The Steam Room

Always Coming Out

For us in the LGBT community, the coming out process never ends. Every time we meet new people or are put into new situations, we are faced with the choice: to tell or not to tell. For the most part, I opt for the latter, but only because I'm tired of coming out. I've been doing it for almost 18 years. My friends and family know (goodness--I  hope my wife knows!) Most of my colleagues at work do as well. I teach mid...

To write gay or straight? That is the question.

Many writers have jumped on the MM bandwagon. I've tried it out. Both Time to Pretend and Riley feature MM elements. FF elements are a...

No, I Can't Tell

Wanting Wilder was the third book I released with an African-American main character. Desiree, the second book in my werewolf trilogy, has an African-American heroine. Riley, the third in my werewolf trilogy, has an African-American hero. In other books, I've peppered minority characters in minor roles. When I first came up with the idea for Lydia, I didn't wrestle over her race or ethnicity. She was who she was, and it wasn't ...

Reviews as Persuasive Writing

  I've spent some significant time working with my ISD and MSU on a study of how to better teach students to understand the revision process and how to engage in self- and peer review. It's been an interesting journey, juxtaposing my students' reviews with the professional reviews I've recieved during my time off, observing the trends ...

I'd like to thank everyone who sent me warm wishes for good health. I always love hearing from my readers (about anything.) I was purposely vague because I didn't know what was going on. I'm feeling a lot better now.

In the past several months, I've done nothing with writing. I've concentrated on teaching and spending time with my family. I had the time to read a bunch of books, which is a special treat that doesn't happen often. You can follow me on GoodReads if you wa...

Happy Solstice

May the blessings of the season be upon you, and may the light come back into your life.

I have to go to work on Solstice, which is one of our larger, more important holidays. I can't get all up in arms about it though. My mother, a nurse, worked midnights while I was growing up, and she almost always worked Christmas or Thanksgiving. Speaking o...

Writing Suspenseful BDSM

The research involved in writing a romantic suspense would probably be exhausting if I wasn’t already pretty well versed with the genre. I took a class that focused on mysteries as literature as part of my English degree from Michigan State University, and I teach the mechanics of the mystery genre–everything from critical reading to crafting their own–to my students. I watch a LOT of TV. Monk, Psych, Crossi...

Perspectives on the Psychological Aspects of Impact Play in BDSM

            First let me say that I'm not an expert on psychology or impact play. What follows are just my thoughts and opinions on the topic. Some people might disagree with me, and that's fine. Everybody's entitled to their perspective, which brings me to my main point: Pain is all about perspective.

          &...

The role of communication in a BDSM relationship

            Communication should be the cornerstone of every relationship. It's often the difference between a relationship working or falling apart. This is true no matter what kind of relationship we're talking about, whether it's romantic, platonic, or professional. We communicate when we state our preference for mustard over ketchup, purple ove...

This originally ran on Guilty Pleasures Reviews as part of my blog tour, but it's such a great post that I thought I'd run it again.

The "R" in BDSM

            Romance novels are, at the core, about the characters. When I read a romance--and the genre or heat level doesn't matter--I fall in love with characters. If I can't, I don't connect with the story at all an...