Hellion is done!
Releasing the Screaming Camel of Happiness!
Readers Meet in London! 4 Authors! 1 Night! 14 March 2019!
On 14 March 2019 at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel’s The Booking Office, we welcome you to join us for an unprecedented gathering of authors the likes of which have never been seen before!
Actually, that’s a lie. I have no idea if The Booking Office has ever had gathering of authors before and I imagine since the hotel’s been there for a long time, I’m pretty sure it has BUT this will be the first time Bru Baker, Rhys Ford (me), TA Moore and Carroll S Poe will be there for a Readers’ Meet and we’d love to have you come see us!
Please RSVP on the Google Docs or comment here so we know how many glasses of water to set out (That also is a lie… we need to know how many chairs to get).
Date: 14 March 2019
Place: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, The Booking Office, Gillow’s Booth
Time: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
RSVP Here: European Invasion! – Google Sheets !
We will be more than happy to sign books and anything else you bring with you providing it is not a deed to a house or a cheque. That said, we do so hope you will join us! There will be food, swag and you can enter the European Invasion Giveaway that spans across all three DSP European Events!
You can also RSVP by emailing me at rhysford AT vitaenoir DOT com
Enable the new Rhys Ford Casting skill on your Alexa Device and get the latest on what’s out and what’s going on!
“Alexa, launch Rhys Ford Casting”
Welcome to a new way to keep up with what’s going on! Rhys Ford and Dreamspinner Press have partnered up to provide you with the latest news from Rhys Ford through your Alexa, Dot or Echo.
Two ways to enable the app, directly on the Amazon site or on the Alexa app.
https://www.amazon.com/Witlingo-Rhys-Ford-Casting/dp/B07N7MJ7C8/
To enable Alexa skills in the Alexa app:
- From the menu, select Skills & Games.
- Find a skill you want to use, and then select it to open the skill detail page.
- Select Enable Skill, or ask Alexa to open the skill.
Then just tell your Alexa device; Alexa*, launch Rhys Ford Casting.
To get the next bit of news, just say next!
Updates will happen frequently so check back every week! AND see Rhys at events and be included in a Casting shout out!
* or whatever wake word you’ve chosen
Whooo hooo! GRL 2019 Featured Author!
I am VERY excited to announce I will be going to GRL 2019 in ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (Oct. 17-20) as a FEATURED AUTHOR.
Looking forward to see you all there and oh, now I have to come up with some really cool swag.
Readers Meet in London! 4 Authors! 1 Night! 14 March 2019!
On 14 March 2019 at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel’s The Booking Office, we welcome you to join us for an unprecedented gathering of authors the likes of which have never been seen before!
Actually, that’s a lie. I have no idea if The Booking Office has ever had gathering of authors before and I imagine since the hotel’s been there for a long time, I’m pretty sure it has BUT this will be the first time Bru Baker, Rhys Ford (me), TA Moore and Carroll S Poe will be there for a Readers’ Meet and we’d love to have you come see us!
Please RSVP to one of the authors or comment here so we know how many glasses of water to set out (That also is a lie… we need to know how many chairs to get).
Date: 14 March 2019
Place: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, The Booking Office, Gillow’s Booth
Time: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
We will be more than happy to sign books and anything else you bring with you providing it is not a deed to a house or a cheque. That said, we do so hope you will join us! Let us know if you can make it and we’ll add your name to the list. See you there!
You can also RSVP by emailing me at rhysford AT vitaenoir DOT com
I am Alive. Mostly.
I haven’t forgotten all of you. Promise. Mostly I’ve been heads down and writing. Hellion’s at the end stretch and there’s a lot to do before I head to Paris and the UK. Mostly organize swag, make sure I have all of my UK things and fret over forgetting my passport which I do ALL the time. Fret. Not forget.
It’s early here and cold. And I could use about five more hours of sleep but that’s mostly because my bed was warm. Don’t you hate that about getting up knowing it’s cold outside and you have to go into it?
I have to start thinking about Hellion’s cover. That’s going to be a hard one to do. BUT I do have the tattoo so hopefully I’ll get to work on that before I leave for Europe.
Whatcha all doing?
Covers and POCs
This isn’t going to be a rehash of… brown people on the cover of a book means no sales. I can’t answer that. I don’t think that it’s true but I also don’t have any evidence one way or another to speak about it with any sense. So… I’m going to leave that to the side.
What I have noticed is the discussion about the Asians in my books and how some people view them. I’ve heard for years Asian men are read as “feminine” by US readers and to some extent, I guess? I don’t know about that either. I usually try to make sure I hit the cultural notes of writing an Asian character and I have noticed one thing… if the character is depicted as Asian on the cover, this impression seems to carry through.
Case in point… two very different characters; Cole McGinnis and Miki St. John.
Both of them are mixed. Literally half Asian and half European. Both of them actually don’t have an Asian upbringing although Miki has more Asian influences from living in Chinatown but neither one of them is culturally Asian. Cole is depicted as more Anglo-featured on the covers whereas Miki is more Asian looking. This was done because of choices available and well, how they appear. Cole is bulkier and there was only one stock model that came close to what Miki could look like. Don’t get me started on trying to find Asian men in stock photography.
Now, if I had to talk about which one of these characters I would not want to meet in a dark alley while pissed off, it’s hands down Miki. While he’s probably more broken than Cole, he’s a hell of a lot more street smart and well, can be as mean as junkyard dog. Okay probably meaner since he literally has a junkyard dog named Dude and that pupper is very sweet.
Cole’s more of a white knight and well, is cowed by a tiny black cat so there you go there. Cole would save you from Miki. And probably break his nose while doing so.
So here comes the discussion, what leads to this “femme” impression on an outwardly Asian character? Or at least a main character depicted as Asian on a cover but isn’t written as being culturally Asian.
Cole’s lover, Jae-Min, is also framed in these terms and he’s very culturally Korean. So let’s toss that into the mix.
I think a lot of it has to do with someone’s idea of what masculine is. That a man can’t be emotive or reflective in any open way without having his masculine identity taken from him. We see this all the time in how writers and film makers treated the “pansy” stereotype of a gay man in the past and to some extent, this transfers to the Asian man because often times, their body shape is less bulky, less hairy and definitely not fitting into the archtype of a manly man as seen by the West.
Mind you, this is spaghetti against the wall talk. I have no idea. I’m trying to make some sense of it only as a way to see someone else’s perspective because I don’t see any of these characters as feminine. I see them as people I’ve created who have different ways of reacting to things.
Am I offended by someone calling my character feminine? Truth? No? Yes? I don’t know. I think it does minimize the character, shoving them into a gender box no man should belong in. So much of today’s society really could use a little bit of what traditionally is called feminine energy but in reality, it’s just being human.
Men shouldn’t cry. They shouldn’t show emotion. They shouldn’t hug. Or care for another man as a friend. Their relationships should be couched in grunts and manly hugs. The only time tenderness should be shown is if it’s to their kid and only when it’s small because hugging your grown son is just weird.
Just weird.
I’m guilty of thinking this. I have in the past. It’s hard to change what we’ve been taught and I’m not even a guy so I can’t even begin to imagine how fucking hard it is to deal with being told you can’t do these things that show how you feel just because you have a dick. Women are now being told it’s okay to be strong. Well, guys… it’s okay to be strong and cry. Or laugh. Or hug. (Preferably with the consent of whomever you’re hugging).
So… what’s your take on this? Think on stuff and let me know. I’d like some opinions. Mostly because I really want to hear other people’s perspectives on this. Phone lines are open. Keep it civil and most of all, decide if you want ketchup on your eggs or not. But… if someone does and you don’t, just pass them the bottle.
Savior on Audio and Hellion on the Page
If you missed the news of Savior coming out on audio, well… it’s HERE! https://www.amazon.com/Savior-415-Ink-Book-2/dp/B07MXPS6G9/
Once again, Tristan’s done a great job and the funny thing is, someone just sent me a question through Goodreads about hearing Greg Tremblay doing Ichi’s voice on Rebel, the first audiobook in the 415 Ink series and also voiced by Tristan James.
Funny thing is, that IS Greg. It’s a small Easter Egg that came about when the three of us met up in Los Angeles last year at a very hipster bar in K-Town. A bit of booze and a bit of chatting and well, Greg graciously agreed to do Ichi’s lines and Tristan worked them into the audio.
That kind of stuff makes me very happy and it was great to have two of the best narrators in the business working on one of my books so thank you for that, guys! I owe you another round.
I’m working on Hellion now and it’s… man, Ivo’s hard. But see, that’s okay because there’s stuff… all the stuff… I have to work in. And this has a different flavour to it. I don’t know how to describe it but there’s a caramel taste to it. We’ll see how it comes out.
So that’s what I’m up to. Wish me luck and I’ll be back to talk about Kai.
415 Ink: Savior is out on Audio! Narrated by Tristan James!
Savior is out on Audio!
And as always, Tristan James delivers an incredible job! Much thanks and hearts for such a wonderful talent!
Grab it now!
A savior lies in the heart of every good man, but sometimes only love can awaken the man inside the savior.
The world’s had it out for San Francisco firefighter Mace Crawford from the moment he was born. Rescued from a horrific home life and dragged through an uncaring foster system, he’s dedicated his life to saving people, including the men he calls his brothers. As second in command of their knitted-together clan, Mace guides his younger siblings, helps out at 415 Ink, the family tattoo shop, and most of all, makes sure the brothers don’t discover his darkest secrets.
It’s a lonely life with one big problem – he’s sworn off love, and Rob Claussen, one of 415 Ink’s tattoo artists, has gotten under his skin in the worst way possible.
Mace’s world is too tight, too controlled to let Rob into his life, much less his heart, but the brash Filipino inker is there every time Mace turns around. He can’t let Rob in without shaking the foundations of the life he’s built, but when an evil from his past resurfaces, Mace is forced to choose between protecting his lies and saving the man he’s too scared to love.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Savior-415-Ink-Book-2/dp/B07MXPS6G9/
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Savior-Audiobook/1644054515
Coming soon to iTunes Audiobooks
Wanna Talk About Something Stupid.
Did you ever notice some people are violently aggressive in their hatred for Starbucks.
Like lose their fucking shit if they even see the logo crazy.
The same holds true for Amazon and other companies. There’s animosity against Apple or PCs, stirred up by social media and commericals. And entire campaigns have been waged over Walmart and Target for various reasons. Articles and opinions flung about in a constant battle to influence people.
Here’s the thing… I think sometimes we’re so busy fighting for our “flag” of choice, we forget something… in a lot of cases, it’s none of our fucking business.
I’m not talking about civil rights or environmental initiatives… I’m talking about someone liking a coffee chain and getting attacked for it by someone who doesn’t pay their bills or is a part of their lives.
Some companies are problematic in some areas. Not going to lie about that. Chik-fil-A will never get a dime of my money but I’m not going to fight a friend over the fact they stop for chicken nuggets. I can speak out against their practices but I’m not going to police someone’s choices based on my own. People aren’t going to change doing something unless they want to change… be it for social concerns or simply personal taste.
I get it. We’re all social warriors at some level and with different passions but honestly, I could give a flying fuck if you think Starbucks burns their beans. I know that’s not true. But that’s my own take on things (also, burnt beans turn into powder and can’t be ground but you know, physics or so I’ve seen and been told). I also don’t care if you don’t drink your coffee with bells and whistles and hate pumpkin spice lattes. I don’t like PSLs either but you know what? I’m not going to drink one and it’s not going to be found by a four year old who will then shoot and kill their younger sibling with it.
Because THAT kind of shit is where I need to get angry. That’s where I need to speak up. And I invite you to speak up with me… but keep in mind, people are going to scream to drown you out and for some reason, they just can’t seem to understand we’re sick and tired of our kids being slaughtered.
I want to save my outrage for something that matters. Because I’ve got finite energy. And time. People are tired. And I think we’re all tired of being angry. Choose your battles isn’t just sound advice, I think it’s a good way to maintain your sanity. Or at least mine.
And did you notice there’s no hardcore battles about KFC vs Popeye’s? I mean no one gets into long dissertations about how KFC’s got a good crust but fucking totally lacks on the heat scale. Even the hot wings aren’t that spicy. Why aren’t we passionate about that?
So… maybe take a breath before we build that soapbox…and while I am firmly #TeamNoKetchup, at the end of this day or the next… what you put on your eggs really isn’t any of my business. And it should not affect how we interact.
Rhys Ford 