tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43867671847392276112024-03-05T16:20:51.275-05:00The Writing of J.Roccihappy endings guaranteedJ. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-86077712952496714732019-02-18T16:03:00.000-05:002019-02-18T16:03:00.469-05:00Just Breathe Out, second edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Just Breathe Out by J. Rocci" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOberPsN19vT-gRsqwLwbZX7jVQx_7snkkBaDNvXD6r5-IPkL9hjjdOT94qwxxxjSk3MURcxT72kHqOrRGD0qXLpHHtbhilPm00GnYex085-EQFNjDElYD7pH48nwZudew2P3z9H_jnLJd/s320/JBO+Cover+final.jpg" title="Just Breathe Out by J. Rocci" width="212" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/924124?ref=jrocci" target="_blank">Just Breathe Out available now from Smashwords!</a> </span><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">(affiliate link)</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darren and Russ have known each other forever, and Darren has been pining after Russ for almost as long. When a well-meaning friend reveals once of Russ' secrets, Darren finds he has a choice to make. Tell Russ his own secret and maybe fulfill all of his dreams, or remain silent and try to pretend nothing has happened...</span><br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Word Count:</strong> 11,956, <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FREE</strong></div>
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This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s 2011 <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hot Summer Days”</strong> event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Story prompt:</strong> </div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dear Author,<br />These two men have been best friends since they could crawl; over the years they have both secretly fallen in love with each other, one of them is out and proud the other man wants to be as long as it’s with his best friend…. How did this happen??<br /><br />Oh Author, can I please add that they Love Hot SEX everywhere and that they have a HEA <img alt="🙂" class="emoji" draggable="false" scale="0" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/1f642.svg" style="background: none !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: 1em !important; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></em></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prompt Photo Description:</strong> A black/white photo of a windowed, sunlit lodge with 50s-looking furniture. One naked youth hangs by his right hand from a wooden rafter, his left hand stroking his lover’s hardened penis. His legs are over his young lover’s shoulders as his naked lover holds him by the hips and sucks his dick.</div>
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You can also read the story <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/578115-j-rocci-just-breathe-out-7-19" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a> (M/M Romance Group membership required).</div>
<span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-88447648104739156442017-09-03T11:11:00.000-04:002017-09-03T11:11:36.255-04:00Get a FREE exclusive short story when you join my newsletter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.subscribepage.com/jroccifreebook" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISxXwTagBve-2Of7MkqAsqfZo1_cfwiweaRG4-gQKs0vex4MF0BT1wc5ib_lRlKAanuGhJEsxN0S8wMpXh19XJ52cC3oVYxoOAyril2wCJAHuYrR6l6rf57DH5yuolmOGGmaBFIkoqGBz/s320/Start+Something_FINAL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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SFC Matt Ridley may have lost interest in actively looking for a date lately, but he’s not one to knock fate when a perfectly un-perfect guy lives right down the street. Brett Isaacs, a civilian security guard, is a little awkward, but so is Ridley. When opportunity strikes, it’s up to Ridley to start something new.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Originally published as a Charity Sip by Torquere Press, this story has been revised, edited and expanded for a new release.)</span></div>
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Genre: Contemporary, fluff, romantic</div>
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Rating: Explicit</div>
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Words: 6,700</div>
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J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-58028047258613552502017-06-15T22:31:00.000-04:002017-09-03T11:11:57.691-04:00Rocci's Review: AFI and Souvenirs at The National, Richmond VA, 02 June 2017<div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
The concert-going continues but this may be our last for the summer. We'll see. I hear Rise Against is coming to Baltimore in October, so I might still be tempted.</div>
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Dinner at Vagabond, Redux</div>
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The group had dinner again at the Vagabond, which is connected (literally) to The National. This time we got their full menu rather than the Restaurant Week prix fixe. We were starving when we arrived, so appetizers were cheddar beer bread (so good with the honey butter) and Mr. Bay had his beef tartare. My main course was the mushroom risotto, which had a nice consistency and was a large portion, but the sweet potato crisps were basically oily potato shavings that weren't actually crisp, so after the second stuck to my teeth, they were plucked to the side. Mr. Bay went with the lamb pot pie and was pleasantly stuffed by the end. </div>
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I liked the selection this time, unfortunately my food allergies reared their ugly heads and dinner did not sit well at all, so please recognize this review is after watching the show through a haze of Benedryl.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Souvenirs from California</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.facebook.com/SouvenirsCA</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Souvenirs at The National</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">As an opening band, they were adorably shy, but surprisingly polished. I added from California above because there's also an established band from Denmark. We couldn't decide what their sound was like - an odd combination of Soul Asylum, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead maybe? They were energetic and playing for a happy, friendly crowd, and while I didn't know any of their songs, I wanted to by the end of their set.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">AFI (A Fire Inside)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">afireinside.net</span></div>
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Let me tell you a thing about AFI - my Muse has been a fan for almost two decades and the fanbase these guys have inspired is, in my opinion, truly unique. I say this as someone who has been on the fringes of the fanbase. Other rock fans may write them off as sad emo kids in a corner, but at least the Richmond crowd has been consistently friendly, considerate and courteous to each other over the years. It's a completely different atmosphere of positive vibes when you go into a small venue AFI concert (I can't speak to larger venues) than you usually get at rock concerts from the Nu Metal crowd etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3irpyhzVDepoCk2qpxaLmvpCfT7qcAZw61u3nSEghbc7RO23B_w1y9XRbKqLAp7Mj972HhjR5kkhv6eX8qPLjxnBhxJewVZ-9Q_QHL9cm0iUjBd9DqeRkPq65Mvsv1kjY33RH41l18BMH/s1600/IMG_20170602_211944900_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3irpyhzVDepoCk2qpxaLmvpCfT7qcAZw61u3nSEghbc7RO23B_w1y9XRbKqLAp7Mj972HhjR5kkhv6eX8qPLjxnBhxJewVZ-9Q_QHL9cm0iUjBd9DqeRkPq65Mvsv1kjY33RH41l18BMH/s320/IMG_20170602_211944900_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The set was a mix of their old and new songs -- which for a band that has had such a diverse sound / direction for their albums, putting together a cohesive and flowing set list from all over their career was impressive. I was happy that I got to belt out "Miss Murder" and the Muse was squeeing over "A Fire Inside" from down in the pit, then "Aurelia" got stuck in my head for days. Even with dinner trying to kill me, I stayed until the end. </div>
J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-56079691050238645242017-06-01T23:07:00.002-04:002017-06-01T23:08:13.406-04:00June 2017 Update -- Happy Pride!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="genre: Contemporary, fluff, romantic Rating: Non-Explicit Words: 3,100 Delaney Bixby owns and runs his own barber shop, The Dapper Gentleman, which prides itself on offering an upscale grooming experience to a very select clientele in New York City. When Delaney is closing up shop one night, a special customer drops in for an after-hours shave that leads to slow dancing and professions of love." target="_blank">DAPPER GENTLEMEN</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/728000" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQThaWSBWPD-5GmYkP3EwA0VUVePrwJo3uJ2Mn1_-rJ68Ny5qGJKiYoPtg89N8FGg8lZ_CFn84pfKQN1dEBBx1UHgshNacdvD5Baa5pYaKmGJlFsrTCU4lVCWR7bJdBhdBbhF58kLmaEun/s320/dapper+gentlemen+final.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/728000" target="_blank">Dapper Gentlemen</a></td></tr>
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Genre: Contemporary, fluff, romantic</div>
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Rating: Non-Explicit</div>
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Words: 3,100 </div>
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Delaney Bixby owns and runs his own barber shop, <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Dapper Gentleman</i>, which prides itself on offering an upscale grooming experience to a very select clientele in New York City. When Delaney is closing up shop one night, a special customer drops in for an after-hours shave that leads to slow dancing and professions of love.</div>
J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-4730633277403246242017-05-02T20:50:00.000-04:002017-05-02T20:50:16.221-04:00May 2017 releases!<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I’m happy to announce that the <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home</i> series has a new cover and is now available on Smashwords and their distributors! The first story, <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home We Make</span></i>, is FREE, while <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home We Defend</span></i> is just $0.99.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z0f4h8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.25) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For the month of May, if you sign up for my newsletter, you get a copy of <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home We Defend</i> for FREE! </a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ve6FqWlvyDLfg6gnwNCa54IIY_sbA-o50i4A9te2CXsM6kQDHdt3s8w8lVAQxn7X6VqSKyLwfSqkKdrqFiQhBA1GSXVwyUHuwTvF8lADDHKGaymw1vaK6A_L9_ktNJ7-4SslRQ0kPTzH/s1600/This+Home+We+Make+cover+5_edited_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ve6FqWlvyDLfg6gnwNCa54IIY_sbA-o50i4A9te2CXsM6kQDHdt3s8w8lVAQxn7X6VqSKyLwfSqkKdrqFiQhBA1GSXVwyUHuwTvF8lADDHKGaymw1vaK6A_L9_ktNJ7-4SslRQ0kPTzH/s320/This+Home+We+Make+cover+5_edited_original.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721710" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.25) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home We Make by J. Rocci</a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Genre: Urban Fantasy, werewolves</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rating: Explicit</div>
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Words: 9,870</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Zev has no memory of where he comes from, and he only knows that without Callie and Gareth taking him in, he'd still be running wild as a werewolf in Georgia. Relocating to Washington D.C., he's having difficulty adjusting to city life as he fights to relearn his humanity (and fend off the vacuum cleaner). Zev starts making friends with a local pack and learns just how unusual his situation is, with the rest of werewolf kind looking down on them. Callie and Gareth have some hard choices if they're going to make their small household a pack, but Zev's yearning to belong to both of them will either drive them together or tear them apart.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuJrPa5hlXzcU5EAlcLjRCxh1H1BS33PtEn2AGtbZkuGEm8urCos_uOE2MvfMyHlzKxk7tIluwOYkYktdhIdvPkbCo6SkSC7XH9D4ttMiYRGg-vOkFlCcKtdzHa-tK-oYJrGsQMNsCZLE/s1600/This+Home+We+Defend+cover+5_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuJrPa5hlXzcU5EAlcLjRCxh1H1BS33PtEn2AGtbZkuGEm8urCos_uOE2MvfMyHlzKxk7tIluwOYkYktdhIdvPkbCo6SkSC7XH9D4ttMiYRGg-vOkFlCcKtdzHa-tK-oYJrGsQMNsCZLE/s320/This+Home+We+Defend+cover+5_edited.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://track.mlsend.com/link/c/YT02MTcxMTg0Njg5NTY3NTQxODEmYz1wM3c4JmU9MTkyOCZiPTk4MjI0MjMwJmQ9bDd4MXo2Yw==.UhjdtetYMSSUPCheB3h2qrK8FfEbIz0eF7ePCVjSt3k" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.25) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This Home We Defend by J. Rocci</a></div>
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Genre: Urban Fantasy, werewolves</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Rating: Explicit</div>
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Words: 10,310</div>
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Zev has no memory of where he comes from, but now he has a pack in Washington D.C. with Callie and Gareth. Following "This Home We Make", Zev's search for his past hasn't really been a priority until a new werewolf starts lurking around the city, waiting to get Zev alone. The newcomer challenges Callie's alpha status, and threatens to undo the ties between the three lovers, testing their dedication to each other.</div>
J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-85522640376913364272017-04-30T20:15:00.000-04:002017-04-30T20:15:57.194-04:00Rocci's Review: The Pretty Reckless at The National, Richmond VA on April 26, 2017<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So one of Mr. Bay’s closest buddies is on a concert kick
this year, and we emerged liked blinking, hissing little mole people from our
dark caverns to join the group outing down to Richmond, VA to see The Pretty
Reckless in concert. I originally waffled
because loud, crowded places are not my jam, but with my trusty earplugs that
have gotten me through a season of Washington Capitals games, the urge to
support one of my favorite female-fronted rock bands prevailed. My pictures are
kind of crap because I was behind the sound crew so the ambient light threw off
my camera settings, but you get the idea… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All the links below are to
official pages, including The Pretty Reckless’ YouTube videos. These are not affiliate links.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dinner at The
Vagabond<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://vagabondrva.com/">http://vagabondrva.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started the evening with dinner at <a href="http://vagabondrva.com/">The Vagabond</a>, the restaurant connected to
The National, so we had early admission (which did us no good, because the show
remained standing only, so no seats). It
was Richmond’s Restaurant Week, so a portion of the 3-course prix fixe menu
went to local food programs. I enjoyed
their Bibb salad with a delicious green goddess dressing, a walnut watercress-basil
pesto fettucine drowning in olive oil, and a rose-strawberry sorbet. Mr. Bay had a smoked Scotch egg on spicy
mustard (shudder), a smoked flatiron steak and a Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee
with wine soaked sour cherries that I helped him finish (so eggy, custardy
delicious but so rich).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our early entry meant we were shown through an exit door in
the basement bar up to another, closed bar in The National, where we were held
until they herded us down to the stage pit.
Ideally, this is when we would have been allowed to get seats on the
mezzanine, but apparently, they only open that section for sold out shows, so
we ended up standing the entire show (my rheumatoid arthritis was not a happy
camper but getting a chair seemed like more trouble than it was worth). I’ve been promised that AFI next month will
be sold out…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Opening Act: Them
Evils<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://themevils.com/">https://themevils.com/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A trio hailing from California, Them Evils was technically
proficient, but RockBand generic. I
couldn’t tell if they were trying to be a Jimi Hendrix cover band, but the
drunken people around me thought they were great. Since they had the misfortune of going first,
the crowd obviously wasn’t quite sure what to make of them, but by the end of
the set, their headbanging, cursing, overly enthusiastic skinny little limbs
had won a good percentage of the pit over.
They were obviously having fun throwing themselves around the stage, and
even memorably playing <i>in</i> the crowd,
so I have to give them props for making it real and being true to themselves.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJEZnj6mam0n5xzCexFUOcnHkG5o1lJd4vGSsSUeYYbTdmx7E5uOVI3CvRRNurk5vqsoawogDGZfV2it4edUQn1kweB9Ck_O6Zj0Obv39tNNzQEyX29krmyj7YoHsdAKrhrK7f1qj7t5O/s1600/IMG_20170427_202203856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJEZnj6mam0n5xzCexFUOcnHkG5o1lJd4vGSsSUeYYbTdmx7E5uOVI3CvRRNurk5vqsoawogDGZfV2it4edUQn1kweB9Ck_O6Zj0Obv39tNNzQEyX29krmyj7YoHsdAKrhrK7f1qj7t5O/s320/IMG_20170427_202203856.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ThemEvils</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Pretty Reckless<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://theprettyreckless.com/">http://theprettyreckless.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I have this playlist called “Fight Along” that I listen
to in the car every morning as I drive into work guzzling coffee – TPR is on
there twice, with “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmtbg5b7_Aw">I’m
Going to Hell</a>” and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKLc25K7Yxw">Follow
Me Down</a>”. I love Taylor Momsen’s
smoky, gritty vocals, and Jamie Perkins’ heavy thumping drums, and the live
concert didn’t disappoint. Interesting
to note, a portion of their road crew used to work at The National…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIDHm6NApJ4RKeA80y41QLR_Dtlpsv4poC0lKSk3Ed6SOpSNfCFkXksXBZYUd32JsiDOydUhGtLGpjaPbhrhmfsFhsxwFIxAG1Gv49N-o8LKz8oQ85Nuo9z68DMX_HLspfg7diaOb5r66/s1600/IMG_20170427_215243480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIDHm6NApJ4RKeA80y41QLR_Dtlpsv4poC0lKSk3Ed6SOpSNfCFkXksXBZYUd32JsiDOydUhGtLGpjaPbhrhmfsFhsxwFIxAG1Gv49N-o8LKz8oQ85Nuo9z68DMX_HLspfg7diaOb5r66/s320/IMG_20170427_215243480.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pretty Reckless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TPR formed in 2009 in NYC, and gained recognition with their
single “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txBfhpm1jI0">Make Me Wanna Die</a>”. The concert set covered most of their notable
songs, like the three I’ve already mentioned and songs like “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQpZv2r8fb4">Take Me Down</a>” (which
sounds oddly reminiscent of Rolling Stone’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXGsPBUV5g">Sympathy for the Devil</a>”
to me), “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHBxJCq99jA">Heaven Knows</a>”,
and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMSDlWlfMM">My Medicine</a>”. They also included new songs off their 2016
album “Who You Selling For”, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldaYUkyDxx0">Oh My God</a>” and “Living
in the Storm”. The show wrapped up with “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_A4G1jkw24">Messed Up World</a>”, which
seemed appropriate for our current times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The light show was, at times, blinding in the best kinds of way, and well-timed with audience participation. The National is an intimate performance hall that manages to feel larger once filled (think Sydney Harmon Hall in DC). Overall, it was a highly energetic show with hard core fans in
the audience, and the seating situation notwithstanding, worth the trip down to
Richmond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pretty Reckless</td></tr>
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J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-58984033946861394702017-04-16T20:05:00.001-04:002017-04-16T20:05:25.586-04:00Rocci’s Review: Two Cowboys and a Baby by BA TortugaTwo Cowboys and a Baby by BA Tortuga<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Length: About 50,000 words<o:p></o:p></div>
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Copy purchased from Dreamspinner Press (<a href="https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/">https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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So I’ve been reading BA’s works for over a decade now, and the
latest offering of “Two Cowboys and a Baby” doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for gruff cowboys acting
like kinda dumb boys, with a cute baby and some existential angst tossed in,
this story is for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I loved that the main and secondary characters are all
unique and vibrant personalities that jump off the page at you. The dialogue and character interactions
reinforced that the setting was deep Texas, gender stereotypes and all. The only thing that threw me was figuring out
their ages – maybe it’s my Yankee showing, but the nickname “Hoss” doesn’t
conjure up a hot guy in his late 20s, nor does the nickname “Pooter”. It took me about 20 pages in to figure out
they were between 27 and 30 years old (I think?
Still not completely sure on that, but I’m dying of allergies, so maybe
it’s just me…)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The plot line was a little trope-y, but that’s part of what
appealed to me, and I won’t go too far into that so I can avoid spoilers. I will say that the plot twist was surprising,
but handled well in a believable way for the characters. There are some rodeo and plumbing injuries
mentioned, so if you have a trigger on that, beware. Nothing too graphic, though.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The characters’ speech and way of phrasing things was classic
Tortuga, though, and Texan through-and-through.
The plot was well-paced and of course the grammar / structure / spelling
etc were professional quality (do I even need to say that for BA?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Highly recommended for fans of cowboys, westerns, and kid-fic
stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also a note to readers that BA Tortuga has joined up with Julia
Talbot, Sean Michael, Kiernan Kelly, TC Blue and Kris Norris to form Evil Plot
Bunny: <a href="http://www.evilplotbunny.com/">http://www.evilplotbunny.com/</a> Go check it out!<o:p></o:p></div>
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J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-26183300493719213792017-04-03T21:48:00.001-04:002017-04-03T21:48:30.733-04:00April 2017 Update: Sage now available!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xHI0wvf6-GCCKiYQzb_mQqYxXfP5rYYno4D3iEa07uo8oO9rMKMGQto-mUeoUjMAUMwt0YqD31YnGpBMst811OWMg3n6RQvx3sC3761JanC60D9a-sSBTxwRhVmmXeQlvk-WMDKZ6lVR/s1600/Sage+v11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xHI0wvf6-GCCKiYQzb_mQqYxXfP5rYYno4D3iEa07uo8oO9rMKMGQto-mUeoUjMAUMwt0YqD31YnGpBMst811OWMg3n6RQvx3sC3761JanC60D9a-sSBTxwRhVmmXeQlvk-WMDKZ6lVR/s320/Sage+v11.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/715881" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.247059) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sage</span> is now available from Smashwords!</a><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" />Yu Maguire lost everything when he turned himself in and went to intergalactic prison, but Amergin Sil, his arresting officer, offers him a second chance at life when Yu’s released. Despite cultural misunderstandings and both their pasts, they come to know each other better than either thought possible.</div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 15px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Word count:</span> 17,750<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tags:</span> M/M, Romance, Sci-fi, cop, mechanic, nonexplicit, redemption<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rating:</span> No explicit sexual content; hate crime discussed<br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><a href="https://www.instafreebie.com/free/yZA7Z" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.247059) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From April 3 to April 13, Sage is available as a FREE download from InstaFreebies!</a> <br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" /><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" />Subscribers to my newsletter, Rocci's Rumbles, will receive a Smashwords coupon good for a FREE copy of Sage during the entire month of April. <a href="https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z0f4h8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(68, 68, 68, 0) 50%, rgba(68, 68, 68, 0.247059) 0px); background-position: 0px 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1em 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.15em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sign up today to get your coupon and all the extras in the months to come!</a></div>
J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-35991585101155294542017-03-11T20:59:00.000-05:002017-03-11T20:59:18.359-05:00March 2017Big news this update! The six short stories of the Courting Series are finally available for download!<br />
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<b>The Courting Series: Cops and lawyers!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjELnaqpJOjIrLvF0iqw_03qqeFy3B2PcraS8Og5M6hvur7171RM5U5ljppM0TYk3C96RJAYI44scgc6terxCOsC4_XOd7_QBK73VdWvutsTtHJYab6m-MR9sRs_sVLXHaX1A-EkJHsImJ/s1600/Courting+Cover+Blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjELnaqpJOjIrLvF0iqw_03qqeFy3B2PcraS8Og5M6hvur7171RM5U5ljppM0TYk3C96RJAYI44scgc6terxCOsC4_XOd7_QBK73VdWvutsTtHJYab6m-MR9sRs_sVLXHaX1A-EkJHsImJ/s320/Courting+Cover+Blank.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710461" target="_blank">Commitment. 6100 words.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710464" target="_blank">Cornerstone. 7160 words.</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710467" target="_blank">Concordant. 5500 words.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710468" target="_blank">Concur. 7000 words.</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253735" target="_blank">Competition. 7100 words</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/710469" target="_blank">Connections. 7800 words.</a></div>
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Joshua Dabbs and Garrison Williams met while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the era of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. In Commitment, they've made a life together in Vermont, with Josh as a local police officer and Garrison as a city lawyer, and Josh wants to take that next step in making things official. In Cornerstone, Josh is called back to his estranged family in Ohio and learns that he should never travel without his lawyer present. In Concordant, the guys share an intimate holiday vacation in NYC. In Concur, Josh starts to reflect on what could be missing from their lives as Garrison helps their friends plan their wedding. In Competition, Josh and Garrison return to the DC area for the Marine Corps marathon. And finally, in Connections, they find their family complete as they share a Christmas with new additions.<br />
<br />
Covering ten years of Josh and Garrison's relationship, these short stories are available for free from Smashwords and other distributors.<br />
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<br />
<b>Coming Soon:</b><br />
Courting: 15 Years of Life<br />
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With four brand new short stories and additional material, as well as the original six short stories now available, you'll be able to follow Josh and Garrison's relationship from year one through year fifteen. J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-32813522998112327642017-02-19T02:28:00.000-05:002017-03-11T19:49:03.223-05:00Crocodylus Acutus cover updatedIn my continuing quest to self-publish my back catalog, I have fiddled with Photoshop and created a new cover for <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242358" target="_blank">Crocodylus Acutus</a>. The fonts are FullSans from <a href="https://www.fontspring.com/fonts/bulent-yuksel/full-sans" target="_blank">FontSpring</a> and Gigi from PhotoShop, with stock images from <a href="https://stock.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Adobe Stock</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S3Oh-lb5tK7oJ_TyhFVBld81D8mYN0Xb9AZGYjx5K0WGqKyXToWpUwfnvKzDKDpugyVivFWBMGWcEpuGGb8LyRFIHtehCXAEy6E2C-G4wdCUG9ThlOvtUsnKRSIEf236JEgk6lGTdGp2/s1600/Crocodylus+Acutus+final+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9S3Oh-lb5tK7oJ_TyhFVBld81D8mYN0Xb9AZGYjx5K0WGqKyXToWpUwfnvKzDKDpugyVivFWBMGWcEpuGGb8LyRFIHtehCXAEy6E2C-G4wdCUG9ThlOvtUsnKRSIEf236JEgk6lGTdGp2/s320/Crocodylus+Acutus+final+2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Let me tell you, researching all the right licenses and legalities of cover art took more time than creating this cover did, but I had fun playing around in Photoshop and trying out some of the techniques from the hours of tutorials I've been watching. It's a pretty simplistic cover, and I'm definitely not entering it into any contests soon, but I intend to do more advanced ones for my non-free reads. Consider this a warm-up that hopefully isn't as hideous as the previous cover.<br />
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Next on my list is Courting -- I'm going to make a series cover for each short story previously published and then release them individually as freebies. I plan to spend some time on the anthology version, which will have new stories added to an omnibus format for a modest price.<br />
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Until next time...<br />
-J J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-76564426478115582092017-02-04T11:58:00.001-05:002017-02-04T11:58:03.086-05:00February 2017So I'm sick (again) with some sinus crud, where I feel like I'm doing somersaults while sitting on the couch (good times). The low-key illness thing happens pretty frequently to me, so we generally just roll with it and I veg out until I'm good to go again.<br />
<br />
That means I'm parked on the couch today, discovering new apps like <a href="https://www.moodica.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moodica</a> (kittens! puppies! nature!) and watching <a href="https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/" target="_blank">The Great Courses</a> app channel (up now, The Science of Information with Dr. Ben Schumacher). I also have a dog on my lap that has figured out she can manipulate my touch screen computer with her nose :(<br />
<br />
What have I been doing writing-wise that people might care about?<br />
<br />
I've been prioritizing my back catalog for re-publication, looking at potential new publishing venues, and playing with photoshop (new logo!) to create new covers for the stories I'm planning to self-publish.<br />
<br />
So first up, new cover for Puppy Tax and new content being added to the story (if I'm giving you a new cover, I'll make it worth your while to download it again...). Also, a new cover for Crocodylus Acutus. Woot!<br />
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I've also decided that, if I self-publish a story, it will be through my <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jrocci" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> account.<br />
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I'll keep you guys up to date on any new news! :)<br />
<br />
-JJ. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-66522839422875150472017-01-16T19:00:00.001-05:002017-01-16T19:00:04.183-05:00January 2017Hey, hooligans!<br />
<br />
If you're reading this as a long-awaited update, thanks for sticking with me! If you're a new hooligan just discovering my work for the first time, welcome!<br />
<br />
So you may have noticed a few things over the last year: I haven't produced anything new; I've been mostly active on Tumblr, and that's been reblogging hockey and various fandom related content; All Romance eBooks and Torquere Press closed at the end of December; and I deleted my LiveJournal.<br />
<br />
I have to admit, Torquere closing has left me very much saddened by how things turned out. I started reading Torquere ebooks in 2004, had my first novelette published by Torquere in 2006, and helped with the annual charity drive for a couple years. While life has left me less and less time to write since 2012, I still tried to keep up with my favorite Torquere authors and those who had moved on from Torquere to other publishers. When Torquere changed owners, I pretty much resolved to find a new publishing house, but to see it end badly is heartbreaking. Others have written about the situation, and I'm not going into it here, but I recommend a quick Google search if this is news to you.<br />
<br />
This confluence of 2016 events, along with finishing my graduate program, means that I'm hard-core revising my website and social media platforms, reviewing all my previous work, planning my future publication goals, and generally re-engaging with my entire process of being a writer. What this also means is that I will finally start using all that image editing software I bought in a fit of emboldened hope last year and failed to use.<br />
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Additionally, I resolve not to over-promise, but to also be more consistent with my updates. Expect more news as I move forward with the changes to my sites and my quest for new publishing opportunities.<br />
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May 2017 be better than 2016!<br />
-J.J. Roccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08644253274772613488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-13472680152983167172015-01-03T13:35:00.000-05:002015-01-03T13:35:26.203-05:002014 Round-upSo...<br />
<br />
Yeah, 2014 happened. <br />
<br />
From the writing side, things were pretty quiet -- which is totally my bad. I've been working on a few stories, and intend to publish some of my out of print ones at Smashwords, so keep an eye out for that. I've also been contemplating dipping my toes in the world of YA books, which might require another pseudonym and additional website. Ah, planning.<br />
<br />
From the personal side, the year was pretty rough. We lost one of our furry children after a two-year battle with cancer, and lost a grandfather, a stand-in grandmother, two uncles, and one aunt. So a lot of this past summer and fall was spent traveling and Mr. Bay reaching official pall bearer status. <br />
<br />
Not all of 2014 sucked, though -- I also started a new grad school program this Fall, working toward my M.S. again. We had a few pleasure trips in between, including a nice B&B stay for our anniversary out in the Shenandoah Valley (wherein we discovered that, while a lack of cell phone reception is nice for the first 12 hours, we cannot exceed 18 hours without losing our minds), and we made good use of our <a href="http://virginiawinepass.com/">Virginia Wine Pass</a> for local day trips. We also attended several performances at <a href="http://www.synetictheater.org/">Synetic Theater</a>, including <i>The Island of Dr. Moreau</i> and <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, and saw <a href="http://www.urbanarias.org/about/our-past-work/three-decembers/"><i>Three Decembers</i></a> at <a href="http://www.urbanarias.org/">UrbanArias</a>, which may have made us Opera fans after all, since we'd been disinclined to see another after <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=omosb"><i>Cosi fan tutte</i></a>.<br />
<br />
So for 2015, I resolve to post here more often, even if it's just reviews, and have a more consistent writing/publication schedule. You can always find me skulking about on <a href="http://jrocci.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr account</a>, where I reblog pretty people and places.<br />
<br />
Here's to a productive and healthy 2015!<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-83531609261769307372014-03-30T04:02:00.002-04:002014-03-30T04:02:40.243-04:00I may have taken another hiatus without announcing it...So last year when I was all "Yay! End of hiatus!" after all the health hoopla of the rest of my family, it turned out that I needed to take another hiatus to sort out more of my own health issues.<br />
<br />
But! I'm over a month out from abdominal surgery and things are looking good, so I'm hoping to get back into my writing groove. I just need to sit down with all my files and decide on my priorities...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-52279694316966461982013-09-19T22:01:00.000-04:002013-09-19T22:01:15.586-04:00Charity Sip Blitz is HERE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyaPmYhrBBMhjzen3JfI8oRTL1Ad-ljRuycMsLB8nmqVgEgPcekkLlBXcXgyoI0k-qOCRzChssXVraOUWjtj5h-6iA9HR3OhMRwckNtkDQGpiSymgxao51L7IfHNwsyDk21371KSw-yE/s1600/Charity+Sip+Blitz+2013+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyaPmYhrBBMhjzen3JfI8oRTL1Ad-ljRuycMsLB8nmqVgEgPcekkLlBXcXgyoI0k-qOCRzChssXVraOUWjtj5h-6iA9HR3OhMRwckNtkDQGpiSymgxao51L7IfHNwsyDk21371KSw-yE/s320/Charity+Sip+Blitz+2013+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>2013 Charity Sip Blitz Complete Package<br />
By: 26 Authors</b><br />
$49.99<br />
<br />
Buy Link: <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=4012">http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=4012</a><br />
<br />
Blurb:<br />
Get all 25 Sips for just $49.99, 15% off the regular price of $58.74<br />
This package is available in PDF format only.<br />
<br />
Welcome to the 2013-2014 Sip Blitz, which is all about all of those who proudly serve and protect all of us!<br />
<br />
Who can resist a sexy uniform? From military to medical and police to paramedics; from soldiers of history to starships of the future; from simply sweet to scorching hot, these stories about those in uniformed service -- and those who love them -- will make you laugh and cry in all the best ways.<br />
<br />
And since the authors have generously volunteered to donate their proceeds (an amount which Torquere Press will match) to the OutServe charity organization, you get to feel good about this collection before you've even cracked the cover!<br />
<br />
**This is a very large zipped file. Please be patient while downloading.**<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Start Something New<br />
By: J. Rocci</b><br />
<br />
24 pages / 6300 words<br />
$2.49<br />
<br />
Buy Link: <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=3989">http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=3989</a><br />
<br />
Blurb:<br />
Sergeant First Class Matt Ridley adopts a new puppy and joins his HOA Board thinking it will get him out of the house more; otherwise the alternative is his well-meaning brother signing him up for online dating sites. Through HOA business, Ridley meets Brett Isaacs, a civilian Army security guard at the base where he works, who also shares his destructive dog woes. A yard planning session with beer and pizza turns into a profession of mutual attraction and a very satisfying ending as they agree to embark on something new.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-3527858156713394502013-08-10T20:19:00.000-04:002013-08-10T20:19:03.980-04:00RADIO LOVE SONG now available at GoodReads!So imagine my surprise when <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1445608-radio-love-song-by-j-rocci-8-10">Radio Love Song</a> went live this morning :) <br />
<br />
If you don't have a GoodReads account (or aren't a member of the M/M Romance Group), you can track the story's availability at the new <a href="http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=79325">M/M Romance Group</a> website that was created in response to a change in GoodReads' file posting policies. <br />
<br />
If you're new to the M/M Romance Love Is Always Write events, how it works is that a reader chooses a picture and writes a prompt for it, which an author then claims and writes the story. The awesome volunteers at the M/M Romance group edit and post the stories all on their own time (and dime) so everyone can read. Seriously, we're talking over a hundred free stories a year!<br />
<br />
Go check it out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-73978638076104280852013-07-16T20:55:00.000-04:002013-07-16T20:55:56.059-04:00End of Unexpected HiatusSO I took an unexpected hiatus this last, oh say, YEAR. But I'm back now! Promise!<br />
<br />
What started out as a bad knee injury for me turned into a new day job, a cat with an amputated leg, a husband with a broken knee, and various family members and friends with other health issues, including me. I'm hoping the rest of 2013 will cut us all a break :P<br />
<br />
But I've started to get back into the writing groove lately, and I have two charity stories to announce:<br />
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<b>Radio Love Song</b> will be released this summer as part of the GoodReads M/M Romance group's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/20149-m-m-romance">2013 Love Has No Boundaries event</a>. Stay tuned for a release date!<br />
<br />
<b>Start Something New</b> will be released later this year as part of the Torquere Press Charity Sip Blitz! Woot!<br />
<br />
SEPTEMBER - OUTSERVE CHARITY SIP BLITZ<br />
Every year, the great authors at Torquere Press put their money where their mouth is, donating their time writing stories for our chosen charity. Those same authors donate any royalties earned on their stories to the chosen organization, with Torquere matching those donations 100%. In the past we've raised $5000.00 for Lambda Legal, over $3000.00 for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and more than $10000.00 combined for organizations such as NOH8 and Doctors Without Borders.<br />
<br />
For the 2013-2014 Charity event, which will premiere in September 2013, we've chosen OutServe-SLDN as our donation organization. OutServe is an non-profit that provides legal services and support to LGBT military individuals and families, working toward equal representation and benefits.<br />
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This year's theme for Charity Sips, or short stories, is "In Uniform". Who doesn't love a man, or woman, in uniform?<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-57156373236244508242012-11-10T19:48:00.001-05:002012-11-10T20:53:10.252-05:00FREE READ: Competition (Courting #5)Competition, the fifth book in the Courting Series, is now available as a FREE READ from Smashwords here:<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253735">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253735</a><br />
<br />
Originally published for the <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=79_111">Torquere Press' Charity Sips Blitz</a>, all of the author proceeds from the sale of "Competition" were donated to the <a href="http://www.itgetsbetter.org/">It Gets Better Project</a>. Now that a new year of Charity Sips is available, <a href="http://www.noh8campaign.com/">benefiting the NOH8 Campaign</a>, I decided to make Competition freely available. My new Charity Sip, Dapper Gentlemen, is <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=3680">available for purchase here</a>.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />
Competition by J. Rocci<br />
<br />
Officer Joshua Dabbs and his husband, lawyer Garrison Williams, met while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps ten years ago. Their lives are very different now than from when they first started dating: they're out of the Corps and the closet, they're married and own a house, and they're getting ready to adopt two kids through the state. Josh figures their life is pretty much perfect.<br />
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When their friends challenge them to run in the annual Marine Corps Marathon, they find themselves back in D.C. and visiting their old stomping grounds around Quantico. Garrison and Josh enter a friendly competition to see who finishes the marathon first. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-15254533003927356392012-10-05T00:26:00.001-04:002012-11-10T20:53:34.544-05:00FREE READ now available at Smashwords!So I'm giving Smashwords a try here, starting with a free read:<br />
<br />
Crocodylus Acutus by J. Rocci<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242358">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/242358</a><br />
Written for the GoodReads M/M Romance Group's Love Is Always Write event.<br />
<br />
This is the first time I'm using Smashwords, so any feedback on the download process or the files would be welcomed and greatly appreciated!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-57902989606160500892012-10-02T04:53:00.000-04:002012-11-10T20:53:44.482-05:00REVIEW: Synetic Theater's Jekyll & HydeREVIEW: Synetic Theater's Jekyll & Hyde<br />
<br />
Directed by Paata Tsikurishvili<br />
Choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili<br />
Set Design by Daniel Pinha<br />
Original Music by Konstantine Lortkipanidze<br />
Starring Alex Mills<br />
<a href="http://www.synetictheater.org/mainstage/jekyll_hyde1.html">Running September 20 — October 21, 2012 at Synetic Theater in Crystal City</a><br />
<br />
So I don't think I've reviewed stage plays here yet, but I've been trying to articulate my conflicted feelings over Synetic's Jekyll & Hyde since I saw it this past Friday and I thought this would be a good forum to do so.<br />
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First of all, let me just say that Mr. Bay and I have loved and raved about the awesomeness of every Synetic play we've been to so far, except this one. He's deaf in one ear and having to triangulate sounds or hear softly spoken actors left him with a general dislike of going to the theater, so Synetic's combination of story and dance with no spoken words and only music managed to rekindle his enjoyment and is the perfect solution for us both. Full disclosure: We're subscription ticket holders.<br />
<br />
Given that, I have to say that I was disappointed with this latest performance. It wasn't anything technical with the choreography or set design -- that was superb as always -- but rather the interpretation of the source material, Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.<br />
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I could say that I disliked this interpretation because it's darker than previous Synetic plays we've seen and has sexualized violence -- but it's not that simple. I like dark plays and will tolerate sexualized violence if I feel like it has a purpose. But in this case, I feel like it didn't. Perhaps I was spoiled by Synetic's modernization of plays like King Lear (Cordelia as the gay son) and Taming of the Shrew (celebutantes in love), where they took Shakespeare's themes and reinterpreted them in such a way that the story content felt modern/timeless and relevant while staying true to the original story lines. They actually made me like Taming of the Shrew and I have very heartfelt feelings of dislike about that play. <br />
<br />
So Jekyll & Hyde... Each Synetic performance pamphlet has a director's note explaining the artistic interpretation, usually with commentary on the themes they're exploring and then a one to two page summary of the story line and major plot points. The director's note for Jekyll & Hyde focused on technology, how we are the technology generation and not a product of it, how we lose ourselves in it and how we're defined by it. That was all well and good, I could see that theme in the original novella and imagined Jekyll to look much like the doctor in Young Frankenstein while shouting "For Science!"<br />
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What I feel like this interpretation lacked greatly was acknowledgement of the humanity of the novella, the heart of what makes us human amidst all the technology. But wait, you say, that's been done to death and this is revitalizing a tired script. I'll give you that. Pretty much all Jekyll & Hyde performances focus on the humanity of the characters -- because that's what the novella is about. Jekyll loses himself in the cold heart of science and technology, but in the end, realizes that in trying to perfect humanity, he has lost all of his. <br />
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So when I read the one page summary after the director's note, I was a little puzzled because I've come to expect great things from Synetic when it comes to gender and sexuality, and what I read was a very flat, one note description. The two lead female characters didn't even have names, while the male ones did, and were merely labelled as their archetypes -- The Fiancee and The Stripper. Mentally, I had already re-tagged them as The Madonna and The Whore. I thought it was a purposeful oversight meant to draw our attention to the role of women in Stevenson's original work, but there was no explanation provided for it. It seemed odd.<br />
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Then the play commenced and we see Jekyll's descent from a science-focused, naive young man into a Black Swan-reminiscent psychopath. Jekyll's best friend takes him to the redlight district to celebrate Jekyll's engagement to the nameless Fiancee. There, Jekyll's uncomfortable, he shakes off the advances of a male stripper, he hides his face from the women but peeks, then enjoys their attention. He's the epitome of repressed innocence. Then he and his friend save the Stripper from a mugger and he makes out with her at her prompting and has Impure Thoughts, capitalized because he can't deal. With any of it. He takes the Hyde serum he's been working on with his animatronics (an ensemble cast in leotards and gas masks that were like a physical representation of the Id more than a physical representation of technology), trying to rid himself of his Impure Thoughts that the Stripper evoked and it goes down hill from there. <br />
<br />
Partying and sexual sadism (RAPE) ensue, until Jekyll can't control Hyde and murders a random male stripper, then hauls the Stripper off for a somewhat graphic rape scene behind a tinted glass door. Hyde isn't Jekyll, blaming other people for his problems -- he's Jekyll with no filters for his morals, even as he works within the boundaries of that morality. The Stripper is the second murder victim, with a second graphic rape/murder scene that reminded me quite a bit of The Royal Shakespeare Company's recent performance of Frankenstein (with Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch). I'm assuming we were meant to interpret the Stripper turning to Jekyll and his friend for protection again to mean that she didn't recognize Jekyll as Hyde from her first attack. Because really, he gives her guilt money in the mail and she seeks him out? Predictably, he's left alone with her and Hyde breaks free to give her a gruesome, graphic end.<br />
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At that point, I was feeling very discontent, because this interpretation was supposed to be all about our relationship with technology and the only moral I could pull from it was that we become callous, murderous, homophobic jackasses the deeper we go -- Anyone who's read the anonymous comments of an online news article could have told me that -- and also that women who are assaulted by a guy they've only encountered twice apparently imprint on them and go back for more. (Systemic abuse victims, maybe I could see it. Violent, sudden, stranger-based sexual assault victims? Not seeing it.)<br />
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There's a juxtaposition in my comment above that bothers me, too -- If there was anything I gathered from the fact that this play is all about the use of technology here, then it's that science and technology are inherently male, and that women have no place in it except as passive victims of its male producers. <br />
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See, Jekyll tries to pretend everything's normal after he hides the body of the Stripper, but Hyde takes over and tries to kill the Fiancee in her sleep (that's when it goes Black Swan with ballerina shoes and streaky black face paint) but Jekyll prevails. Then Hyde breaks free at their wedding, murdering everyone except the best friend and the Fiancee, then kills the best friend after a kiss (repressed homosexual desires? which, apparently, he'd rather murder people than face) <br />
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But! Jekyll kills himself before Hyde can use the serum on the Fiancee, and then she, after watching him go on a murder spree which included her father and all her friends, comes down to cradle him in her arms and the play ends. Because he can kill all those other people, but he can't stand to bring her, the epitome of purity, down to his depraved level. She remains The Madonna to the end, complete with spotlight as her love attempts to redeem him. She doesn't really fight back. She doesn't take her chance to run out the door and flee. She has no personality and is there as a witness, a foil to illustrate his downfall.<br />
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I think my disappointment boils down to this: After Taming of the Shrew, with its strong male and female leads who turn societal expectation on its head, I was constantly waiting for Jekyll & Hyde to give me something new, something innovative in its story line, and it never delivered. The story was one that I've seen done a hundred times and this interpretation brought nothing new to the table.<br />
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From a technical standpoint, the production was mindblowing -- hence my conflicted state. A bank of television screens of various sizes was incoporated in the production in an innovative manner, to give us a glimpse into Jekyll's mind, though at first it just seems to be a microscope until you realize it's representing his thoughts on what he's doing. Later, Jekyll or Hyde will go behind the bank of screens, only to appear on it (in a recording) and emerge from behind minutes later as the other. It was a very clever way to effect an on-stage transition without breaking the pace of the story or leaving bits of wardrobe lying about the stage. The ensemble dancers interacted with it, Alex Mills interacted with the recording of himself, and it was a way to show Jekyll having flashbacks of Hyde's actions without acting everything out (a reprieve when it came to the first rape).<br />
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Mr. Mills was really the shining piece of the whole production. He was able to switch characters in a split second, fighting himself physically on stage amid contortions that had us questioning whether he really had vertebrae or a Slinky in his back. He brought a physicality to Hyde that made him seem wanton but on the verge of great destruction at all times. His frenetic energy made the rest of the cast seem slow in comparison.<br />
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So there you have my feelings. They may seem overly negative, but perhaps I was more sensitive to the content than I realized going in and had different expectations.<br />
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We're definitely looking forward to Synetic's next play, A Trip To The Moon, by Natsu Onoda Power. A friend caught Ms. Power's interpretation of Astro Boy and thought it was amazing, so I have high hopes on this one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-87288431297295096972012-09-15T00:02:00.002-04:002012-11-10T20:54:01.118-05:00Charity Sips and Gift Baskets!So I crawled into the black pit of my day job and am only now seeing the light of day (and a day off) for the first time in about a month. So hello, world! (I totally miss that show. Am I the only one who remembers it on IMF?)<br />
<br />
September is Torquere's Anniversary month. I donated some goodies to celebrate here:<br />
<i><br />
September 15 prize is an awesome J. Rocci gift basket. Come enter your name to win this or many other prizes... <a href=http://www.torquerepress.com/anniversary/">http://www.torquerepress.com/anniversary/</a> <br />
</i><br />
Also, this year's Charity Sips are now availble in a <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=79_111">complete package or individually</a>, including my short little offering of <a href="http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_111&products_id=3680">Dapper Gentlemen</a>.<br />
<br />
Soon, I shall rejoin the land of the living. For now, I have a weekend of home cleaning/repairs in line, as much as I can with a bum knee.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-46742734803042485962012-06-14T18:02:00.003-04:002012-11-10T20:54:14.563-05:00Lessons in HumilitySoooo... I've been couch-ridden for almost a week and it's given me time to contemplate the meaning of the word "humility" as well as "humiliation." You see, I sprained my knee pretty damn bad by tripping on a cat scratching post one day, and then falling in the shower the next when the knee gave out. <br />
<br />
Yes, you read that right. A cat scratching post.<br />
<br />
Everyone I Know In The World: Wait, you're learning a variation of Muay Thai and it's a cat scratching post you sprain your MCL on? Really?<br />
<br />
Me: Yes. >:(<br />
<br />
ER Doctor: ... ooooo-kay. That's a new one.<br />
Orthopedic Specialist: ... really?<br />
Mother: ... like, what the cat scratches?<br />
Friends: ... wait, the cat, or the cat's scratching post? Because cats can be evil, man, maybe they're trying to kill you. If they trip you, then you're down on their level and they can go for the jugular--<br />
<br />
Me: *facepalm*<br />
<br />
I've been told that I should come up with a cooler story, like I was doing a round-house kick to a 6'5" 300 lbs man's head and sprained my knee on his face, or I was back-flipping off a wall and landed wrong to avoid crushing a small child, etc. etc. <br />
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But, nope. I got nothing. Just me and <a href="http://www.petsmart.com/product/zoom/index.jsp?productId=10845102">a modern art wavy cat scratching post</a> I bought from Target. <br />
<br />
And now some crutches, and ibuprofen, and couch-surfing. Because in all seriousness, when I fell in the shower, Mr. Bay thought I was dead. First time I fell, the knee didn't hurt that bad, so I went about my business for the day. Second time (first fall in shower), I pulled a silent Nancy Kerrigan with gritted teeth on the bottom of the shower stall. Then I was an idiot and stood up on my good leg. My blood pressure dropped and I went back down like a wildebeest with a lion on its ass, complete with bloodless face, unblinking eyes, and no breathing for about ten seconds. Mum knows the technical term for it, but all Mr. Bay knew was PANIC, so I've been on my best behavior since trying not to give him an ulcer. <br />
<br />
That also means I'm antsier than a two year old with a sugar high from the enforced inactivity, and surfing the web for marathons to run in the fall while I sigh heavily and glare at the confines of my living room. So if I can focus for more than five seconds on one thing, I might finish some of the stories on my to do list. Or, conversely, I might go back to pushing myself around the house in circles on our wheeled-ottoman making pirate noises and chasing the cats.<br />
<br />
It's 50-50 at this point...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-77349859549627121252012-05-28T09:20:00.000-04:002012-05-28T21:21:04.052-04:00Still my favorite image from all those chain e-mails.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalJVA-xfnl4Wfz0hzqbEnbQgBONpAdH7lpciUAsTbK3x50qgTIJiC_6FOHkji78RhwA9qJMszQ6rn88jFv8wAnfRTO8CqSYFA4EIybrv50Cfl4l6L-CbjVAibDbSBuhGt5cN2apacyBQ/s1600/0000ayxr.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612525062471078642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalJVA-xfnl4Wfz0hzqbEnbQgBONpAdH7lpciUAsTbK3x50qgTIJiC_6FOHkji78RhwA9qJMszQ6rn88jFv8wAnfRTO8CqSYFA4EIybrv50Cfl4l6L-CbjVAibDbSBuhGt5cN2apacyBQ/s320/0000ayxr.gif" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Washington, DC, USA38.8951118 -77.036365838.7962463 -77.1977273 38.993977300000005 -76.8750043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-67836818562656671902012-05-23T18:41:00.000-04:002012-05-23T18:41:08.949-04:00Crocodylus Acutus by J. RocciMy free story on GoodReads is available now on the M/M Discussion Group <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/892664-j-rocci-crocodylus-acutus">here</a>!<br />
<br />
Craig is a crocodile shifter who loves nothing more than to sit in the river all day among his pure croc brethren. Over the past few days he's been watching this cute conservationist gather data about his dwindling habitat. But when the guy falls into the mud, the rest of the crocs think lunch but Craig thinks love. <br />
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genre: contemporary; fantasy<br />
tags: college; scientist; shifters; shifters (non-wolf/cat); geeks/nerds; soul mates or bonded<br />
content warnings: none<br />
words: 5,698<br />
<br />
Stay tuned in coming months for the PDF anthology download!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386767184739227611.post-83179169465874226602012-05-20T10:39:00.000-04:002012-05-20T10:39:01.682-04:00Over on the Torquere Livejournal!I'm not dead yet! I don't want to go on the cart!
Find out about my little writing world hiatus over on the <a href="http://torquere-social.livejournal.com/">Torquere Livejournal</a> today and enter to win a $10 Torquere Press gift certificate!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0