Evelyn Applegate's Blog

I plan to be busy tonight and tomorrow, so I'm going to wish everyone a Happy New Year slightly in advance. My mother tells me that that is bad luck but I'm not superstitious.

It's been an eventful year for me with unfortunately not as much happening on the writing front as I'd intended, but hopefully that will change in 2013. Life will always get in the way of writing, so I will just have to keep trying to work around it as best I can.

In other news, apparently Sarah Waters has been honoured with the Freedom of the City of London, which means she can walk about the city with a drawn sword, herd her sheep over London bridge and, if she should be convicted of a capital offence be hanged with a silken rope. Lucky her! I must read some more of her books. I loved Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet and Affinity but there is more out there. So many books, so little time!

Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! May 2013 bring you happiness and good books!

Also, happy birthday to me!

Nothing really to report at the moment. I'm still alive, just kept too chained to my day job to be writing and submitting much fiction at present. That will change.

I'm off to eat some Jolly Ranchers.

This is a bit of a belated announcement, but I am very pleased to say that my short story Fingers has appeared in Every Night Erotica. Fingers is a bit of a departure from form for me as it is my first male/male story. I enjoy the challenge of trying new things. You can read it and many other terrific sexy stories for free on the Every Night Erotica site or even subscribe and have new stories emailed to you daily.

Anybody see the Aussie tv series Laid? If not, you should, it's hilarious.
This is the theme song.

Just for variety, here's a post about reading rather than one about writing. This year, just for a bit of nerdy fun I have signed up for a couple of reading challenges on Goodreads. I anticipate this being a very busy year for me, so I probably have a snowball's chance in Hell of finishing them, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. The first is the A-Z Author Challenge for the Romance Reader's Challenge Group. The idea is to read a book with an author starting with each letter of the alphabet. I reckon I could find a Chinese author for 'x', but apparently any author with an 'x' in their name is acceptable.


2012 A-Z Author Challenge
3/26 complete


A
B
C Carroll, Jonathan- The Land of Laughs
D
E
F
G Grant, Mira- Feed
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R Beth Revis - Across the Universe
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z


The second is the A-Z Book Challenge. This one sounds a bit easier. The goal is to read a book with a title starting with each letter of the alphabet.

A-Z Book Challenge
3/26 complete.

A Across the Universe- Beth Revis
B
C
D
E
F Feed- Mira Grant Feed
G
H
I
J
K
L The Land of Laughs- Jonathan Carroll
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

I'll post an update later in the year. For now, I'm off to have a read. Don't interrupt me!

I recently entered another one of Alison Tyler's flash contests with this story. It didn't win, but I had fun writing it.


Summer Rain

By Evelyn Applegate

"Wet enough for you?" Lyla asked, watching the raindrops wind their way down Theresa's muscular arms as she paddled. The sky had been a clear and cloudless blue when they set out that morning, but by mid-afternoon it was as grey as the old woolen army blanket Lyla was now pulling over her head as a makeshift raincoat. The Summer rain didn't mess around. Once it started it came down hard.
"I hate to say I told you so, but, well, I told you so. It always rains here on New Year's Eve. It's like a rule or something," Lyla continued. "Honestly we might as well be swimming!"
"Are you asking me to throw you overboard? Because I will!" Theresa turned so Lyla could see her mascara streaked face. The firm set of her mouth said she was only half joking.
"No," Lyla squeaked.
"Well then shut up and keep an eye out for a good spot on the bank to rest. We can shelter under the canoe."

In a few minutes time they were doing just that. Lyla nestled into the crook of Theresa's arm as the rain hammered a tattoo on the hull of the canoe drowning out the calls of the birds and the sound of the river. Theresa slid a hand down to the fly of Lyla's jeans and expertly popped the button open. Going on texture alone she moved her fingers past soft lace and feathery hair until she reached the warm slit hidden there. She began the lazy rhythmic stroking that usually had her young Australian lover purring like a cat.
Suddenly, Lyla giggled.
"Is something funny?" Theresa asked.
"Sorry, I was just thinking of something from Monty Python."
"At a time like this! What was it?"
"Oh, just that what we're doing is like your American beer." Lyla loved ribbing Theresa about her country, but this was odd timing even for her.
"What?" Theresa's voice took on a warning tone.
"It's fucking close to water!" Lyla giggled again heedless of the consequences.
"Fucking? I'll give you fucking!"
Theresa rolled on top of Lyla and tugged down her jeans. Pinning the slender blonde's hands above her head with just one of her own strong hands she kissed her roughly. As her tongue pushed its way into her lover's mouth she reached down with her free hand and resumed her exploration of Lyra's cunt. She slipped first one, then two fingers rapidly in and out reaching for the familiar rough spot in the velvety wetness. She pulled away from Lyra's mouth and the blonde gasped "Lube! Backpack. Front pocket."
Moments later, Lyra gasped at the cold wetness as Theresa's fingers drove back into her, three this time, then four. Finally Theresa pushed and felt her whole fist slide in. Lyra rocked against her hand as she pumped in and out, filling her completely.

Afterwards, as Lyla lay there gasping, Theresa smiled. "Yeah. That's wet enough."

Health issues and the spectacular destruction of my old computer slowed down my writing for a while, but I'm getting back into it. In the meantime have some linkage: The Guardian's Bad Sex Awards is on again. They usually get either a giggle or a disgusted-but-cannot-look-away stare from me. Also, if you haven't watched this video, you should. It's truly beautiful.

And happy Halloween to everybody else. May it bring candy and much spookiness!

Oh and for those of you planning on embarking on the mad journey that is Nanowrimo tomorrow, you might find this article by Jodi Cleghorn helpful. Oh, and consider joining the guys on Often Inspired for their annual Nanowrimo contest. It's always heaps of fun. I'm not attempting another novel this year as I have too many other writing projects on the go as it is, but I'll be watching my friends' progress with interest.

I know it's a couple of years old, but I love this! I wish there was a little more Katee Sackhoff in it though. I had the honour of meeting her at a con in April and she was lovely.

I have a bad habit of reading quite a few different books at the same time. See?


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Evelyn's currently-reading book montage















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Since most of these are anthologies it's not really too confusing, but I should actually knuckle down and finish some of them so I can write some reviews. My writing tends to go the same way. I start writing a story, then have an interesting idea and start writing that, then think of something new and before I know it I've got half a dozen stories on the go and nothing completed to show for a whole month of writing. Having lots of ideas is a good start, I think, but I need to work on my focus. At any rate, I can assure you that there are new stories coming, it's just that presently they're all in bits and pieces. I'll get there. It's just a case of picking one and sticking to it.