kicking myself for including a kid.  Geez.  It’s difficult to write kids because mine have these mood swings; sometimes they’re brainiacs and sometimes they’re little savages.  It’s hard to write normal children if you’ve never lived with one.

I’m sure that Spring Break (week after next) will either cure me or kill me.  

I have gotten word that pretty soon I’ll have some cover art to share, this time for the book Notturno from MLR Press. May I say that it’s a seriously beautiful cover, quite a bit hotter than anything I’ve ever had, and that it’s possible I’ll have to hide it behind a Not Safe For Work cut on LiveJournal?   

Finally, Physical Therapy should be available in early May, ePistols at Dawn is scheduled for early July, Notturno’s release date is still being discussed.  Thanks for stopping by.

~ZAM~

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 29th

Uncategorized

Drawn Together Name Contest

zam_drawntogether_coverlg10I mentioned in a previous post here, and on my LiveJournal that I’m having a contest to find the surname of Yamane’s father from the book Drawn Together.  I admit that this is unorthodox as the book has been written. I really didn’t need to know the surname of Yamane’s American father because he never married Yamane’s mother. But when fans wrote to ask because it was mentioned, I thought it might be fun to give him a name of some sort, preferably one that fits his knickerbocker ancestry and present state of wealth. Something that says I care more about money than my offspring.  ;-)  

It’s pretty clear that Yamane comes by his sense of superiority naturally, he isn’t lacking in either an air of deposed royalty or a solid sense of entitlement.  On the other hand, Yamane’s earned his money by working hard for it, and his eccentricity is part of the total artistic package. 

So far I have been given the names Morris, Buchanan, Rupkin, and Richard.  So if any more names are out there and you think they might work, please don’t hesitate to comment here.  

The Winner will receive a copy of the eBook Physical Therapy from me as soon as it comes out from Loose Id (May 7th) and I’ll be choosing and announcing the winning name on Sunday, March 29th. (Out of an attractive hat, as always.)

In other news, I am working on edits of three different novels right now, I have one work in progress, and I’m trying to come up with two novellas for July.

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 24th

Uncategorized

Drawn Together

zam_drawntogether_coverlg9It’s always a little intimidating putting out a new book, and in fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sanguine about my books when they’re released.  I worry whether people will like them, whether they’ll get what I’m trying to say. I worry that I’ve gotten all the little details right. 

Drawn Together seems to be reaching people exactly the way I intended, based on reviews which is a big relief. This isn’t a book that’s going to inform your belief system or change your consciousness.  This is an excuse to get two perfectly adorable, (I thought, anyway) guys together in a car on a road trip so they can banter with each other and  complete strangers and mess around a lot. That said, it’s nice to see that people like it!  

I’ve had three new reviews, This one, from Kris on Jessewave ’s blog you can read here. She sums up with:

My recommendation~    

This will be an auto buy for fans of Z A Maxfield. For those unfamiliar with her, Drawn Together is an enjoyable, solid gateway drug book to this author’s work. :)
Sharrow, from Rain on the Roof says:
The characters were sweet and I liked Yamane immensely, it was the hair that did it and I kept thinking of Ayano Yamane when I read his name (I just adore her). Yamane was so honest and at ease with himself and physically he was terribly appealing. Rory was a very solid character and a good foil for Yamane. A total hero in a plaid shirt. 
You can read the rest of Sharrow’s thoughts here.
And finally, Kassa at Rainbow Reveiws gives it 4 out of 5 stars and says this:
If you’re looking for a romantic comedy from a great author, you’ll no doubt enjoy this book.
You can read the rest of Kassa’s review here.
Thanks to everyone who is taking this book into your TBR piles and its characters into your hearts.
~ZAM~
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Z.A. Maxfield

March 23rd

Uncategorized

Unofficial Super Secret Contest

zam_drawntogether_coverlg8In the book Drawn Together, there was an Easter egg. That’s right, a super special secret thing that only I knew about that I turned into a contest for the inquisitive reader who would be the first person to write and ask me about it. It’s all about watching Dr. Who for me, and if anyone saw the Blink episode, my very favorite episode of Dr. Who so far, the one with the super-creepy stone angels that… well I digress.

I never, ever said in the novel Drawn Together what Rory’s first name is. He mentions that Rory is only a nickname, and when Yamane asks him what his real name is, he says, “Aren’t you just perishing with curiosity?”  Later when Yamane asks Rory’s grandmother, Rory gives her a look and changes the subject. And I was thinking I’ll bet someone is going to write me and ask me exactly what his name was.

So far, only one person has, and that is SCSPaine from the comments on the original Drawn Together post on this website! Congratulations Stephanie, you won my Super Secret, Unofficial Contest and a copy of Physical Therapy when it comes out in early May!  

Now for details on the Super Secret Official contest that I’m launching today. I also didn’t mention Yamane’s father’s name. Frankly, he didn’t come with one, although Yamane says he deliberately changed to his mother’s name when he moved to Japan. So I’m looking for the best name for Yamane’s dad, and I’m going to let my readers choose it in an LJ poll. Please comment leaving me what you think Yamane’s father’s name should be. Yamane was virtually ignored by his dad, who didn’t value Yamane’s mother except for her beauty and never married her. He’s a monied New Yorker, and Yamane has virtually no contact with him anymore. Not a warm or fuzzy guy. The prize will be a copy of Physical Therapy when it comes out or any of my other books, name it and claim it.

Anyway, congrats to Stephanie for winning a copy of Physical Therapy when it comes out, and thanks for being a fabulous group of interested readers! 

~ZAM~

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 19th

Uncategorized

New Review for Drawn Together

zam_drawntogether_coverlg6I got a lovely review for Drawn Together today too!  Virgin Nymph from the Literary Nymphs gave me Five Nymphs for this one, and she had this to say:

This story had my attention from the first paragraph. I loved the way Ms. Maxfield drew a picture of two people from totally different backgrounds coming together to fall in love.

(I still wonder if people haven’t simply fallen in love with P.L. Nunn’s wonderful cover and therefore they just drool through the book.)

Thank you Nymphs for your kind words, I’m so grateful to see that people seem to be enjoying this! You can read the full review here, and purchase the book HERE.

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 18th

Uncategorized

Terrific Review for St. Nachos

zm_stnachos_coverfr

I just found out from Ethan Day, author of Self-Preservation*, that I got a new review of St. Nacho’s from Joyfully Reviewed. Sabella gave it Joyfully Recommended status and had this to say:

Cooper is a wonderful narrator and Z.A. Maxfield makes him a powerful and emotional voice that is not to be missed!  Get yourself St. Nacho’s the next time you are in the mood for sensual and emotional story with great secondary characters, plot and the miracle of finding unlikely love – you will not be disappointed!    

You can read the full review here, and buy St. Nacho’s HERE, at Loose Id.


jr-rr-2

*And you can purchase Self-Preservation, also a Joyfully recommended read, HERE psst, I’m reading SP right now, and it’s very funny.  

**I just finished this book, Self-Preservation. I’m an Ethanite… Just thought I’d mention.  This book is adorable.

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 18th

Uncategorized

Yo Ho Ho

zam_drawntogether_coverlg5Aaaaaargh. A word about filesharing. Sorry to have to say this. Really. Sorrier than you can know.

I need to say a little something about ePiracy. That is when a file of my novels is uploaded somewhere where it can be downloaded for free by anyone. That’s not legal.

Is it going to bother me if your mom wants to read your books, or you love it and want to share it with your sister or your best friend? Of course not. I don’t share the intellectual property of my friends without 1) their consent, or 2) paying for the privilege, but I give paperback books away routinely to charities and loan books. But after I’ve done that, one other person will have it and I will not have it anymore. See the difference?

I’m not an ogre. But am I going to try to stop someone from making my book available for free to thousands of people, some of whom might have actually purchased it? Yes. I am. Because that’s not cricket. That’s taking a good thing way too far, and makes it hard for me to make a living at writing.

I love my fans. I love people who want to read the books I write, and I want to reach as many as possible, but I also want to put my kids through college, and hope someday to live off money I’ve earned, not money that the taxpayer has to fork over because I don’t have any.

It’s simple courtesy, and I expect it. I respectfully request that people pay me for my work.

Thanks a bunch, Love you, Mwah!

~ZAM~

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 18th

Uncategorized

Time To Wear Some Green

sexystpatricksI am Irish.  No doubt about it.  Not by inclination alone, I hunted down my birth parents and lo and behold… Irish.  Which explains A LOT.  Not that it needed explaining exactly.  

I’m torn on St. Patrick’s day because I’m adopted, the biological product of one group of people, the indoctrinated product of another, and to top it all off, kind of an eclectic and frivolous individual.  

I want to roast my potatoes with olive oil, rosemary, and whole cloves of garlic, saute my bok choy with sesame oil, and make my corned beef into Rueben sandwiches. Pass the Russian dressing, the jewish rye, the swiss cheese, and the sauerkraut please. I don’t drink beer anymore, but if I did it would have to be Guinness, not because I like the taste, but because anything else is just a beer. I use it for cooking–okay now I have everyone’s attentionand they’re massing for an attack.

Still, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s no matter where they live or who gave birth to them or raised them.  I get a little homesick for someplace I’ve never been.  So if you raise your glass I’ll say sláinte and we’ll all try to say ’Beannachtaí na Féile Páraic oraibh!!’ together…

An bhfuil tú dálta fós? 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I24fSktQKEs[/youtube]

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 17th

Uncategorized

Guest Blogging

bookThanks to the generosity of Jeanne Barrack, author of the (awesome) MLR Press Novel Bend in the Road and number of other books that I’m just beginning to find and realize I should be reading, I’m guest blogging at The Sweet Flag Blogspot, HERE, today, 3/16. Yes, for those of you who answered my rather frantic LJ post about where I was supposed to be this is it…

I’m blogging about my upcoming novel, Notturno, due out sometime soon from MLR press.  

And since I’m in a tremendously good mood, I thought I’d look for something fun to watch on YouTube, and I found just the thing.  I know I’ve posted this before on LJ but I LOVE IT…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3mOUPx19no[/youtube]

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Z.A. Maxfield

March 16th

Uncategorized
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