Happy 2019!

Jan 142019

Here is wishing you a fantastic 2019, wherein all your dreams come true and you go on many adventures both in person and in good stories.

First, I give you my round up of 2018:

Last year was a cracking year for me. I deliberately use the word cracking and as the word suggests, there were both positives and negatives.

On the downside, reality bit in the form of a number of health scares, both for myself and a couple of people very close to me. That anxiety and stress is not something I would wish to go through again and I really hope that with the dawn of the New Year we will rise to happier and healthier times. Thank you to my lovely close friends and family for your support during those difficult days.

On the upside…

In the early summer, I spent a delightful long weekend at “Camping Out” in the beautiful Devon countryside. Such good fun among really friendly people and definitely an experience I can recommend. I was there last year, flogging my wares and enjoying light-hearted conversation in some pretty good UK sunshine. Look out for me and my books in the market on the last day again this year.

The middle of the year was marked by the usual LFEST weekend shenanigans, this time in Llandudno, Wales. Sadly, last year there were no author panels to be seen, but I have it on good authority that the good lesbian authors of the UK will be back in 2019, reading from their latest novels, signing books and partaking in this wonderful weekend’s activities, once more to be in Wales.

LFEST coincided with the publication of my third Sam Skyborne novel — a psychological thriller called “Alice” (http://Dukebox.life/Alice). This is the second of my PI Toni Mendez adventures and is set in the lovely Cape Town. I am very proud of this novel. The feedback and reviews I have had and its reception by you, my lovely readers, has really wowed me. Thank you!

At the end of August, I had the privilege of participating in my first EllCon (European Lesbian Literary Conference), held in Bristol. What a fantastic event! It was well attended by a number of the best lesbian writers, who I had the honour of meeting and appearing with on a few panels. They were all were absolutely fantastic – so helpful and supportive of new writers. This is truly a community that I am proud to be part of.

From Ellcon, I flew out to Lesvos, to spend a few weeks in the sun in beautiful Skala Eressos while I crunched out the first draft of my next book. It was a truly wonderful few weeks of early rises and hard but fruitful work, followed by a rewarding swim in the crystal Aegean and a couple of hours of basking in the glorious sunshine. During the Sappho International Women’s Festival I had the privilege of reading at the wonderful Karolina’s fantastic Wine Women and Word evening – always a fabulous experience.

On my return, I was proud to participate in the first Lesbian Author Panel at Tower Hamlet’s Idea Store’s WriteIdea Festival — another very memorable and rewarding experience – shared with talented authors Clare Lydon and Veronica Fearon: so there was a little bit of everything for the lovely lesbian fiction audience.

Each one of these events has been a complicated and enriching mixture of fun, laughs, effort and most importantly lessons learnt. All, I hope, helping to make me a better author and a better indie “authorpreneur”.

In the autumn, I also had the great good fortune of having all three of my books win awards in the (New York City) NYC Big Book Award and in addition, Risk also took a finalist award in the National Indie Excellence (NIEA) Awards. I have been shy of submitting my books for any awards or competitions before this. I guess we all have our insecurities and my worry that they might not be good enough held me back. Now, however, I am absolutely delighted with this recognition for my stories!

I want to send a very big thank you to everyone, in particular my readers, who have advised, supported and in their own way contributed to helping me along on this exciting journey. I think it is worth it, and I appreciate every comment and every suggestion.

Finally, once again, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or with feedback on my books, my website or my blogs. I really look forward to hearing from you.

And, if you are not already on my mailing list, and you’d like to hear about any promotions and news, then please subscribe here: http://Dukebox.life/Subscribe

I hope you have a truly fabulous 2019 and may all the stories you read be good ones!

Kind regards,

Sam Skyborne x

“Alice” – Celebratory Count Down Deal

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Dec 112018

Starts Tuesday 11 December on Amazon!

Alice Count Down Deal Promo on Amazon

Alice: A Sleeping Monkey’s Lie

Winner of the “NYC Big Book Award – Distinguished Favorite”

I am so thrilled!!
So … to celebrate this award I’m running a special Count Down deal on Amazon this week.

Get your copy at http://Dukebox.life/Alice_Promo!

“Alice” is out! – I can’t believe it

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Aug 072018

“Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” is out on ebook, paperback and Large Print! Find out more at http://Dukebox.life/Alice

Please join my mailing list for news, updates on new releases and promotions.

Free “Simulation” Sample now available

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Jan 222018

I am very pleased to say I finally managed to get a sample sorted of Simulation!!

You can get the details of how to download it below.

Happy reading!!

Simulation – Free Sample!

The Dawn of a Superhero

A Lesbian action adventure superhero romance!

For Adults ONLY!

Sam can manage the grueling physical trials, but will her heart survive? Captain America meets a lesbian twist in this gripping sci-fi adventure.

Set in a dystopian future when, after a decade of war, the United Kingdom is on its knees, ruled by strict martial law and where any ‘deviant’ behaviour is punishable in a manner worse than death–the perpetrators are forcefully ‘reset’. Samantha Fielding, an emotionally scarred war hero, struggles to adapt to ‘normal’ life so she enlists in a top secret scientific research programme. Here, not only is she pushed way beyond her physical and emotional limits in order to unleash powerful and potentially lethal dormant human abilities, she also finds herself dangerously falling for the principal scientist, Dr Victoria Henderson – risking everything.

Get your Sample here:

“An Absolutely Wonderful Book” – Amanda

“A real page-turner!” – Miss E. Mumford

“Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner” – Geraldine Robertson-Brown

“Kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet” – Alice

“This is a very atmospheric and compelling read…” – Anny

“This is a great read, full of tension, a good plot.” – Wayne

Or Buy NOW:

Simulation’s New Cover 2018

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Jan 192018

I decided in 2018 that Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero needed a bit of a cover refresh. So here are two propositions. Which do you prefer?

What do you think? Get your new copy here: Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero

If you have read it, please leave me a review on Amazon (Reviews are our reward!) and tell your friends about it. 😉

Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero

Simulation

The Dawn of a Superhero.

A Lesbian Sci-Fi/dystopian Romance!

When passion runs too hot….

Of all the experiments, of all time…love still remains the most dangerous!
Samantha Fielding, an emotionally scarred ex-war hero, enrols into a top-secret scientific research programme for all the wrong reasons.

Will she live…to regret her mistakes?

In a dystopian future, after a decade of war, the United Kingdom is on its knees, ruled by strict martial law. Any ‘deviant’ behaviour including homosexuality or lesbianism is punishable in a manner worse than death–the perpetrators are forcibly ‘reset’.

After her final and devastating tour on The Front, Samantha returns home. Here, in the small Cornish coastal town in rural England she struggles to adapt to ‘normal’ life and eventually, not knowing where else to turn, she enlists in a top-secret scientific research programme. This programme is intended to test her skill, endurance and fibre to their limits in order to unleash powerful, potentially lethal latent human abilities. As if life is not tough enough, she finds herself living dangerously by falling for the sexy, intelligent and enigmatic principal scientist, Dr Victoria Henderson, thereby – risking everything.

*** 2018 – NYC Big Book Award – WINNER! ***

*** 2019 – Global eBook Award – WINNER! ***

“Hot sci-fi thriller – A gripping, page-turner…”

“In the not too distant future – a shell shocked war vet has to find her way back to normal life. The result is anything but normal.”

”Simulation” by Sam Skyborne is the gripping love story of the future. If you like fascinating mental phenomenon, high stakes, sizzling tension and fast-paced page-turners, then this is the book for you.

Buy ”Simulation” now to find out whether Samantha survives and gets the girl!

“An Absolutely Wonderful Book” – Amanda

“A real page-turner!” – Miss E. Mumford

“Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner” – Geraldine Robertson-Brown

“Kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet” – A Frick

“This is a very atmospheric and compelling read…” – Anny

“This is a great read, full of tension, a good plot.” – Wayne

Why L.E.S Combos?

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May 242016

I have been asked quite frequently why I decided to create the Lesbian Erotic Stories COMBO Collection. Why did I feel the need to rewrite the stories of already great little short films?

Well, the answer is this. These films, like many others, not least a number of lesbian films, have been subjected to the “kiss CUT TO: The morning after” syndrome.

There are many reasons for this I am sure. I suspect is because:-
1) Writing sex scenes is rather difficult. I certainly am only just learning and starting to experiment with how to do it. Filming a good sex scene is even harder.
2) Filming sex scenes is often prohibitively expensive and certainly not often viable for a short film.
3) By leaving it blank the writer or filmmaker opts out of taking any stand. They tactfully allow the readers or audience to fill in the blanks in ways that are personal and suit each individual.

These are all very valid reasons and often the story does not require a detailed extrapolation on the sex scenes.

However, by taking this as default position I believe we miss out on an opportunity to give a view, to engage in a discourse on a topic which is essentially a part of our identity, our sexuality.

“Lesbians” and “sex” are not often mentioned in the same sentence in any non pornographic/more serious capacity unless it is a discussion on “Lesbian bed death”.

I exaggerate. True!

However, my point is, in my experience, lesbians and lesbian life-style is not commonly associated with adventurous sexual activity. In fact, it is quite commonly believed that most lesbians lead a more or less platonic life with their life-partners, favouring intellectual, spiritual or pure emotional connections with their significant other…. right in between digging up a flower bed in their communal allotment or brewing an herb tea. 😉

Gay men on the other hand, have a completely contrary reputation and very little is talked about the more lasting, deeply emotional connections between gay men and their life partners. But more about that later.

I am often told that there is no reason to fill in the blanks and that most explicit depictions of sex is gratuitous. I believe differently. There should be a good balance. I believe it is important that lesbian sexuality is visible, presented, discussed and enjoyed.

So what is it then? What do lesbians do in bed?

I am sure there are probably as many variations in lesbian sex as there are women on the planet, if not more.
🙂

So, with the L.E.S COMBO Collection I try to fill in the blanks by giving A VIEW of what could possibly happen in the absent CUT TO scenes. I also hope to demonstrate a sex scene can be an essential part of the story—without it the story is only half told. It was my hope to fundamentally change/augment/provide a twist to each of these stories in someway, by the addition of a meaningful sex scene.

What do you think? Did I succeed?

If you’d like to watch the films and read the stories they can be found here:

Cat Sitting

L.E.S Combo I

A sexy lesbian romance of Loss, Lust & Love.

Sometime after a messy breakup, Alex finally agreed to do the cat sitting for her ex-lover, Teresa. She knew her first visit back to what she used to call ‘home’ would not be easy. However, she could never have imagined such an unexpected turn of events! =)

Saying Sorry (On Pre-order Now)

L.E.S Combo II

A sexy lesbian story of Love, Anger and Forgiveness.

Having screwed-up again, Jo finds there is no easy way to say sorry. Repentance and forgiveness is a two-way interaction and the journey is not always easy, nor predictable. Each person needs to find their own way to the same end.

L.E.S COMBO

Cat Sitting – L.E.S COMBO I

(A Sexy Story about Loss, Lust and Love)

For Adults ONLY!

“Don’t we just know it!” – Sarah Edwards

“Great little story.” – Corie Denham

“These are my friends.” – Amazon Customer

“Yeah, been there.” – Anon 🙂

Saying-Sorry-ALT_Cover_A4_160823_400x568

Saying Sorry – L.E.S COMBO II

Paperback Edition

(A Sexy Lesbian story about Love, Anger and Forgiveness)

Having screwed up again, Jo finds there is no easy way to say sorry. Repentance and forgiveness is a two way interaction and the journey is not always easy, nor predictable. Each person needs to find their own way to the same end.

For Adults ONLY!

“Wow! What a journey!” – Eddie Byrne

“Phew! Hot! Complex!” – Corie Denham

“The story gives a great new twist!” – Elly Cross

“Hard, raw while sweet and tender. Great!” – Sasha

Saying Sorry – L.E.S COMBO II

Ebook Edition

(A Sexy Lesbian story about Love, Anger and Forgiveness)

For Adults ONLY!

“Wow! What a journey!” – Eddie Byrne

“Phew! Hot! Complex!” – Corie Denham

“The story gives a great new twist!” – Elly Cross

“Hard, raw while sweet and tender. Great!” – Sasha

Buttons – L.E.S COMBO III

(A * HOT HOT HOT * dark fantasy Film)

Have you ever experienced a dream or fantasy where the line between what was real and what was fantastical seems scarily non existent? While waiting at the tailor’s, Emma is gripped by a dark thrilling fantasy.

For Adults ONLY!

COMING SOON!

“Fantastic and imaginative!” – Sally Edwards

“Really, quite hot!” – Danny Gordan

“Hypnotic!” – Festival Audience

“Sizzling! On the verge of mad.” – Anon 🙂

Saying Sorry (Short Film)

** Please scroll down the page to find the embedded password protected screener. **

Bluestocking Trailer (Portland Maine) 2013:

Logline

When your relationship is at stake.. finding the right way to say sorry can be hard.

Synopsis

After screwing up yet again Jo has to dig deep to prove the sincerity of her apology to Chloe. Will she find inspiration during their darkest hour?

Director’s Notes

“Saying Sorry” is the first in a series of short films made in conjunction with the women film makers group called Whipped Cream Productions (www.whippedcreamproductions.com) that is currently based in North London. The objective of this group is to develop a supportive community and give women the opportunity to learn, develop skills and explore film making so that we can tell our own stories.

This short script was selected as our first group project because it is a lovely sweet story about sincerity, respect and finding your own way in love. We also had to choose a story that we could make with a zero budget and that could be a manageable a first film endeavour for our group. In 2012 we hope to be able to raise funds and progress into more advanced, more taxing projects, hopefully soaring to feature film status in the not too distant future.

As a first project there were a number of lessons learnt and it proved a very valuable and rewarding experience all round. It was great to work with such enthusiastic and talented people. I look forward to the opportunity to make more little gems like this in the near future.

Cast

“Chloe” – Laura Bodell

After graduating from Central School of Speech and Drama she followed her dream of living and working in Russia. Over a period of two years she worked in TV, Film and theatre within Moscow. Laura has now returned to London and looking forward to continuing her career in her home city with Saying Sorry being one of a few projects she has been involved with since her return.

“Jo” – Fleur Poad

Fleur first appeared on stage at the young age of 6 when she played the piano for the annual music school concert and danced for the ballet school performance. From there she continued acting in the “Fiddler on the Roof” at 15. Many musicals and other performances later she took up singing professionally and toured with various musicals, cabarets and her bluegrass band through Germany.

After taking a Shakespeare course at LAMDA she worked with people like Keith Johnstone, Philipe Gaulier and the American Acting Coach Bernard Hiller. She trained in the Meisner technique for two years with Jean Fennel while simultaneously studying a postgraduate diploma at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) from where she graduated in 2010.

She has since then been involved in various short films, a feature to be released in 2012 and numerous theatre productions, the most recent being “YOU ME BUM BUM TRAIN” wherein she worked alongside Jonathan Ross and Andy Nyman. It was described by Stephen Fry as “the best theatrical experience of my life”.

She also works as a voice over artist and drama teacher.

Project Crew

Producer, Writer, Director, DoP, Editor – Wollie Boehm

Wollie_Canon5D_100z120_04

Wollie (pronounced Volley) is originally from South Africa, currently living in London. She started her creative career with an English degree, which progressed onto an exciting journey into the technological worlds of business, IT, Telecoms, New Media and 3D Virtual World R&D which inspired her to do a post graduate degree in Artificial Intelligence. She is a skilled experienced film maker with a growing portfolio of award winning short and feature scripts and films.

She studied script writing and film directing at the National film and Television School in Beaconsfield and works as a cinimatographer, editor, colourist and director on commercial and corporate projects. >>read more>>

Original Story, 1st AD – Helen Ibach

Helen Ibach’s passion for film started early in her life after receiving her first camera at the age of eight. After studying photography and enjoying the magic of story-telling through her writing, she became interested in merging her interests and her love for film was born. She recently discovered the art of film making and is now fulfilling her ambition with like minded women at Whipped Cream Productions where she is enthusiastically gaining both skills and experience.

2nd Camera, Sound – Erin McMullan

Erin studied film and television production in her native New Zealand. Her qualification requirements whilst studying in Wellington included valuable experience working on television sets. She competed in a number of “48 hours” competitions where her strong camera skills and ability to excel under extreme pressure ensured that she was an invaluable part of her team. Since moving to London Erin has continued to contribute to film making projects and by bringing her international experience and relaxed attitude to the crew looks set to make her mark on short films.

Production Design, Location Manager, Catering – Jude Dempsey

Special Thanks to

>> Moira & Vincent Murphy – for the use of their house as a location and for excellent Rain making.

>> Angela @ Elisana Florest, Turnpike Parade – for the rehearsal flowers.

>> The Toll Gate Pub, Haringey – for the kind provisioning of a quiet corner in which to do our auditions.

>> Mobi (mobigratis.com) – for the music “18”.

Saying Sorry – L.E.S COMBO II (Film & Story)

A Queer & Complex Process!

* HOT NEW SCENES *

Written by Sam Skyborne

Directed by Wollie Boehm

A Sexy Lesbian story about Love, Anger and Forgiveness

Ever needed to say sorry like you mean it?
───
Having screwed-up again, Jo learns that finding a suitable way to say sorry is hard. And that having to say you’re sorry and being forgiven isn’t always a two-way street. The resulting journey is sometimes far from easy and certainly not predictable.

For Adults ONLY!

“Wow! What a journey! I might get into trouble more!”

“Reading the story after watching the film gives a great new twist on it!”

“”Phew! Hot! Complex! Insightful! All at once.”

“Hard, raw while sweet and tender. Great!”

Older Entries

Starts Tuesday 11 December on Amazon!

Alice: A Sleeping Monkey’s Lie

Simulation – Free Sample!

The Dawn of a Superhero

A Lesbian action adventure superhero romance!

For Adults ONLY!

Get your Sample here:

“An Absolutely Wonderful Book” – Amanda

“A real page-turner!” – Miss E. Mumford

“Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner” – Geraldine Robertson-Brown

“Kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet” – Alice

“This is a very atmospheric and compelling read…” – Anny

“This is a great read, full of tension, a good plot.” – Wayne

Or Buy NOW:

More Reader Reviews

Loved it!

Good pacing, interesting storyline

Buy this book!

kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet

I loved this, couldn’t put it down once I started …

Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner

A real page-turner!

The very graphic prologue sets up the backstory brilliantly, and the contrast of locations from rural Cornwall …

If you’re a fan of sci-fi, superheroes, science or lesbian novels then you should go read this book

A great read with a mixture of angst and happiness

Simulation

The Dawn of a Superhero.

A Lesbian Sci-Fi/dystopian Romance!

“An Absolutely Wonderful Book” – Amanda

“A real page-turner!” – Miss E. Mumford

“Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner” – Geraldine Robertson-Brown

“Kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet” – A Frick

“This is a very atmospheric and compelling read…” – Anny

“This is a great read, full of tension, a good plot.” – Wayne

More Reader Reviews

Loved it!

Good pacing, interesting storyline

Buy this book!

kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet

I loved this, couldn’t put it down once I started …

Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner

A real page-turner!

The very graphic prologue sets up the backstory brilliantly, and the contrast of locations from rural Cornwall …

If you’re a fan of sci-fi, superheroes, science or lesbian novels then you should go read this book

A great read with a mixture of angst and happiness

Cat Sitting

L.E.S Combo I

Saying Sorry (On Pre-order Now)

L.E.S Combo II

Cat Sitting – L.E.S COMBO I

(A Sexy Story about Loss, Lust and Love)

“Don’t we just know it!” – Sarah Edwards

“Great little story.” – Corie Denham

“These are my friends.” – Amazon Customer

“Yeah, been there.” – Anon 🙂

Saying Sorry – L.E.S COMBO II

Paperback Edition

(A Sexy Lesbian story about Love, Anger and Forgiveness)

“Wow! What a journey!” – Eddie Byrne

“Phew! Hot! Complex!” – Corie Denham

“The story gives a great new twist!” – Elly Cross

“Hard, raw while sweet and tender. Great!” – Sasha

Saying Sorry – L.E.S COMBO II

Ebook Edition

(A Sexy Lesbian story about Love, Anger and Forgiveness)

“Wow! What a journey!” – Eddie Byrne

“Phew! Hot! Complex!” – Corie Denham

“The story gives a great new twist!” – Elly Cross

“Hard, raw while sweet and tender. Great!” – Sasha

Buttons – L.E.S COMBO III

(A *** HOT HOT HOT *** dark fantasy Film)

“Fantastic and imaginative!” – Sally Edwards

“Really, quite hot!” – Danny Gordan

“Hypnotic!” – Festival Audience

“Sizzling! On the verge of mad.” – Anon 🙂

Bluestocking Trailer (Portland Maine) 2013:

Logline

Synopsis

Director’s Notes

Cast

(A * HOT HOT HOT * dark fantasy Film)

* HOT NEW SCENES *