Deviants!

As previously stated I'm a writer! Published even. Look me up. The one book I have out in the wild falls under the category of Gay Erotic Romance, that's two guys having sex without a fade-to-black to hide the details. Not your thing? No worries, I also write fantasy, space opras and science fiction.

In order to keep my name in people's heads I have a newsletter that goes out on the first of every month. It includes:

An interview with a writer, reader, publisher, artist or other interesting individual
An excerpt of my writing (or a timely article such as NaNo)
An update of my writing progress on various projects
A list of things I've read in the past month
A list of 5 quick/dirty writing tips
A few other knick nacks as they occur to me.

If you're interested in reading such a thing on a monthly basis you should know that it is occasionally not safe for work. I write text porn, you might have text porn in your inbox. Don't open it at work or with Grandma looking over your shoulder. I do list the interview before possible text porn and provide a warning before said text porn so there's plenty of time to avoid it if you want the other content.

If you're still interested in reading expansive interviews, hearing first about free fiction and giveaways, want to know more about my stories in general, or want a head's up before I publish a new book, sign up with the below:

[link]

I only send out the newsletter on the first of each month, nothing else.
All links to stories or books from my newsletter are amazon affiliate links.

Tami Veldura

I've been writing a series of blogs about the process of writing/publishing; how to get a manuscript from idea to 'buy it on Amazon.' This week's post is about brainstorming with mind maps and getting all your ideas down in front of you to see the big picture. I walk through an easy way to focus your mind maps on the important parts of your story- even if you're not sure what the story is about yet.

[link]

--//--

An Excerpt:
So, for those of you unfamiliar with mind maps, spider webs, bubble maps, and the like: you pick a word (Apples) and draw a little circle around it. That's your main word. Draw a few short lines off that word, up down left and right, put bubbles on the ends of those lines. Fill them with words that make you think of apples. Green. Red. Crunchy. Worms.

Then put lines on those words. What makes you think of green apples? Pie. Red apples? Snow White. Crunchy apples? Caramel Apples. Worms? Organic apples.

And so on. You can add more lines to your original Apples: Sweet, sour, round, slices, baking, home, thanksgiving, orchards. And you can connect words from different branches- baking and pie for example. Shortly you've filled up your page with a hundred things about apples and no doubt you have a hundred more ready to go.

That's the goal of a mind map, to get you to loosen up and write down absolutely anything that reminds you of the central word. To fill the page in any order with all these crazy lines connecting everything. It's a mess because our brains don't catalog feelings and scents and memory by the convenient dewy decimal system. Smells trigger feelings trigger memories of people trigger dialogue and so on. Mind maps are a way to get that all down on paper so you can see it there in front of you...

Read the whole thing: [link]

Tami Veldura

Hello Deviantart!

It has been a really long time. If you're still watching me here- thank you! It's been two years (at least!) since I've posted anything but that's about to change. This year I want to produce more art to post here but I also want to bring those who are interested into contact with my writing.

Gay/Lesbian Erotic Romance
Fantasy
Steampunk
Science Fiction

If that first one didn't scare you away, these are the major genres I write and my art surrounds these topics (and my stories) heavily. My website (www.tamiveldura.com) features a serial story every Monday (NSFW) surrounding a bootcamp-to-special ops recruit and his complicated love life as well as a Thursday series that details how I got from a story idea to a published book. Please feel free to poke around there.

But here on deviant art I want to refocus my art. I've been in a holding pattern ever since I lost the tablet computer, just waiting until I could get my hands on a Cintique. That day is closer now than it ever was but my art has fallen sadly out of practice since. So: I want to post 1 complete image here every month and 1 polished photograph every month. I used my camera less this past year than any year I've had it and that's not fun.

I also intend to update this journal more regularly to announce blog posts over at my website and to engage with followers.

Haopy New Year to you all.
Here's to productive art!

Tami Veldura

Screenshot the 7k pageview and you'll get a piece of art from me! Screenshot if you're close and I'll gift whoever's closest.

UPDATE: got the screenshot, stay tuned for art!

UPDATE: Yay! Kiriban is up Here

I have just finished going through all 7k deviations and scraps that piled up over the course of the last 2 years in my watch list. Go me.

[01] Do you have the guts to answer these questions and re-post as The Controversial Survey?
*pokes guts* Yeah I think I have enough of them in there…

[02] Would you do meth if it was legalized?
Do I look stupid?

[03] Abortion: for or against it?
For in limited circumstances: incest/rape for example. If you can't support a kid then get some protection and be smart about it, you made the choice don't punish the kid for your mistake.

[04] Do you think the world would fail with a female president?
The world won't fail because one country went down the sinker; but no, I don't think the U.S. would fail with a female prez either.

[05] Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?
No.

[06] Are you for or against premarital sex?
I don't care what people do in the privacy of their house so I guess that makes me 'for' it. Just don't foist your opinions on anyone else.

[07] Do you believe in God?
Agnostic.

[8] Do you think it's wrong that so many Hispanics are illegally moving to the USA?
Yes. I also think the immigration system is flawed and needs to be resolved. I think building a wall is the worst step in the wrong direction (Berlin Wall anyone?). I think a lot of brainstorming needs to be done in this area to resolve the problem.

[09] A twelve year old girl has a baby, should she keep it?
No, she's legally a dependant and therefore can't have a dependant of her own. The child should be adopted or given to a guardian within the family.

[10] Should the alcohol age be lowered to eighteen?
Yes. In fact, I think it should be removed entirely. Making alcohol legal (as a drug) but forbidden makes it something to aspire to. If it's as commonly treated as milk, water, and juice, people wouldn't go out on their 21st to get smashed.

[11] Should the war in Iraq be called off?
No comment. (and not because it's controversial!) I actually don't know enough about what's going on, who's blaming who, and what any repercussions would incur should we pull out or stay. Therefore, no comment.

[12] Assisted suicide is illegal: do you agree?
Yes, and actually, so should suicide (not that you can really punish that). It's easy to kill yourself to escape your problems (be they mental, monetary, marital, or otherwise) what's hard is living and working through it to come out the other side.

[13] Do you believe in spanking your children?
Eh, I don't rant at people who do but I don't think I could do it.

[14] Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?
Only if it needed to be retired.

[15] Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
If I was, I wouldn't be posting it.

I'm obviously inept at keeping this thing updated. Probably the fault of not being a prolific blogger or 'social media' addict. Oh well.

NEWS!
I officially have PayPal.

So I will officially be opening commissions, not that I have much of an audience but every little bit helps. FYI: you don't need a paypal account to pay me through paypal, just a credit card (or your mother's credit card) whichever is easier to get your hands on.

So, here we go. (examples forthcoming)

$3 head sketch
$5 full body sketch
$10 color head
$15 full body w/ background sketch
$20 full body color
$30 full body w/ background color

Notes:
~For commissions up to (and including) $15 I'll ask for payment before starting the image.

~For commissions over $15 I'll send you a low-rez sketch for your 'ok', then ask for payment before finishing the project.

~All commissions will be large enough to qualify for 8.5x11 prints here on DA. You can special request a larger image but I'll add a few bucks depending on the size. If you want a full body w/ background color image that can print on the 30x40 canvas, it'll run you closer to $50 (which is still half what you'd pay to get a print here on DA)

A
- Available: negatory.

- Age: Old enough.

- Annoyance: come around fairly often.

- Allergic: to stupidity.

- Animal: all of them.

- Actor: who's that?

B
- Beer: can stop being produced, I wouldn't mind.

- Birthday/Birthplace: June 10, Germany

- Best Friends: Kate, Ryan

- Body Part on opposite sex: that spot just under the collarbone above the pectoral on the chest/shoulder.

- Best feeling in the world: hugs from him.

- Blind or Deaf: Already legally blind. Does that count?

- Best weather: SUNLIGHTOMG!

- Been in Love: Am currently.

- Been bitched out: Yes.

- Been on stage: Yes.

- Believe in yourself: Yes.

- Believe in life on other planets: Yes.

- Believe in miracles: No.

- Believe in Magic: No.

- Believe in God: No opinion.

- Believe in Satan: No opinion.

- Believe in Santa: No.

- Believe in Ghosts/spirits: No.

- Believe in Evolution: Yes.

C
- Car: '99 Saturn SL (not an SL1 or an SL2 you 'car guru' idiots. There are three models, get it straight!) slightly used.

- Candy: SUGAR!

- Colour: blue, purple, green, gold, black

- Cried in school: When in severe monthly pain, yes.

- Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla.

- Chinese/Mexican: Chinese.

- Cake or pie: Neither.

- Countries to visit: Australia would be interesting...

D
- Day or Night: any time there is food.

- Dream vehicle: stickshift.

- Danced: Yes.

- Dance in the rain: No. (hsss, rain)

- Dance in the middle of the street: Yes.

- Do the splits: Could do when I was like 4.

E
- Eggs: belong on french toast and eggdrop soup. that is all.

- Eyes: depends. Blue to green on mood/sunlight.

- Everyone has: a brain, not everyone uses it.

- Ever failed a class: no but I got a D once.

- First crush: a boy in 6th grade, name I don't remember, looked vaguely like Trunks from DBZ only his hair was blonde not purple

- Full name: Tami Yonle Veldura

- First thoughts waking up: depends on the day: weekday: he's not here. weekend: comphy, don't want to leave.

- Food: anything that's not lobster.

G
- Greatest Fear: being left alone.

- Giver or taker: giver.

- Goals: live.

- Gum: still exists?

- Get along with your parents: Sure, when we're not living in the same house.

- Good luck charms: Why would I need one?

H
- Hair Colour: Naturally light brown w/ blonder highlights. Currently bright pink tips.

- Height: 5' 4".

- Happy: Usually.

- Holidays: = family!

- How you want to die: after 300 years.

- Health freak: so called.

- Hate: the wet and the cold.

I
(In guys/girls)

- Eye colour: Brown.

- Hair Colour: Dark brown with a seasonal mohawk.

- Height: About two inches taller then me.

- Clothing Style: TapOut.

- Characteristics: Occasionally turns 4yrs. old.


- Ice Cream: Vanilla.

- Instrument: Piano.

J
- Jewelry: choker w/ pendant, two stainless steel rings.

- Job: ResNet IT, VWS Webmaster, RR Webmaster.

K
- Kids: are for later.

- Kickboxing or karate: Karate.

- Keep a journal: Nope.

L
- Longest Car Ride: Two weeks.

- Love: is like Steak.

- Letter: is a dead form of language.

- Laughed so hard you cried: Long, long time ago.

- Love at first sight: Can't say I've seen it.

M
- Milk flavour: Whole.

- Movie: Shoot 'Em Up.

- Mooned anyone: Nope.

- Marriage: is also for later.

- Motion sickness: Nope.

- McD's or BK: Fresh garden salad (cukes, tomates, lettuse, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, cashews optional w/ rasberry vinigarette), garlic mashed potatoes w/ lots of butter, 9oz porterhouse steak (blood rare, cut w/ the fat), sprite.

N
- Number of Siblings: One.

- Number of Piercings: Two, one in each ear.

- Number: 42, bitches.

O
- Overused Phrases: It happens.

- One wish: That puppy from the shelter I wantz him!

- One phobia: zipline.

P
- Place you'd like to live: Some place I own.

- Pepsi/Coke: Sprite!

Q
- Quail: man!

- Questionnaires: are really good time killers.

R
- Reason(s) to cry: Death, Birth, Love, Rejection, Pain, Euphoria

- Reality T.V.: what's this tv thing everyone keeps talking about?

- Radio Station: JACK!

- Roll your tongue in a circle: Yes.

S
- Song: Baaaaassssss....

- Shoe size: one that fits...?

- Sushi: Yes.

- Skipped school: Only in college.

- Slept outside: Yes.

- Seen a dead body: Tv/movies, not irl.

- Smoked: No, no, no, no, no, no.

- Skinny dipped: Nope.

- Shower daily: Yes.

- Sing well: Apparently.

- In the shower: Nope.

- Swear: Sometimes.

- Stuffed Animals: Tuvo sleeps with me

- Single/Group dates: Singlekthnksbai.

- Strawberries/Blueberries: Yes.

- Scientists need to invent: A way to teleport shit through an internet connection.

T
- Time for bed: sleepytime!

- Thunderstorms: Can stay outside thnks.

- Touch your tongue to your nose: Yes.

U
- Unpredictable: *BAMPH!*

- Under the influence: of love.

- Understanding: Yes.

V
- Vegetable you hate: Um...... squash I guess... sometimes.

- Vegetable you love: Cukes!

- Vacation spot: Cabo San Lucus was pretty cool. Bahamas were better. I liked the Disney cruise.

W
- Weakness: SUGARRR!!!!

- When you grow up: Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional.

- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Um. That's a bad plan. Two of me or any of my friends would implode the world. you don't want the world to implode.

- Who makes you laugh the most: Mike/Kate

- Worst feeling: Leaving.

- Wanted to be a model: Um. no.

- Where do we go when we die: Some people are buried, some are burnt and scattered, you can ask a coroner or mortician, they have more answers.

- Worst weather: Wet and cold and humid and drippywetnofun.

- Walk with a book on your head: Can do.

X
- X-Rays: I never get to look at them like they show on TV.

Y
-Year it is now: 2009

-Yellow: is annoying.

Z
- Zoo animal: The one I can take a picture of.

- Zodiac sign: Western: Gemini. Chinese: Hare/Rabbit.

LAST PERSON WHO…
1. Slept in a bed beside you?
2. Last person to see you cry?
3. Went to the movies with you?
4. You went to the mall with? Does the Irvine Spectrum count as a mall?
5. You went to dinner with?
6. You talked to on the phone?
7. Made you laugh?

The point of this challenge is to test and improve your skill as an artist. After 100 pictures, who wouldn't be better?

The rules:
1) Make 100 pieces each one having a theme listed below. Only one theme per piece!
2) No time limit so have fun!
3) Pieces should be of own artistic ability. You may not edit photos, or break any other rules set out in the DA etiquette policy. Your pieces can be anything from sketches and doodles to great masterpieces. Just have fun with it.
4) The list below is to be placed somewhere in your journal for others to see that...
a) You are in the challenge
b) What you have completed
5) Make sure to update this list with a link to your deviation.

THE LIST
1. Introduction
2. Love
3. Light
4. Dark
5. Seeking Solace
6. Break Away
7. Heaven
8. Innocence
9. Drive
10. Breathe Again
11. Memory
12. Insanity
13. Misfortune
14. Smile
15. Silence
16. Questioning
17. Blood
18. Rainbow
19. Gray
20. Fortitude
21. Vacation
22. Mother Nature
23. Cat
24. No Time
25. Trouble Lurking
26. Tears
27. Foreign
28. Sorrow
29. Happiness
30. Under the Rain
31. Flowers
32. Night
33. Expectations
34. Stars
35. Hold My Hand
36. Precious Treasure
37. Eyes
38. Abandoned
39. Dreams
40. Rated
41. Teamwork
42. Standing Still
43. Dying
44. Two Roads
45. Illusion
46. Family
47. Creation
48. Childhood
49. Stripes
50. Breaking the Rules
51. Sport
52. Deep in Thought
53. Keeping a Secret
54. Tower
55. Waiting
56. Danger Ahead
57. Sacrifice
58. Kick in the Head
59. No Way Out
60. Rejection
61. Fairy Tale
62. Magic
63. Do Not Disturb
64. Multitasking
65. Horror
66. Traps
67. Playing the Melody
68. Hero
69. Annoyance
70. 67%
71. Obsession
72. Mischief Managed
73. I Can't
74. Are You Challenging Me?
75. Mirror
76. Broken Pieces
77. Test
78. Drink
79. Starvation
80. Words
81. Pen and Paper
82. Can You Hear Me?
83. Heal
84. Out Cold
85. Spiral
86. Seeing Red
87. Food
88. Pain
89. Through the Fire
90. Triangle
91. Drowning
92. All That I Have
93. Give Up
94. Last Hope
95. Advertisement
96. In the Storm
97. Safety First
98. Puzzle
99. Solitude
100. Relaxation

Go to urbandictionary.com and type in your answers to the following questions.
Post the first definition it gives you.

1.) Your name?
Tami
a kick-ass girl who won't take any shit from anyone
Tami is the coolest babe around

2.) Your age?
21
The age at which one is finally considered human.
The magical age where it is legally ok to get incredibly drunk. At this time, a young adult spends most of his free time consuming vast amounts of alcohol in a variety of forms, saying that they're "making up for lost years."
The magic number in the game of Blackjack.

3.) One of your friends?
Sarah
The name "Sarah" is translated from the Hebrew language. It means "Princess"...and rightly so!

4.) What should you be doing?
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual expression and is one of the major forms within the visual arts. There are a number of subcategories of drawing, including cartooning, and certain drawing methods or approaches, such as "doodling," may or may not be considered as part of "drawing" as a "fine art."
The word 'drawing' is used as both a verb and a noun.
to be acting like a phony or being someone your not.

5.) Favorite color?
spruple
spurple isn't defined yet. !!!!!

6.) Birthplace?
Simmern
Simmern isn't defined yet.
Germany that is
Great cars, great beer, great guns (Heckler und Koch ring a bell?) Great ally of the United States. Defeated in two world wars, but due to a few mistakes. Was divided in half, with Berlin (which was in East Germany) also divided in half. Used to be Nazi Germany, before that the Weimar Republic, before that the German Empire, before that the Holy Roman Empire, before that the German Confederation... etc.
A country that is ambitious and misunderstood.
The country Hitler wasn't born in.

7.) Month of your birth?
June
1. The sixth month.

2. In Japan, an early publication featuring male/male stories in the tanbi style. People used to refer to the category of male/male relationships targeted at the female audience as June, but since that was a trade name for a magazine, that meaning of the term has fallen into disuse. The category has evolved and changed so much and the types of stories so varied that the entire category is now called BL by the industry and most fans. In some places, including Comiket, original stories are still called 'sousaku (original) June'.
The month the hottest people in the world are born.

8.) Last person you talked to?
Kyle
Kyle Brovlofski, one of the four potty-mouthed kids (along with Stan, Kenny and Eric Cartman who are the main characters in the Comedy Central cartoon "South Park". Kyle is the good-hearted kid who always tries to do the right thing (just as Stan is the rational/practical one and Cartman is the racist a-hole), but usually wraps himself around the emotional axle trying to do it. Kyle is constantly tormented by Cartman for being Jewish. The second half of the "They killed Kenny" / "You bastards!" joke.
Kyle: A generous, outgoing guy who goes out of his way for his friends. Can be sweet and caring towards people, he has a laid back and calm approach. Truthful, gullable, lovely and Sexy. Can be a bit of a stress head at times, can also hold grudges for a long period of time. Nice to get to know, easy to fall in love with.
-The name Kyle comes from the Scottish origin. In Scottish The meaning of the name Kyle is: Strait. Channel. Narrow. Used as both a surname and first name.
-The name Kyle is a baby boy name. The name Kyle comes from the Gaelic origin. In Gaelic The meaning of the name Kyle is: A place-name referring to the narrows; a wood or a church-Also an Irish origin.

9.) One of your nicknames?
(Library) Ninja
I gathered some facts about them:
Ninja don't sweat.
Bullets can't kill a ninja.
Ninja invented skateboarding
Only a ninja can kill a ninja. Regular humans are useless.
Ninja never wear headbands with the word "ninja" printed on them.
Ninja can breath underwater anytime they want.
Ninja can change clothes in less than 1 second.
Ninja don't smoke, but they do use smoke bombs.
Ninja always land on their feet. If they don't have feet they will land on their nubs.
Ninja invented the internet.
Ninja don't eat or drink very much, and they never have to go to the bathroom.
Ninja always move to America when making a new start as a non-assassin.
Ninja don't play sports. Unless killing is a sport.
Ninja can crush golfballs with 2 fingers, any two fingers.
Ninja have a bad temper when they lose at anything. They will usually cut off the winners head before they have time to gloat.
Ninja lie all the time. Even when the truth serves better, ninja will lie anyway.
Ninja swords are always straight with a square handle guard. Always. Curves are for girls.
Lack any personality
Wear headbands
Fight skillfully with any object
Can remove a spleen in one swift motion
Live in your house secretly for days
Can remove their shadow if needed
Hurl shurikens
Go anywhere they want instantly
Catch bullets in their teeth
Kill themselves if they make a noise
Can run 100 miles on their hands
Train 20 hours/day starting from age 2
Have cool words like Seppuku
Are masters of disguise
Can hover for hours
Flip out and kill everything
Are completely self-sufficient.
Split planks vertically with their nose
Can hide in incense smoke
Kill people.
Ninjas are the best guitar players. Ever.
Ninjas do NOT wear spandex.
A Samurai is NOT a ninja.
Dragon Ball Z characters are NOT ninjas.
If you see a ninja, he is NOT a ninja.

Type your first name into Google with the phrase that comes after in the question. Answer with the title of the first sight that makes sense. Have fun!

Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search.
A: Stephanie needs some help. (I did! I was sick and I got mommy to help and now I'm better. Ta-DA!)

Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search.
A: Stephanie looks like she belongs on the cover of a magazine. (really? Do I?)

Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search.
A: Stephanie Says is a song by the Velvet Underground (have any of you heard of this band?)

Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search.
A: Stephanie wants to rip someone a new one. (alternatively: Stephanie just wants a better umbrella)

Q: Type in "[your name] does" in Google search.
A. Stephanie does her makeup (really? What makeup?)

Q: Type in "[your name] hates" in Google search.
A: Stephanie hates Jericho. (I don't know who Jericho is but I hate him. Viciously.)

Q: Type in "[your name] asks" in Google search.
A. Stephanie asks Shelia what happened to Eric. (yes, what did happen? I'm dying to know)

Q: Type in "[your name] likes " in Google search.
A: Stephanie likes spending time with her younger sister and her family. (I have a little sis?! Nobody told me!!)

Q: Type in "[your name] eats " in Google search.
A: Stephanie eats her own diarrhea. (um. Eew.)

Q: Type in "[your name] wears " in Google search.
A: Stephanie wears men's underwear in public. (quite frankly, if it's underwear, who's going to notice??)

Q: Type in "[your name] got arrested for" in Google search.
A: Stephanie was arrested for suspicion of methamphetamine possession. (ooo, hardcore. I hope I made some money out of it first.)

I got a new camera for x-mas, you probably already know this now that my gallery has, what, doubled in two months? Yeah, I'm not really sorry about that since I've been producing some very cool photos. I've always liked photography, looking at it, doing it myself. The little camera I had in Ireland just pissed me off so much, I had no control over most of the settings and couldn't get decent pictures out of it, especially if I didn't use the flash.

Anyway, I got a Nikon D40 for xmas after much deliberation.

And it's awesome.

Like... way awesome.

Epic, even.


Joy.