Featured Guest Blog and Giveaway: Erica Pike

Today (or yesterday!), I'm on Love Bytes Reviews to talk about my personal experience with depression and burnout (which is why you haven't seen anything new from me in ages! But you'll have something soon). Oh, there's also a giveaway. And I put in a whole lot of info on Iceland - landscape, LGBTQI rights and elves!

Fun Facts with JL Merrow

JL Merrow is my visitor today. She's not going to share ten fun facts about herself, but about my country: Iceland ^.^ While I was "icepicking" her Fall Hard manuscript, I was blown away by her understanding of Icelandic people and the details to the land and buildings (and that first sex scene? Crazy HOT with those two Icelandic dirty words!).  

Warning: some may be more factual than others! ;)

1. Not only does Iceland allow same-sex marriage, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, its Prime Minister until earlier this year, is in one! She was the world’s first openly lesbian head of state.

And the best part is that nobody cared ^.^

2. Icelanders are highly literate. Around 10% (yes, TEN PERCENT) of the population will publish a book in their lifetime.

I've become a statistic >.<

Alopex lagopus

3. Iceland’s only indigenous mammal is the arctic fox. All together now: Awwwwww.

Vicious beasts... Okay, not really. They're adorable ^.^

4. In Iceland, it rains sideways. This is because the wind never stops blowing. It’s death to hairstyles. If you visit, invest in a few scrunchies so you can wear a ponytail all the time and never, ever show the holiday photos to your hairdresser.

There's a joke about the part of Iceland that I live in: If the wind ever stopped blowing, people  would fall over face-first (because we always have to lean against the wind - okay, not funny when you have to explain it...).

5. Volcanic ash, which caused such a palaver a few years ago, is actually coarse, gritty black sand. It’s quite fun to scrunch your toes into when you go swimming in the Blue Lagoon. Less fun, obviously, when sucked into your aircraft engine.

Yeah, sorry, World. The Dutch and Brits wanted cash but we misunderstood and sent them ash :/

Elven graveyard (according to JL!)

6. There are elves in Iceland. So many, in fact, that in a hugely unpopular measure of 2007, the government enforced an official cull. Today, you can see the poignant sight of elven graveyards all over the country, the final resting places of the hidden folk marked by small cairns of stone.

Not true! The graveyards, that is - the elves are very real ;)

7. One thing I knew about Iceland before I went was that there are no trees there. This is a lie. THERE ARE TREES IN ICELAND! All right, there aren’t very many, and they’re mostly not very big, but they’re there. There’s a saying: What should you do if you get lost in a forest in Iceland? Stand up.

Damn, you stole my next joke :P That seriously is a joke that every Icelander knows (and we actually think it's funny, hehe).

No Sheep! 

8. Another thing I knew about Iceland was that it’s full of sheep. This is also a lie. THERE ARE NO SHEEP IN ICELAND! Nope, not one. I didn't see a single shake of a lamb’s tail while I was there. Of course, they could all have been hiding in the middle bit where the main roads don’t go… No, sorry, I don’t believe it. There are no sheep in Iceland.

So not a lie! They're as real as the elves!

9. On the other hand, there are MILLIONS of ponies in Iceland. Seriously. Everywhere you go, fields full of gorgeous, shaggy-coated, floppy-maned ponies. Which leads us to:

10. Those lovely Icelandic sweaters you see everywhere, with the thick wool and the yoke pattern around the neck? Sort of like Sarah Lund wears, only nicer? Knitted out of ponies. They shear them in the summer, bleach or dye the wool, and knit it into sweaters. Honest. It’s the only explanation.

Haha, maybe I should suggest to the farmers to collect horse hair to knit out of :P I couldn't wear one though because I'm allergic. We do make wallets out of fish skin though, so it's an idea ;)

  

***

Some memories are better off lost in the mist…

Eight months ago, British academic Paul Ansell lost his lover—and all the memories of their time together—in an accident at Iceland’s Gullfoss Falls. Returning to the misty island country to resume his study of the bloodthirsty Viking Egil Skallagrimsson is tough as he struggles to pull his life back together.

First, there’s his colleague, Mags, who treats him like glass, and summer student Alex, who peppers him with discomforting questions. Then there’s Icelandic jet-boat driver Viggo, a tattooed, modern-day Viking who won’t say much about how they know each other. Leaving Paul to wonder if their volcanic attraction is fuelled by a desire to make a fresh start, or desperation to forget the past.

As more fragments of his lost memories fall into place, Paul is unsure if he can trust himself, much less anyone around him. And he begins to suspect his accident was nothing of the kind.

Warning: Contains a modern-day Viking whose boat has V8 engines for oars, and a harsh land of hot springs and hotter passions that won’t forgive any false steps.

Samhain |  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Giveaway:

I’m offering a free signed paperback copy of Pressure Head (I’m happy to ship internationally) to a randomly chosen commenter on the tour, plus a $10 Amazon gift certificate!

I’ll be making the draw around teatime on Monday 30^th September, GMT. Good luck! :D

JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea.  She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance, and is frequently accused of humour. 

She is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.

Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com

Icelandic Ghosts: Are They Real?

Photo by Thora R.Kristjansdottir

It's Halloween month and so far I've either posted or have scheduled three posts on ghosts. I don't see why I should write about werewolves or vampires because I don't believe those exists. Ghosts, however...

Yes, crazy as I may seem to you, I do believe they exist. I know they exist. 

Icelanders generally believe in ghosts. Why? Because believing in the supernatural is deeply rooted in most Icelanders and we hear the stories from a young age. There are stories about trolls who venture out at night and turn to stone if they don't make it back to their caves before the sun comes up - there are rock figures that prove this. There are human-sized elves and small elves who live in rocks and mountains, and should those rocks and mountains be disturbed you're in a hell of a lot of trouble. There's a ghost at the crossroads to my hometown - many people claim to have seen him and he's been around ever since my grandmother was little. These stories are told as if they are facts, not fiction. My other grandmother has always been able to see ghosts. She doesn't talk about it too often, but it's eerie how she can talk about a woman wrapped up in a shawl and describe her looks and how she smiles and holds her hands in her lap, only to discover a couple of days after from the owner of the house (who didn't live there - my uncle was renting the place) that it was his late wife. The exact shawl, the exact gestures and smile. This isn't a one-time sighting. She even used to play with them when she was a child. 

It's easy to see "stoned" (*snicker*) trolls in the
rough Icelandic landscape.
Photo by Thora R. Kristjansdottir

When I was little, ghosts scared the hell out of me. The ghosts I pictured were sheet-covered beings who made "whooooo" sounds, and then they were see-through and could walk through walls. But then I caught glimpses of American horror movies where ghosts manifested in small children with the intent to scare (not  just kill; scare). As I grew older I realized that they are souls that weren't ready to die, and so they linger behind. It makes sense. The majority of people go to heaven/hell (or wherever they go) and the ones who died very suddenly or have business yet to finish remain behind. However, I've found that I’m not much of a Christian believer anymore. Sure, there’s some good force out there and I might as well call it “God”, but I don’t really believe in some euphoric heaven or demonic hell. I believe that we all become “ghosts” - spirits that are unseen by most. However, those who die suddenly - those who don’t necessarily know they’re dead - are more likely to be seen. The same goes for those with unfinished business. That would also make sense because those who died suddenly or have unfinished business are still trying to move around in the world of the living and want to finish their business. Some may find a way to finish their business but some will longer forever.

Icelandic nature often has a supernatural feel to it.
Photo by Thora R. Kristjansdottir

Now I probably sound nuts to a lot of you, but this is my firm belief. I have seen a ghost myself, when I was in England. I don’t remember it much, but my cousin remembers clear as day. A girl, dressed in clothes from another century, was sitting on her bed. The odd thing is that I wasn't scared, she didn't mean any harm, but I scared the living daylights out of my cousin. This is the only sighting I remember - however, I frequently talked about the “woman in the hallway” when I was a toddler and used to point at her. That scared my mom, and she asked grandma once if there was someone “there” and grandma said there was a woman in the hallway. 

But here’s the thing with me. I’m sensitive - or empathic or whatever I should call it - so I sometimes sense a presence or even the “vibe” of a place. I can sometimes feel it when bad things have happened (as in, I have to get out of the house or suffer the feeling of suffocation/intense fright). That place where I lived as a baby, it’s a house that many family members have lived in and I always sensed this presence when I was older and visiting. I didn't like sleeping over because something felt weird. I didn't know what it was and I didn't know about the “woman in the hallway” until a couple of years ago when my mom was telling my uncle about it (again, stated as a fact, not fiction). 

Then there's one of my sons who, as a toddler, used to point at the bare wall in his bedroom and say he was scared of the man in the wall. I tried all sorts of things to get him to understand that there was no man in the wall, but he kept saying it (only 2 - 3 years old) and although I wished I didn't believe there was a ghost in the wall, I believed him. So, after different experiments, one that including swatting at the wall with a fly-spade, I spoke to the ghost after my sons were asleep. I told him, in a firm voice, to leave. He's scaring my boy and he can't keep doing that. Well, my son didn't talk about the man in the wall for about half a year! Then he started talking about him again and I went through the same speech.

So, are ghosts real? Yes they are.

Body in the water? ^.^
Photo by Thora R. Kristjansdottir

An Exorcism of Icelandic Library Ghosts

Photo by Thora R.K.

Roughly a month ago I sent out a plea to my fellow GRL2012 goers to see if anyone would be interested in donating print books to Iceland's only LGBT center. Their library is very outdated in the fiction section because there hasn't been money to buy anything new in years, so their fictional section is looking rather forlorn.

Photo by Thora R.K.

Chicks & Dicks kindly offered to feature the issue and the post went live today ^.^ I'm happy to say that the LGBT center has a few new books already, either donated by me or sent by people (like Anne Tenino!), and a lot of people - including two publishers - will hand me their donations at GRL for me to take to the center. I thought maybe one or two people might respond to my plea, but I was unprepared for the 20+ people who responded. It goes to show how tight and giving this community is. Now there will be titles in the library by KC Burn, Victor Alexander, Geoffrey Knight, Tara Lain and more, for people in Iceland to read. I'm also hoping this will generate an interest of the local bookshops to buy more m/m books in print (I've already contacted the biggest one and they're very positive - they currently only have a few e-book m/m titles in their online store - by Sara York and Geoffrey Knight, among others. Looks like the shop has a deal with Total e-Bound or something). 

Photo by Thora R.K.

Anyway! If you want to read a bit about Iceland, please head on over to Chicks & Dicks. If you want to send an LGBT book to the LGBT center (by you or anyone else), the address is listed in the post (just please make sure you mark the package as a donation so they won't have to pay the VAT). If you'll be at GRL in ABQ, I'd be happy to save you the shipping cost and take the books to the center myself :)

The Icelandic LGBT Center

The Icelander in Me

I think it‘s time I explain a few things about myself. I was born and raised in Iceland. I lived in Denmark for three and a half years, but other than that – and some overseas vacations – I've been in Iceland, around Icelanders my entire life. 

The thing about Icelanders is that we‘re pretty straight forward people with straight forward humor. That means a lot of things, but I‘m going to talk about two: taboos and humor.

Iceland is very advanced when it comes to taboos. That is to say, for not having many taboos. Iceland is first and foremost in Europe, where there are less taboos than in the USA, and Iceland is also a part of the Nordic countries where there are even less taboos than in a lot of other European countries. 

I was a teen when Iceland‘s biggest pop star, Paul Oscar, became popular. He was a phenomena that no one had seen in Iceland before (or since). He not only had unique music, but he was gay and proud of it. He has helped push things out of the closet when it comes to LGBTQ talk and today LGBTQ talk isn't taboo at all in Iceland. It is freely discussed in media and among people. It is why I sometimes discuss LGBTQ matters that make some people take a step back...and ask if I have a right to discuss these matters. This makes me stop and think every time because while the discussion may seem innocent to me, it may be a sensitive matter for other people, so I start to wonder if I should really be discussing it. But then there's the fact that everyone has a right to discuss whatever they want to, as long as they're not harming other people while doing it.

There are other things that are in no way taboo here, like the talk of sex. We don’t even hide that sort of talk from our teenagers. Most of us don’t even freak out if our kids catch a glimpse of something erotic, not that we’re actually showing them pictures of naked people - of course not; they’re children - but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they accidentally caught a glimpse of it. 

Now, humor: Danish humor is not unlike the Icelandic humor: a bit sarcastic, jabbing, and make-fun-of-yourself. Like the Danes, Icelanders have a knack for making fun of themselves. We’ve pretty much had to, since we’ve lived under very harsh conditions since the settlement years. It is said that joking makes life easier, and I believe this has been a motto for many Icelanders through the decades.

Until World War II we were pretty isolated from the world. It’s a small country, 300,000 people’ish today (probably around 230,000 in WWII), and when you meet someone new it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll have a joined acquaintance. With that kind of familiarity it’s easy to see how the jabbing humor has developed, like it would between siblings. Almost anything goes and not many things are off limits when it comes to joking. What I’m trying to say here is that I’ll joke about things, and talk about subjects without much reserve. To some it may seem insensitive, but it’s not meant that way. I realize not everyone’s humor is like this – far from it – but I’m hoping by explaining this that people will take my humor in stride and not take the things I say personally. I try to be careful, considerate to the fact that this kind of humor is...weird and offensive to different cultures/people, but sometimes things slip out before I can stop myself.

So why the archer woman in the skimpy outfit? Because my humor, comments and taboo-less discussions can sometimes seem like a sharp arrow at a target. A jab. A negative thing. I apologize in advance for that. I try not to be offensive, but it’s sometimes hard to see where the lines are. I understand that some people are sensitive when it comes to matters of sex and LGBTQ talk. Me being me, and raised in this surrounding, I go all out and don’t hold much back. This may seem insensitive to some people, and I’ve gotten into trouble for it more than once, but those who know me or have gotten to know me know that I mean no disrespect by it. It's hard for people to change who they are and I’m not sure I’d want to change this openness in me. I never talk about LGBTQ things in a pejorative manner. If I talk about gay men in leather, I talk about gay men in leather in a positive way and I don’t see how such a discussion can be negative or should not be talked about (just like I don't see how it would be wrong to talk about straight women in leather). Not talking about it would make it a taboo, and, yeah, you know where I stand on that.

Onto whether or not I have a right to discuss LGBTQ matters: Am I harming LGBTQ people by it? I don't think so. I'm of the belief that the more matters are discussed, the better, especially if things are talked about in a positive light.

As I've said, I am aware that there's a big difference in culture and/or personal opinion when it comes to these things. However, I will still be myself and I can't change my humor. That means I will probably continue to rub people the wrong way in the future. That said, next week is “Twink Week”. Yup, I said it: twink. I can already hear the bones crunching, as I'm pretty sure I'm stepping on some toes, but I’m going to do this in honor of next week’s release, Absolutely Eric. Eric, after all, is a very proud twink and I want to be able to discuss twinks in a positive way, just like "bears" are usually discussed in a positive way. So please, if the word or discussion of twinks offends you, you may want to stay away from this site next week, since I have fellow authors stopping by to discuss twinks. If you don’t mind the discussion then come on over and make yourself comfortable :)

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Happy New Year

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Happy New Year, people! 

I've had an eventful year - both in personal life and writing life. I wrote two full-length manuscripts and six short stories (one is a short free-bee, and I managed to get that damned fifth in the CFaG (O.o does that say "fag"?) series finished yesterday - on the very last day of the year, lol). All of these will be published in 2012, so one might say I'll be taking the year by a storm ^.^

I've met some wonderful people since I joined the m/m writer community. I felt welcome right away and I'm truly thankful to have met these new friends. They've given me more than a few laughs and loads of support.

I'm happy to be able to tackle all those other stories that have been nagging me for months, now that I'm starting the year with a clean schedule. The problem is...which one do I write first?? I guess I'll sit back and watch them battle it out.

So here's to a new year, filled with publication, more m/m reading, and fun times with friends!

Erica Pike

P.s. I may not have taken that photo, but I've been watching the northern lights all my life and although they're usually just green veils in the sky, I've seen wonderful pinks, purples, blue, and orange dance so vividly I'll never forget them.

Inspiration in the Strangest Places

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After having exhausted my one and a half hour of inspiration while I was trying to fall asleep last night, I felt very uninspired this morning. So I went out for a walk.

There wasn't much wind, for a change, and not a lot of clouds in the sky. The walk did me good. I saw a bunch of horses, birds on lakes, reindeer moss ripe for the picking, sun and the moon in the sky at the same time (the sun takes a hike in the winter, but the moon never leaves), paw prints in the black sand, fields and fields of moss-covered lava with long, wide cracks splitting the earth, and the ever-unruly sea clashing against black rocks. When I bent down to pick up a plump berry that was oddly still there after all the harsh weather and cold lately, a whole scene and a plot device flashed through my mind. 

Inspired? Yes, but for the wrong story. I guess I'll have to sludge through the short story today, but I have a feeling I'll have to put my third manuscript of the Boston Boys series until I've finished writing that viking story of mine.