2+1=3

Threesomes - the more the merrier? It depends on who you ask. Threesomes are one of those topics that readers seem to have distinct opinions about. Some love them, some really don't care for them. I find them intriguing. By adding one more to the mix, the dynamics increase exponentially. The relationship dynamics, the conflict potential, and don't forget about jealousy issues. I think people in general are wired to pair up, not trio-up. But on the other hand, given the right mix of personalities, the right combination of strengths/weaknesses and needs/wants, I believe a threesome could work...at least in a fictional world.

I'm not talking about a 'throw an extra into the mix for a night of fun' type of threesome. Rather, a solid, long-term m/m/m relationship. Maybe it's just that I love sex and angst, but a m/m/m makes me giddy at the prospect of all that conflict that's waiting to be mined. And, well, if two hot men are mighty fine, then three.... *G*

In case you're wondering why I have three hot guys on the brain tonight, it's because I'm toying with the idea of writing one. I foresee it being fun to write, but also a challenge. Am I up to it? We'll have to see. I also have a m/m/m/f WIP that's been languishing, but I put menages with a chick in a different category than no-chick menages. Maybe it's because the chick has girly bits the guys don't have. Whatever the reason, I view them differently than a m/m/m. I have opinions about them as well, but that's for another post.

So how about you? What do you think of m/m/m books?

The Not-So-Short List

Since I've been mulling next books lately, I figured I'd give you a peek at the list of ideas I'm trying to choose from. They are all set during the Regency, because I can't seem to write anything before or after that time period. So here they are, in no particular order:

• Bound Forever; the third and final book in the Bound series, featuring Oliver and Vincent.
• TBT (to be titled); short story for Arsen and Henry from Object of His Desire.
• Thief; m/m novella with Arsen's youngest brother
• TBT (to be titled); m/m vampire novellas. I recently finished a m/m vamp WIP, and it may end up being the start of a 3 book series. If so, then these are the other 2 books to go along with it.
• A Gentleman for Her; m/m/m/f novel with D/s elements. I started this one AGES ago. It has the honor of being my first erotic WIP. I liked the heroes so much, I quickly put the WIP aside and moved on to m/m books. But this one's bugging me again so I want to finish it sooner rather than later. It's a 1/3 done. Yeah, it's got girl cooties, but it's a m/m/f that turns into 2 very friendly pairs (m/m and m/f). So hopefully the chick won't scare any of you away. *g*
• Convincing Leopold; another book for Arthur and Leopold from Convincing Arthur. I want to see how things go for them when they get back to London.
• TBT (to be titled); m/m BDSM novella
• Kept; m/m BDSM novel
• TBT (to be titled); m/m/m with 2 rakehells and a pretty boy who bears a resemblance to the one pictured at the top of the post. I'm not sure about the length. May make it into short novel territory since I'll have 3 heroes and the added complexity of a menage relationship to sort through.

Damn, the list looks really long once it's typed out. And these are just the ones with notes and/or outlines already completed. The new-book-idea muse needs to go on vacation for a bit. Maybe I'll send her to Ireland - I've always wanted to visit there.

To Sequel or Not to Sequel

I’ve been thinking about which book I want to tackle next. I’ve got a whole gaggle of options, from vague ideas to outlined concepts. They are all clamoring for attention, of course. But I can’t do them all at once, so I have to make a choice. And as I mull, I realize that a big part of the decision will be if I want to write a sequel to an existing book next or a completely independent book. Which brings me to the issue of sequels. Since I write novellas, I don’t usually leave myself a ton of space to get to a real HEA (happily ever after), or as real as it can be in the Regency time period. I tend to use HFN’s (happily for now’s), and I usually have an idea for a sequel before I finish a book. And if not by the time I finish a book, then eventually. It took over a year, but Arsen and Henry from Object of His Desire have finally decided they want a short story to firm up their HEA, and introduce Arsen's youngest brother who has decided that he wants to be one of the heroes in a book that was going to be completely unrelated to all the rest. In fact, I have sequels in mind for all the books I’ve written so far. Not sure if they will all find their way onto the page yet, but I’ve at least got the ideas.

They pose quite the dilemma when deciding what to work on next. Should I continue a story with existing characters or introduce a new pair of heroes and tell their story? Um…big decision. While I have a fondness for revisiting heroes, I obviously can’t stay in sequel-land forever. New hotties need books, too. ;)

So I’m wondering what you all think of sequels in general. Do you like them or can you do without them? Are you a ‘one book’s enough’ type of reader, or are you on the greedy side and want more?

And I’ll ask one more question, because I’m a curious sort and can’t resist – if it was your choice, what would you want me to write next? A sequel or something new? I’ll add the disclaimer that the muse gets to make the final decision, but this is your chance to throw your choice into the big-old-hat of options, so to speak. So toss away….okay, so maybe that isn’t the best way to put it. *G* But you get the idea.