Manga and Romance Blog Hop: Night Tempest

Hello everyone!  I'm Night aka Night Tempest, and thanks for stopping by to check out my blog. I just wanted to start things off with a big shout out to Hayley B. James for starting this hop and being so awesome! *Cheesy smile* Thanks Hayley!!

A few things before we get started:

As this is a blog hop, there are most definitely BIG prizes up for grabs! To enter for the GRAND PRIZE   leave me a comment, your email address, and your name in the comment section below. 

Follow my blog or my twitter (and leave me a message/comment) along with your Grand Prize submission and be entered to win my personal blog prize as well: $20 Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!! *YAY*

So make sure you leave me some love at the bottom for a chance to get some free swag.  One comment per user, but to increase your chances, visit the other bloggers on the list at the bottom of this post! Share the love from June 22-24!

A Little Bit About Me

Now comes the slightly awkward introduction where I tell you things about myself and you all run and hide. No, I'm kidding. Don't run away! :)  I figured since all the cool kids are doing it, I'd give you a few facts about myself that all you newcomers might find interesting. So I had my room mate ask me a couple questions.  Enter Dan, aka Mr. Fab, or Goldilocks as I like to call him. (He hates that. *sniggers*)


Dan: This is wierd.  I feel like a sexy Brian Williams.


Me: You are wierd and you look nothing like Brian Williams, but I like those shoes. (He is easily distracted and I like to mess with him.)


Dan: Thanks, they're new. I was going to get the green ones, but I...(He catches my eye roll and sticks out his tongue.) Fine, message received, Queen O' Sheba.  Okay, first question. Why are you infuated with gay men macking on each other, when you aren't gay, or a man? I added the last part for comic relief. (He chuckles.)


Me: It's not an infuation. Well, maybe it is, but I can't help that I find two guys kissing beautiful.  I just do.  Pushing my inner fan-girl aside for a minute, it's more than that.  I write gay romance and place myself in the world of M/M for another reason.  You're my best friend D, you're gay, and I support that, but you know the real reason. My brother was gay, we all knew and loved him, but he didn't get the support that he needed when he was away from home.  That shouldn't have been the case. Even as hard as it is to talk about, that's why I write what I do.  I write for him and for others like him that never saw a happy ending at the end of the tunnel.  I write that happy ending and through my work, I support all the LGBTQ community.


Dan: (In true D fashion, he hugs me, belts out a few bars of Ride Like The Wind--complete with dance moves--and I laugh. He's cool like that.) Phew, I needed that. Suffering from eighties musical Tourettes can be awful at times. Now, do tell.  What is your favorite thing about Yaoi?


Me:  There are so many things I could say.  Although, if I had to choose, it would be the range of emotions one story can pull out of you. Even if the plot is non-existent, nothing about the story makes a lick of sense, and the uke looks like he's fifteen, I will still laugh, cry, and gasp about thirty times.  It's like having a good soul cleansing or in my book, like watching a Lifetime marathon with a tube of oreos and crying a lot.  You just feel better afterwards. A lot of my writing is heavily influenced by Yaoi in this sense.  My readers like to call my stuff an emotional roller coaster. Lol. It's true, because when I write, I feel like I'm on one.


Dan: I've caught you crying while typing before and I will vouch for the missing oreos.  Those things are like girl crack sandwiches. (He tries not to laugh and I throw a couch pillow at him.)


Me: Okay, let's get on with this,  I need coffee.


Dan: You mean your precious? LOL. 


Me: No, I mean my coffee and I will cut you. (Trying to be serious, but failing.  Can't...keep...a straight....face.)


Dan: (Still laughing.) Okay, okay!  Oh my God, my jaw hurts.


Me: That's what he said.


Dan: Har, har. Here's a good one.  Describe yourself in three sentences.  Good luck with that. 


Me: Oh yeah?  Here goes. I think about sex more than any man or woman alive.  I live at Starbucks part-time and can write on my laptop for almost nine hours straight. My hair changes colors like most people change their underwear and I think my iPod is part of my anatomy. 


Dan: (Stares at me for a minute.) Huh, pretty accurate.  Well done.


Me: (Winks.) Thanks.


Dan: (Shakes head.) What is involved when you write?  Where do you plan for these stories to go eventually?


Me: I tune out the world, put on my headphones, and slip into what I like to call 'the romance coma'. Lines from songs, snippets from t.v., something I overheard at the store, they all inspire me during this creative process. *laughs* What looks like a bunch of jibberish on a handful of sticky note turns into a movie in my head.  I'm not crazy. I'm just an extremely visual person and if I could draw it, I would, but due to my lack of mad skills in that department, I write it all out.  I've had people tell me that my work would do well as script or a graphic novel.  That would be a dream come true, but right now? I'm just working on publishing my first story.  So I guess that would answer the second part right?  For sure, I plan to publish. :)


Dan: I have faith that you will, but good luck just the same. On that note...Williams, out. ( He fist pumps.)


Me: Oh for the love of...


End Scene

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When I first discovered Yaoi, I admit to being VERY lost. Questions flooded my mind such as: Why is that like that? What the hell is he doing? What does that mean?  Hokey Pokey and many other creative curses.  In short, I felt like an idiot of the most extreme kind.  In the beginning, there were a few things that tripped me up when reading Yaoi that most of you will find laughable, but others (like my former self) will praise me silently from behind the safety of their screens. So here you go, laugh it up.

A Few Things To Know When Reading Yaoi (If your just joining the club):

How the hell do I read this thing?  The most popular reading format for manga is to start at the back of the book, and read right to left.  The same pattern is used with sound and speech bubbles.  Got it? Good, repeat for each row and work your way to the front.  Some mangas follow a different pattern, but rarely, and they will inform you of the reading style at the beginning of the book.

What is that black or white line across the character's penis during sex?  Haha.  This is something a lot of people wonder, but never ask because they feel silly about it.  The answer is simple, censorship. 
Night?  How come I can still see the penis if it's supposed to be censored? Well my little reader, that's because by covering *laughs* 'the sexual gland' with a small stripe right on top of, and under the head of the penis, the publisher/artist is allowing you to get a good look, but is still following the law according their country. Not all mangas are this way, but most likely you'll come across more than a few.

Okay, why do the characters keep becoming child-like throughout the story? Isn't that slightly disturbing to you? The correct term for this is Chibi.  In Japanese, Chibi means 'short' or 'midget' and is generally an offensive term.  Leave it to America though to turn that frown upside down.  Fan girls, aka Fujoshi, use the term Chibi to describe a character's cute/adorable side.  *Squee and sparkles* So when the character goes from a grown man to a tiny child with big eyes, and tiny arms/legs, it means he is being adorable or childish.  His partner will not be able to resist such cuteness and there will generally be sex, hugging/kissing, or my favorite, a good bonk to the head from an irritated Seme. (Always makes me laugh.)

Here is an example:

Now this is from the anime adaptation of Gravitation, but you get the idea.  The Seme is trying to ignore his Uke's pleas, but eventually he will give into that cute little face. D'awww. How could you not?

Night, you keep using these strange words. What is a Seme and what is an Uke?  Seme is your more dominant character (your top) and Uke is the submissive character (your bottom). Stereotypically, an Uke is slender and effemminate, earth shatteringly beautiful. Then you have the Seme, which most likely will be a foot taller than his younger counterpart, muscled even though he looks willowy, and has the face of an angel--in short he is irresistable. 


There are occasionally characters referred to as 'Reversible'.  This just means that they don't have a set label as Seme or Uke, and can flip either way whenever the mood strikes.  :D I enjoy those kind of guys also!!

Shounen-ai? Am I speaking another language? Haha, yes you are. The language of BL (boy love)  Shounen-ai just means that the yaoi is mild compared to its couterparts on the market.  The story line will concentrate more on the romance and growth of the boy's relationship than on the explicit nature of their sex life.  Most sex scenes will fade to black, so to speak, and you will be left to use your imagination beyond the epic kiss they share. These are usually the ones you will fall in love with and want to read over and over. *Swoon*

Good examples of these (and my personal favorites) are:

Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi written and illustrated by Shungiku Nakamura. 

Junjou Romantica (also by) Shungiku Nakamura.

Those are both really good starters to break into Yaoi.  Super sexy, super sweet, and filled with a few guilty tear jerking moments, both of these are guaranteed to get you hooked. 

So, I like the BL romance and all, but I want something sexier, something I have to hide under my bed, because it will make me blush if anyone found it. *rubs hands* No problem!  If you are down for something pretty extreme, Yaoi offers you a lot of very graphic options. It's okay boys and girls, this is a judgement free zone, so let's bring on the hot stuff!

Things not to be surprised over when reading hardcore Yaoi:

-Sometimes the sex is pretty crazy.

-Nine times out of ten, there will be no lube or condoms.  Don't question this. There is no answer. Warning: Just because the on paper boys do it doesn't mean you shouldn't. Safe sex! Annnnnd continuing...
-Yes, that virgin just took a dick the size of his Seme's forearm inside of him, no problem.

-Even though he says no, he means yes. There is no such thing as non-consent in yaoi.  They ALWAYS want it.

-Even though the Uke looks younger and younger during sex, he is still legal. Do not be fooled.

-Kimonos are the new lingerie. It is not a bathrobe. It is sexy.

-In yaoi, don't be alarmed if the Uke sleeps with his brother...or brothers and then decides to stay with them in a committed relationship.  It happens. *shrugs*

-If the character looks like he is stroking an invisible penis, he is.

-There will be a mad amount of liquid flying during sex.  Where the three gallons of bodily fluids splashed across the page came from, is beyond me.

Now that you've been warned, here are a few of my favorite one-shots (not a series) and smut choices:

Anything Watanabe Asia. She is hard to find (really, really hard) but if you do, so worth it!

What is not to love about this?

Honeycomb Child is beautifully illustrated.  The story line is pretty touchy (family issues), but sooooo hot. 

Tiger and Bunny DJ (or doujinshi aka self published/fan fiction) is also one of my faves. A little dress up, a lot of sex.  Don't read around others. :)

Another one of my favorite authors in this area is Torimaia.  Gorgeous pictures and hot, hot, hot, hot...I could keep going.  Check out the Star Mansion series or Touching the Night Stars, which is the latest.  (You can purchase this online easily, because it is newer and more importantly, in English.)

I hope I peaked your curiosity if your thinking about dabbling in the Yaoi world.   It's a lot of fun and there are so many amazingly talented people that produce these beautiful works of art.  I love the artwork, I love the stories, I love the feeling they leave you with.  I love the romance, I love the silly dramatics, I love their sparkly little eyes. *sigh* Okay, I'm going to stop now before I need to be slapped upside the head to prevent going into a Yaoi coma.

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A Little Taste of Night Tempest

I know I'm not published yet, but I plan on it in the near future.  I love taking you to another place, into someone's head, or into their heart.  That's just what I do.  I thought about writing something specifically for this hop, then I remembered one of my short stories that I posted a while back called Stay.  On track with the hop theme, I felt that this would give you all the d'awww moment that you were after.  I've received quite a few emails about this one and eventually I think it would be really cool to hook up with an artist for it, because that is one of my dreams, to have my own graphic novel.  

STAY

Click on the picture to take you to the story and thanks for reading. :)


For a complete list of NightTempest's work, click here.

****Again, make sure to check out the other bloggers in the hop, and enter to win my prize as well as the Grand Prize when you visit each blog. Thanks so much for visiting!!****

XOXO NIGHT TEMPEST