Q&A with Rhi Etzweiler discussion

Hello, everyone!
Please take a moment to introduce yourself.

Heeey. You has group! Awesome :)

I'm Brendan and aah thanks for the invite to join this group.

@Amara: I do! I figured it was time I did.

@Lisa: Agreed, and that's one of the reasons why I elected to do this. While BTB doesn't fall in the M/M genre, I think that what's been going on recently demands a bit of decentralized discussion, so to speak. People need to feel safe, and comfortable, enough to ask questions and have constructive conversation without fear of being attacked or denigrated.

I hope this venue remains a place where anyone, and everyone, can do so.

@Brendan: you're welcome, thanks for joining us!

Lisa wrote: "If you had to put BTB into a genre, where would you put it?"

I think Riptide's done it justice with the "urban fantasy" label. It's the best that could be done. It has murder and mystery elements, and paranormal elements. There are also romantic/erotic elements in it, but as a whole the book doesn't fit into the "tropes" that identify those genres.

The biggest issue this presents is that readers don't have any idea what to really expect when the best I can do to describe my writing genre is "speculative fiction."

I guess that's why I came up with that particular quote (quality writing is genreless). You can always expect quality writing from me. I can't make any guarantees about genre or comfort zones, but it'll be well written! :)

Speculative fiction is a broad term that encompasses science fiction and fantasy together -- and horror, even, to some extent. It's anything that isn't contemporary, mainstream, historical, or otherwise reality-based.

The reason I employ it with my writing is because I see a tendency in the content of my writing to blur the line between the two (science fiction and fantasy). I also dislike the label "science fiction" because it implies (to some) that I'll sit and wax poetic about the "why/how" of the functionality of a space travel capable engine in a space ship. It wasn't done in DEoH, and I don't see myself doing it in the near future, either.

Are those stories still science fiction? Absolutely, but I'm more likely to be accused of speculating about the ethical or socio-cultural repercussions of space travel or genetic cloning and/or bio-engineering than I am about FTL drives and laser guns. Or sonic cannons. And it's information that I'll only include if it moves the plot forward in addition to enriching the story.

When I was a child, my favorite "speculative fiction" series was Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. Sure, it started out sorta fantasy-- but through the course of the series it unfolds into this twisted science fiction world. I'm glad that the "specfic" label has developed to encompass and more fully embrace the blended nature of stories like this. While I grew to dislike other aspects of her storytelling, I have clung to a few of the conceptual approaches that she was responsible for introducing me to.

I too get lost in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section of bookstores, on the rare occasion that I can't resist the urge to go in. I try to stay out as much as possible, though, because every time I go into a brick-and-mortar bookstore, I drop $100 easy on purchases.

There are a slew of stories on my writing desk, waiting for their turn to be told. I do tend to write slowly, though. DEoH was the exception, not the rule, in terms of speed.

Hey Rhi, great seeing you here! :)

LOL No, Morg, you don't need to introduce yourself at all. ;) Or, as much as Aleks would need to. Sheesh.

And we're all a bit "creep" in this place, I think.
Normal's boring, though -- and it's the normal people that scare me. I'll stick with "creep" actually. Welcome, guys!

Morg wrote: "Well, if it only takes a weird intro get this group back on the active-list, I don't mind at all. And yes, normal's scary. :)"

Oh, I didn't realize it had fallen off... but I was a bit distracted this morning. I actually intended to feed some content in here regularly to encourage discussion and such, hopefully prompt some visibility that way as well. GR wants me to write a short letter explaining why BTB would "interest readers" in order to be considered for inclusion in the GR Newsletter, so I'm sitting over here flailing at the moment.

Well. We cannot have that! *lol*
Everyone needs to be aware of the awesomeness that is Black =D

Nice thing about a pseudonym... I can sit here and agree with you, while actually I'm sitting here laughing and rolling my eyes thinking, "it's not about me, it's about the books..."

I have zero ego. *shrugs* Black and Jhez are the awesome ones, I'm just the muse-slave. ;)

Hmm. I wonder what the result would be, draping me in your ego? *lol* Might be dangerous. I could feasibly take over the world....

Hello...
^^;; don't ever really know what to say in these intro threads but... well... Glad to be here! :D

...very few people here have actually done introductions. Dern famous people ;)

I'm Alex. Hello, Rhi (and co.)!

Heye :)

I'm not really sure what to say here. I'm currently reading Dark edge of honor (oh sweet little Sergei) and discovered a couple of hours ago that Rhianon holds the key to the next alien smut book I'm gonna read ;)

Anyway, just wanted to say hello *wave*

Morg wrote: "Hello Aiko. Nice to meet you. :P"

Well hello Morg, so nice to meet you too *open arms* hehe

Morg wrote: "You do know that whenever you do that, I just picture you wearing only a jacket, right?"

*sputter* and you know that you're making it hard for me to drink my coffee without making a mess today? ;)

Oh what a hardship :p

Aiko wrote: "Heye :)

I'm not really sure what to say here. I'm currently reading Dark edge of honor (oh sweet little Sergei) and discovered a couple of hours ago that Rhianon holds the key to the next alien sm..."

Hello and welcome, Aiko! I was hoping you wouldn't be offended that I jumped in on your review comment thread. That book has been a secret favorite of mine for some time, actually. I remember reading it and laughing, thrilled that someone actually "stole" one of the ideas in my head and wrote it before I had a chance to.

I'm awful with introductions so can I just say hello?

Darkm wrote: "I'm awful with introductions so can I just say hello?"

Hello's more than good enough, D. Welcome!

Rhianon wrote: I was hoping you wouldn't be offended that I jumped in on your review comment thread."

You silly you *shake head* you can jump anywhere you well please to jump :)
I do hope that there's more alien-ideas that's not stolen in that pretty brain of yours though ^^

Oh. I have a few that I've not seen anywhere else. I've always thought they were especially odd/strange and have kept my alien kink to myself. HOWEVER. It seems that while they may be so, I'm not the only one who'd enjoy them...

So, Hamm and Marc's story (title is still under renovation) has been contracted by Riptide and should see publication in mid-February... Can't say for sure what the schedule will look like beyond that, but I imagine there will be more. :)

Hamm and Marc's story? have I missed out on something?

And I doubt there's anything that's so odd/strange that I wouldn't read it. I dare you to come up with something that would cross my comfort-zone line ;D (the only book I can think of that has had me slightly uncomfortable was Gemini)

Nothing really bad happened. It was just the Twincest thing...

It seems we have the same comfort-zone limit then ^^ I have no twin to use as an excuse. I think it's just the whole incest thing in a whole I can't handle.

And when they make it all sexy, I feel like God is gonna show up and smite me or something, and I'm not really religious :p

Aiko wrote: "Hamm and Marc's story? have I missed out on something?

And I doubt there's anything that's so odd/strange that I wouldn't read it. I dare you to come up with something that would cross my comfort..."

Hamm & Marc's story is the aliensmut gunporn. :) I think there's an excerpt or two on my public blog. "Boy and His Gun" and "Military Wardrobe Malfunction" I think.

(edited to add links)

Rhianon wrote: "Aiko wrote: "Hamm and Marc's story? have I missed out on something?

And I doubt there's anything that's so odd/strange that I wouldn't read it. I dare you to come up with something that would cro..."

Ohhhhh!!!! aliensmut gunporn *big eyes* And I have to go out and be social...goddamnsitall >.< Well atleast I have something to look forward to coming home to :p

Socialization is Highly Over-rated.

Highly.

(Says the self-proclaimed Hermit.)

aliensmut gunporn time! Friend got sick and I played the part of knight in shining armor and took her home. I'm so nice....*cough*

Indeed it is! Happy gleeful and slightly drunk. This is gonna be so good ;)

She's 8 months pregnant, and gave me a ride there since she lives like 200 meters from me. She didn't feel to well, and I didn't want to pay a gazillion for taxi to take me home later, so the whole knight in shining armor thing might have been a tiny bit of an exaggeration :p

Yeps I know, I use them for all they're worth :p They tend to throw their kids my way when they need a babysitter though, but I can live with that.

Morg wrote: "Judi, none of us knows.

Hey again, Alex. Is it just me, or am I everywhere? I mean.. you. Are you everywhere. ;)"

I think we stalk walk in the same circles. ;)

Lisa wrote: "@Rhi - just checking in and saying Hi. You hiding? (wasn't sure where to put this....)"

Everywhere is general/OT chat here ^^

Is it Thanksgiving or something over there? Godspeed oh brave one *salute and wave*

Not seen Rhi. I think Oleg scared her off ;p

Rhi scaring you off? O.o

owh? Is she evil? :o Like...Casey level evil? She wanted to smack me with a two by four yesterday..

Hmm..not sure if Cas is around here...no fun calling her evil if she's not here.

Oleg wrote: "Oh I'm sorry, have you ever met a nice dragon? Didn't think so."

Yes! the little purple one from my little pony! His name was Spike. I dug him down in the garden when I was a kid for some reason. And he's probably there still. So there's a nice dragon in my dads garden.

Well, the Luck Dragon from Neverending Story was a "nice" dragon.

It also resembled your favorite mutt-dog of indeterminate breeding, more than it did a dragon.

I'm here. And I wish I was quiet because I was writing, but alas that's not the case. Must love the distractions of RL.

Lisa wrote: "Aiko wrote: "Is it Thanksgiving or something over there? Godspeed oh brave one *salute and wave*

Not seen Rhi. I think Oleg scared her off ;p"

Yes Thanksgiving. Plus my brothers family is coming ..."

Oh lordi...you have my sympathies..>.<

Rhi wrote: "Well, the Luck Dragon from Neverending Story was a "nice" dragon.

It also resembled your favorite mutt-dog of indeterminate breeding, more than it did a dragon.

I'm here. And I wish I was quiet b..."

Haha...gosh I haven't seen that movie in YEARS. neverending stoooooooryyyyy *sing out loud*

But yea...he wasn't much of a traditional dragon was he. Maybe a little Chinese-ish mixed with one of those really big fluffy dogs that has hair hanging into their eyes (I have no idea about different dog breeds. they're either big, small, annoying or cute)

RL getting in the way of your writing and my reading...>.<

How is it this me has not joined your group? Sheesh. I have been remiss.

*waves* Hi :D

Oh, that's not an intro is it.

Hi. My name is Freia. Aka Amara, but... don't tell. This iz mah sekrit identity. ;-p

Freia wrote: "How is it this me has not joined your group? Sheesh. I have been remiss.

*waves* Hi :D

Oh, that's not an intro is it.

Hi. My name is Freia. Aka Amara, but... don't tell. This iz mah sekrit ide..."

*waves* :)

Hello and welcome, Kassandra! :)

(And that same thought goes through my head every time I write a blogpost...)

Hi Rhi I have just finished reading Piaffe and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. How far ahead are we looking at for book 2?
Are we looking at a MMM here which feels more balanced?

Gwen wrote: "Hi Rhi I have just finished reading Piaffe and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. How far ahead are we looking at for book 2?
Are we looking at a MMM here which feels more balanced?"

Hello, Gwen! So pleased to hear you enjoyed Piaffe. The second book will definitely travel more into the realm of MMM, but to what degree of relationship, I haven't yet determined. I'm aiming for book 2's publication within 18 months, although it's possible it may be closer to 24 months.

Damn two years that's just plain cruel and inhuman, I might be dead before then!! The only answer is to give up on sleep ;)
I think it has to be MMM, it gives the amulet more balance, and I'll be forced to haunt you if it isn't.

Gwen wrote: "I think it has to be MMM, it gives the amulet more balance, and I'll be forced to haunt you if it isn't. "

Well there are many types of relationships. Some are romantic without being sexual, some are sexual without being romantic... I have no idea what Aerdin's deal is, I'm still working that out. One thing's for certain, their culture and society isn't as anal retentive as Western culture is, not by a fair stretch.