drusillas_rain

A while back, I wrote an overview of the BL publishers that existed about two years ago. Time for a quick update!

DMP's BL imprints are June, 801 Media and Doki Doki.

June used to be known for pretty tame BL fare, but now it has become a better mix of tame-to-racy. 801 Media is still the imprint to go to for more explicit stories. Doki Doki is an imprint created to cater directly to a Japanese publisher. Most of the DD releases have been BL tales, but not all, and most of the BL titles have been the kind of tame June used to be known for. Still, people seem to appreciate the DD titles for what they are.

Aurora Publishing has the Deux line as well as the Luv Luv line for Girl Love titles.

I think if Deux existed on its own, it might still be a healthy company. As it is, Deux releases have slowed to a crawl with the rest of Aurora's titles, and I'm seriously worried for Aurora's survival. The Duex imprint put out some excellent titles over the years. You should look into them soon, before they all go out of print and everyone in the world starts chasing the titles for stupid prices.

Tokyopop's BL titles usually end up under the BLU imprint (this could confuse Snupin fans ~_^).

Tokyopop has admitted that their BLU titles always sell well, yet the company treats the imprint like a red-headed step-child (for those who don't recognize the saying, like it doesn't belong to them). The web site, long neglected, is just now showing signs of life this month, and releases have still been coming from the imprint, even if it's only about 1 title a month. BLU titles are rarely anthologies, and they usually have only mild BL content, although there are a couple exceptions to this.

Yaoi Press - the publisher's name kinda speaks for itself.

There is nothing but Original English Language BL to be found here, ranging from super-dark to sickeningly sweet - in fact, most of the YP titles exist at one of the two extremes.

Netcomics - This company has an interesting set-up. You can read chapters of a book online for very little money. When a title becomes popular enough (and, probably when Netcomics has gathered up enough capital in general), it is then printed and offered for sale as a book.

Netcomics has put out some eclectic work over the years, ranging from Korean titles with only implied BL to some fairly explicit works. You never quite know what you're going to see next from NC, and their release schedule is sporadic, with no titles for months and then three at a time. I'd say that this is the place to go for edgy material, exciting new artists and a-typical BL reads.

Yen Press began offering some BL titles late last year.

They seem to have taken to Lily Hoshino, and their other BL title so far is also fairly explicit, so I'm hoping for good things from Yen Press next year in terms of BL. They put out nice, compact little books.

Go! Comi thinks it sells BL titles.

No, seriously, Go! Comi's only true mature BL offering is Wendy Pini's Masque of the Red Death. Cantarella is considered mild BL at best and then the most recent books GC listed as BL this year were...not. They were general stories with very bishie characters. I'm not sure where Go! Comi is headed next with BL, but I'm hoping it will at least swerve back into true BL waters.

Media Blaster's BL book imprint is Kitty Media. I don't suggest going to the site. In fact, just go here, it will make your life easier.

Kitty media books are generally the most explicit tales out there, and while I hammered the company a couple years ago, I have to admit, the books have steadily improved at KM. Series are published from the beginning, rather than starting in the middle, and the translations and paper quality seem to have improved. The books themselves are still among the smallest in size, but good paper goes a long way toward readability.

Yaoi Generation is a new publisher, dating back to last year.

So far, YG has put out 4 volumes of a 5-book series over the past year and a half. It finally announced its next two titles around the time the 4th book came out. Honestly, I don't see this glacial pace as a bad plan. Sure, I'd love to have lots of new titles to pick and choose from, but I'd much rather the publisher take it slow and steady than to see it put out a bunch of work all at once and then fold from too much overhead. I was surprised when YG announced itself just as the economic crisis started, and even more surprised when the first book actually came out. YG seems to have a plan, and I think as long as the people behind YG stick to the plan, YG can become an exciting new company - one I'll still be talking about in two more years. ~_^

love, lore

Stories added to Moonshadow, the Snape/Lupin archive, during the past two months:

Title: Alpha Male (29 K)
Author: sweetmelodykiss


Title: Back (4 K)
Author: astopperindeath


The archive is located at http://www.ssf-moonshadow.com

Also, the Crack Broom masterlist-by-author is now current.

Here's a piece of advice for anyone who is participating in any kind of LJ/IJ/DW based fest at any time of the year: when you email the mods, include your journal user ID, especially if your user ID isn't the same as your email address.

If your email address is the same as your journal ID, it makes things a little easier, but it would still be nice to include your ID nonetheless.

Here's the thing. Unless you communicate via email with the mods outside of the fest enough that it's reasonable to assume they know to associate that email address with you, chances are the mods will have no clue who's emailing them and will have to take the extra step of consulting a spreadsheet in order to figure it out.

When a fest mod is juggling 30+, 40+, 50+, or more fest participants, they are not going to remember who everyone is. They might not know you, they might not interact with you outside of the fest, or they might not remember. There are people who have participated in Snupin Santa just about every year, and I still wouldn't know them from an email address alone, much less know all the new people who rotate in and out each year.

So if a fest mod asks you to include your user ID and/or the name of your recipient in your emails, please try to remember to do it. It's not just a busy-work request; it can save the mod a little extra time (and let's be honest: a little extra irritation) if they know who they're dealing with straight-away instead of having to look it up. Trust me, trawling through a spreadsheet and looking for one person's email address out of 50-60 (or more) names is a pain in the ass.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/518068.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

Title: The Way of the World

Author: McKay (scribbulus_ink)

Commentary: McKay's "Way of the World" contains some wonderful domestic scenes between Snape and Lupin in the kitchen, where, for example, Lupin teaches Snape how to cook (and survive) in the muggle world.

McKay already posted a great recipe from the story, so I hope no one minds that I'm posting one for brownies inspired by this delightful scene:


Excerpt:

"Laugh at me, will you?" Severus snarled. "You'll pay for that!"

And suddenly, Severus reached into the bowl, scooped up a huge handful of batter, and advanced on Remus.

"No -- Severus, you wouldn't!" Remus stared at him, wide-eyed, as he began backing away.

"Oh, wouldn't I." Severus' voice was a silky purr now, but his smile was pure evil.
( Remus couldn't help but think that batter-covered Severus would have been even better. )

( Easy Brownies recipe )

Title: Smooch
Author/Artist: jin_fenghuang 
Rating: PG
Pairing(s)/character(s):Snape/Lupin
Summary: Just a sweet little kiss
Warnings: none
Notes: This drawble is for r_grayjoy  , who writes the most awesome limericks ever XD

Title: The Needs of the Revolted
Pairing: Sarek/OFC
Rating: NC17
Words: ~800
Warning: dubious consent
Summary: The kink meme prompt was for Sarek to get tired of his people talking smack about Amanda and Vulcanishly telling them to stick it. However, as it was on the kink meme, there is sex.
A/N: I have fooled with this a bit more (largely for clarity) since posting it over there last night while I was taking a break from the more substantial fic that is currently taunting me.

Let's see--

1000 words of NaNo today. I'm at least a day behind as far as wordcount goes. Very frustrating. But I am getting there.

Gaming machine attacked by toxic malware today, so I lost at least an hours worth of time, and had a bit of a fit trying to get the bloody thing *off* my computer. *sighs* Gone, now, but really not a happy thing.

For those of you who have followed my family issues with my mother's side of the family--good thanksgiving this year. There were only eight of us total, so it was nice and quiet, which means no huge blowups.

I appreciate your industrious hacking away at the (somewhat-past-)due fic, but some of these errors of logic and departures from expectation as you go along are a bit ridiculous.

For instance, "building" and "bukkake" (of which there is none expected in this fic) are really quite not at all the same thing, and are not interchangeable.

Pls to type what (and only what) the brain says now.

Thx,
Me.

I originally posted this at http://florahart.dreamwidth.org/1005362.html. Comments may be left here or there; you can comment there with OpenID even if you don't have an account.

It's the Pilgrim's Bounty holiday in Azeroth, with food-related daily quests and themed garments offered as a reward for fulfilling the quests.

Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do bring my penchant for cross-dressing to Warcraft.

( My Blood Elf Death Knight in a dress: )

I did get a turkey caller as a quest reward, which I assume lets you summon a turkey to kill in order to help you make the required turkey meals for one of the quests. However, when you summon the turkey, it arrives with a great big heart over its head, which promptly shatters when it realizes you aren't a prospect turkey paramour, and it's labeled "lonely turkey". I couldn't kill a lonely turkey! I just let it wander free and haven't used the turkey caller again because I felt so guilty.

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/517717.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

Title: Sheath
Artist: ghot
Media: PS
Characters: Hermione/Luna
Rating: R
Warnings: femmeslash, cosplay.
Themes/kinks chosen: Costumes
Artist's notes: "I'm Ursula, a Bavarian witch queen who freed her people and brought revolution to her country." "I'm Xena."

( sheath )

Title: the invisible line
Rating: R
Pairing: Snape/Lupin
Warnings: unbetaed, post-DH.
Word Count: ± 2,050 words.
Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just borrowing them for my twisted means.
Summary: maybe one day we won't need to stay in the dark.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it! Happy almost-the-weekend to those who don't!

Real post later, if time and family allow. Count one fly-by, lore. ;)

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/517550.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

I wonder how many National Blog Posting Month entries today will be quickie "Happy Thanksgiving" notes, or will make Thanksgiving the topic or will just have Thanksgiving in it?

Because hey, no one loves to reduce a holiday down to math more than me.

Have a good one, loves. May Morimoto himself guide your hands if you're cooking. *gobble gobble*

love, lore

In the US, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We'll be going to acromantular's house for dinner - I'm making caramelized shallots. There'll be a ton of other people; last year Merrie spent most of the evening making little origami animals for the littler kids at the dinner. She's bringing origami paper tomorrow.

This year has been full of changes for me and for my daughter. I am thankful that we have a new, happy home, fulfilling lives, new friends and old, interesting schoolwork, thought provoking politics, caring and loving friends, good, healthy food, warm clothes, comfortable warm shoes...

All in all, I have been very lucky, and I am grateful for the good, and the bad, things in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving, to everyone out there. I hope you have many things to be thankful for.

Stasia

This will be hard, but I thought I'd talk about a song I've been pondering a while:

( Meet Me on the Equinox lyrics and video link )

Ok, I can see Severus starting the song and Remus finishing it, but I don't necessarily like the "Everything ends" chorus. It's certainly a good canon song for them, and I can see around "everything ends" by it meaning something more elusive in the future or as Severus' doubts. But what do you all think? Add it to my mental Snape/Lupin soundtrack or not?

And we'll just forget what really inspired this song, natch. ~_^

*****
In other news, We've come up with a contest for snupin_santa readers this year called Stuff the Stockings. Interested? Check it out!

love, lore

Arionrhod and I are looking for a story that's Remus/Severus/Regulus, but it starts off with Remus and Regulus together, not Severus/Regulus, and Severus was brought in later. Remus hated the way Sirius was treating his brother, and he and Reg got involved. Marauders Era, not very long (we think).

Any help would be appreciated!

Oh my dearest Snupineers, I don't do this often... but it is driving me (and Zephre... who I've bugged) CRAZY.

I'm looking for a fic where Remus is confined to a wheelchair, and Severus is forced to care for him. Dark!Harry, who is clearly trying to both keep Remus secluded and get Severus thrown into Azkaban.

Help??? Pwease?

Title: Le Ténébreux
Author: lesyeuxverts
Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans
Rating: R
Warnings: character death
Themes/kinks chosen: symphorophilia
Word Count: 1,095
Summary: " Je suis le ténébreux,- le Veuf, - l'inconsolé, Le Prince d'Aquitaine à la tour abolie: Ma seule étoile est morte, et mon luth constellé Porte le soleil noir de la Mélancolie."
Author's notes: Huge thanks to bewarethesmirk for the beta, and thanks to the folks at the slashretreat_dc for the brainstorming help! I was heavily inspired by Nerval's El Desdichado, and this work owes a great deal to that poem (although I was very nearly distracted by the fact that he kept a pet lobster … but I managed to finish this in spite of that, so all credit goes to Nerval!)

( Le Ténébreux )

I feel pervy for finding Adam Lambert, who is young enough to be my son, sexy and hot, but when he releases music videos like this one... Well, I'm only human!

This entry was originally posted at http://scribbulus-ink.dreamwidth.org/517343.html. It's cross-posted to LJ and IJ, and comments are enabled at all three journals.

FACT: When you are used to writing antagonistic pairings, writing friendship pairings is hard. And features way too many OOC fights before the sex. :/

FACT: I heard some old Heart song on... IDK, a bathroom cleaner commercial or something the other day, and now I can't get it out of my head. Also, it has now become the soundtrack for my smutty_claus story. I... don't know if this is a good thing or not.

... but man, those chicks could rock, riiiight? *air guitar*

FACT: The S.O. and I just heroically got out, by exploiting a technicality, of a horrible Thanksgiving dinner we were supposed to go to tomorrow, hosted by the distant relations of a pseudo-acquaintance. Yes! *fist pump* Pyjamas and bacon sandwiches on the couch by ourselves, here we come. Thank God. Americans, I love you and appreciate that you love Thanksgiving so much, but honestly, I usually have better things to do on my birthday or close to than hang out with other people's families who invite the foreigners out of pity. I appreciate the gesture, but, no. Just, no. :)

FACT: Fabulous art recs are fabulous! Before I head back into writing lockdown, here, have some art!

Till Death Do Us Part by Anon at hp_darkfest (Harry/Ginny, Harry/Draco, R: blood, character death [Ginny])
Mind the warnings, please: this is a very dark piece, thematically. It stunned the breath right out of me with its implications. It made me super uncomfortable and want to weep for humanity, in a way, but it's also an astonishing piece, both artistically and conceptually. Very highly recommended, but not easy to take in.

Pensive by stellamoon (Draco, G)
Utterly stunning. a;lskdjf. I cannot even put into words how gorgeous and erotic this portrait is.

As You Witch by Anon at radish_love (Harry/Luna, PG)
Yeah, ANON. *coughcough* Just about as anon as the first piece up there. :D There is no reason in the universe for this piece not having about 8 times as many comments as it currently does. It's fabulous.

Teddy and Victoire by ericahpfa (both PG)
Erica is drawing next-gen portraits!!! *runs around flailing*

"Looking for these, Potter?" by tbranch (Harry/Pansy, R)
Because I never, ever get tired of tbranch's Pansy, or Harry/Pansy. *purr*

Lily/Lorcan/Lysander by _aurora_sky_ (NWS LIKE WHOA OKAY. Also, incest)
Because this post did not have nearly enough porn in it. :D Well, this isn't just porn. It's actually really gorgeous, with the positioning and the lighting and things like that. *nod* It's also hot like burning, okay, and I don't even care what you think of the next-gen characters or who Lorcan and Lysander are or whatever. HOT LIKE BURNING.

See something you like? Leave a bit of feedback for a talented artist today!

*runs back to writing*