Thursday, August 13, 2009

Welcome to Z.A. Maxfield's guest blog

Whatcha Reading?

Sometimes I try to imagine my life without Star Trek, Star Wars, Peanuts, ET, Harry Potter, and my current obsession (OMGosh) Burn Notice. (That man can grin.) I think about what it must have been like for my family members who lived before television, before films and radio, some of who were so rural they even lived out of the range of newspaper delivery.

If you go back a hundred years you can pretty much forget most everything I read. If you go back thirty you lose personal computing so you can forget pr0n because I have little or no imagination for that sort of thing on my own. Just forget fanfic, LiveJournal’s weepingcock sporkable erotica community, YouTube, Wikipedia, Google. I’m already hyperventilating.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that without those things, you can forget Z.A. Maxfield.

I try to make a case that my children can understand. “When I was a little girl”, I tell them, “If I wanted to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, I had to wait until it was on television, which it was, once a year, every year, with commercial interruptions. And if I missed it, woe betide me, I had to wait A YEAR to see it
again.” When my daughter was little, I bought that videotape for five dollars along with a tank-full of gas from Shell, and she could (and did) watch it, every day, all day for what seemed at the time like years.

Okay, I’ll admit that the current amazing availability of stories doesn’t mean they’re all good. Just because you can turn on your computer and find something new to read everyday, so much that you’d never be able to read it in a million lifetimes, doesn’t mean much in the long run, except that for the price of a mediocre
bottle of wine you can go out on the Internet and buy a book by a professional writer about virtually anything you can imagine, or anything you can’t imagine, but want to.

Oh. My. Gosh.

How cool is that? I no longer watch television by choice, but late at night, when I’m feeling the need for a good story I can spin the magical wheel of ebook publishing and find exactly what I want. Instant and gratifying, PayPal-safe stories of high adventure or lowbrow comedy or sex with strangers and no laundry to do afterward.

No guilt required because there’s plenty to read copyright-free if I’m short on cash.

For me as a reader that’s delicious. For me as a genre fiction writer it’s an absolute coup de foudre, a sudden, intense passion for which there is no cure at all. Imagining millions of readers out there just like me: I’m putting the kids to bed, watching the hubby drift off to sleep early because it’s summer and he rises before the rest of us to go to work, and thinking… hm. What shall it be today? And there are millions who aren’t like me. Men and women from a ton of different places with unique needs and desires and tastes, who can go to the library or switch on their personal computers or even use their phones, to read.

You want shapeshifters? What kind? You want vampires? We got those. You want Large and Lovely or BDSM or May-December? M/m, m/f, or m(s) and f(s) in any combination you choose? You want most all ages and stages in life? You want ninja-vampirefirefighter-
loveslaves who had heinous childhoods and fall in love with suburban housewives twice their age? **ahem… ah, yeah, that was me who requested that**

We got that.

We are the wave, baby. We are the new frontier! We are the tsunami that will float your boat, carrying you across a lifetime of instant downloads, UPS deliveries,< and when they finally figure out how to make it work, brick and mortar bookstore purchases for the price of a decent cuppa joe. And we’re not about to replace books, but I’m sure it wouldn’t kill anyone if we replaced commercial television.

How can I not love niche market publishing?

So, as Z.A. Maxfield, the writer, I probably should ask you, gentle readers…

What can I write for you today?

Z.A. Maxfield
zamaxfield@yahoo.com
http://www.zamaxfield.com
ZAMaxfieldsCyberCafe@yahoogroups.com




Contest:


Three lucky person will get one ebook of their choice from Z.A.'s backlist. The three winners are randomly drawn from everyone who leave a comment. So please stop by and say hello or ask a question.

39 comments:

Unknown said...

I believe I speak for a group of at least one (and, if the noise was any indication, many more than one), what we want is ... Will.
Thanking you! *g*

p.s. my word verification code was "cootiv" .. eew!

Dannyfiredragon said...

How about some more stories set in ST. Nacho?

Love your books

Anonymous said...

Hey there ZM......

Thanks for coming and dnag if you got me all fired up ready to scream: MORE MORE! lol

Needless to say I h tink the kids wouldbe a bit upset if I did that or confused...so I will softly say...please dear author please write more for us. :)

Thanks for coming.

Dawn
Senior Reviewer-LR&M
Owner-LRC

Cinderella said...

Very good blog with ZA Maxfield.

Unknown said...

Z.A., I'm with Danny, how about some more stories set in St. Nacho?

I'm pretty new to your books, but have most of them and love them all! Keep up the great work!

Jambrea said...

Hmm....I would love another story like Drawn Together. I loved the feel of that book. And I'm with H...WILL!!!! Is it done yet? heehee

Lauralyn said...

Hi H!
even as we speak Will is percolating deeply and effervescently in the bak of my mind just waiting to tell his story!

Lauralyn said...

Hi Dannyfiredragon, St. Nacho's 3 is in the works, almost a fourth of the way written. Thanks for loving my guys!

Lauralyn said...

Hey, Hi there Dawn! I'm on it!

Lauralyn said...

Hi Cinderella, thanks for stopping by!

M Jules Aedin said...

Unless there's a book you've written that I don't know about (unlikely!) don't enter me in the contest 'cause I own them all already. :-D

I want you to write... hmmm. Dang, you've already done most of my default requests. This is going to take some serious thought.

How about something to do with video games? I'll leave it up to you how to incorporate it, but maybe with a little dark edge to it...? (I love your dark edges.) *grins*

Lauralyn said...

Hi Rhonda, thank you very much, I love St. Nacho's and am about a fourth of my through my next trip there, so mariachi music lovers get your dancing shoes on!

(Like that book wasn't totally filled with angst, ;-0)

Lauralyn said...

Hi Jambrea, Yes. Well. Will is waiting his turn. (patiently... pffffft)

n.c. jenks said...

YAHH!!! I can't wait for St. Nacho's 3 and Will!!! lol... Ohh and I loved the blog

Kendall said...

I loved Crossing Borders and now I'm reading and loving Drawn Together. Waiting for me (already purchased) are Blue Fire and Notturno....

I guess if I had to request something, I'd say urban fantasy/paranormal type stuff (yeah, I know, I need to buy The Long Way Home ;-).

Keep up the great work!

Honey Bunny said...

Hi ZA,

Your freakin books rock!
Judie

Lynn Lorenz said...

Great blog, ZA!!
You rock!
don't enter me...just know that I love ya!

Lauralyn said...

Hey Jules, Oh, man, you may have picked the one and only subject about which I'm a complete tabula rasa. The last videogame I played, (and it wasn't really willingly) was Centipede. And I was dead in about .o3 seconds.

But right back atcha in owning what you've written and I'll raise you an I love YOU and a 'write like the wind'

ZAM

Lex Valentine said...

I'll jump on the Will bandwagon, but honestly, I love all your stuff. Okay, maybe Notturno is a little more my speed than the others... must be the cemetery thing. *wink*

Lauralyn said...

Hi Nikyta!

I am really enjoying working on the third installment of St. Nacho's! I'm taking a bit of time to work on the sequel to Notturno, but it's about a fourth of the way done and plotted, so I'm really rocking. Thanks!

And Will. Boy, give a guy red shoes and suddenly he owns the world...

Lauralyn said...

Hi Kendall. You're going to get a kick out of ePistols, cause the name Kendall is EVERYWHERE in that book.

I'm working on a sequel to Notturno right now, and since that was my first foray into paranormal I find I'm feeling very otherworldly lately.

Maybe you'll win and you can request Long Way Home! Thanks for your support!

Lauralyn said...

Hi Judie, my Honey Bunny, I thought I sensed something sweet, thanks for stopping by!

Lauralyn said...

Hi Lynn, Right Back ATCHA, I just found another one of yours, I think, that I haven't read, so we'll be spending more time together this weekend! (figuratively speaking)

Thanks for your support!

Unknown said...

Sorry, forgot to say, please don't enter me in the draw .. I have everything you have already released. :)

Lauralyn said...

Hey Lex, thanks for coming over here. I'm pretty sure dragon shifters are just my speed too, at least the guys I read in your Fire Season. (that sound you hear is my eyeballs sizzling in a cool water bath.)

Wait till you see the Notturno sequel. It opens with Adin getting into some mischief in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris...

Melanie said...

Um. Sean, please. I don't like vampires, normally, but he's too yummy to pass up.

And, I'm officially changing my home address to St. Nachos.

Cathy M said...

Hi ZA, it was nice getting to know you. I can't believe I haven't read any of your books yet,so I have a lot of catching up to do. Always on the lookout for stories with a paranormal twist.

Lauralyn said...

Oh, Yeah, Sean. Ancientharp, you got that right. I want to create special plans for Sean. I'm cooking something up for him... I loved him too, because I do think some vampires should be more Tolkien and less Stoker. ;-)

Lauralyn said...

Hi Cathy, It seems like I've written quite a few t choose from, Long Way and Notturno are the two with paranormal elements, maybe you'll win the drawing and you'll get to try one out for free, I'm crossing my fingers for you!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry --- did you really say "what can I write for you today?" REALLY?!?!?!?!

Without doubt more St. Nacho's but first . . . WILL! WILL! WILL!

And if I might - there's something to be said for a HOT man on a chrome/black Harley who can't keep his mind, hands and mouth off a geeky bookworm. Just sayin' :)

Whatever! KEEP WRITING!

Vicki

LORETTA CANTON said...

I'm sorry but I don't think that I have read any of your books. After reading some of the posts I'm going to get started.

lorettaC,
lbcanton@verizon.net

Melanie said...

I'd eat that up with a spoon. And that's for sure.

I must have missed a story. Which one is Will, again?

Lauralyn said...

Hi Vicki,

Do I have a Harley and a bookworm? Actually, I wrote a Y/A novel about to high school seniors one of whom rides a Harley (he's from Wisconsin, so natch) and his best friend, who is a bookworm. (They're first and second chair violins in the orchestra and angst ensues. I've never subbed that one. Maybe I should!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lauralyn said...

Hi Loretta, I admit to having a few different types of books to choose from, head on over to my website and take a look, who knows? Maybe you'll be one of my lucky winners and get to choose one!

Lauralyn said...

Ancientharp, oh ye of many pseudonyms, ;-) That one was ePistols at Dawn, and Will was the protagonist's Houseboy, Factotum, and All-Around Slut. And he quite seems to have stolen every scene and captured my readerships collective imagination, because everyone seems to want more Will.

It's always the ones with red shoes.

Melanie said...

Ah. That would explain it. I must rectify my lack of knowledge forthwith! ;p It seems I've been missing out...

Asylumgirl said...

Thanks for the giggles.

You are a new author to me, but I've got to admit that I'm intrigued.

How about a vampire librarian? I'm one myself, so I'm kinda partial. Uhh...I'm a librarian, not a vampire. Don't I wish! LOL

Deidre
deidre_durance at hotmail dot com

Lauralyn said...

Hi Deirdre! Well. forgive me for saying so but I think being a librarian is WAY cooler than being a vampire. I think we all need to just stop loving vampires so much because they're all getting swelled heads and sparkly and shit. ;-)

(I shouldn't talk, but I wrote Notturno before I'd ever read Twilight) Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with the contest. Maybe you'll win one to try!

Dannyfiredragon said...

Okay here come the winners!

Deidre
Loretta C
Jambrea

Big congrats everyone! I know you will love ZA's books.

She will contacted you asap