tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42828038067254621722024-03-13T06:31:30.189-07:00Katsura and Yuramei NewsThe place to find updates from Yaoi team, Katsura and YurameiKatsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-32094759929292972462013-10-02T01:13:00.001-07:002013-10-02T12:29:33.758-07:00Reviewing the Reviews of your Reviews<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-7984fd82-7834-90e1-5ffd-e1dc90ffe157" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a new author, you've probably considered the issue of how you'll feel if you get a bad review. You can't know what your reaction will amount to until you get one, but it can be hard to remain unruffled by negativity towards your work.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some notable authors have actually embraced less than glowing opinion. The most caustic critic of playwright and novelist, Joe Orton, was a woman called Edna Welthorpe. She frequently wrote to the press slating Orton’s plays but did Mr Orton care? No, because he was actually penning the letters himself.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orton knew the value of publicity of all kinds. The, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t pay any attention to what they write about you. Just measure it in inches, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">attitude of Andy Warhol.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I once heard the phrase, "If you have no bad reviews, no one is reading your work." If one takes this summary as being true, the day you get that, "these characters suck," you're on your way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After the friends and family opinions, when you will be given 5 stars by those around you in the understandable desire to support your work, your hard crafted words will be out there with people who have no clue who you are and so will be saying honestly what they felt after reading your book. Some will love it and and some will hate it. But take comfort that they are reading it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This can be easier said than done, and brings me to real point of my blog —the issue of answering your reviews.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I can't stress enough how potentially career ruining it can be to comment on a bad review. I understand you will feel that some of the criticism thrown at you is unwarranted, but you would be very unwise to retaliate.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are at perfect liberty to hate your book, just as you are in being hurt or annoyed by this. But better to reserve your griping for the family and friends I mentioned before, who will tell you why the reviewer is wrong and remind you of what a genius you are.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In my opinion, the advice not to comment on reviews should extend even to those filled with praise. Of course, you are going to tweet about your lovely four and five stars and so you should! You can even click the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">like</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> button...folk love a chance for some fingertip action on that wee beauty! (I’m sorry, I write porn. Force of habit.)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What I do think is unwise, is going down your reviews and answering every one of them, addressing all the points made, saying how much you agree and expressing gratitude for what you’ve learned from the reviewer's words.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why? Because to me, it puts unfair pressure on the reader. Anyone coming along to review your work can't fail to notice that you're reading them all and putting in your two penneth. For some, this can be intimidating and perhaps encourages people to be less than honest. I'd probably not want to say, "bloody hell, I've seen better prose written on a toilet wall!" if the author was sitting there watching me. I'd likely rearrange it slightly to, "Bravo! The Man Booker Prize is in the bag, baby!"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not all will be put off by the fact you're going to review their review but some certainly will.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Again, I'm not saying don't tweet, quote or put up a big happy status because you got five stars. Just refrain from commenting on the actual review page. Or worse still, going on to comment on the comments on the review page. I have seen this done. It's not your personal forum, so just don't.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Debate over opinion on your work can quickly turn nasty. Folk who've ended up as the lone voice defending themselves on a page full of insults have been flamed. Seriously, it's never a good idea. A professional attitude is the key to dealing with reviews of all kinds. If you are mortally hurt by criticism, perhaps being an author is not for you. Obviously, no one likes to read bad things said about them. You'll feel shit for a few days, but that will pass. Irate rants by you will remain in screen caps forever — as will the big dent in your reputation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>Katsura (aka P.M Leckie) can be found on twitter @tabathathorn</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>The works of P.M. Leckie are here:</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><a href="http://www.paddysdaddypublishing.com/pm-leckies-books.html" target="_blank">P.M.Leckie</a></i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em>The work of Katsura and Yuramei, can be found at <a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/">www.bigdealcomic.com</a></em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-41159353880783449332013-04-07T00:22:00.001-07:002013-04-07T00:22:21.793-07:00Big Deal Collector's Edition Yaoi Box Set by Katsura and Yuramei
<br />
<div class="Chapter" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">An Introduction by Katsura (from the collector's edition of The Big Deal Series.)</span></span></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The beauty of being a writer is if you feel the world in which you live
is not rising to meet your expectations, you simply write one which will.
That's exactly what Yuramei and I did with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Big
Deal</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Real</i> life, and I put that
in italics because the world an author creates is often far more real to the
reader, can be a huge let down. The guy you love sleeps around, swears, drinks
and smokes too much and dresses like a pimp—this is unlikely to amuse you. But
we often hear from readers who've fallen in love with such a man—our very own
irreverent rogue, Judas MacGregor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">This compassion for our selfish and good looking chancer never ceases to
delight me. I'm honoured that people have made a space for him, and all of his
failings, not only in their heads, but in their hearts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">When Yuramei designed the character of Mikhail Majewski, I was stunned
when she presented me with his profile. He's a real challenge to bring to life
in a way which does him justice, but I couldn't wait to begin. Here we have a
man whose appearance is outwardly feminine and who exhibits such strength of
character as well as a keen eye for business. But why wouldn't he? In a line
from his own scene, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">women aren't weak, so
why did some people assume a feminine appearance made a man weak</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">A lot of Mikhail's dialogue—and few people are aware of this—is written
by Yuramei. Her style is a delicious contrast in scenes where he is faced with
characters I’ve written. The first meeting between Mikhail and Fergus Campbell
is something we are both proud of. The thug meeting the sophisticate is one of
my favourite moments in the whole series. The characters are poles apart in
personality yet there's still an instant attraction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">A more humorous result of Yuramei’s writing Mikhail and my writing
another character—in this instance, Judas MacGregor—can be found at the end of
volume two. Mikhail, after being through quite an ordeal, gives a touching and
heartfelt speech...and Judas gives him a typically flippant response. I totally
loved the comedy of it and it could never have happened without our
collaboration. It's organic way of writing and I adore it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Some of our prose appears in an experimental way. Similarly, combining <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yaoi </i>with British black comedy is not
something I've ever seen done before. For us, the blend works. Again I find the
merging of the two genre a joy, as well as a challenge, to write. Our readers
tell us the sex scenes are hot and that they laughed out loud at the humour. I
can't begin to tell you what a wonderful feeling that gives me. We set out to create
something unique, and we have it confirmed that we succeeded, by the comments
of those who enjoy our work. I worried people wouldn't know what to make of us,
but it seems they just dive right in with our boys and enjoy themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Our setting is also quite untypical for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yaoi</i>. We chose not to place our characters in either modern day or
ancient Japan...but in a fictitious blot on the landscape in the west coast of
Scotland. The small town of Glory surrounds the village of Everdirge—like a
fancy napkin over some spoiled food—and provides a great clash between the have
and have-nots. Judas clearly began his life as the latter but sees himself as
having risen to be the former. But social inequality, specifically in relation
to class, can be difficult to surmount. You might think you're successfully
upwardly mobile, but you'll always be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Judas
from the block</i> to those privileged enough to be born into good fortune.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Such places breed envy and envy leads to crime, and this is where the
work becomes a tad self-indulgent. If you want to write a British black comedy,
as I wanted to with all of my heart, there’s no better backdrop than organised
crime. This world offers a plethora of situations just waiting to be put down
on paper where the ridiculous notion of a whole gang of hoodlums thrust
together and having to rely on each other is a gift for the creator of comedic
chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I hope I've made you keen to see what happens when worlds collide, as it
were. Yuramei's brothel filled with delightfully attractive and meaningful
characters, and my village load of, in their own words, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">great wanking dickheads</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">With much love, and a huge amount of gratitude,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Katsura and Yuramei.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><em>Get your copy now. Three full novels, two short stories and one exclusive art book by Yuramei.</em></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><o:p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deal-Series-Collectors-Edition-ebook/dp/B00C7WIAV0%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00C7WIAV0" target="_blank">Big Deal: Collector's Edition By Katsura and Yuramei</a></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qojdE-G42xo/UWEeKu4DpeI/AAAAAAAAAMg/g6ksrpoufhQ/s1600/boxsetcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qojdE-G42xo/UWEeKu4DpeI/AAAAAAAAAMg/g6ksrpoufhQ/s320/boxsetcover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-71785789532070092642013-03-25T01:48:00.004-07:002013-03-25T01:48:29.150-07:00Orton and the Romcom...<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.09187681266197944" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Business is booming in the field of romantic literature...and by that I mean steamy stories which contain a whole lot of toe tingling sex! (At this point I will freely acknowledge that men both read and write these volumes too, but the reality is, the books are predominantly written for women </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">women.)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm not going to mention that series, you all know the one I mean. I've never read it so wouldn't want to be unfair and make comment, but largely due to it’s phenomenal success, the world has woken up to the earth-shattering notion that women like to read dirty books.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm in danger of going off on a rant here. When I first saw the term </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mummy Porn </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">used to describe a book about BDSM,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I just about spat out my pipe. I mean, how bloody patronising is that? That men read smut has been generally accepted for centuries but when a woman reads it, society has to dress it up as somehow twee and light. Airy fairy fuckery to wile away the hours between feeding the kids and doing the dishes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I write Yaoi. Explicit sex between men. And you know what? I am happy to admit that it's filthy. There's nothing sweet or touching about </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/characters.html#Judas"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Judas MacGregor</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> getting it on with some horny Japanese twins. My readers tell me those scenes are hot and that's exactly what I intend them to be. If anyone dared to call my work </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mummy Porn, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'd send the boys round--and not in a good way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seemingly acceptable for women to like a wee bit of the old hearts and flowers routine, but not detailed debauchery, books aimed at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the fairer sex, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">that have a high level of erotic content, are labelled as </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">romance</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To me, this is simply another way of putting a skirt around the fact that some women enjoy pornography. So women’s reading habits are something to be ashamed of? A dirty little secret that should be hidden behind a chintz screen?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Granted, a lot of erotica has a romantic plotline, and don't get me wrong, I am not criticising those works at all. I'm also certain that a lot of authors are happy to have their books so titled, and good luck to them. More power to your talented elbow, I say!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm merely wondering why books which contain no, or very little romance, but a lot of raunchy action, are also placed in this section</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Is the reason for this solely because the target audience is largely female?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well we can't have the little lady rooting around amongst the lads' mags now, can we?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Occasionally people lament the lack of love in the stories I produce with my partner in crime, Yuramei. Fair enough. If they found the books in the romance section perhaps an assumption concerning the content is understandable. But frankly, more often than not, that's where you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">will</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> find them. With few retailers having a designated spot for Yaoi, </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/Novels.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">books</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/authors.html#Katsura"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Katsura</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/authors.html#Yuranei"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Yuramei</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, and many other predominantly female writers of that genre, will be placed under "Graphic Novels/ Romance".</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The fact that we're not strictly a graphic novel, but illustrated prose, doesn’t worry me much. It's the romance handle which I find most difficult to sit with.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m probably not alone in being a woman who doesn’t require a prince charming between the pages to help me enjoy a good story. I’m more likely to go for two big thugs, hard at it with not so much as a need for a cursory introduction</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The relationship between my anti-hero, Judas--and the guy he rescued from addiction and prostitution, Vinny--is probably as close to sentimental as you'll get from me. Similarly, the bond between </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/characters.html#Mikhail"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Mikhail Majewski</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and </span><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/characters.html#Fergus"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Fergus Campbell</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, albeit based on mutual attraction, is not the focus of the entire story. The series is a black comedy set in the world of organised crime, generously interspersed here and there, with graphic scenes of gay sex.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you’ve ever read the play, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Entertaining Mr Sloane</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Joe Orton, you’ll find that a goodly amount of the plot revolves around Kath and her brother Ed, competing for the attentions of the eponymous young chancer who’s ensconced himself in their family home. That both Kath and Ed are after Mr Sloane for sex is no secret. Orton cleverly conveys, through dialogue laced with innuendo, just exactly what's going on the minds of these middle aged siblings</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The play still packs theatres almost half a century after it was written and thankfully, you'll never see it advertised as a “romcom”.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But maybe if it was penned today--with far more sex as our censors are not as strict as those in the nineteen-sixties--and by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Josephine </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Orton, you would.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Katsura and Yuramei's unromantic work can be found at: <a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/">www.bigdealcomic.com</a></span></div>
<br />Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-30897690517414375312013-03-08T11:53:00.000-08:002013-03-09T05:49:54.864-08:00So What's the Big Deal About Writing Smut?<span id="internal-source-marker_0.2854177590783617" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This Is something that probably hasn't just happened to me. I bet there's a few female authors out there who've encountered the same issue.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm having a regular conversation with a man who doesn't know me very well. The fact that he's talking to me illustrates this point perfectly, I'm completely anti-social and he'll be barking up the wrong tree, as it were. He asks me what I do and I tell him I'm an author. All seems fine. I might even get a few compliments and words of praise--that does happen as people imagine the life of an author to be a glamorous one...aw...bless--then the conversation shifts when it's revealed that my novels contain...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">smut.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gasp. Shock horror. No, that was just from my sister, (ha ha sorry, love you xx).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What normally happens then, is that a once fairly civilised conversation instantly plummets to the gutter and I'm treated to a wealth of filthy comments and suggestions. It doesn't seem to matter that my brand of smut is Yaoi--or men getting it on with each other, to the uninitiated.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes! Suddenly it's okay to hit on me and drop all pretence of respect for me being a woman--and a mother, I might add. Okay, granted, being a woman or a mother doesn't automatically give you respect but there you go. My experience as a female author of smut is that I'm treated as somehow less deserving of normal courtesy by some, when it’s discovered what I do.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why is that, I wonder? I also write a web novel about a serial killer. No one inches away from me when they find out </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">wee gem. Neither is it assumed that I'll want to know, in gory detail, methods I may not yet have considered in which to bump someone off.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I sat down to write my first sex scene I barely knew where to begin. I'm going to blame my partner in crime, Yuramei, for the fact that there was a sex scene to be written at all. She suggested we make the book a Yaoi. I'd seen the tame sort of Yaoi and really couldn't work that with the kind of characters I write and so we agreed, explicit Yaoi it had to be.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I didn't read or watch a lot of gay porn to prepare myself for the task ahead. I did what most writers do. I invited the characters from the scene into my head, gave them a rough idea of their motivation and left them to it. I simply took notes, like a furtive voyeur who couldn't afford, or had neglected to bring, a decent camera. I wrote it all down and was actually pretty pleased with the result. Sadly, when that scene was later published, it was pointed out by the very first reviewer that the main character had used both Vaseline </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> a condom. Gah! Big mistake. But as the main character is Judas MacGregor, I forgave myself the lapse. He's not exactly mastermind and hadn't expected to use the Vaseline in the first place, having made his first attempt at penetration, “with spit alone”. He just went a bit overboard after his sexual partner complained about his technique--the cheek of him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The scene still reads the same now and I'm not ashamed of it, despite Judas's sexual faux pas and the completely graphic content. Art imitates life. In life, occasionally, or so I'm led to believe, people have sex. They also eat, sleep and go to the toilet. I'd be lying if I said that there were highly detailed flushing scenes in my books but there are a lot of toilets mentioned. Judas is an incorrigible cottager.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I refuse to hang my head in shame for writing what some would describe as gay porn. The sex is not the focus of the story but the genre requires that sex is included in the content.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So some men talk dirty to me when they find out what I do. Hilariously, people often ask me, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">but how can you know what it's like?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My answer to that is usually, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">did George Lucas ever fly an intergalactic spacecraft?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That's flippant, I know. But the reality is that both male and female authors of heterosexual sex are always writing half the scene from a male point of view and half from a female. (And authors/ editors, you know what I mean. Don't get me started on POV glitches here.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To sum all of this up, I am Katsura and I write smut. If you read it, just enjoy it. Like real sex, it's messy, funny and may contain nuts...as well as the odd mistake.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Katsura and Yuramei's work can be seen here: www.bigdealcomic.com </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Their first novel, Big Deal: vol 1: Lust for Vengeance, can be purchased here:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMhlhlaoUAo/UTo_qhyouyI/AAAAAAAAAMI/LedaoBbfZWc/s1600/BIGderldraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMhlhlaoUAo/UTo_qhyouyI/AAAAAAAAAMI/LedaoBbfZWc/s320/BIGderldraft.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Vengeance-ebook/dp/B006UP564O%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006UP564O" target="_blank">Big Deal: Vol 1: Lust For Vengeance by Katsura and Yuramei</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-89461790514384687292013-03-03T00:10:00.000-08:002013-03-03T00:10:02.958-08:00Writing The Bad Guy<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Brutal
men exist, and so do those who love them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">This
is a quote from our third novel, Despite Them, and the phrase which we used to
promote the book. Seems like a nice little tag line, but the words were
actually inspired by the conflicts I sometimes encounter as the creator
of...<em>the bad guy</em>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I
hope you heard ominous music in your head at the sight of those words. Okay, so
I don't just create one bad guy, but a whole effing mob of them. A big bunch of
thugs who some people love and others seem to hate. And on a, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don't try this at home kids</i> note, none
of these crooks are intended to be role models.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Fergus
Campbell. Now there's a name that tends to promote the most visceral reaction.
He is, without a doubt, an utter swine of a man. A brutal criminal who thumps
first then asks questions later. The reader is meant to fear for anyone whom he
encounters, but I won't tell people that they're meant to hate him, or love him
for that matter. It's entirely up to whoever is holding the book at the time.
Personally? I'd cross the street if I saw him. Shout from a healthy distance
about what a big jerk he is and of how some day, someone will kick him up and
down the street in the way he so easily does to others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">In
real life I'd have no time for him, but I've encountered people like him and
used some of the traits I found in those people to create my bad guy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">He's
charming, for one. On a first meeting one might be sapped in by that. And of
course, he's extremely handsome. Being a bastard doesn't make a guy's face
ugly...well not until someone socks him one for it, I guess.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">So
there he is. Nice suit, neatly trimmed goatee, dripping elegant compliments on
unsuspecting admirers. Just like a good few of the brutes I've had the
misfortune to encounter. He also has endearing qualities. He’s generous and
even tender, with the man he loves. Sometimes, but not always, he’s capable of acknowledging
when he’s in the wrong and making amends for that fact. With himself, at least,
he is completely candid about his fails but still manages to justify his more reprehensible
ones. But again only to himself. His honestly doesn’t extend to those around
him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The
better qualities that he displays are perhaps what cause most conflict. Because
I write him as a good-looking charmer, does that mean I condone his actions?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Hannibal
Lecter is suave, intelligent and very easy on the eye. An utterly perfect bad
guy, in my opinion. At some points he appears kind and thoughtful to the young
FBI agent, Clarice Starling. So Thomas Harris is an advocate of murder and
cannibalism? Okay, a bit extreme, but you see my point?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">All
people, even the most vicious, are capable of good. Even for only a fleeting
moment in an otherwise savage existence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">One
scene, in Despite Them, finds loveable reprobate, Judas MacGregor, lamenting
that as he's the good guy—in the fictional showdown he's having with his arch
enemy, Owen MacIsaac—by default, he'd have the white Stetson. In his own
fashion challenged way, he considers that the black hat would look better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">If
only sorting the jerks and heartbreakers from Mr Wonderful was as easy as
having a quick look at their choice of head apparel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">MacIsaac,
being the villain in that scene, is described as shaven headed and scarred. Perhaps
more like what people expect as a typical yobbish nut-job. When I wrote him,
the ex-footballer turned actor, Vinnie Jones, kept popping into my head. For
me, I find that look way more attractive than Fergus's dark hair and </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">chiselled</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"> features. But I
digress, their physical appearances were not influenced by their personalities.
They’re both bastards.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Brutal
men do exist. The people who love them are often fully aware of their true
nature. In real life, this can be hard to swallow. Especially if one is close
to a victim of one of these swines. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">Why does he/she keep going back to
him/her</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">It's
a complex query which I'm not about to go into in this blog. Suffice to say, I
have experience of this question.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">In
fiction, and in particular, my own comedic accounts of a group of self-titled
hard men, I've tried to represent my characters as realistically as possible,
albeit that they sometimes land in some very unrealistic situations. But I'm
writing a Yaoi fantasy, and one which I hope can carry the reader away from
their woes for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">In
writing Fergus, who describes himself as a "coward", I hope I managed
to create the turmoil of emotions that one often feels when dealing with the
prick in our own real lives.<br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Katsura and Yuramei’s good, and bad, guys
can be found here: www.bigdealcomic.com<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cqdWIy4JdXE/UTMEdBKTBbI/AAAAAAAAAL4/Kt5muTCtkj8/s1600/BDPREQUELcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cqdWIy4JdXE/UTMEdBKTBbI/AAAAAAAAAL4/Kt5muTCtkj8/s320/BDPREQUELcover.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 3pt 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-56116719701144326802012-12-12T05:41:00.002-08:002012-12-12T05:41:59.075-08:00FREE short story Download on GoodreadsA special Christmas Present from Katsura and Yuramei.<br />
Our FREE short story can be downloaded as a PDF from Goodreads, so get it here and have some holiday cheer on us!<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3399503-reading-on-a-budget">http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3399503-reading-on-a-budget</a><br />
Merry Christmas, Mr MacGregor (Big Deal Shorts) by Katsura and Yuramei<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kfw5qDDbpfs/UMiJi8nK0lI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/WUP_y_URWWk/s1600/judcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kfw5qDDbpfs/UMiJi8nK0lI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/WUP_y_URWWk/s320/judcover.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-26323163728675068522012-12-11T01:43:00.001-08:002012-12-11T01:43:35.623-08:00Reading on a BudgetHaving just spent a fortune on Christmas presents for the family, probably the last thing you want to do is splurge on yourself.<br />But you want to read, right?<br />so here are some ways to keep up your Yaoi or M/M fix over the festive season.<br />Check out the free reads section at your favourite publisher or Author page.<br />Here is the the Free section from Katsura and Yuramei:<br /><a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/freebies.html">http://www.bigdealcomic.com/freebies.html</a><br />We also have and ongoing free yaoi Webnovel/thriller, with each chapter between 1000-2000 words long.<br /><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/">http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/</a><br />And if you like your yaoi in comic form, we have a free Yaoi webcomic, No Deal, which is usually updated weekly.<br /><a href="http://nodeal.bigdealcomic.com/">http://nodeal.bigdealcomic.com/</a><br />The publisher of our novels, Ai Press, also has a free read section:<br /><a href="http://ai-press.net/free-reads/">http://ai-press.net/free-reads/</a><br />and by joining the Ai Press Newsletter, you will always get a discount off books purchased on site:<br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ai_press_presents/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ai_press_presents/</a><br />And right now, you will get a whopping 30% off all titles, right through to New Years if you use the code XMAS at checkout.<br />If amazon is your thing, check out the the 100 top selling books there....I know..you maybe can't afford them? well right next to that list is the top 100 free downloads, which spans all genres. You just need to have a good look about.<br />Finally, try joining a group on Goodreads and you are sure to find a wealth of free or reduced titles from some truly awesome authors!<br />I am a member of the M/M Romance group and they have a brilliant selection of links to all things free! Also some awesome suggestions for keeping yourself well stocked with books, without breaking the bank.<br />Happy Holidays, and happy reading!<br />Love <br />Katsura xxx<br />
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-69672433552519722002012-12-01T06:48:00.003-08:002012-12-03T13:06:34.437-08:00A Festive Free Read from Katsura and Yuramei<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzUGDu66b2Q/UL0URlTFrRI/AAAAAAAAAKA/K6lai9Z7cKI/s1600/judcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzUGDu66b2Q/UL0URlTFrRI/AAAAAAAAAKA/K6lai9Z7cKI/s320/judcover.jpg" tea="true" width="204" /></a></div>
hello!<br />
To thank you all for all of your support in what has been an awesome Year for us, Katsura and Yuramei are making available a free short story.<br />
Merry Christmas, Mr MacGregor is available on our website <a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/freebies.html">http://www.bigdealcomic.com/freebies.html</a><br />
and will soon be up on the free read section at Ai Press.<br />
<a href="http://ai-press.net/free-reads/">http://ai-press.net/free-reads/</a><br />
Excerpt:<br />
<br />
"The holiday season was never really much of a big deal for Judas MacGregor. Like an unexpected bout of syphilis, festive shenanigans were something to be avoided. Christmas just seemed like a pointless waste of money and energy. So when Judas was invited to undertake a little bit of business in Tokyo, a jaunt which would see him away from his home village of Everdirge in Scotland for the last two weeks in December, he jumped at the chance.<br />
<br />
A free trip to Japan? How could he refuse?<br />
His entrepreneurial skills in the import trade had attracted the attention of some rather high profile suppliers. Judas insisted that before he parted with what even he considered to be a significant amount of dosh, he'd like a close up view of the product. Next thing he knew, he'd been offered a winter break, all expenses paid."<br />
<br />
To read more of this story, which is three chapters long, head over to our website or to that of our publisher.<br />
As with all of our current work, the story is suitable for 18+ only and contains explicit Yaoi content.<br />
Do let us know what you think!<br />
Love<br />
Katsura<br />
Latest release<br />
Big Deal Vol Despite Them<br />
Amazon:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Despite-ebook/dp/B00AB3QWTO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353574293&sr=8-2&keywords=big+deal+despite+them">http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Despite-ebook/dp/B00AB3QWTO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353574293&sr=8-2&keywords=big+deal+despite+them</a><br />
All Romance eBooks<br />
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigdealvol3despitethem-1006096-145.html">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigdealvol3despitethem-1006096-145.html</a><br />
Barnes and Noble<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-deal-vol-3-katsura/1113840035?ean=2940015771435">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-deal-vol-3-katsura/1113840035?ean=2940015771435</a><br />
Ai Press<br />
<a href="http://ai-press.net/2012/11/21/now-available-big-deal-vol-3-despite-them/">http://ai-press.net/2012/11/21/now-available-big-deal-vol-3-despite-them/</a><br />
<br />
<br />Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-62136946025168191092012-11-22T01:04:00.001-08:002012-11-23T01:19:48.094-08:00Big Deal Vol 3 is out now!<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
I'm really happy to say that Big Deal Vol 3 Despite Them by Katsura and Yuramei has been released and is available worldwide.<br />
<br />
Blurb:<br />
“Brutal men exist and so do those who love them.”<br />
<br />
More action, passion, adventure and hot full colour illustrations with Judas MacGregor and his band of raucous reprobates. Gangsters are used to being surrounded by death, but how will the demise of one of their own affect the hierarchy?<br />
<br />
The fun-loving fornicator, Judas, has his eyes on the prize...but what about MacIsaac and Rasputin? They deserve a share of the territory, too. Ever loyal Vinny, has his hands full, quite literally, with the tattooed Japanese bodyguard, Cain. Beautiful brothel keeper, Mikhail, is preoccupied by a life changing decision.<br />
<br />
What lies in store for our favourite felons? Violence, sex and generous dash of British black comedy as Yaoi team, Katsura and Yuramei, get back in the driving seat, speed down the fast lane and run a few red lights to keep us gripped to the last page and beyond.<br />
<br />
Amazon Uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AB3QWTO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AB3QWTO</a><br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Despite-ebook/dp/B00AB3QWTO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353574293&sr=8-2&keywords=big+deal+despite+them" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-De...</a><br />
All Romance eBooks:<br />
<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigdealvol3despitethem-1006096-145.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...</a><br />
Ai Press:<br />
<a href="http://ai-press.net/2012/11/21/now-available-big-deal-vol-3-despite-them/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://ai-press.net/2012/11/21/now-av...</a><br />
Barnes and Noble:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-deal-vol-3-katsura/1113840035?ean=2940015771435">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-deal-vol-3-katsura/1113840035?ean=2940015771435</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADU2s-1O_NA/UK3qbr4zGXI/AAAAAAAAAJw/tgpm_atsKjA/s1600/big+deal+3+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ADU2s-1O_NA/UK3qbr4zGXI/AAAAAAAAAJw/tgpm_atsKjA/s1600/big+deal+3+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
</div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-67492953574669603872012-11-07T01:48:00.002-08:002012-11-07T03:32:05.851-08:00Brutal Men Exist<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
With the release of Katsura and Yuramei's Big Deal Vol 3 Despite Them, only weeks away, I thought I'd take the time to let you into the world we have created.<br />
It's inhabited by bad guys, crooks, rent boys, suspected Yakuza...and the occasional saint.<br />
Judas MacGregor has been described as a pimp, a gangster and even a slut. In reality, he could be all of these things. An honest, dishonest man who lives life to the full and is seriously addicted to sex. Anything goes with Judas...cottaging with total strangers, threesomes with twins...well I won't spoil the fun of discovering this for yourselves.<br />
Fergus Campbell is a fledgling hard man, and of an age where he should have ditched the fledgling part. A stint in prison cut short his aspiring career as a mob boss but he's back on track. He's a selfish, angry guy whose sole focus is on his own aims.<br />
Poles apart from each other are Fergus's lovers. The despicable, yet cunning little psycopath, Hugo (Fergus is in a civil partnership with him) and the beautiful and astute, Mikhail, owner of the local brothel.<br />
And where do we find all of these characters and more? In a genuine hole of a village on the west coast of Scotland.<br />
Their stories are unsentimental. A quote from the soon to be released volume three, sums them up best:<br />
"Brutal men exist and so do those who love them."<br />
Big Deal is not a romance. It is, like it says on the jacket of volume one, a wild ride of lust and mayhem. Modern illustrated Yaoi prose novels, with a British comedy edge. Dark, sometimes violent and always passionate because Yuramei and I wrote these books with passion. With the quote we have chosen to describe the series, we hope you can love the men of Big Deal. We know you will certainly hate some of them. Are you up for the challenge? We hope so!<br />
<br />
Love<br />
Katsura xxx<br />
<br />
Big Deal is available in ebook and Paperback at Amazon (links are here on my Author Page: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Katsura/e/B007G8NS12/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Katsura/e/B007G...</a>)<br />
All Romance: <br />
<a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.allromanceebooks.com/store...</a><br />
Barnes and Noble, Ai Press and other outlets.<br />
see our many other projects here:<br />
<a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.bigdealcomic.com</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETD4pQzE-fw/UJouXsOvzcI/AAAAAAAAAJg/HyFWf_svL2g/s1600/big+deal+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETD4pQzE-fw/UJouXsOvzcI/AAAAAAAAAJg/HyFWf_svL2g/s640/big+deal+logo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
</div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-56250663865603362032012-09-28T04:13:00.000-07:002012-09-28T04:13:14.329-07:00Bite Size Fun..<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
With the release of Big Deal Vol 3 Despite Them not that long away, Katsura and Yuramei's dedicated Twitter account, @bigdealcomic, has been tweeting some teaser snippets from all of the volumes in the series. I've collected then here for you:<br /><br />"Years of wanking means my hand wobbles like a drunkard. Patience is a virtue. I steer clear of those." Big Deal Prequel: A Kiss for Judas<br /><br />"Judas tucked his wallet back into his pocket, it, like his balls, now a fraction lighter." Big Deal vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal<br /><br />"She threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed him as though she'd lost a weeks wages down his throat." Big Deal 1 Lust for Vengeance <br /><br />"It was meant to be some kind of tie but it looked like a silk twat stuck to his shirt." Big Deal vol 3 Despite Them<br /><br />"Judas was bisexual. His generosity saw him fuck men and women alike." Big Deal vol 3 Despite Them<br /><br />"I've never touched another guy's...thing." Their eyes met. "It's just like touching your own...only mine's bigger." Big Deal vol 3 Despite Them<br /><br />"A whole line of procreating eyesores whose copulations down the centuries had resulted in the man who stood before Judas..." Big Deal vol 3 Despite Them<br /><br />"I've nothing to give you." Judas stared at him. "You gave me a rash a few weeks ago. I still have the antibiotics." Big Deal Prequel A Kiss For Judas <br /><br />"Son. I tried to blow your head off. Can it with the sympathy. Sit there and hate me like a good boy, eh?" Big Deal vol 3 Despite Them.<br /><br />"Vinny blinked and suddenly felt thrust into a sort of Crocodile Dundee moment. That's not a cock. THAT's a cock" Big Deal vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal<br /><br />"And I had a packet of nuts! A guy should be able to spend five years in the nick without having his nuts pinched!" Big Deal vol 1 Lust For Vengeance<br /><br />"He'd often received a Glasgow Kiss though, which despite the charming name involved an unexpected headbutt to the bridge of the nose." Big Deal Vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal<br /><br />I hope you enjoy a little laugh on us, and please follow us for more.<br />Love<br />Katsura xxx </div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
Please pop over to <a href="http://www.bigdealcomic.com/">www.bigdealcomic.com</a> to catch up on our free webcomic, No Deal and free Webnovel, Pity the Living.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC-XciKThgA/UGWGJpLcdSI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/l5b1gExhOns/s1600/wipc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC-XciKThgA/UGWGJpLcdSI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/l5b1gExhOns/s320/wipc.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="body mediumText reviewText">
</div>
Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-7565171895461683582012-07-29T04:52:00.001-07:002012-07-29T04:52:48.760-07:00Big Deal Vol 3 Despite Them<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
The first draft of Big Deal Vol 3 Despite Them by Katsura and Yuramei is complete and we will be bringing that out sometime later in the year, with Ai Press.<br />I hope to show you some excerpts of this, soon. There's so much to choose from as all the cast are back!<br />Katsura xxx<br /><br />Blurb:<br /><br />Big Deal: Vol. 3: Despite Them<br />by<br />Katsura and Yuramei<br /><br />More action, passion and adventure with Judas MacGregor and his band of<br />raucous reprobates.<br />Gangsters are used to being surrounded by death, but how will the demise of one of their own affect the hierarchy?<br />The fun-loving fornicator, Judas, has his eyes on the prize...but what about MacIsaac and Rasputin?<br />They deserve a share of the territory, too.<br />Ever loyal Vinny, has his hands full, quite literally, with the tattooed Japanese bodyguard, Cain. <br />Beautiful brothel keeper, Mikhail, is preoccupied by a life changing decision.<br />Meanwhile, it's all going tits up for our favourite felons.<br />Violence, sex and generous dash of British black comedy<br />as Yaoi team, Katsura and Yuramei, get back in the driving seat, speed down the fast lane and run a few red lights to keep us gripped to the last page and beyond. </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-46859864127114461802012-06-26T01:06:00.001-07:002012-06-26T01:06:48.681-07:00No Deal Yaoi Webcomic has its official launch!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QxwLjyct-l8/T-ls1zAgu8I/AAAAAAAAAIk/tDZGf-qlrvw/s1600/tumblr_m66y3sGquK1qfmkzzo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" rca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QxwLjyct-l8/T-ls1zAgu8I/AAAAAAAAAIk/tDZGf-qlrvw/s320/tumblr_m66y3sGquK1qfmkzzo1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm really happy to say that No Deal, the free yaoi webcomic, is now up and running. You can see it here:<br /><a href="http://nodeal.bigdealcomic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nodeal.bigdealcomic.com/</a><br />It is only suitable for 18+ as it will contain Yaoi scenes, mature themes, strong language and violence.<br /><br />The Blurb:<br />"The yakuza were once noble outcasts. A necessary evil, working alongside the police and government in the fight to keep the peace in war shattered Japan.<br /><br />They were accepted by society, even partly admired, for obeying the unspoken rules and following their own strict code of ethics. This allowed them to essentially exist, without conflict, amongst the ordinary citizens.<br /><br />In recent decades, however, the tides began to turn against them. As their power rapidly increased, their reach stretched beyond the traditional roguery. The authorities cracked down and introduced several laws in an attempt to push them back underground.<br /><br />While facing the new legislations, the fight for power goes on, and the competition within their own world grows. <br /><br />How far will they step over their deep rooted honour, which always separated them from being simply shunned thugs?<br /><br />How much are they willing to give up, in their continuous struggle for supremacy?"<br /><br />Will you support the Tatakai-gumi or the Maeda-kai? get over there now and make your choice...<br />This is Yuramei's beautiful work and you are sure to love it, just like I do.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Katsura xxx<br /><br /></div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-56139438692457708402012-06-21T01:54:00.000-07:002012-06-21T01:54:27.568-07:00A Big Deal in paperbacks...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xyXu7WAXVU/T-LglRRd9bI/AAAAAAAAAIU/ouxdTDiGAvo/s1600/paperbacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xyXu7WAXVU/T-LglRRd9bI/AAAAAAAAAIU/ouxdTDiGAvo/s320/paperbacks.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We are so proud! Volume 1 Lust for Vengeance and Big Deal Volume 2 Lesson in Betrayal, are currently available as paperbacks as well as in various ebook formats.<br />Check us out on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance ebooks and of course at our publishers, Ai Press.<br />There is still a chance for you to win a signed paperback copy of volume 1 and all you have to do is enter your email into Katsura and Yuramei's no spam mailing list:<br /><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/mail/sub.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bigdealcomic.com/mail/sub.php</a><br />We are both currently working very hard on Big Deal volume 3 Despite Them and will be releasing sneaky peeks in the coming months...<br />We are also very pleased with the response to our free web novel, Pity the Living:<br /><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/</a><br />and ...wait for it, the webcomic is coming along awesomely! (I've seen the opening pages....gawd!!! It's gorgeous and really dramatic.)<br />see the links to all of our projects and sales here:<br /><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bigdealcomic.com/</a><br />Hope you have sunshine!<br />Love <br />Katsura and Yuramei xxx </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-18781583122901242442012-05-24T04:34:00.000-07:002012-05-24T04:34:01.022-07:00Big Deal Vol 2 lesson in Betrayal is out now!<div align="center" class="body mediumText reviewText">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFq9LdGRomY/T74cmWpe6PI/AAAAAAAAAHY/lcX8FgXvsew/s1600/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XFq9LdGRomY/T74cmWpe6PI/AAAAAAAAAHY/lcX8FgXvsew/s320/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
</div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
Big Deal Volume 2 Lesson in Betrayal, is released and available here:</div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
All Romance Ebooks.<br /><a href="http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigdealvol2lessoninbetrayal-794447-145.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bigdealvol2lessoninbetrayal-794447-145.html</a><br />It's also for sale at Ai Press:<br /><a href="http://ai-press.net/2012/05/23/now-available-big-deal-vol-2-lesson-in-betrayal/">http://ai-press.net/2012/05/23/now-available-big-deal-vol-2-lesson-in-betrayal/</a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
and Amazon:</div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Betrayal-ebook/dp/B0085MNCUA/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337836966&sr=1-4">http://www.amazon.com/Big-Deal-Vol-Betrayal-ebook/dp/B0085MNCUA/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337836966&sr=1-4</a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
Blurb:<br />Fergus and the gang return in another passion-packed, erotically charged black comedy-yaoi caper that will have you on the edge of your seat right up until the very last page.<br /><br />After the dust has settled on the disastrous bank robbery that almost spelled the end of one of the sawn off shotgun wielding wise guys, there is the little matter of dividing up the loot. Every man is eager for his cut, but there’s just one problem. It seems that one of the greedy gangsters has helped himself already.<br /><br />Was it the scar faced Rasputin, who’d been left alone with the lolly and an age old grudge? Could it have been the bed hopping bisexual Judas MacGregor’s pierced and perfect protégé, Vinny? Or has Vinny been too busy finding out just why the yakuza-like bodyguard, Cain, is known as The Legend?<br /><br />The beautiful brothel keeper, Mikhail Majewski, is keeping a low profile while all of this mayhem has been going on. He’s not answering Fergus Campbell’s numerous texts and phone calls. Has he absconded with the readies? Or is he just a little bit tied up at the moment?<br /><br />We hope you love it!<br /><br />katsura xxx </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-11315802958205361022012-04-21T23:49:00.002-07:002012-04-21T23:49:53.032-07:00Pity the Living Chapter 2..<div class="mainContentFloat" id="flashContainer">
</div>
<div class="leftContainer" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2330223-katsura-and-yuramei-updates" id="prevLink">Katsura and Yuramei Updates.</a> </div>
<div class="clear" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="title" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2334558-pity-the-living-chapter-2">Pity the Living Chapter 2..</a> </div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText" style="text-align: center;">
...is out right now. A free yaoi web novel by Katsura and Yuramei which is updated every two weeks.<br /><a href="http://t.co/Kw7u7rme" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://t.co/Kw7u7rme</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2rv0EWUo8o/T5OpBOfTjjI/AAAAAAAAAHA/4H2Dsc5ldeE/s1600/bannerPTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2rv0EWUo8o/T5OpBOfTjjI/AAAAAAAAAHA/4H2Dsc5ldeE/s320/bannerPTL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText" style="text-align: center;">
<br />Be warned, some chapters contain explicit M/M Yaoi, violence and dark themes so it is suitable for 18+ only.<br /><br />Katsura xx<br /><br />Out soon (mid May hopefully) Big Deal Vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal by Katsura and Yuramei.<br />on Ai Press<br /><a href="http://ai-press.net/coming-soon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://ai-press.net/coming-soon/</a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="authorBlogPost stacked" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PuP9s1cAoow/T5Oppk_cJDI/AAAAAAAAAHI/_RdIPsSukcI/s1600/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PuP9s1cAoow/T5Oppk_cJDI/AAAAAAAAAHI/_RdIPsSukcI/s320/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText" style="text-align: center;">
<br /><br />out NOW<br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13395864.Big_Deal__Volume_1__Lust_for_Vengeance" title="Big Deal, Volume 1: Lust for Vengeance by Katsura">Big Deal, Volume 1: Lust for Vengeance</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tGqkZYh0R_4/T5OqAPBpwZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/XQR4tHzRn54/s1600/BIGderldraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tGqkZYh0R_4/T5OqAPBpwZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/XQR4tHzRn54/s320/BIGderldraft.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText" style="text-align: center;">
</div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-53357550454675890112012-04-13T01:50:00.001-07:002012-04-13T01:50:22.219-07:00Updates from Katsura and Yuramei!<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
<strong>Not long to wait now for the release of Big Deal Vol 2 : Lesson in Betrayal<br />The prose is complete, the cover in place and the artwork is well on the way. So look forward to another illustrated Yaoi novel from Katsura and Yuramei!<strong></strong><br /><strong>Blurb:<strong></strong><br />Fergus and the gang return in another passion-packed, erotically charged black comedy-yaoi caper that will have you on the edge of your seat right up until the very last page. <br /><br />After the dust has settled on the disastrous bank robbery that almost spelled the end of one of the sawn off shotgun wielding wise guys, there is the little matter of dividing up the loot. Every man is eager for his cut, but there’s just one problem. It seems that one of the greedy gangsters has helped himself already… <br /><br />Was it the scar faced Rasputin, who’d been left alone with the lolly and an age old grudge? Could it have been the bed hopping bisexual Judas MacGregor’s pierced and perfect protégé, Vinny? Or has Vinny been too busy finding out just why the yakuza-like bodyguard, Cain, is known as The Legend? <br /><br />The beautiful brothel keeper, Mikhail Majewski, is keeping a low profile while all of this mayhem has been going on. He’s not answering Fergus Campbell’s numerous texts and phone calls. Has he absconded with the readies? Or is he just a little bit tied up at the moment?<br /><br /><br /><strong>In the meantime we have a Free web novel here:<strong></strong><br /><a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/index.html</a><br />We aim to update chapter by chapter. Each will have one or two pieces of art to compliment the prose. At the moment we plan a schedule of a new chapter every two weeks and episode two is almost ready!<br />Do pop over and see it,<br /><br />Katsura xx</strong></strong></strong> </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-92165491184520822802012-04-03T11:15:00.000-07:002012-04-03T11:15:10.060-07:00Pity the Living, 1st chapter up!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">“</span></b></i><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Don’t pity me, my ignorant friends. I am already dead.
Save your mock sympathy. If you want to pity anyone, pity the living.”</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Pity The Living</span></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">First chapter is up! </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Read<b> </b>our<b> free yaoi novel! </b></span></i></span><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 22pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ol7iT7XrUQ/T3mR6vWCgsI/AAAAAAAAABA/fYCGpKZMVz0/s1600/PTL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ol7iT7XrUQ/T3mR6vWCgsI/AAAAAAAAABA/fYCGpKZMVz0/s320/PTL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<a href="http://bigdealcomic.com/PTL/index.html" target="_blank">Click here: Read Pity the Living for free!</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>Yurameihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850017539655941681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-50440345204388586812012-04-02T04:48:00.004-07:002012-04-02T04:49:43.929-07:00Pity The Living<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">“</span></b></i><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Don’t pity me, my ignorant friends. I am already dead.
Save your mock sympathy. If you want to pity anyone, pity the living.”</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Pity The Living</span></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Coming soon... </span></i></span><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 22pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ol7iT7XrUQ/T3mR6vWCgsI/AAAAAAAAABA/fYCGpKZMVz0/s1600/PTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Ol7iT7XrUQ/T3mR6vWCgsI/AAAAAAAAABA/fYCGpKZMVz0/s320/PTL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 3pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 21.6pt;">
<br /></div>Yurameihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850017539655941681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-4131776899134288472012-03-25T14:11:00.002-07:002012-03-28T01:32:17.960-07:00Art sneak peek<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
A little sneak peek of the latest art for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Deal Vol.2: Lesson in Betrayal</span><br />
featuring Judas MacGregor</div>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNbOeOOfGV0/T2-KZdtN3yI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/2aYIz_uhbEk/s1600/5vb2m9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723945821486833442" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNbOeOOfGV0/T2-KZdtN3yI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/2aYIz_uhbEk/s320/5vb2m9.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 308px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~ Yuramei xxx</div>Yurameihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02850017539655941681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-66234126792367985592012-03-23T05:10:00.001-07:002012-04-02T04:50:02.001-07:00Want to know more about Katsura and Yuramei?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WNg-fsftNuc/T2xoDHcZAbI/AAAAAAAAAF8/95c1XQDnF0A/s1600/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WNg-fsftNuc/T2xoDHcZAbI/AAAAAAAAAF8/95c1XQDnF0A/s320/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Pop on over to the wonderful blog of author, Kate Aaron and see the recent interview she did with Katsura and Yuramei. We talk about our books and influences and give a sneaky peek at Big deal Vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://onlytruemagic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/author-interview-katsura-yuramei.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://onlytruemagic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/author-interview-katsura-yuramei.html
">http://onlytruemagic.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/author-interview-katsura-yuramei.html</a><br />
<br />
Katsura xx <br />
@tabathathorn on twitterKatsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-14231461574297563072012-03-18T00:47:00.002-07:002012-04-02T04:50:19.834-07:00Big Deal Vol 2. Out soon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XhYAO9eq6TY/T2WS7PJ94zI/AAAAAAAAAFo/uXnaUFelyrU/s1600/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XhYAO9eq6TY/T2WS7PJ94zI/AAAAAAAAAFo/uXnaUFelyrU/s320/Big+Deal+Lesson+in+betrayal+46.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Available soon at Ai Press: <br />
"Fergus and the gang return in another passion-packed, erotically charged black comedy-yaoi caper that will have you on the edge of your seat right up until the very last page. <br />
<br />
After the dust has settled on the disastrous bank robbery that almost spelled the end of one of the sawn off shotgun wielding wise guys, there is the little matter of dividing up the loot. Every man is eager for his cut, but there’s just one problem. It seems that one of the greedy gangsters has helped himself already... <br />
<br />
Was it the scar faced Rasputin, who’d been left alone with the lolly and an age old grudge? Could it have been the bed hopping bisexual Judas MacGregor’s pierced and perfect protégé, Vinny? Or has Vinny been too busy finding out just why the yakuza-like bodyguard, Cain, is known as The Legend? <br />
<br />
The beautiful brothel keeper, Mikhail Majewski, is keeping a low profile while all of this mayhem has been going on. He’s not answering Fergus Campbell’s numerous texts and phone calls. Has he absconded with the readies? Or is he just a little bit tied up at the moment?" <br />
<br />
Sneak peek at some prose... <br />
<br />
"So this was The Legend’s flat. <br />
There was a large canvas over the sofa that featured a manga style Yakuza who pointed a gun out of the picture and rather threateningly into the face of whoever viewed the masterpiece. Vinny found it sexy. He loved the harsh, twisted mouth and cold eyes of the suited guy, who had been crafted from dark ink, only a splash of red here and there to represent blood. The man in the picture’s tie flew to the side amidst the visceral spray to give such an impression of action and as Vinny stared, he felt his passion stir more. The comic book style yak looked hot, but not nearly as hot as Cain who sat on the sofa beneath the dramatic print, drink in hand. Cain’s hair was obviously dyed and was a subdued shade of ash blond, not brassy at all. The lightness of its hue somehow made his Asian eyes look even darker still. He had a few small moles around his mouth and under his eyes that accentuated the natural tone of his skin. His lips had a softness to them and Vinny found it difficult to resist a taste. But maybe he wouldn’t resist. After all, in the words of that well known phrase, faint heart never won fair fuck-off hot guy. <br />
“Did you do this?” Vinny indicated to the artwork although it was fairly obvious to what he referred. <br />
“No.” Cain was a man of few words and Vinny wasn’t entirely sure that he was actually invited to be here at all as Cain had just grunted the word “drink”. It was no great gaffe if he wasn’t invited though, as Cain didn’t strike him as an overly well-mannered type. <br />
“It’s good though. I like it.” Vinny took his drink, which had turned out to be some seriously strong Japanese lager and sat on the sofa too. Cain turned his face and looked boldly at him. Vinny stared back and his eyes wandered over the little moles that graced the Japanese man’s cheek and seemed to draw the attention to the fullness of his mouth. There was that urge again. <br />
Was it wrong to stare like this? <br />
It didn’t appear to bother Cain so Vinny continued and let his eyes travel down the pale skin on his neck to the colourful tattoo that peeked out from under the white of his t shirt. The pattern vanished only to appear again on the sinewy muscles of his upper arm. “Nice…um…tat you got there.” Vinny smiled. He could feel the sensation of an erection build, an ache that seemed to spread over his groin like fire. It was obvious that he had gone without for too long. Spent too many nights on his own, locked in a fantasy that was never likely to become reality. <br />
He breathed deeply and wondered if Cain had invited him here for more than just a drink. Well no, maybe not wondered. Perhaps it was more like hoped. <br />
Cain slipped the t shirt off over his head and smiled as he sat up straighter, obviously to provide Vinny with a better view of the inked phoenix that decorated his flesh. <br />
“I’m turning into quite the art critic here…” Vinny reached out his hand and stroked his fingers gently over Cain’s powerful bicep and he gloried in the tension of the other man’s flesh. He knew only too well how strong Cain was as he had been pinned down by him once before. The ache in his groin intensified at the thought of being pinned down by him again. “Wanna see mine?” <br />
Vinny took off his shirt and much like the way his hand had just traced its way over the intricate patterns on Cain’s skin, Cain let his own touch travel gently over the black dragon on Vinny’s chest. <br />
“It’s got suddenly very warm in here.” Vinny leaned a little closer. “Did you just invite me here for sex by any chance?” <br />
Cain nodded. “Yes, I did.” He slid his thumb across Vinny’s chest and circled his nipple to slowly tease it erect and Vinny felt a tingle as his dimpled skin responded almost instantly. <br />
“Good.” Vinny grinned. “You don’t seem the sort that would have any decent chat up lines and luckily I am not the sort to need them. Best we just like…cut to the chase.”Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-82500927199235827102012-03-13T13:54:00.002-07:002012-04-02T04:50:32.360-07:00Volume 2 is in final line edits!<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
Great news, Big Deal Vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal by Katsura and Yuramei is in final line edits. Vinny fans will be pleased to hear that he gets rather a large part in this book....yes...pun intended.. <br />
<br />
Once we have decided on a suitable scene, we will post an experpt here for you all. It is very hard for me to choose as I have my favourites and I don't want to give the plot away...and should it be an 18+ snippet or not... <br />
<br />
If you liked volume 1, you wont be disappointed! There is more action, passion, drama and laughs with all of the boys. so stay tuned! <br />
<br />
katsura xxx </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-3061387657618807832012-03-07T01:54:00.002-08:002012-04-02T04:50:40.028-07:00Big Deal Vol 2 Lesson in BetrayalI am so happy, I got the first edits back on Big Deal Vol 2 Lesson in Betrayal by Katsura and Yuramei and it is all looking great! So not long to wait for more fun and frolics with Fergus and the boys. <br />
Thank you to all of the people who bought the kindle version of Lust for Vengeance and made us number 1 (for a short time, he he..but what the hey..) in paid Manga, on amazon UK. <br />
We are not strictly a manga, we are Yaoi/black comedy illustrated prose (you will be sick of me saying that!), but this was such an awesome thrill for us. <br />
Don't forget Big Deal Vol 1 is available in paperback, and damn nice it is too! <br />
Katsura xxxKatsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282803806725462172.post-24794639622261478312012-03-06T01:45:00.000-08:002012-03-06T01:45:23.672-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHllPg4ihvs/T1Xb4HBF85I/AAAAAAAAAFc/nrd1UFpZolQ/s1600/BIGderldraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KHllPg4ihvs/T1Xb4HBF85I/AAAAAAAAAFc/nrd1UFpZolQ/s320/BIGderldraft.jpg" uda="true" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="body mediumText reviewText">
Well it seems a lot of people took up the chance to read Big Deal Vol 1. Lust for Vengeance by Katsura and Yuramei, for free on their kindle and I think there are just a couple of days left on that offer! so get yersel over to amazon if you haven't already. <br />This is a black comedy/yaoi illustrated prose novel and we hope a little different from what you might expect. It is not traditional romance and Fergus, Judas and the boys are more anti-hero than anything else. <br />So if you have taken up the free offer, do enjoy and perhaps go on over the The Rainbow Studio and read our interview where we talk more about the book, and the series. <br /><a href="http://theromancestudio.com/rainbow/who2.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="http://theromancestudio.com/rainbow/who2.php
">http://theromancestudio.com/rainbow/who2.php</a><br /><br />Big Deal Vol. 2 Lesson in Betrayal is in first edits and I have seen the initial versions of the cover by Yuramei! It is so beautiful. The story won't disappoint either. Plenty of sex, capers and laughs with Fergus and the boys. <br /><br />If you would like to get to know me better, why not join me on twitter, @tabathathorn <br /><br />Katsura xx </div>Katsurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11006325483479499814noreply@blogger.com0