Tag Archives: GQ series

checking in

Last time I posted here, I suggested that I might publish Jesse stories in the spring, and obviously that did not happen and it probably won’t happen this year at all.

Continue reading checking in

names in the GQ universe

I call everyone Darling because I can't remember their names - Zsa Zsa Gabor
(this is not why Reggie calls people darling!)

I had a very pleasant exchange with a reader awhile back about whether the characters’ names had any particular meaning for me, and I thought other readers might be interested in knowing this too. If you’re not into vague authorial introspection, you can skip this post :D

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newsletter GQ bonus story

I decided awhile back I should do a newsletter, but I didn’t have anything specific in mind because I am TOTAL SHIT at marketing, and I didn’t realize I was supposed to have special stuff waiting for my subscribers the minute they got on board. I really did just think people would sign up whenever, and eventually I’d send them something, and we’d all be okay with that. Which is in fact how it’s going down, but I just want you to know that I realize now that my methods are artless and utterly without added value.

However, since it’s almost Xmas, I’m thinking I’ll send newsletter people a present: a preliminary version of the Charles/Simon story I’ve mentioned in the past. This story will eventually go into a book I’ll be asking people to pay for, possibly in altered form, but I’m pretty happy with it as it is, so I doubt it will change terribly much. It’s about 12K words and depicts an auction day completely different than Henry and Martin’s.

So this is me giving you advance warning that a thing you might want could be yours if you add yourself to my mailing list in the next few days. Since I have had a theoretical newsletter for months now without sending out a single missive, rest assured I won’t be spamming you with DG news.

The newsletter sign-up is over in the right-hand column if you’re on a computer, down below the blog posts if you’re on mobile.

importance of the martin stories

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, when I wrote A Superior Slave (GQ 0.5), it was a sort of last-minute idea that I thought might help generate interest in the main books. I had all this backstory worked out for Martin and the other slaves that really wouldn’t fit into Henry’s books, and it suddenly occurred to me other people might actually be interested. Originally, there was just going to be this single story offered from Martin’s point of view and then the four main books from Henry’s. The Martin story wasn’t meant to be 100% required reading, though obviously I did (and still do) feel that it adds to the experience of reading A Most Personal Property (GQ 1).

Continue reading importance of the martin stories

Martinez, Daisy and Sangaree

(martinez, v. wasik for serious eats)
(martinez, v. wasik for serious eats)

In A Collar and Tie (GQ Book 4), Henry and Martin go to the Venetian Bar and have a few drinks. They first try the Martinez and then the Gin Daisy.

All the mixed drinks they imbibe in the books are gin-based, and that is because prefer gin drinks, and I knew I’d want to try whatever I had them drink. I’m not (yet) a whiskey/rye/bourbon fan (which is a shame, considering where I live), so I wasn’t going to want to invest in a bunch of amber liquor that I wouldn’t otherwise want to drink.

The Martinez is believed to be the precursor to the much-simpler/possibly more elegant Martini. It was probably developed in the 1860s, but first showed up in a cocktail recipe book in 1884.

Continue reading Martinez, Daisy and Sangaree

disreputable neighborhoods of 1901 + brothel guide

When Henry and Martin embark on their adventure in A Collar and Tie (GQ Book 4), they go to the only place Henry can think of, which is the neighborhood of a whorehouse that he supposes attracts men with tastes similar to his own. Continue reading disreputable neighborhoods of 1901 + brothel guide

dances and debutantes

le quadrille a bullier / philippe jacques linder
le quadrille a bullier / philippe jacques linder

I cannot dance. I was after the Mr. forever to take ballroom dance lessons with me, and when he finally relented, I turned out to be the worst dancer imaginable. Graceless, herky-jerky and unleadable. But I love the idea of wearing a ball gown and doing some formal, ritualistic dance, and obviously it’s the sort of thing Henry would love, too.

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what next? the future of GQ + a poll

whatnextI am going to take a break from the Ganymede Quartet universe until probably early 2016, but I have a lot more stories I’d like to tell about the GQ characters. There are some stories I am going to insist on telling whether anyone says they’re interested or not, but I am curious which stories readers might think they want.

Continue reading what next? the future of GQ + a poll

dime museums

jo jo the dog-faced boy/fedor jeftichew (wikipedia)
jo jo the dog-faced boy/fedor jeftichew (wikipedia)

Henry and Martin and their friends go to a dime museum called World of Wonders before a dancing lesson in the spring. This is based on RL dime museums, particularly Huber’s on E 14th Street.

Huber's 14th Street Museum ad (showhistory)
Huber’s 14th Street Museum ad (showhistory)

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