Friday Photos: Found a Fab New Place to Write

Posted on September 28, 2012 by SloanParker

I recently stayed in this mini-cabin at a nearby lake. It was a wonderful weekend, quiet and relaxing. I could get lost there with my laptop and write for days.

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It’s Getting Personal

Posted on September 17, 2012 by SloanParker

I was interviewed at the Literary Nymphs blog today, sharing a few personal favorites and talking about love and pain. Who knew I put so much of myself into my work?

Read the interview: Meet Sloan Parker

Friday Photo: Mini Golf & Technology Collide

Posted on September 14, 2012 by SloanParker

Totally off topic of writing and romance, but I love playing mini golf.

I stink at it, yet I almost always have a blast.

One thing that sucks (along with my score) is having to keep track of the scoring with those tiny pencils that always poke me in the leg when I cram one into my pocket on my turn.

Then it occurred to me, there’s gotta be an app for that.

Yep!

My Mini Golf Scorecard. It worked great on my iPhone. No more tiny, poking pencils!

And here’s the first course I tried it on. My score sucked (as usual), but I had fun playing with the new app.

Anyway, just had to share for any of you fellow mini golf lovers out there. Check out My Mini Golf Scorecard or one of the other mobile apps for keeping score. Save yourself from the poke of a pencil!

Friday Photo: My Parents Came to Pride!

Posted on September 7, 2012 by SloanParker

Last month I attended a late summer pride event. It was such a fun day with fellow authors SJ Frost, Hank Edwards, Jax Steele, and Deanna Wadsworth (who organized everything for us). One of the best parts of the day: my parents stopped by. I was so proud of them. Not only did they come by our booth, but they also walked all around the event, looking at the various booths and collecting freebies along the way.

They love me and my partner, but they’re not PFLAG people. They don’t wear rainbow gear and march in parades (they’re quiet, introverts like me). I even had to explain to mom what Pride was. So I was elated they came. They even tried to win a free book at our booth, and my mom picked up one of my CDs. I heard her whisper to my dad as she held up the CD, “This is the only way I’ll get to read her books.” Which is funny because previously she had made it sound like she had no interest in reading the “sexy stuff.”

I’m fairly certain she doesn’t get how “sexy” we’re talking about here. Uh-oh.

I’m thinking she probably put the CD in, clicked on my short story MORE THAN JUST A GOOD BOOK, got to the rimming scene, and promptly closed the laptop lid. But hey, THEY CAME TO PRIDE!!

And looky, I even have a picture to prove it.

The Good and Bad of my Blogging Hiatus

Posted on September 3, 2012 by SloanParker

“Life can be like a roller coaster…
And just when you think you’ve had enough,
and you’re ready to get off the ride
and take the calm, easy merry-go round…
You change your mind, throw your hands in the air
and ride the roller coaster all over again.
That’s exhilaration…that’s living a bit on the edge…that’s being ALIVE.”

–Stacey Charter

Here’s some news from my recent blogging hiatus:

The Good News

Breathe was listed in RT Book Reviews magazine as a must-have from RT readers alongside some of my favorite authors and books. The mention (on page 3) was part of the very exciting feature article “It’s Raining Men: Tackling The Torrents Of Male/Male Romantic Fiction Flooding The Market.” Huge thanks to all who mentioned the book to RT!
The Happily Ever After blog at USA TODAY featured the trailer for TAKE ME HOME. Thanks to author Robin Covington for the mention!
TAKE ME HOME placed first in the Erotica category of the 2012 FTHRW Lories Best Published contest.
TAKE ME HOME also won first place in the Contemporary category of the 2012 Oklahoma RWA’s International Digital Awards.
For the first time, books from digital-first publishers won in the Romance Writers of America RITA awards.
My friend and critique partner’s first book Fairyproof is out this week (print is out now). Congrats, Constance Phillips! So proud of you!

The Bad

I lost my writing buddy in July. He held on for almost a year since his bad crash the vet thought he wouldn’t make it through. For most of that year, he did really well, so it was hard to see him lose all his strength and energy in the very end. He definitely wasn’t ready to go, and I wasn’t ready to let him. It’s not quite the same in my writing room anymore. I kept plugging away on the final edits for How to Save a Life (and it was nice to have something else to focus on), but it also made the moment bittersweet without him there.

Good-bye, my bubby. You made every day special in so many ways. Writing sure is lonelier without you.