Tentacle Love

Buy Lorelei's Song HERE

By Maureen O. Betita

A normal human experience is far from the insanity of Nicholas and Jerrod’s heritage. But they hope for change, while Lorelei is bored; a spoiled, rich girl whose sexual tastes run toward the twisted and unpleasant. When the sons of Cthulhu stalk the daughter of a siren, the world shakes.

I do love my short blurb, quick and to the point. Somewhat. I mean, those who know Cthulhu will have some idea what they’re in for. For those who don’t? BWAH HA HAHA! I am so pleased to be part of your corruption.

But aside from eating your soul and delivering you to the gaping maw of his great and mighty awesomeness…I think I’ve written a pretty cool little ménage, with a toss of Steampunk conventionry mixed in.

I love going to Steampunk conventions and can imagine a scenario such as I created in Lorelei’s Song. How do we know what is stalking in the corners of those dark and loud ballrooms, full of the cacophony of accordion music, mixed with electric guitar and a steam organ?

When I walked the deck of the Queen Mary, at Her Majesty’s Steampunk Symposium last Januray, I thought…anything could be happening here. Absolutely anything.

Welcome to Lorelei’s Song. Where the sons of the dreaded elder god Cthulhu walk among us, slowly going mad. And a siren wanders through the merchant’s room, hoping for some bit of glitter that will pleasure her as much as bring her pain.

Excerpt:

His nostrils caught the perfume of something different. Spicy, with a hint of dry driftwood, it wafted by him and he froze. Damn, what the hell was that? A sharp rap on the table made him start. “Fuck.”

“Get up here!” A kick to the calf signaled he was needed.

He rose, rubbing his head, to find Jerrod snatching up a pair of goggles and sliding them on.

“What the hell?”

“My eyes. I can’t—” His kinsman turned his back on the nearly empty room. “I smelled something odd and—”

“Okay, okay. Sit and—”

“Get me the hell out of here!”

Jerrod gripped his arm tightly, head turned so Nicholas could glimpse the shadow of the change on his cheek bones.

Nicholas didn’t think. He wrapped his arms around his cousin and pulled him down to the shadow of the table. He lowered a hand and gripped the steel-rod erection he knew he’d find beneath the loose pants.

He heldthe rigid cock and whispered, “I smelled her, too. She’s out there. You just have to be stealthy. Be the monster who stalks, blend in. We’ll find her.”

“I…want….”

The hollow echo of the deepest crevasse of the ocean reverberated against his bones in the low voice.

Tentacles, there is just something about tentacles… 

Costumes

by Maureen O. Betita

I do enjoy costuming, and I am determined to learn how to sew for that purpose. But my past costumes, be they something a bit spacey for the scifi/fantasy conventions, or maybe some Victorian inventiveness for steampunk conventions, or a lovely bustier for the Renaissance Faire…or a tricorn for the pirate festival…well, to finish this great run-on sentence, I retail. Yup, I attend them all these types of events and I try to dress for each, but I generally make my costume elements from what I find when I shop.

Yes, I am a found costumer. And I’m good at it. I find all sorts of things when I wander stores and cast an eye on what I see with thought of “How might that be made more steampunkery?” (For example.)

I do buy actual costume pieces, but I generally finish with what I find.

Until now. I’m attending the Erotic Authors Association Convention next month in Las Vegas and…to be frank…I don’t know what I’m going to wear.

You see, I’m a bit round and I do best when I can dress those curves. And I agree that erotic dressing doesn’t have to consist of being undressed with style, but… I do have corsets and bustiers… I have full length dresses that are nice and elegant. I have low cut shirts, and uh…see through shirts. I don’t own high heels and I don’t have boots. Or stockings.

I do have whips and handcuffs (for the RenFaire, really!) I have masks… Sigh.

I really have no real ideas on what to wear for this convention! What’s a round, short woman to do?

Ideas?

Fringe – Lunatic Edge? Likely.

Man, I really do love this show. Despite the fact the Walter is totally batshit crazy, and his son is majorly messed up, but really sweet. And Olivia? Don’t get me started on how that woman’s brain must work.

Or not work.

What’s to love?

I think it’s the cow in the lab. Which they milk regularly.

It might be the zeppelin in the episode on April 15^th.

Is it how totally despicable Walternate is? Maybe…

I wish I could explain. After they left the ‘real’ Olivia in the alternate universe, I had a hard time watching. I recorded about 5 shows until I was sure they were going to ‘fix’ things before I let myself have a mini Fringe marathon of my own, to catch up. I forgave them. (I just hate seeing budding relationships screwed up by alternate versions of…one of the players.)

And…well…it just occurred to me that if you don’t watch the show you’re just totally lost here.

Actually, if you watch the show you may be totally lost. But not as lost as if you used to watch LOST. Which I quit when they killed Hurley’s girlfriend.

I started watching Fringe because of the actor who plays Walter, John Noble. I mean, there he was! The totally flipping insane King Denethor from Lord of the Rings, on TV! Playing a blitzed out drug-using mad scientist from the 1960s, trying to atone, but getting caught up in just how ‘neat’ everything was.

I know I should dislike Walter, because of everything he did…but I can’t. He’s such a delightful flawed secondary character…or should I admit it… To me, he’s a hero. So screwed up and trying so hard! I love characters like him. To watch the thoughts flit across his face…from innocent childlike wonder to calculating how to use LSD to retrieve a lost mind is totally delightful.

Fringe is aptly named. I have no idea where they are going and how this trip will end, but I am determined to be there when it happens.

Probably pissed because they’ll kill of Walter or something equally heinous.

I could pretend Fringe is a guilty pleasure and act like I am ashamed of watching it. But you know

me…shame is just not present in my DNA.

Anyone else out there a Fringe-r? Favorite character? Favorite insane thing? (I loved the dialog between Walter and Bell, while Bell was hitchhiking in Olivia’s mind about transferring his mind to the cow and then having Astrid do the milking. That was soooooo over-the-top and how the censors missed it is beyond me!)

Wow, I just lost everyone who was reading this, didn’t I? ;-)

Just the Facts Friday with Maureen Betita!

1) Once upon a time, I died. (Not long enough to see the light, but I sure gave it a shot.)

2) My husband saved my life. (Bless the old CPR class. I guess some things you never forget.)

3) I’m now part bionic. (Well, I consider my interior cardiac defibrillator a bionic addition to my body. Sure, no super powers, save that it will shock my heart back to working should it crap out on me again…)

4) I recorded a music CD and have stood before an audience at a coffee shop and sung acapella. (And smiled when the espresso machine went off. Want a CD? I still have a handful, e-mail me, I’ll send it.)

5) I have held a propane torch and chanted to Pele as solder flowed and silver did my bidding.

6) I named my first dog after a hero from a mystery series, Archie Goodwin. (Not Archie Bunker as too many assumed hearing his name. Idiots.)

7) I have seen Jethro Tull live seven times, the last being an acoustic performance. (The one band I will travel hours to see.)

8) I have held the wheel of a tall ship and sailed the Sea of Cortez. (The fair ship Talufa, if ever in Cabo San Lucas, look them up!)

9) I once swam with stingrays and was marked by one upon my thigh. I counted it a blessing.

10) I was on vision quest in Death Valley and in the silence of a winter day, I heard the whoosh of a raven’s wing high above me. (And nearly suffered frost bite on my nipples at night. Damn, it got cold once the sun went down!)

Maureen Betita Shows & Tells!

I do like to dress up. In costume. At a variety of occasions. I’ve been to Renaissance Faires, where I admit my tastes run to the peasant, skirt, blouse, bustier... I just am not one for sewing and dressing like a noble at a RenFaire, takes more than making found pieces work for a character.

I also go to Pirate Festivals, where I swash my buckle and oogle blades, try on hats and ‘arrrrr’ with the best of them. When I do spend money on accurate clothing, it will always be toward a pirate bent. The rest is found, or reincarnated costumes.

For example, this is me at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Orlando, 2009. I loved this costume and thought it wonderfully inventive. Alas, it was lost on most at the Fairy Ball because they didn’t announce character names. This is a recycled costume from years attending Dr. Who conventions. From Romanadvoratrelundar to The Fairy Dogmother. Because all dogs deserve a fairy dogmother. (Yes, she was a Time Lord character from the season of the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.)

This year, 2010, I attended the RWA convention, again in Orlando, and a friend accompanied me to the Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal Prism Award Banquet. Where the theme was steampunk. Now, I hadn’t really had a chance to put together a ‘period’ costume. But! I’d recently discovered a pair of overalls I used to wear regularly to the scifi/fantasy cons and I realized… “Eureka! I can be an air ship mechanic!” And viola, a visit to my local army/navy surplus store, a set of costume goggles and a good utility belt and I had my mech.

Most everything I costume is from found items. I find if one looks through the racks at most anywhere, one will find the occasional perfect bit that can be turned and twisted into…if not a perfect costume…into costume wear. And it’s fun to say, “Oh, this jacket? Lane Bryant! This skirt? Target! Hat? Cost Plus!”

So looking forward to RT’s Fairy Ball in 2011. Going to turn my wedding dress into something spectacular, not that it wasn’t to begin with. But in April? Look for me. I’ll be in the crocheted, full length dress…with corset, wings, hoop slip and if I can figure out how to tie it in, some tentacles!