Latest Picture of Lyle Ashley Tate

This is the latest picture for Lyle Ashley Tate, my Redemption Reef character. Lyle is about to change his life once again, by accepting an offer he really can't refuse. The US Italian Mafia have been after him for eight years, and now the Russian Mafia, the Bratva, are looking at him for the murder of their man Henry Vale (though it was Flynn Atcher who killed the Bratva's mortician). In steos the mysterious 'Eidolon', a company that doesn't exist, but yet they have virtually unlimited resources and want to send Lyle, and his friends, to a private tropical island and have them participate in some sort of disaster relief effort for the storm-tossed natives.

To read more, head over to Redemption Reef. Third part of the story goes up this evening, 7pm GMT. It's HOT, so make sure you are over 18 and not likely to be offended or arrested for reading consensual M/M sex scenes! Click on the end tab to get to the story posts.

Redemption Reef Launches Tomorrow, 7pm GMT

Join the launch party on FaceBook tomorrow at 7pm GMT!

Get me a canoe,I want to go to the party!
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Haven Falls Update

Those of you who have been reading the 'soap' which is the Haven Falls free read may have noticed that it's writers have been on a break for some time now. The blog owner, Remmy Duchene, has had a lot of stuff to deal with in the 'real' world and this has left the blog somewhat in limbo. Too, various contributors have either also had 'Life' or have been writing to deadlines for publication, or working on other 'paying gigs'.

Remmy has now posted the following message to readers:

>>>HAVEN FALLS IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH MAJOR UPDATES AND CHANGES. PLS VISIT US AGAIN IN THE NEW YEAR FOR MORE! lt;<.. After much deliberation, I've decided to start Haven Falls over. The new and improved Haven Falls will be unveiled in the new year. Please check back then.

I have decided to take down my stories for now, until it's clearer how the site will be moving forward. I do, though, feel that the Haven Falls Project is a terrific idea and I hope to contribute further in the new year, either with my existing characters or with someone new for you to grow fond of. I wish Remmy and the other HF writers all the best for Xmas and the New Year. Will see you all, readers of HF included, soon, all being well.

More images for Lyle

These are two further images I associate with Lyle Ashley Tate, my character for Haven Falls.






I've picked these images up via Kei Chan's Facebook albums, so if you own them and would prefer if I took them down please let me know.

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Lyle Ashley Tate

This is the image I now think of as Lyle. I've not been able to find out the original source of the photo, so if you own it please let me know. I'd love to be able to credit you. This is Lyle when he is dressed for work. He's a mortician.

Toughest Writing Task Yet

Yesterday I finished writing what proved to be the toughest Haven Falls entry I've written thus far. Indeed, it was the toughest piece of writing I've done anywhere as an adult to-date. There must have been about 15 versions of the text for 'Haven Falls #169 - Coming...To Blows'.

What made it tough? Well, for me the hardest part was writing with sensitivity and awareness of my intended audiences. Haven Falls is mean to be a way for the participating authors to 'give back' to their fans in a fun way, through the genre of Soap Opera. My primary audience, then, is my fanbase and that of the other authors participating in the Haven Falls project. I should know what my own fans want, right?

Too, though, I am aware of how much criticism has been levelled recently by the LGBT community towards authors of M/M Romance. I at least, in my writing for Haven Falls and elesewhere, seek to make tales that 'ring true' for those who share the orientation and lifestyles of my characters. This subset of readers are a group I am especially keen to court and to have to like my work, because this is my own community.

Maybe I made a rod for my own back when I chose to portray a transgendered character in this online roleplay, a character that has hidden depths, scary secrets, a complex history and who will have to face many challenges as his story unfolds. When I roleplay though I use my characters to explore the world, either theirs or my own. Lyle Ashley Tate is no exception to this.

I love Lyle. I admire him. I don't always like him, but he's important to me. I desire that my characters, including Lyle, are 'authentic', and that is also part of why this piece of text was so hard to write.

Whilst I don't consider that being 'PC' is something a writer should be constrained by, I also have a terrific depth of feeling towards the LGBT community. How was I, then, to write a piece that met my own needs as a writer and those of my character without stirring up a hornets nest?

I'm hoping that the version of the text which finally was posted comes close to fulfilling all of my goals in writing it. I wanted to progress Lyle's story whilst taking the opportunity that story offers to encourage empathy and understanding in my non-TG readers for transgendered persons and to do honour to those who are TG. Take a look, please, and leave me some feedback, either here or over on the HF website, but bear in mind I still have bruised ribs and a ringing in my ears from going ten rounds with this text!

The character of Lyle Ashley Tate is dedicated to my former partners Scrimshaw, Heather and Luvbnd, with much love.

Haven Falls - Cats Climbing Out of Bags

If you've been following Haven Falls you'll know now one of the secrets Lyle had been keeping. I hope what I am writing over there rings true for people currently. The subject matter is dear to my heart, since I was once the partner of a trans-gendered person.

Writing Lyle's story is proving to be challenging. I don't want to preach, especially not to the choir, but I want people to understand him and his issues, his pain, his joy and his aspirations. I thank my co-writer, Jessie Blackwood, for giving Lyle a date with Gil. I thank Gil for being so considerate, broad-minded and curious, and for having the eyes to see Lyle as he truly is.

Lyle's had good fortune in finding Gil, even if it is just a one night stand; I know not all TG people are as lucky. If you find yourself in a situation similar to Lyle's, I wish you much success and love.

Just as a side bar to the topic, in response to a recent article in 'Out', not all trangendered people feel the need to transition, to change their bodies. It's okay to be TG and NOT go for surgery. Please god don't feel pressured to indulge in hormone treatment and devastatingly expensive (and not always successful) life-threatening procedures just to fit the perceived model of 'how to be TG'!

Haven Falls Developments

A follow up to the last posting has gone up at Haven Falls. Lots of hints this time about who and what Lyle is, so if you are curious about him you will want to read this latest post (Number 94).

Speaking of Haven Falls, Andrea Speed, Jessie Blackwood and I have a shared new character on the books. Remmy Duchene, the GM for the HF online roleplay game, greed we could write him together and accepted the character concept before the embargo on any further new characters went into effect. He is called Griffin Davies. Not surprisingly, he is Welsh. We'll be introducing him shortly.

Haven Falls has a very varied population actually, reflecting the international nature of the authors involved. We have a fair few American writers, of course, but Brits and Australians also feature strongly. Follow the link on the blogroll to check it out.

More Haven Falls news

The date has rolled over at Haven Falls, and my character is getting properly stuck in to his new job as an assistant mortician when he witnesses a bit of a to-do between his boss, Henry Vale, and someone else he recently met at a party...

The plot-lines at HF are terrific, and things are really starting to rock for certain characters. Go have a read. Check out Flynn Archer, Asher Rose and Carter Gillespie for a start. And I will modestly direct you to my own character too, Lyle Ashley Tate. If you click on a tag it will bring up all the entries for the person concerned. They'll be in reverse order chronologically though, so read them from bottom up if you are easily confused !

http://www.havenfalls.blogspot.com/