J.P.’s Comments (group member since Jan 25, 2015)

J.P.’s comments from the The House of Dionysus group.

Hi, all!

Just returned from Europride Con in Amsterdam - a wonderful gathering of authors and readers of LGBT fiction from around the world!

This novella features a few of the characters from my Dominus universe: Gaius Fabius, the bi Roman MC of the saga; Lucius Petronius, his former lover and best friend; Nicomedes, Gaius's new sex slave; and Bryaxis, Luc's beloved concubine.

Each of the two stories is related (more or less) to a Roman religious festival. December brings readers into the wild world of the Saturnalia festivities with drinking, merriment, and the fabulous tradition of role reversal -- masters become "slaves" while slaves are allowed many special freedoms during the solstice celebration. Luc and Bry adore this opportunity to break the rules. February takes place shortly after the fertility festival, the Lupercalia. Gaius and Luc share Nicomedes in a loving, super naughty 3-way romp.

I hope this entices you to give the novella a try! I include more info about each festival in the notes to the stories. There will be 5 more novellas with 2 stories each. I'm hoping to have volume 2 out later this year.

Io, Saturnalia!

JPK

My favorite bits were details about Roman funerals, the fictional characterization of famous historical figures like Tacitus and Pliny the Younger, and describing all of the bustling construction activity that took place in Rome in 107 AD. And I always enjoy adding details about food and wine.

And the sex... I love to write sex scenes. The orgy scene was a blast! Shit, I loved writing every single scene in this novel.

I'm finishing up a free short for Dominus fans (featuring Lucius and Bryaxis), and then on to outlining for Book 3. \o/

Lola wrote: "This is TheAnderfelsOne from Ao3 btw :)

okay. My question will be very much expected. What do you plan for Bryaxis. I just can't settle down and swallow what happened ever since. You know that I w..."

Warning: Sort of spoilers for Book 1

Hey, TAO Lola!! Great to see you over here. And I'm just gobsmacked and overjoyed that readers have fallen in love with Luc & Bryaxis. When I first created them, they were just two of the many secondary characters in this insane story. Through fan love, they've become SO much more. And, as you know, they will get their own sexy, romantic Fragmentum story this year! Of course, it'll be silly as well because it's Lucius. \o/

I won't spoil the plot but just know that poor Bryaxis has a BIG role in the rest of the tale. He's a strong, sharp lad.

Ray of hope #1: Luc and Bry are soul mates, forever. Theirs is a true, pure love, the kind of love that never dies or diminishes but only grows stronger. And you know (because you've read the draft chapters on AO3) that my darling Lucius hasn't exactly disappeared for good. :)

Ray of hope #2: I ALWAYS take very good care of my boys, even if there is tragedy along the way. And there's more tragedy ahead in "Games of Rome," I'm afraid. But Bry and Luc will find each other and you will (I hope) cry tears of joy when that amazing scene unfolds. But we've got much adventure to go on first. Buckle up!

((((hugs))))
JPK

Good luck!!!!

Done! :D

Clodia, may I share this with a couple of relevant m/m reading groups over at Facebook?

JP

Hmm... one tidbit would be that wealthy Roman aristocrats like the MC, Gaius Fabius, had multiple residences. Often it was a grand house in Rome (for negotium/business) and one or more sprawling country estates, usually near a beach (like Gaius's villa) or in the hills to escape the summer's heat (for otium/pleasure). So I knew at the beginning of this story that there would be two primary locations to create. Playing with virtual Roman house design is a blast! :D

I'll have a new free short out in time for the UK Meet this September. Fragmentum 2: December features our flamboyant plebeian lawyer, Lucius Petronius, and his Caledonian pleasure slave, Bryaxis, celebrating the Saturnalia. Feasts and gifts and sexy role reversals.

The events in the 'main' story arc of Dominus happen after the Second Dacian War (105-106 AD). Emperor Trajan (aka Marcus) has just defeated (and all but annihilated) the warrior kingdom of Dacia, the people who originally occupied the regions of eastern Europe known today as Romania and Moldava. It was a genocide; as a result, we know very little about Dacian culture, society or art, including their now lost language. One of the MCs, Allerix, is a captive Dacian understandably obsessed with revenge.

So, in 107 AD, war is over and Romans are enjoying a period of peace and prosperity. The gold mines of defeated Dacia have made Rome more wealthy and powerful than ever before. This is the height of the Roman Empire, the true "Golden Age" of Roman dominion. Rome's Empire has never been (and will never again be) as large in terms of the vast territory now under her control.

The physical settings for the first 2 books (Dominus and Games of Rome) are Campania and Rome. Events take place in various locations and buildings in ancient Rome, as well as at a seaside villa owned by Gaius Fabius (Allerix's master or dominus in Latin) on the Bay of Naples near the ancient Roman town of Puteoli. Eventually, events in this insane saga will take readers to ancient Athens, North Africa, Dacia (of course) and the kingdoms and cities of the Near East. It will end, as it should, back in Rome. :)

Yes, the writer has to craft certain personalities for both the master & slave from the get go to explore this well, as you have, Clodia! :)

I think kink is great and there should be more, but BDSM becomes problematic within the master/slave dynamic, at least for me. BDSM in a master/slave relationship where the Dom is also the master is non-con in my book. There are ways to frame it where it could be understood as dub-con but it isn't the modern notion of BDSM. BDSM between two peers or 'equals' (though that rarely exists in technical terms) seems more palatable to readers (and some writers). Just my two aes. ;)

Clodia wrote: "Oh - I hope the unexpected turn wasn't an unpleasant shock! I gave some indication of the contents in the blurb but I alluded to it rather too delicately perhaps.

Part of the reason for the stron..."

Fantastic post, Clodia!

Oi, we're chatting about this wee freebie! Thank you. The Fragmenta series (set in the Dominus verse) are short stories that allow me to explore topics or characters outside of the main narrative. There will be twelve in all -- I'm plotting Fragmentum 2 at the moment, set during the Saturnalia and featuring Lucius and Bryaxis. \o/ The Fragmenta stories tend to be porny and/or silly.

How did the Fragmenta series come about? I starting writing Dominus mid-book. In fact, the first scene I ever wrote was the one where Allerix puts a knife to Simon's throat in an attempt (half-arsed attempt, as Gaius would say) to escape the villa. During those early days of penning my first novel, I needed to write something a bit smuttier. I LOVE writing sex scenes. I also wanted to explore the character of Lucius Petronius, Gaius's best friend and secret lover, as well as these men's attitudes towards family, marriage, and their respective wives. In addition, I wondered how different the character of sassy Nicomedes would have been when he first arrived at the villa some years earlier.

So, I wrote a raunchy M/M/m threesome, wherein Gaius and Luc share Nic. Fun stuff but not all that well-crafted in retrospect. I reads more as a writing exercise (which it was) and a small piece for me to try my hand at e-publishing (and tear my hair out from Smashwords Meatgrinder thing. Ugh.). I do think it's a more fun read AFTER one reads Dominus, but that's just my opinion. It's also when I first fell in love with the character of Lucius.

As for Roman attitudes towards masculinity and gay sex, I wrote an essay last year for Queer Romance Month. It sums up the issue from the Roman perspective and offers a brief bibliography for further reading. http://www.queerromancemonth.com/amar...

Stay tuned for Dominus Fragmentum 2: December. I hope to have it available for free through Smashwords long before the Saturnalia. :)

ETA: Fragmentum 1: February was translated into French and is available through Men Over the Rainbow: http://www.men-over-the-rainbow.fr/30...

JPK

Looking forward to reading this, Lisa. :D

Very much appreciated. Not grossly over-muscular... just trim and fit and f*ckable... Mmm.

Now we're talking, Lisa. James Pomeroy as Antony is perfection at its sexiest. He could kill with a glance. :D

I'm forced to admit that I don't care for gladiators. Give me a hunky Roman general or soldier any day -- those lads knew how to fight. *ducks flying apples*

I also have no idea how to post pix to GR. I'm a loser.

JP

I'll have to make this my read for March. Feb. is packed with deadlines: two articles to wrap up and a chapter (or two) of Games of Rome. But I'll try to catch up.

FYI - Dominus Fragmentum is, strangely, best to read after Dominus. I'm weird. ;)

You are, from this day hence, Magister Equitum, oh bringer of Antinous yum!

K, I gotta stop this and write. Night, amici!

Fab idea, Anassa! Yup, the Rubicon is but a wee stream easily crossed.