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This space is for announcements only. My regular blog is here.
March 28, 2009
Go here, go now, and buy "Affair in Paradise!"
Warning: PLEASE DO NOT READ THE BLURB. It contains spoilers. Trust me, it's more fun to read the story on its own.
March 24, 2009
Whoo-hoo! Time for a party, everyone. Torquere is publishing my new short story, "Affair in Paradise." It'll be available beginning this Saturday, March 28th. It's the length of a novella/novelette, what Torquere calls a "Single Shot." Those usually cost about $2.49, so I invite you all to purchase one.
February 27, 2009
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the long-time readers who've re-subscribed for $4.99. It's terrific and rewarding to know that even though you were in at the original rate, you think enough of my work to re-sign up for the new price.
It's just further proof that my readers are the best in the world, and it means a lot.
Thank you, thank you.February 26, 2009
I always knew that I had the best readers ever, but now there's proof!
You guys clicked on so many ads that Google kicked me out and closed my account. Yes, you're so terrific and supportive and awesome that you brought down Google's wrath!
So, no more Google ads here.
For those of you who are curious, no, none of the money's coming to me. Google's returning it to the advertisers. I'm sorry that your clicking was for naught. But, Diamond's looking into alternatives. So we may try ads again, if any advertiser out there is strong enough to battle my readers.
Thank you for being awesome.
February 25, 2009
Howdy, ITL readers!
I just cleaned a bunch of old gift certificates out of the system. So if you signed up through a gift certificate, and it's expired since then, your username and password probably won't work.
Since of course we all know that you've enjoyed "In This Land" thus far and want to keep reading, you're welcome to sign up for a new subscription!
Just wanted to let you know in advance, so you don't panic on Friday.February 21, 2009
Thank you to everyone who’s clicked on an ad, whether it’s been once, once a day, or several times every day.
It’s a real help. Thank you for taking the time to do it. I think that I’ll be able to keep them just on the main pages and not on the actual fiction pages, which is a big relief. I appreciate your support.
For those of you who haven’t seen them, the ads are at the bottom of the main pages of the site, and at the bottom of each page of the message board. I was worried about them garishly ruining the look of the site, so hearing from people unable to find them has actually been a relief.
Clicking on an ad is free to you, which is possibly the best part about it. It takes literally one second to do, which makes it a terrific new habit to pick up. (Although clicking on an ad for The Purple Book won’t help. That’s just what Google throws up when it can’t think of anything else to say.) I sincerely, genuinely, honestly, very much thank you for being kind enough to click. It’s a simple yet generous gesture, and it makes a positive difference in my life. Thank you.February 7, 2009
Y'all know that my sites are ad-free. I opened my first site in 2000 and made sure to find an ad-free host. I paid for the Drewboard to keep the ads away.
Kim's been encouraging me to slip in some Google ads. I've been all, "No, no, I can't!" She's like, "But it could help you to make some money." Then I say, "But it goes against everything that I stand for!" Then she says, "Just try it. Try it for two months, just give it a shot." Then I say, "But it'll make me feel so dirty!"
I'm going to try it for two months. Please forgive me. If it weren't for my landlord and the storm puppy's need for food and shelter, I wouldn't soil myself in these ways.
This is a trial period, so the ads may change, may appear in different places at different times, etc. I'm hoping to keep them as unobtrusive as possible.
They'll probably be ads I only get paid for if you actually click through to the advertised site, so it would help me out a lot if you'd click on them once in a while.
Right now, they'll only be on MatthewHaldemanTime.com. I don't believe in making money on slash, so if I put them on Sweet Uncleanness, it'll go specifically towards paying for the site.
And now, I shall go scrub the filth from my body.
When the ads appear on fiction pages, they'll be at the top. Yes, this will look horrible. However, I'd rather have it look bad at the beginning than interfere with your afterglow. I don't want to spoil that "just finished reading" mindset.February 6, 2009
Thank you again to the Wiki This Land editors. Jaefire and Falconer have been all over it the last few days, and it's exciting to see how well the pages are fleshing out. It's a huge help to me and my writing, and it's a terrific resource for all of the readers, current and future. Thank you!
February 5, 2009
Just added 17 new graphics from Vani to the fan art gallery. Thank you to Vani, and to the other artists!
February 4, 2009
Announcement #1: Hey, guess what? Enough generous and creative people have made fan art for my work that I've opened a gallery to display it. Enjoy!
Announcement #2: We've had a lot of fun discussions on the update list. Falconer asked me if I would consider opening up a message board. Everyone can talk there, without concerns of cluttered in-boxes and lost threads. It's easier to organize, which should help people track conversations. The message board on my other site enjoyed a prosperous run, and readers had a lot of fun there, so I decided to give a new board a try. You can join in the discussion here.
Thank you, Falconer, for the suggestion!
A lot of thanks to Diamond, as always, for designing everything into the theme of the site.
I don't want to spread everyone too thin, so I'll be switching the update list back to announcements-only. That way, everyone can talk on the message boards and not miss out on good update list discussions.
New fan art gallery, new message board, and of course Wiki This Land. Welcome to a busier, more interactive MatthewHaldemanTime.com!
February 3, 2009
I'm opening up a gallery on my site to display fan art, most of it "In This Land"-related.
Any ideas on what to call it?
Any votes for Mattpics?
Any votes for Fan Art?
Any other nominations?Please leave votes and comments here.
January 19, 2009
I'd like to introduce you to this site's latest interactive feature: Wiki This Land. It's an on-line "In This Land" encyclopedia, and the content is generated by terrific readers like you!
Please read the main page very carefully.
You can try out the editing tools on the test page.
You can ask questions, get help, and discuss Wiki This Land pages on the update list.
To anyone and everyone who helps to edit Wiki This Land, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
January 16, 2009
Here at MatthewHaldemanTime.com, you can read 35 stories, written by me, for free. Absolutely free. 35 of them. Without ads, without banners, without any form of compensation whatsoever.If you go to lulu.com, you can download Guys in College for free. A whole book full of short stories, written by me, for free. Absolutely free, a whole book's worth.
If you go to Sweet Uncleanness, you will find an entire website chock full of free fiction, all of it written by me. 282 free stories in many fandoms, plus extra content like "Wannabes" (the deleted scenes that didn't make it into "Sucker"). Enough gay erotica to feed anyone's craving. Without ads, without banners, without any form of compensation whatsoever.
I've been posting gay erotica on-line since 2000. For free. A lot of it. I have two websites devoted to it. I've given you free short stories, free long stories, free series, free sequels, and free fun.
I have asked you to pay for:
Off the Record, a novel
"Hot Weather," a short story
Guys in College (print version) and Guys in Cars, both short story collections. Paying for Guys in College is a courtesy only, since it's available for free as a download and all of those stories are also available for free on my site. About half of the content of Guys in Cars is also available for free on my site.
"In This Land," a series
Considering all of the fiction I've offered, considering my overall body of work, that's a drop in the bucket.
I want to make a living as an author. I've been very clear about that. I write because I love it, because I'm passionate about crafting a good story, and because I want my fiction to generate enough of an income to live on, so that I can dedicate all of my time to writing. Which would, in turn, produce more fiction for you to read.
When you distribute "In This Land" to other readers, when you post it in forums, when you make it available for other people to download, you're stealing from me. You're breaking the law. You're violating copyright. You're depriving me of income. Just me: there's no company, no faceless conglomerate, there's just me at my house trying to make it.
I love to write, but it takes more effort than a walk in the park. I put time, energy, and passion into my work. I produce a new part of ITL, with an average of more than 8,000 words, every week. When you hand over 118 parts of it at a time, that's 118 weeks of material. Two years of my time, my effort, and my creativity. And the people you're handing it to could get all of that, every single part of ITL, all of those parts, for $4.99, if they subscribed right now. That's all I ask, that they subscribe. It takes one quick trip to PayPal. If you can drop a five-dollar bill into the mail, you can read ITL. It used to be $1.99. Under two dollars a month, for weekly updated fiction.
I understand that most readers are never fully satisfied. You always want another book, another story, something else to read. For most readers, the more gay erotica you read, the more gay erotica you want to read. It's addictive. And paying for it can get expensive.
But you don't get the world for free. You aren't entitled to the fruits of my productivity. You don't deserve to read a professional author's fiction for free, just because you want to. You're not the exception who gets to consume my work for free while everyone else pays for it. My subscribers aren't all wealthy enough to toss cash around with abandon. Money's tight for a lot of them, but they're honest enough and ethical enough and committed enough to subscribe.
We all make our choices. We all decide what we're willing to compromise on. And maybe you're okay with breaking the law. Maybe you believe that it's okay to steal. Or that it's different, when you do it. Or that the Internet is a wild, lawless place.
But maybe you're reading this with a different mindset, and you believe that I should be paid for my work, just as farmers and accountants and doctors and lawyers and senators are paid for theirs. Let me speak to you. Let me call upon you, to be alert to people posting, distributing, and downloading my work without my knowledge and behind my back. Let me ask you to speak up when you see it, to tell those people to stop, to alert me and other authors when you see it happening. I'm not the only one who recognizes my work on sight; you know it, too. I'm not alone in this. I'm asking you to be with me.
By myself, I can't stop people from stealing from me. The Internet is a large place, and I can't guard all of its doors at once. But if you'll help me, if you'll report the crime when you see it, we can make a difference. Discouraging people stealing from me also discourages people from stealing from other authors, authors who deserve to be paid for their work as much as anyone else does, as much as you do.
When you see my work available outside of my site, when you see someone posting it or offering a download of it and you know that person isn't me or my authorized publisher, tell me about it, tell the webhost, tell the administrator, tell someone.
I offer fiction for free. Plenty of it. I've been happy to do so. When I ask you to compensate me for my work, if you don't want to pay for it, just skip that story.
If you really think that it's worth sharing, if you really think that it's worth reading and recommending to someone else, then you also think that it's worth $4.99.
(The first thing that I found people offering for download? ITL. You know, the utopian fantasy series frequently emphasizing morality. Nice to see that all of the sex drowned out the preachy ethics lessons after all.)
(Also, 282 stories on one site? Do you know how fiendishly long some of those stories are? Did I ever to go class or work, once?)
Thank you to all of you who honestly want to support my career, those of you who realize what my work is worth, and those of you who just think that stealing is wrong. You are very much appreciated.
December 31, 2008
It's New Year's Eve, and to thank you all for a terrific year, the e-book version of The Purple Book: Volume One is out early! I was going to hold it until the first volume of The Rainbow Book debuted, but, hey, I can't deny you guys anything.
December 6, 2008
When you buy In This Land: The Purple Book, Volume One, you'll get access to on-line exclusives. You'll get explanatory author's notes on the premise of ITL, on Bade and Orinakin's importance as ITL's flagship couple, on everyone's names, etc.
You'll also get, in the back of the book, a short story, "Tarikaso," only available in Volume One.
December 4, 2008
Matthew Haldeman-Time, MatthewHaldemanTime.com, and Diamond's Desktop are proud to announce the publication of In This Land: The Purple Book, Volume One.
Volume One will be available for purchase on Friday, December 5th, from Lulu.com. Included is a new short story, "Tarikaso," only available in Volume One, as well as access to on-line exclusives.
Look for Volume Two in early 2009.
This volume is paperback only. Hardcover editions of Volume One will be available when Volume Two arrives. E-book versions are not available.
"Tarikaso" excerpt, information on exclusives, and Volume One cover art available soon.October 27, 2008
To celebrate the publication of The Purple Book, you can now read "A Special Gift" free, without a subscription or a password. You're welcome!
October 26, 2008
There have been more questions about The Purple Book, so let me clarify.
The Purple Book covers Bade and Orinakin's romance in "In This Land." (In other words, parts one through seventy-seven.) It'll be published in five parts over time, in paperback. A hardcover version may be available.
We're now in Kudorin and Xio Voe's story, The Rainbow Book. Once we're into the third book, I'll publish The Rainbow Book in paperback.
Several people have asked about an e-book version. Since ITL is already available on-line, I won't release it in e-book format at this time. I'm definitely willing to go in that direction in the future. (While the third book is being released on-line, and The Rainbook Book goes into paperback, The Purple Book might go into e-book, for example.)
The first volume of The Purple Book should be available soon. Diamond's working on her third version of the cover, and we have one minor formatting issue to take care of, and then everything will be ready. Thank you for your patience and your support!
September 6, 2008
I'm happy to announce that Torquere Press will publish my short story, "An Affair in Paradise."
Good times! I'll give you details, excerpts, release dates, etc., as I get them.September 5, 2008
It's just past midnight here, 12:06. I just posted part 100 of "In This Land." To celebrate hitting part 100, I'll post two new ITL short stories over the next few days. You're welcome to celebrate in your own way. Sending me gifts would be entirely appropriate.
August 30, 2008
I just realized that Amazon has "Hot Weather" available in a Kindle-friendly version. So if you have a Kindle, go buy "Hot Weather!" And if you don't have Kindle, you'd better go get one, so you can use it to read "Hot Weather."
Of course "Hot Weather" is also available here.
And thank you very much to Tanya from Joyfully Reviewed and to Louisa Clark for your great Amazon reviews. I appreciate it!
June 8, 2008
Usually, I either write blurbs myself, or have Diamond do it. But some of you know ITL pretty well, and can string together mighty fine sentences.
So I thought that I'd invite you to author the blurb that will go on the back of each volume of The Purple Book.
I'm thinking something along the lines of a short paragraph about Orinakin (he was sent across the world to seek a husband for his brother, etc.), a short paragraph about Bade (called to the exotic land where sexual freedoms etc.), and then a short paragraph tying everything together. But all without being explicit about "and then they fall in love and get married!" because I want to pretend that there's some suspense about that.
You don't have to follow the formula laid out above; just do your own thing.
This is for The Purple Book specifically, not all of ITL, so you don't have to explain the entire set-up in detail. Just the basic premise of Orinakin and Bade.
You can submit your blurbs here in comments, or e-mail them to me.
(I absolutely retain the right to splice several submissions together. And there's no money involved. Although someday, when I'm on my book tour and choosing the director for the first movie, I'll have fond thoughts of you.)May 30, 2008
"In This Land" is now $4.99 a month. For under five dollars a month, you get an update of new fiction every week! You'll also get access to password-protected short stories. ITL is chock full of love, sex, romance, drama, and harems. Subscribe today!
May 16, 2008If you haven't subscribed to "In This Land" yet, do it now. The subscription rate is about to go up for new readers.
Right now, if you sign up, you get over 80 parts right away for only $1.99. That isn't fair to readers who subscribed back in 2006, and have been paying faithfully all of this time. So, since a subscription to ITL is worth more now, the price will go up very soon.
The new rate is only for new subscribers. However, I keep hearing from long-time readers that ITL is worth much more than $1.99. Thank you! Feel welcome to drop me a few extra dollars, if you think that the series is worth more than $1.99 a month. You're also welcome to sign up at the new subscription rate. Because I'm customer-friendly like that.
April 24, 2008
Updating a day early to keep quiet tomorrow for the Day of Silence.
The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.
More: Day of Silence and the GLSEN
April 4, 2008
The Purple Book is over! The next book has begun. Good times ahead.
March 19, 2008
I'll be away for a few days. Lucky, lucky you, I'm posting "In This Land" early this week! No worries; I'll return soon.
March 7, 2008
As March ends, so will The Purple Book, the first book of the "In This Land" series. "In This Land" is eight books long, one book for each of the Seven Siblings. Orinakin's book, The Purple Book, is first, covering the royal diplomat's romance with Prince Bade.
In April, the second book of the series begins, and another brother will step forward with the romance of a lifetime.
Soon, The Purple Book, parts one through seventy-seven of the series, will be available for sale in traditional bound format, to sit on shelves alongside Off the Record and Guys in College, so that you can flip through it at your leisure and relive the adventure as Orinakin falls in love with Bade, and you fall in love with Orina Anoris.
February 22, 2008Important "In This Land" announcement coming soon!
January 17, 2008
I've been absent, recently. Busy writing, busy on a new real-life venture. I haven't slogged through my e-mail recently. How bad is it? So bad I haven't even thanked people for Christmas cards and gifts yet. I just sneak out of hiding once a week to post "In This Land."
(Those were some awesome gifts. Man.)
January 4, 2008
I'm back! (Applause.) Looking forward to a terrific new year. Kicking off 2008 with a long-awaited "In This Land" development. You're all invited to a Nosupolin-Anorian celebration.
December 19, 2007
A reminder: I'm leaving tomorrow, and I'll be away for a little while. Diamond will post "In This Land" updates for a few weeks in my absence. Y'all be good.
December 15, 2007
My editor at Samhain just pointed me toward another terrific review of "Hot Weather."
"Hot Weather is a sweet romance filled with hopes, longing and sweaty summer days. Mr. Haldeman-Time pens a playful tale where his delightfully realistic characters spark a sizzling chemistry the moment they first meet. This is a well-written and sexy story that readers will quickly devour."
Thank you!
December 14, 2007
I'll be away next Friday and the Friday after that, so Diamond will post the weekly "In This Land" updates for me. Thank you, Diamond.
December 7, 2007
Chat!
When: Saturday, December 8th, beginning at 9 a.m. (EST) and lasting all day, all night.
Where: D.J. Manly's Yahoo group
Why: Excerpts, prizes, great conversation
December 6, 2007
Just wanted to thank Bella from TwoLips Reviews for her terrific review of "Hot Weather." I really appreciate her comments.
John is not enjoying being a grown up. Instead of having a summer full of fun, sand and casual sex he has oppressive heat, a desk, responsibilities and a full time job. But one day he wanders into a local diner and comes across Keith – a hot little number who makes John remember all the good things about summer. Keith is fun and charming and sexy but he is out for something more meaningful than a quick grope. Now, John just needs to find the patience and the strength to overrule his hormones and woo Keith into coming home with him…
Hot Weather is an awesome read along the lines of a summer-time romance movie that is about more than sex, about growing up and finding the magic of a real relationship, which of course includes lava hot sex! Matthew Haldeman-Time’s debut novel is explosive and will be sure to create a legion of fans who will be eagerly awaiting his next release. His characters are funny, charming, lovable but most of all super hot. John is going through the growing pains of becoming an adult and leaving behind all the things that make being young fun. However, throughout this story John discovers that there are things that will make becoming an adult worthwhile and in John’s case that is Keith. Keith is charming, funny and has surprising depths that will leave the reader wanting for more. As with all great books Hot Weather will leave you clamouring for more and sighing wistfully for summers gone by!November 22, 2007
New short story up! "A Brother's Tale" follows one of the guys from "A Painter's Tale" into his new romance. You may want to read "A Painter's Tale" first, for fun and to refresh your memory, before diving into "A Brother's Tale."
It may interest you to know that "A Brother's Tale" is now the longest story on this site, beating out the reigning champion, "Two Bodies." (It interested me, anyway.)
"A Brother's Tale" is, as you may notice, one of the password-protected stories from the world of ITL. To gain access to it, simply subscribe to the series.
November 18, 2007
Chat!
When: Saturday, November 24 at 9:00 a.m. EST
Where: Literary NymphsWith: me, Stephanie Vaughan, Anne Cain, Jet Mykles, Sharon Bidwell, Joely Skye, Luisa Prieto, Michael Barnette, Katrina Strauss, Jules Jones, and Ally Blue
Why: to read sizzlin' excerpts, hear about the latest releases, and have a good time
November 2, 2007I'll be away for a brief period. In my absence, Diamond will post "In This Land" part 57 on the 9th for me. She's doing this as a favor to me, so please be patient and kind.
October 29, 2007
I'm proud to announce that I've been published, again! This time by Alyson Books!
The Alyson anthology Best Gay Love Stories: Summer Flings includes one of my short stories. I'm excited about my work being available in bookstores, and I hope that you'll pick up Best Gay Love Stories to read my story, "A Thief and a Killer."
(You can also read some of the other sexy, sizzling, summertime stories in the anthology, too.)
October 27, 2007
Guys in College has been really popular. Thank you for that! I appreciate all of the great feedback, especially on "Two Bodies" and "Incredible"/"Stupid Question." Guys in College is now available in paperback! (As always, thank you, Diamond, for your cover art.)
October 22, 2007
"Hot Weather" is available through Samhain for just $2.50!
Blurb:
There’s more to summer than just hot weather.
Fresh out of college and new to the working world, John faces reality—spending the rest of his life stuck behind a desk instead of having fun in the sun with his friends. His boss is on his back, his car is breaking down, and the oppressive heat is broiling him alive. There’s no end in sight to his misery.
Tall, slender, green-eyed Keith runs the lunch shift at the local diner, an air-conditioned oasis away from what John’s life has become. Keith’s cheerful personality, constant smile and unbearably sexy body help to remind John that summer is what he makes of it. And with Keith’s cooperation, John plans on making this his best summer yet.
Warning: This story contains two hot guys having hot sex one hot summer. Lots of hotness. Please be advised that a fire extinguisher may come in handy; so would ice cubes, used at your discretion.Cctober 19, 2007
Chat!
When: Friday, October 19, all day, all night
Where: Joyfully Reviewed
With: Me, Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, Kayelle Allen, Ally Blue, Michael Barnette, Sharon Maria Bidwell, Mychael Black, Kathleen Bradeen, James Buchanan, Vincent Diamond, Shayla Kersten, Rowan McBride, and Syd McGinley
Why: hot excerpts, fun prizes, great conversationOctober 5, 2007
Only two and a half weeks until "Hot Weather" arrives! Excerpts here; buy it here.
September 28, 2007
I can't make it this year, but Stephanie Vaughan, a big friend of the site, will be at the West Hollywood Book Fair this Sunday. Drop by and say hello.
September 21, 2007
Awesome. Off the Record has four glowing reviews. I love it. Thank you!
One of my favorite lines: "The sex scenes were a little more explicit than I expected."
September 4, 2007
Cross-posted from my LiveJournal.The chat was terrific. The best chat I've had to date. There were a lot of familiar faces there, and some new names. I posted excerpts from Off the Record, "In This Land," and Guys in Cars. I talked about Guys in College. The other authors were great, and the readers were terrific, and I think that I stayed for about six hours. Loved it. There were some really fun discussions, and there was a ton of extremely positive, wildly flattering feedback.
I also posted excerpts from "Hot Weather." I'll post them soon for everyone to enjoy. They were a huge hit at the chat, so I left with a confident stride.
We talked about, among other things, hot-and-sexy priests, Bruce and Cory from "Two Bodies," Trent and Jason from "Incredible," a sequel to Off the Record, Tony from "Rossi and White," why Bade's irresistible, why Kudorin rocks, sex involving knife play (I had to post a T'rin/Rini "In This Land" excerpt after that), and twins. (Anosanim and Talin are such a couple, they're practically married.)Edited to add: "Hot Weather" excerpts now available!
August 31, 2007
Chat!
When: Monday, September 3, beginning at 9 a.m. (EST) and lasting all day, all night
Where: Literary Nymphs
With: Me, Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, Mya, Kayelle Allen, Michael Barnette, Anne Cain and Barbara Sheridan, I.M. Cupnjava, Vincent Diamond, Shayla Kersten, Rowan McBride, Joely Skye, and Kira Stone
Why: conversation, free excerpts, tons of dirty talk, great prizes, and a chance to chat with me about ITL
August 24, 2007
Coming soon!
August 3, 2007Progress report: I'm editing "Hot Weather" for Samhain. Scott showed me the cover he made, and it's excellent.
I was really close to having novel #2 ready to offer a publisher, but then I made the mistake of talking to Diamond about it, and now I'm rewriting the whole thing. That thudding sound you hear is me, beating my head against the wall.
July 23, 2007Look! It's new fiction!
Ten short stories, all in one e-book. Five site classics, and five brand-new stories, just for you.You already know "Third and Madison" (the one with the taxi-stealing), "While Wearing Jeans" (the one where doing a favor for a friend is greatly rewarded), "The Hitchhiker" (the one that's short and contemplative), "I Dare You" (the one where Sam's past comes back to haunt him and get head from him), and "Camville" (the one where Cameron decides that it's time for a change).
Now's your chance to read "Off-track," "One Year Later," "The Dog-Walker," "Crash," and "Rossi and White." Oh, look, five new stories! New fiction! With sex! Tantalizing!
I know you want it.
July 20, 2007Dee, Sasja, and Jet Mykles have all created artwork for "In This Land." (Thank you!) I've decided that I can't keep it all to myself, so I'm going to display it on the site for everyone to see.
I intended to put up a simple HTML page, but there's a bunch of artwork to show; Dee's made a series of pictures of the brothers, which is eight pieces right there. Jet mentioned a gallery; I might set up something like that.
Anyway, once I get around to it, there will be great stuff to look at, in addition to the always-present terrific stuff to read.
June 28, 2007
Chat announcement!
When: July 4th, beginning at 10 a.m. (EST) and lasting all day, all night
Where: Literary Nymphs Chat
With: Me, Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, Michael Barnette, Sharon Bidwell, James Buchanan, Anne Cain, Jules Jones, Shayla Kersten, Rowan McBride, and Barbara Sheridan.
Why: Read excerpts! Enjoy fun conversation! Win prizes! You can read free fiction and tell me how much you wish Remin would get laid!
June 21, 2007
Yes, I've updated ITL a day early. Just because I love you.
Now that I'm adding mouseover pop-ups to tell you that Matanori is the god of animals, I have to decide what else to add descriptions for. In ITL 37, the one I just posted, I added a description for Inanodat (brother of the god among us) and Anosakim (child of the gods, fourth born, also known as Selorin), but not Kuladin (one who is more, a.k.a. Rini). The thing is, you can tell from context that Anosakim is Selorin; it's not hidden information. So maybe that one wasn't necessary.
Can I assume that you guys remember who Kuladin is? Can I trust that the context will spark your memory? Or should I give it a little tag, just in case?
I don't want to create more work for myself, and it's all there in the text if you pay attention. I'm still doing tags for gods, months, aunts, uncles, etc.; I can't tell Liri and Libi apart consistently, so I don't assume that you can, either. (Whose bright idea was it to give these people such similar names?)
Do you need tags for the parents? Anorik = Anosadum = pharaoh mother, Eleita = Sadum = queen mother, Manosuta = Sanuk = king father. Can you track that, as you read, or do you need assistance?
June 12, 2007
Chat!
When: Saturday, June 16th, all day long
Where: Literary Nymphs Chat
With: Stephanie Vaughan, Michael Barnette, Ally Blue, James Buchanan, TA Chase, Sedonia Guillone, Jules Jones, JL Langley, Jet Mykles, CB Potts, and LM Prieto.
Why should you care: Well, you'll get to talk to cool people and read smokin' excerpts, so there's always that. Plus, it's an all-day chat, so it will fit neatly into your schedule; show up whenever it's convenient. Also, you'll have a whole lot of chances to win cool prizes, including, no doubt, free gay erotica. I'd call that a win-win situation for you.
June 6, 2007
The Yahoo group problem has been solved. The list is now for group discussions; if you'd only like announcements and updates from me and wish to opt out of the general conversation, please change your settings to receive special announcements only.
Actual scholars and academics like to sit around and discuss my work, due to its great literary merit, and, no, I couldn't even keep a straight face while typing that. Anyway, Sarah Frantz (who's excellent) and Laura Vivanco (I'm sure that she's excellent, too, I just don't know her) have written about my work.
"Gender and Otherness" by Laura Vivanco
"Definition of Paranormal Romance" by Sarah Frantz
"Two for the Price of One" by Sarah FrantzI think it's awesome that my work has now been compared with Jane Austen's. Someday Off the Record will be printed in the line of Penguin classics.
June 1, 2007
Oh, the drama. I decided to open up the update list to everyone, as a discussion group. Those of you who only want announcements can change your settings so that you receive special notices only, and I'll post my announcements as special notices. My plan was brilliant and would have made everyone happy, except then I accidentally clicked the wrong box and made the entire group invitation-only, which is really, really not what I wanted. Now I'm begging Yahoo to switch it back. Fingers crossed.
If you'd like to join the update list and find that you can't (because of that really handy invitation-only setting that you can't switch back), please e-mail me and I'll extend an invitation.
I hope that ITL readers have enjoyed the new tags on the last five (or so) parts, where you can mouse over certain words if you need a reminder of who Liri is, who Libi is, and what in the world Tilidohatuk means. Most of the information (which month is which, which god is which, which parent is which) you can find on the handy charts provided by Diamond, but it also helps to have this stuff right there in the text for you.
May 25, 2007I'm back! Now it's time to catch up on e-mail and get back to writing. Thank you, Diamond, for holding down the fort while I was gone. The place looks great!
May 1, 2007
I leave tomorrow and won't be back until the end of the month. I wish you all happiness and health.
To make your ITL experience fun and easy, beginning in part 29, if you mouse over names of gods, names of aunts and uncles, etc., a little note will pop up to explain what that god does or who that person is. No, really; go read Remin's conversation at the end of part 29 and mouse over the gods' names.
It's possible that one day, in my copious spare time, I'll add those notes on parts 1 through 28. But, until then, there are always those handy charts Diamond made for us.
April 27, 2007
I will be away for the bulk of May. The good news is that Diamond should be able to keep things running around here while I'm gone; she'll post the weekly updates to "In This Land." If the updates are late, or if there are any subscription problems, please be patient.
You won't miss out on any parts of "In This Land." If, for some reason, she can't post them, I'll give them to you when I get back.
Because PayPal doesn't like my site, it can take a while for new subscriptions to get through the system, especially if someone isn't available to monitor things, so if you sign up, please allow some extra time for your username and password to kick in. Forty-eight hours should be enough.
Frankly, it makes me nervous to leave you guys. But all of May's ITL updates have been written, and Diamond knows how to work a website better than I do, so everything should be fine. Those of you who know me are aware that Diamond is pretty much my second-in-command (or else I'm hers), so she wants what's best for the site, and she wouldn't want anyone to go for a week without ITL, ever.
I may not get to my e-mail very much if at all during May, although feedback is always appreciated and I'll try to shovel out my in-box in June. During my absence, in case of emergency, Diamond can be reached at: diamond@matthewtime.com.
April 13, 2007
Chat announcement!
When: Monday, April 23, 2007, 9:00 p.m. (EST)
Where: Romance Junkies chat room
With: Stephanie Vaughan, Michael Barnette, and Jules Jones
According to Billie Jo, the chat coordinator: When you click on the “click to chat button”, you will enter the lobby after signing in. We now hold all our chats in the RJ Chat room, so click on the Rooms tab toward the top, then click on 'RJ Chat' and then click 'change rooms'.
April 4, 2007
Chat announcement!
When: Friday, April 6th, 10 a.m.-11 p.m., EST
Where: Joyfully Reviewed
With: Me, Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, James Buchanan, Lee Rowan, Jules Jones, Shayla Kersten, Cassie Stevens, Joely Skye, Barbara Sheridan, and Anne Cain.
Why: fun, excerpts, fun, prizes, fun
In largely unrelated news, I will be away for the bulk of May. Therefore, I'm working hard to get all of May's work finished now, along with April's. Which means that for the most part, I won't be around a lot until June, at which point I'll be trying to catch up.
Yes, you will get your weekly update of "In This Land" while I'm gone. Somehow. Fingers crossed.
My contract with Samhain has been mailed, so my short story "Hot Weather" is now officially their property, and may be out in October (please). I'm in happy and friendly negotiations with Publisher #2, regarding Off the Record and a short story collection. And I've sent my short story "A Thief and a Killer" to Publisher #3. Also, I've finished my first (rough) draft of Novel #2, which I'll try to spend June revising.
March 18, 2007
Chat time!
This Saturday, March 24, I'll chat with eBookLove! Come and join the fun! Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, Ally Blue, Joely Skye, Jules Jones, Lee Rowan, and Michael Barnette will be there, too, so there should be a lot to talk about! Expect excerpts, prizes, and a good time. Looks like this one might be another all-day chat, so whichever time zone you inhabit, we're there for you!
Readers of "In This Land" and fans of Jet Mykles: click right here for Jet's rendition of Selorin and Orinakin. No, I didn't ask her for it, I swear, she did it all on her own. It is a huge honor that something that I wrote would inspire someone else. Thank you, Jet!
March 7, 2007
My current stock of Off the Record (the bound and printed version) is running low, but I've decided not to re-order. A publisher's interested in the novel, and I don't want to invest in a shipment and then sign the rights away. If you'd like to buy Off the Record in its current incarnation, please buy it directly from Lulu.com. I've decided not to raise the price, so you'll be able to get it for what I've been paying for it.
February 21, 2007 (again)
It looks like a good time for me to hit the chat would be 11:30-1:30 in the afternoon, and then maybe 7-9 at night. Those times are Central, so that would be, what, 12:30-2:30 and 8-10, Eastern? And 11:30 am CST would be 5:30 pm GMT (I think). Anyway, the chat should be terrific, and it'd be great to see you there.
If you subscribe to ITL, come and let's talk about it! If you haven't subscribed yet, this is your chance to read some excerpts and maybe even win a free subscription!
All you need to do is join the Literary Nymphs group, then check your in-box during the above listed times!
February 21, 2007
I've been covering most of this in my LiveJournal, but now there's so much to tell, I have to let you guys in on what's happening.
First! Thank you all very much for voting in the Preditors & Editors 2006 Readers Poll. You are awesome, and you've made me look awesome, and thank you for that. I placed in the top ten in all of my categories. Off the Record took 5th place in romance novels, "In This Land" made 7th placed in sci-fi/fantasy novels, and I placed 10th as an author overall. I never expected anything like that, and it's happened because of you, so thank you!
Second: Samhain has offered me a contract for "Hot Weather." I shouldn't talk about it, since I haven't signed it yet, but dude: a publisher has given me a contract! I said that 2007 would be my year for making progress toward being a professional author, and it's only February and I have a contract!
Third: There's another publisher out there who wants to publish a collection of my short stories and, separately, wants to publish Off the Record. That means that once the deal is done, the publisher will have the exclusive rights. If you want Off the Record the way it is, buy it now. I haven't signed anything yet, but I wanted to give you fair warning. It's available as an e-book and in print form.
Also, please drop by the chat this Friday. I'll try to determine which times I'll be there, and let you know tomorrow.
February 9, 2007
Another chat coming up! Join the Literary Nymphs Chat group, and check your e-mail on Friday, February 23rd. It's an all-day chat, with authors showing up throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening. I'll be there, posting excerpts, answering questions, and, as always, handing out prizes. If you don't have a subscription to "In This Land" yet, you just may win one!
January 16, 2007
It's chat time! Well, no, it's not chat time quite yet, but it will be soon. Mark your calendars for February 5th; from 9-11 EST you can join me, Stephanie Vaughan, James Buchanan, and TA Chase in the Fallen Angels Review chat room. That's right: two hours in a live chat room with four brilliant authors! What could be better?! The January 2nd chat that Steph and I did with Jet Mykles and Michael Barnette was fun, busy, and ran hours long; let's see how much erotica we can pack into two hours this time!
January 10, 2007I almost missed this whole thing, because I was, honestly, 100% positive that my work and I wouldn't be included. When I saw other writers talking about the Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll, I checked it out, I thought, hey, cool, that's something to try for next year, and then I closed the window and didn't give it another thought. Because, dude, I still feel like I'm new around here.
And then Steph e-mailed me and said, hey, you've been nominated!
I'm listed in the author category, "In This Land" is listed in the sci-fi/fantasy novel category, and Off the Record is listed in the romance novel category. (If you see "In This Land" listed twice on the sci-fi/fantasy page, vote for the second listing, the one with the link to this site, not the one with the link to Lulu.)
Thank you, of course, to whoever nominated me - - how awesome is that? - - and to anyone who votes. After you vote, please check your e-mail and click the link that P&E sends you, or else your vote won't be counted.
January 1, 2007A new year means a new start. Apparently, I've decided to begin 2007 by latching onto time-sapping Net trends years after everyone else. My new LiveJournal account is here, and my IM info is on the home page. LJ, IM, and MySpace. I'll still have time to write, won't I?
December 30, 2006
The Literary Nymphs chat is Tuesday night, so I decided to spend this afternoon preparing for it. There isn't a whole lot to prepare, really, but although I've hosted my own chats before, I've never done one of these particular chats, so I'm trying to figure out what to expect.
I'm going to post some excerpts during the chat, so I need to decide what to post from where. My main focus for the chat will be "In This Land," so I'll probably take something from one of the short stories or the series itself. I just have to figure out which snippets could feasibly make sense out of the overall context of the story, and how long they should be. I don't want anyone's eyes to glaze over.
If you have questions about my writing in general or "In This Land" in particular, come and hang out on Tuesday from 9-11. I'd like to give away some free subscriptions, and if you're there, you may be one of the lucky winners!
December 29, 2006
It's almost 2007, and I can't wait. I have a lot of plans for 2007, a lot of goals, a lot of hopes and aspirations. It'll take hard work and sacrifice and dedication and discipline, but I really think that 2007 could be a terrific year.
I don't want to be too specific about listing my goals now, because I always worry about raising expectations, about jinxing things. But I do want to let you know that I'm excited about the coming year, and I'm dedicated to writing, to this site, to giving you something fun to read.
So stick with me! Hang out. Bring a friend. We're about to have a great time.
December 22, 2006
I've been really busy lately, most notably with Christmas preparations and work crises. I spent three days writing rather intensely on a story that will never see the light of day, although from its ashes shall rise something even better; wish me luck. As of today, my own Christmas shopping remains unfinished, although I feel pretty good about the work I did helping others.
If you'd like to help others, one way is to visit the Save the World page and shop from those stores, or make donations in honor of loved ones. I just talked with someone who did just that, and she feels good about it. Don't you want to feel good, too?
Remember to join Literary Nymphs and check in for the chat on January 2nd. It'll be through e-mail, 9-11 p.m. EST. Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, Michael Barnette, and I will answer questions, post excerpts, give out prizes, and generally provide you with an entertaining evening.
December 15, 2006
I glanced at my short stories page, and I said, "Hey! There are a lot of common themes here!" So I took all of the stories about guys in college, and I packaged them together, and now you can go to Lulu and download my free e-book, Guys in College. Snappy title!
You'll get "Incredible," "Stupid Question," "Ten Weird Things," "Cool," "Cruel, Cruel World," "Purple and Magenta," and "Two Bodies." Short stories; a few longer ones; a nice variety of sex, humor, love, and lust. You'll also get the introduction to, and first three parts of, "In This Land."
It's free, since all of that material is obviously available right here on this website, but it's fun to have all of the college stories together. (I'm a big fan of organization.)
While you're at Lulu, please also avail yourself of the opportunity to leave a review! You can review Guys in College, or Off the Record, or the Off the Record e-book. Go ahead! It'll be fun!
(Hint: Leaving positive reviews will whiten your teeth and improve your sex life.)
December 10, 2006
Mark your calendars! On January 2nd, start the new year off right by spending it with me!
The Literary Nymphs will have an e-mail chat from 9-11 pm, EST. I'll be there, along with Stephanie Vaughan, Jet Mykles, and Michael Barnette. We'll answer your questions, toss out excerpts from our work, and even hand out prizes! So, join the group, then wait for the fun!
December 5, 2006
If you would like to buy Off the Record (as an e-book) twice (and I know that you would), there are two ways. Either you can buy it once, and then donate more money directly to me, or you can buy it the second time from another e-mail address. I apologize for the inconvenience; I do plan, now that I'm working in e-book form, to look around for another publisher or two.
Also, I can now report that when you subscribe to "In This Land," your payment will appear on any statement as "MHT" or "MHT payment." That should be recognizable to you if you're looking for it, but it should also be discreet enough that no one else will notice anything odd.
Thank you to the kind folks who raised those questions!
November 29, 2006
Yes! Off the Record is now available as an e-book! Download it here and enjoy!
Ever since Off the Record was first published, readers have asked for an e-version. (No, really.) I didn't do it because I'm traditional, I'm old-fashioned, and I was worried about it being stolen and shared. But, I've decided to give it a try. Just for you, just because I love you.
In other news, yes, the copyright on my new short is from a year ago. It's part of my collection of short stories about cars, that I meant to publish together in book form. Its mood is different from most of my work, and I wasn't sure when or even if to post it, but I decided that now would be a decent time for it.Clicking a mouse button to light a candle is one way to help the fight against AIDS, but there are many more. Check out groups like amfAR, BC/EFA, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and Gay Men's Health Crisis. Of course that's only the beginning - - there are many more organizations out there; please donate time, money, and whatever else you have on hand. (For more ways to help people, the planet, and yourself, click here. It's at least a place to start.)
November 23, 2006
Soon, Off the Record will be available as an e-book! Hooray!
Today is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, where we're grateful and friendly and patriotic. This year, among many other things, I'm grateful for you guys, for the readers and feedbackers and subscribers and donors. Thank you for your interest, for your support, and for your generosity.
Also, I'm passing this along:
As World AIDS Day approaches (Dec. 1), we are reminded that millions of people need our help with the AIDS pandemic, but we often think, "What can I do?"
Here is one simple way you can help, and it costs you nothing but a moment and a mouse click.
Bristol Myers Squibb will donate $1 for every person who goes to their web site and lights a candle to fight AIDS, up to a max of $100,000 (chump change for them, but we'll take it). At this point, the counter is just over 61,000... so we need many more candles lit.
Please go to this link to light a candle... and help spread the light. https://www.lighttounite.org/November 17, 2006
Gift certificates are now available! Give the gift of "In This Land!" Share it with someone you love! Someone you like! Someone you know! Anyone at all!
The details are here. If you have any questions, e-mail me: matthew@matthewhaldemantime.com.
Seriously, though, "In This Land" is a way to share your interests with your friends. It's also a great gift for Internet friends. And, at only $1.99/month, it's more affordable than a book, a CD, or a sweater. So, click the link, fill out the brief form, and we'll do the rest, while you both get credit for being generous and help the spread of erotica. Do it for your friends. Do it for me. Do it for mankind.
November 10, 2006
More subscriptions come in every day. Thank you! These past few weeks have been a really exciting time in my life, and in the life of this site. Your enthusiasm for "In This Land" has been amazing, and your support has been tremendous. Thank you!
November 8, 2006
There's a general theme of gratitude in my life these days. Thank you, to the "In This Land" subscribers. Thank you to everyone who's sent feedback. Thank you to those of you who've subscribed twice. Thank you to everyone who's become Rini's MySpace friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's donated! You. Are. Awesome.
On another note: thank you, citizens of the USA who voted yesterday. I appreciate your patriotism. I'd especially like to thank the citizens of the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Excellent work on voting Rick Santorum out of office. I had a special, personal stake in that race, as a former citizen of Pennsylvania - - yes, he was around even back when I lived there - - and it does my heart good to know that he's been trumped.
November 5, 2006
You guys have to check out the comments on Rini's MySpace page. I was called "Anomatthew" and "son of Alanohi." How hot is that?
Speaking of names, dude. You have to subscribe to "In This Land" just to get a username and password. When we were doing the early testing, PayPal handed out the craziest usernames and passwords. Sign up and you, too, can be "pillowpony."
Diamond has made new banners for "In This Land." Please post them! Share the fun.
November 4, 2006
You may notice that my last two short stories, "While Wearing Jeans" and "Third and Madison," have dates from last year. That's not a typo; I really did write them a year ago.
One of my last grand projects was to write a set of short stories involving cars. I was going to take two previous stories, "I Dare You" and "Camville," and add new short stories, and publish that as my next book, Drive. Then I started a different project, and then I began "In This Land." Since, at this point, it doesn't look like I'll complete Drive, there's no reason for me to hold onto the stories. So, go ahead and read them. Enjoy yourself.
The rest of the stories from Drive are either incomplete or just not good, so you may not get to see them, unless I finish or polish them. But I kind of like "While Wearing Jeans" and "Third and Madison," so I wanted to share them with you.
November 3, 2006 (again)
A word on "In This Land" subscriptions:
Please, if at all possible, sign up with PayPal to subscribe to "In This Land." However, if you don't have a PayPal account and, for whatever reason, can't acquire one, please e-mail me, and we'll work something out through the donations, which don't require PayPal.
November 3, 2006
“In This Land” is up, and the updates have begun. Thank you to everyone who’s subscribed. You guys are terrific! Thank you for all of the great feedback.
Everything's going well, and I'm excited about all of the positive responses. The subscriptions have been great. You guys are really helping me to live out my dreams, and I think that we should all share a group hug about it, because I appreciate all of your support and all of your help.
I'm having trouble deciding what to say right now, because if I thank you more for the terrific feedback, it'll sound like I'm bragging, and if I encourage you to subscribe, I'll sound greedy. But the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and I love how excited you guys are about Orina Anoris. I love getting to share this world with you.
November 1, 2006
Hello! Welcome to matthewhaldemantime.com! Welcome to “In This Land.” Welcome to Orina Anoris.
There’s a lot happening around here today, so maybe some guidance would help. If you haven’t already been there, go and meet Rini. He’ll give you some introductory information to get you started.
The first three parts of “In This Land” are up and available for public consumption, so go ahead and read those. If you like what you’ve read and want to read more, please subscribe, and when Friday rolls around, you’ll have access to the next installment.
There’s also a related short story. There are two of them, actually; one is available to everyone, and one is available only to subscribers. Consider it a gift, from me to you, as thanks for your subscription. It’ll give you something to read while you wait for Friday.
Please excuse me while I cut and paste something from yesterday’s post:
It's taken a while to work out all of the glitches between this site's hosting company and PayPal, so there may be a brief delay between the time you subscribe and the time your username and password are accepted. We are harassing them about that problem, and if you're patient, it will work. So don't worry about it. If it doesn't work the first time, come back and try later, and it should be just fine. In the future, we hope to have no delay whatsoever, because I'd like to provide you with instant gratification, but we're not quite there just yet.
Thank you to everyone, all of the readers, everyone who’s sent feedback, everyone who’s been supportive, and everyone who’s subscribing! You guys are terrific.
Go ahead and look over the "In This Land" home page. Click the links; look around. Have fun!
Oh, I almost forgot - - Rini's on MySpace. I don't know how that happened, since Orina Anoris doesn't seem to have computer technology, but maybe Orinakin gave him a laptop...
October 31, 2006
Tomorrow's the big day! I'm excited. Nervous, but excited. The launch date came kind of quickly. I'm looking forward to everyone reading the beginning of the series and checking out the short stories.
Subscriptions for "In This Land" begin tomorrow, so go ahead and sign up as soon as you see the option available. (Donations are also welcomed with open arms.) Friday will be the first update, available to everyone who subscribes.
It's taken a while to work out all of the glitches between this site's hosting company and PayPal, so there may be a brief delay between the time you subscribe and the time your username and password are accepted. We are harassing them about that problem, and if you're patient, it will work. So don't worry about it. If it doesn't work the first time, come back and try later, and it should be just fine. In the future, we hope to have no delay whatsoever, because I'd like to provide you with instant gratification, but we're not quite there just yet.
I want to sit here and ramble at you about the characters and the stories and the series and my plans and everything else, but I don't want to give everything away, so I'll wait. But, dude. I'm excited! Come back tomorrow and meet everyone.
October 28, 2006
"In This Land," coming soon to a website near you. This website, actually.
"In This Land" begins here.
Rini's explanation begins here.
October 26, 2006
Yes, I just talked here yesterday. I can't stay away! I wanted to thank you guys for all of your support. I've had a few questions, so, yes, I'll mainly be taking payments through PayPal, but when you click on the "subscribe" button and get to PayPal, there will be an option available to those of you who don't have PayPal. So, no worries there. You'll be able to sign up on November 1st, the big launch date. We're really pushing to get everything ready for that. (Fingers crossed.)
October 25, 2006
Exciting news: There's now a Chatterbox link included in the navigation bar, for your convenience. Excellent.
We're pushing for a November 1st launch date for "In This Land." On that day, you'll be able to read promotional material and, when you sign up for $1.99 a month, you'll also get to read the first additional installment in the serial. On Friday, you'll get the second new installment. Weekly updates will follow each Friday for paying customers.
So, when all goes well, I'll see you here next week! Thanks for your support.
October 19, 2006
I've appointed myself the task of writing a brief introductory explanation of "In This Land," to provide a bit of background for you guys. It's proved irritatingly difficult, because I don't want to give you a dull, dry, "These are the characters' names and here are there occupations and blah." I might as well just hand out a chart and be done with it.
I've been asked, "Eight brothers? Eight of them, and they're all gay?" Yes, eight brothers. That includes two sets of twins. Some are gay; some are bisexual. (One has a wife; stay tuned for details. No, he's not going to cheat on her; I do have some morals.)
In general, I see no reason to be tied down by "reality" when I write. This is fiction, not biography. When I write, I prefer to be romantic and optimistic. Happy. Adventurous. Why not have a good time? Why not push for that rainbows-and-sunshine ending? Why can't eight brothers be gay and bisexual? (And wouldn't it be great if they were hot and lived right next door?)
If you've read the stories on this site, you know that I tend not to write about "reality" - - homophobia, disease, back hair. We experience enough of that in daily life. Sometimes writing and reading are simply entertainment. A moment's escape. "In This Land" is an escape into another kind of world. Does that make it fantasy? Yes, it does. But who doesn't like to fantasize once in a while?
October 16, 2006
I'm having a great time writing the new serial. It's called "In This Land." It's about eight brothers. They have sex, they meet new guys, they fall in love, they have a good time. I have a bunch of solid pages written, and I'd like to work on some accompanying short stories before the launch.
For the most part, the writing is going smoothly. I've changed a few names, and there's a certain scene that I've recast four times, but overall, it's going well. I'll have more actual details for you soon.
It's hard to get me out of the house - - I feel like every second not spend at my job is time I should be writing, want to be writing - - but Another Gay Movie opened this weekend, and I wanted to show support. We intended to go on Friday, opening night, but I really wanted to write, so we put it off until Saturday.
I'd recommend it. Of course it's silly; it's a parody. But it's fun, it's happy, and it's not afraid of sex. Also, it has James. James of James and Wes. James of "Boy Meets Boy." I love James. James was acting, James was kissing, James was in various sexual positions, James decided to show off his butt a few times - - I love James.
Noah was there, too. Darryl Stephens from "Noah's Arc." It's impossible to get Logo here, but the cable-on-demand feature has a few Logo shows, so I've had the opportunity to catch a few episodes. It obviously isn't "QAF," the most obvious comparison, but I enjoy looking at Darryl Stephens. And Wilson Cruz is an excellent actor. Dude. He totally gets to me.
October 11, 2006
Thank you to everyone who's buying Off the Record. Especially everyone who already had the first version and is buying the revised edition! You guys are terrific. I hope that you enjoy the changes.
Later in the year (which won't be that long from now, really, since it's already October), I'm going to open a new section of the site. It's going to be a serial sort of thing, a constantly evolving story with weekly updates.
The subject matter itself is something I've really wanted to work on - - I've been talking about this idea for over a year. I just haven't had time to write it. And that's the main problem: I never have time. My job sucks up all of my time, all of my writing time, and I'm in a daily fight to get a chance to sit down and scribble out a page. I've been in this tug-of-war for years, and it's really wearing on me.
If I could get paid to write, then I could spend all of my time writing, and I could actually get something done. All of these story ideas, serial ideas, and novel ideas could make their way out of my head and get onto a page somewhere, finally.
So, if you offer $1.99 a month, you'll have access to the wonderful world of my new erotica series. Yes, that is correct: for under two dollars a month, you'll have weekly updates with lots of fun guys cavorting. Cavorting naked, with any luck.
I'll give more details as the launch date draws near; until then, stack a few quarters together, and I'll be in touch.
September 24, 2006
While I was gone, the first shipment of books arrived and was shipped out to everyone who'd ordered during the revision process.
Now it looks like we're on track for current orders. Demand is high enough that I'm about to order a second big shipment, which is terrific. Thanks to everyone for your support!
As I said yesterday in my update e-mail, I'm working on a new project for this site that will involve books, stories, and lots of fun. I look forward to getting it to the stage where I can share it with all of you.
September 6, 2006
Special thanks to Diamond, Elizabeth K., and Brenhamella.
A huge round of applause to everyone who's bought Off the Record.
The final revisions have been made, and I've ordered the first set of books from Lulu. Once they reach me, I'll ship them out to all of the buyers. Thanks for your patience!
It's a relief to have the revisions finished. It's exciting to have an actual book, written by me, available for purchase, in readers' hands, and sitting on shelves. It looks like a book; it feels like a book. It even sounds like a book when you flip its pages.
Because timing is important, it just so happens that I'm leaving this Saturday and will be away for a week. Someone will handle the shipping for me and will e-mail everyone who's bought the revised version to let you all know that yes, the books are on their way. I really wish that I could be present, but, you know, life. Mostly, I'm just happy that I finished editing before I had to go.
See you when I get back!
August 14, 2006
Thank you again for all of the new Off the Record purchases. We're closer to being ready every day, and when the new version's available, I'll be sure to let you guys know and send it along.
Some of you are already buying through Lulu. That's great, and thank you! It's terrific that you want the book! I'd prefer that you wait for the updated version (it's now substantially different), but if you can't wait, go ahead and get it now.
August 8, 2006
Initially, I had planned to make small changes to Off the Record, little details. I've ended up overhauling the whole thing, re-ordering scenes, adding bits, etc. I believe (fingers crossed) that the revisions are finished now, and I've asked someone to read over it for me, to make sure that it makes sense. (I changed so much, I'm worried that it doesn't work anymore.)
In other news, I managed to cut my tongue, so it's hurt for days now, which is just inconvenient.
July 6, 2006
More Off the Record news. Please scroll down and read the last few entries to get caught up.
The book arrived! It's here with me. I've found changes that I want to make, so I'm in the editing process. Once that's finished, I'll upload everything to Lulu again, and then everything should be fine. When that's all done, I'll order copies and start shipping them out.
If you can't wait, and you want the book now, you can order it through Lulu. It won't have the most recent changes, and it'll be more expensive, but it'll show up faster.
I am accepting orders now, but I can make no promises whatsoever on when I'll be able to ship out the book, since it's still being edited. I'd love for you to order it, but I want you to have the best copy possible.
I'll post here again when I have more news.
June 23, 2006
Here's an update on the Off the Record situation. (First, scroll down and read yesterday's entry if you haven't already.)
I've finished my publishing process with Lulu.com. I've ordered a copy of the book, because I want to see it for myself in case any changes need to be made.
The book costs $8.08. (That's Lulu's price, and every cent of that goes to Lulu; I get none of it.) It costs $7.87 to ship. The total is $15.95. So, sixteen dollars. Kind of expensive.
I plan to scrape together some money and buy the book from Lulu myself, in bulk. If you order from me directly, I'll ship it to you. It'll be just the same process as before: you pay $12.50 through PayPal or by mailing a check, and I'll send you Off the Record. The only difference will be that you'll get a better product (a book with better binding).
Unless you live outside the U.S. Until now, I've charged everyone $12.50 across the board, but as of now, I'm going to charge $17.50 to ship to addresses outside the country. It's possible (not likely, but possible) that Lulu.com will charge you less, so you're welcome to buy the book there, if that's a better deal for you.
Basically, I'm using Lulu.com as my publisher, and not trying to sell the book there, because it just costs too much for you guys.
If you'd like Off the Record, the details are here. Once I've received my copy from Lulu and can verify that it's a better product, I'll put up links so you can check it out. (You'll get to read the first few pages, to whet your appetite.)
On another subject, I'd like to say hello to Steph and any new readers she's sent my way. Steph is attending the Writers' Weekend in Seattle this weekend, and is participating in a panel discussion on gay erotic romance. She volunteered to read an excerpt of...wait for it...my work. No, seriously, mine. How hot is that?!
She also asked if I had any promotional material that she could distribute. I didn't have any at the time, but I sure did whip some up for her. So now I'm in the possession of a bunch of postcard-sized flyers. (Okay, let's be honest: I didn't make them myself. Diamond did. But many of you probably already guessed that.)
I want to thank Steph for the huge, terrific, fantastic compliment. Please join me in giving her an enthusiastic round of applause.
June 22, 2006
Soon, Off the Record will be available in a new and improved edition!
Here's what's happening over here in my world. I'm busy with a large and slow-moving project. (Picture me trying to drag a comatose whale across gravel.) It's taking up a lot of time, so I haven't been able to update this site or work on pretty much anything else. (I don't know how you feel about that, but I feel lousy. And frustrated.)
So, that's why I haven't offered new stories lately. But, honestly, I want to give you something new to read, and I will, as soon as I scrape some time together.
Meanwhile, you've continued to buy Off the Record, and for that, I am grateful. You're terrific people with excellent taste. I know that the current format is a bit unwieldy, and I've never been pleased with that. So I decided to find a new publisher.
First, I tried CafePress. But, halfway through the process, I realized that their prices were too high. So, I did more research and looked around and made comparisons, and I settled on Lulu.com.
At the moment, I'm mid-process. (My graphic artist is polishing the cover.) It should be available soon. I really look forward to being able to offer an improved (slightly edited) version.
Thanks to Diamond, for many things. Thanks to Brenhamella for her support, both technical and otherwise. And thanks to Steph, who has been amazingly generous. (More on her later.)
November 7, 2005
Check out the "Save the World" page! Lots of new organizations there. Plus, links to shop!
October 2, 2005
Give me a B! (B!) Give me a U! (U!) Give me an S! (S!) Give me a Y! (Y!) What's that spell? Matthew!
I managed to put up one new story today, and four more Save the World links. I've been trying to figure out a schedule where I can write Novel #2, write new stories for this site, take care of everything at my other website, and occasionally answer e-mail. It keeps seeming like I can only succeed at one or two of those goals at a time, which is frustrating.
Anyway, I'd love to end this post with a promise to be around more, but I don't know whether I'll have new stories for you regularly or sporadically or what, so I won't make that promise. I will say: Have a great day! And, thanks for reading.
September 17, 2005
Sorry I haven't updated the site in the past week. I've been busy, and ill. I'm much better now, so, hooray.
Two new stories! I intended to post them on Monday the 12th, but that Sunday night was when I got sick, so I'm about a week late with this. Sorry. But: two new stories! That's always good news.
September 7, 2005
A new story today, complete with a banner from Diamond. "I Dare You" is the second-longest story on the site so far. ("Two Bodies" is longer. The only other longish story around here is "Ten Weird Things.") I know that it doesn't seem like it now, but I used to write only long stories with lots of sex. Too-long stories with too much sex, really. I actually have to limit myself, and instead of exploring a universe extensively, just take a little snapshot of it. Otherwise, I'd end up writing a never-ending saga full of sex and drama and romance and more sex and more drama and on, and on, and on. And on. And on some more. It's possible that in a former life, I wrote soap operas.
After my death, when my early works are published - - early, as in, before I ever had a website at all - - and all of the unfinished early scribblings of Matthew G. Haldeman-Time are available in a bookstore near you, you will read the psychotic, oversexed ramblings that I once wrote, and you will laugh. And then you'll never think of me the same way again.
Other angsty teens write poetry. I wrote porn.
September 5, 2005
It's funny, how sometimes I'll write a story and, as I'm writing it, it'll seem oh so terrific. And then I finish it, and go back and read it, and I'm like, is that it? That's not so great. But sometimes I'll write something and think, okay, whatever, and then I'll go back and read it and think, hey, that's not so bad!August 31, 2005
Again today: new short story, new Save the World link. Am I trapped in a time loop?
This morning, I drove to work, parked my car, and fell into a mud puddle between the parking lot and the front door. Nothing like walking in wet and muddy. Don't these things only happen to people on sitcoms? I'm serious, literally, I fell into a mud puddle. And guess what? The bathroom had a.) no soap and b.) no paper towels. The whole thing was so comical I couldn't even be embarrassed; I was too busy laughing.
August 30, 2005
I added a new link to the Save the World section. And I added a new short story. And a new "Hey" banner from Leslie Lee (thanks!).
If you ever wondered how I decide which organizations to include as I encourage people to save the world, let me tell you. In odd moments when I have a dollar or two to spare, I give money to charities. As you may know, if you give money to one group, other groups will flood your mailbox with solicitations. I give money when I can, and when I can't, I save the solicitations for another day.
The Save the World list was compiled primarily from groups who've asked me for money. I trimmed the list somewhat, taking out certain groups, because I didn't want to start with fifty links.
Most of the links are oriented specifically towards LGBT rights. Some of the links are for human rights in general; some are for animal rights and plant rights. I may add links periodically, as new organizations grab my attention. Please help if you can; join a group, or donate money, or find a local chapter and volunteer.
August 24, 2005
Sometimes people ask me the reasonable question, "Are you writing about your own life experiences?" Well, I can tell you that I'm not a video game character, and I've never put body make-up on a male supermodel.
However, at one point, I did have broken headphones that required me (if I wanted them to pretend to work properly for a few minutes) to jerk my head to one side. Hence, "Purple and Magenta." Actually, the headphones were someone else's; I had my own pair that worked just fine, thank you. But, out of the goodness of my heart, I traded with the other person, and I used the broken headphones. Aren't I a saint? Then, the other person figured out how to fix the broken headphones, and took them back, and I got my own original pair back, and now we're all content.
Whether or not my twin brother and I share lovers, well, that's our business.
August 16, 2005
My fault that I haven't been here. I took a week off from this site to work on my other site. Sometimes I get the sense that I've spread myself too thin.
On this site, I'm trying to get up to 50 stories; so far I'm only on 15. Note to self: must work harder. Or, must find more hours in each day.
August 7, 2005
Regarding the new short, "Bright." I'm aware that the more common title of Mussorgsky's work is "A Night on Bald Mountain," but the CD I have calls it "A Night on the Bare Mountain," so that's what I used.
August 6, 2005
And now, my thoughts on the superhero thing.
I like superheroes. Guys with magical powers? Hot. For a while, I intended to have my second novel be about superheroes.
Here's the problem, though. A lot of gay erotica is set in non-reality. Alternate universes. Improbable situations. I want to represent real people in real situations. Sure, it's great to be gay in outer space, but it's also great to be gay on this planet.
So, I do plan to write short stories with superheroes, and maybe a later book will feature some. But my second book will be about regular, standard-issue humans. (Maybe they'll be a little more attractive than regular people, but that's to be expected.)
August 4, 2005
Wow, I posted one new story yesterday and another today. Let's hope that this doesn't become a trend.
Yesterday, I said that I wanted to talk about "Hey." I know that you've been waiting with eager anticipation for my comments on the subject, so here you go.
You're not going to find homophobia on this site. You're just not. So, if you're looking for fiction about gay men being harassed by homophobes, you won't find it here. My point is, there's enough of that in real life; this is my corner of the Net where I can do whatever I want, and I'm not going to waste time on bigots.
What's nice about "Hey" is that the characters argue over public displays of affection as a general practice, not relating it in any way to other people's perception of them as a gay couple specifically. You could read the same story, substituting Andrea for Anderson, and have the exact same argument.
Homophobia is a daily reality, yes. It should be explored and combated and dealt with, yes. And there are many great places/times/ways to do so. But that won't happen at this website. Because, frankly, in addition to being an excellent way to explore the world we live in, fiction is also a great escape. This site is where I escape into a world where being gay and being bisexual and being straight are just the same, equally accepted, equally celebrated. Because that's the way that the world should be. And will be. This site is just ahead of the game in that area. But the rest of society will catch up. One day.
August 3, 2005
Hello.From time to time, I shall show up here and ramble at you for a few minutes. I'm sure that you'll enjoy these visits.
I put up a new short story today. It's kind of funny; a few years ago, everything that I wrote was long and absolutely rated NC-17. Now I keep writing short stories without sex. How the mighty have fallen. I should be ashamed of myself.
In other news, I just added a new links page. I had some trouble deciding which organizations to present, but in the end I went from a list of thirty-four to a list of twenty-four. Of course it's an incomplete list; there are many, many more organizations worthy of support.
(Reminder to myself: next time, discuss the new story, "Hey," and the whole superhero thing.)
