# Poisoned Ivy is the Kindleboards Book of the Day!



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

*Call for Submissions: Vintage*​







Pictures and photographs capture our faces and preserve our memories. Generations later, they spark our imaginations, making us wonder: Who is in the picture? What are they doing? How are they feeling?

_Vintage_ is a call for written works inspired by pictures or photographs. We are looking for authors who will tell us the story behind those two men on the beach&#8230;or standing next to bench&#8230;or staring out a window&#8230;or looking oddly shy in each other's presence. We want high quality, original fiction that will draw the reader into world of the photo or picture, to share and reminisce.

*Guidelines*

_Length_: Short novels, 10K to 50K words

_Theme_: Historical love stories that feature a relationship between male same-sex couples, inspired by a picture or photograph. While the actual taking of the photograph (or painting of the picture) does not need to be included in the narrative, the picture/photo does need to be included in the storyline. If you want examples of what we are thinking of, you might want to read _Our One and Only_ by E.N. Holland or _Lover's Knot_ by Donald Hardy (see in particular, pp. 259-260 and p. 324).

For the purposes of this collection, "historical" is defined as any time in history in which a photograph or painted picture could be produced, with a cut-off date of 1985. Love stories, to us, are those stories that tell of a relationship in a realistic and meaningful way. We do not have a requirement for a "happy ever after" or a "happy for now" ending although that certainly would be acceptable. We recognize the challenges that same-sex couples have faced in the past (and continue to face, but that's another story) and that can be portrayed, although we also would like these relationships shown in a loving and positive way, to the extent that is possible, given time and circumstance.

Characters can be any age from 15 on up. For stories that feature characters under the age of 18, the relationship must be consensual and presented in a positive light. Teenagers exploring a first, forbidden love would be fine; an older man raping a younger boy would not. It should go without saying but we'll say it anyway: no incest or bestiality. No vampires or werewolves, no paranormals, although if a story featured a ghost in the old fashioned, classic definition of a ghost story, that would be considered. Again, _Lover's Knot_ is a good example of the latter.

As these are love stories, characters making love can certainly be included but we do not have a requirement for a set number of sex scenes or level of explicitness. Let your own judgment be your guide: if it is important to the story, include it; if not, leave it out. In general, we are looking for books written for an adult audience.

*Submissions*

_Query_: Send an email to [email protected] . Include Query: Vintage and the proposed title of your book in the subject line. In the body of the email, include a one paragraph (150-200 word) synopsis of the story. Attach to the email: 1) the photo/picture that inspired you; and 2) the first 5000 words of your story, in a Word doc or PDF. Manuscripts do not need to be complete to be submitted. If an incomplete manuscript is accepted, the completed manuscript will be due two (2) months after the final contract is negotiated and signed. Publication will be two (2) months after a final, completed, edited manuscript is signed off by the author and accepted by the publisher.

Please include your contact information including name, address, email address, and phone number. Queries can be submitted under a pen name, if one is used, although a legal name will be required for a contract, if one is offered.

Queries will be acknowledged upon receipt. A final decision on acceptance/rejection will be made within two (2) weeks. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please re-send, as messages do get lost in cyberspace.

_Photograph/Picture and Cover_: All books in the _Vintage_ series will use the template cover, as illustrated here, substituting the author's name, book title, and photograph/picture. Photographs/pictures must be in the public domain or you must have documented permission for its use.








*Production, Sales, and Payment*

_Production_: All books will be edited by BCPP staff. Books will be assigned an ISBN and listed in Books in Print. Covers, as noted above, will use the _Vintage_ template.

_Format_: eBook only. BCPP produces books in a variety of formats that can be read on multiple devices, including laptops/PCs, smartphones/PDAs, iPhones/iPads, the Nook, the Sony e-reader, and the Amazon Kindle. Books are sold in several outlets including Amazon, All Romance ebooks, and OmniLit. We do not sell in the Sony store, although books are sold in a format that is readable on the Sony e-reader. Plans are in the works to sell in the AppleStore.

_Pricing_: Books will priced and sold according to length: up to 15K words, $2.99; 15K to 30K words, $3.99; 30K words and above, $5.99.

_Royalties and Advances_: BCPP is a traditional royalty paying publisher. At the time the book is deployed for sale at the outlets through which we sell, an advance (against royalties) will be paid, based on length: up to 15K words, $25; 15K to 30K words, $50; 30K words and above, $100. After that, royalties are paid quarterly at a rate of 40% of the net proceeds to the publisher.

_Marketing_: Marketing is a joint effort between the author and the publisher. All _Vintage_ books will be featured on the Bristlecone Pine Press website (www.bcpinepress.com) and included in our catalog. We will submit review copies to popular review sites, including Speak Its Name and Reviews by Jessewave. We hope that the _Vintage _books become a recognizable and popular series that readers will look forward to and purchase impulsively.

*Deadline*

This is an ongoing call for submissions. At present there is no deadline. Submissions are welcome at any time. Please feel free to direct questions about this call to the publisher, Leslie H. Nicoll, at [email protected] You can also leave a message here or send me a PM (Leslie) and I will get back to you.

The Bristlecone Pine Press editorial team looks forward to hearing from you!


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## MarkRProbst (Oct 21, 2009)

Very nice. What a great idea for a series. Are the two mock-up covers actual titles that will kick off the series or are they just examples of what could be?

Mark


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

MarkRProbst said:


> Very nice. What a great idea for a series. Are the two mock-up covers actual titles that will kick off the series or are they just examples of what could be?
> 
> Mark


Thanks, Mark...I'm excited. As for the example covers, right now they exist only in the authors' imaginations. 

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Bristlecone Pine Press has its first Vintage book. The book will be released in about two weeks but in the meantime, here's a teaser with the cover and synopsis. It is a short novel (23K words) and will sell for $3.99.










Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, Autumn 1916. Crale, the ambitious Senator's son, Wynter, the talented artist and Marrok, the football prodigy. Their paths cross in strange and unexpected ways in _Poisoned Ivy_, the first book in the _Vintage_ series published by Bristlecone Pine Press. Inspired by antique pictures and photographs, _Vintage_ books celebrate historic same-sex male love stories told in unique and creative ways. _Poisoned Ivy_ by Scot D. Ryersson is full of haunting shadows and mysterious goings-on, set against the background of the hallowed halls of the Ivy League, its arcane secret societies, the college gridiron, and the artist's canvas. Green-eyed jealousy, blue-eyed ice, and amber-eyed fire all combine to create a delicious and mischievous tale that will leave you wanting more.

You guys are some of the first to get this sneak preview...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Nice going, Leslie. Keep us posted.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Nice going, Leslie. Keep us posted.


Thanks, Gertie. It's a terrific story and much more about spooky goings-on vs. kissy-face love story stuff. LOL. I really think it will appeal to a very diverse group of readers.

L


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Even though you're a mod, you get the obligatory welcome and reminder. 

We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Be sure to read the fine print below. Don't forget to bookmark this thread so you can update it. Although self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar, most of our authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KindleBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles!

Thanks for being part of KindleBoards! Feel free to PM us if you have any questions.

Betsy & Ann
Book Bazaar Moderators

_The fine print:
Please add to your existing book thread when you have news about your book rather than start a new one, it helps the members who are trying to follow you. You may have a separate thread for each of your books. We recommend you bookmark your post so that you can find it in the future.  You may respond to all posts, but if there have been no member posts, we ask that you wait a week before "bumping" the thread by posting back-to-back posts of your own. And we ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum. From time to time our site rules may change; be sure to check Forum Decorum (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html) for the current guidelines and rules. _


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

*Poisoned Ivy* by Scot D. Ryersson, first book in the Vintage series, is live and ready for immediate download in the Amazon Kindle store. It's a fun story...enjoy!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> *Poisoned Ivy* by Scot D. Ryersson, first book in the Vintage series, is live and ready for immediate download in the Amazon Kindle store. It's a fun story...enjoy!


Quoting you so I don't have to go through the link process.

I bought it today because lately, I can only read very light or very short books. This qualifies as short, but definitely not light. It's a page turner, for sure. I started reading and once I got to a point (not very far in) where I could see the drama was coming, I didn't stop until I had finished.

Here's a link to my review, and as I have stated in several threads, I don't review a book if I don't like it. I definitely liked this one.

http://tinyurl.com/2fj6rsr


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Oh, Gertie, I am so glad to know you enjoyed the story! Thanks for the terrific review, too.

L


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Oh, Gertie, I am so glad to know you enjoyed the story! Thanks for the terrific review, too.
> 
> L


Poisoned Ivy deserved a good review. I hope it does well.

Has Scott written any other books? I forgot to check and I'm being very lazy this summer.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Poisoned Ivy deserved a good review. I hope it does well.
> 
> Has Scott written any other books? I forgot to check and I'm being very lazy this summer.


I think this is his first foray into fiction. He's written a biography of the Marchesa Casati with his partner, Michael Orlando Yaccarino.

He is also a graphic artist and illustrator and has designed a number of award winning movie posters, including one for *The Silence of the Lambs*--although he tells me he has gotten out of the movie advertising business for a variety of reasons.

I am thrilled that he has designed a cover for an upcoming Bristlecone book: *A Dangerous Man* by Anne Brooke. You can see it at the BCPP website: http://www.bcpinepress.com/upcoming_releases.php

L


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Quoting you so I don't have to go through the link process.
> 
> I bought it today because lately, I can only read very light or very short books. This qualifies as short, but definitely not light. It's a page turner, for sure. I started reading and once I got to a point (not very far in) where I could see the drama was coming, I didn't stop until I had finished.
> 
> ...


I too read the the book and even though it is not in my normal range of books, I thought it was a well written mystery that definitely kept you going until the end, with twist and turns aplenty even if it is short. I hope it and the books to follow do well.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

intinst said:


> I too read the the book and even though it is not in my normal range of books, I thought it was a well written mystery that definitely kept you going until the end, with twist and turns aplenty even if it is short. I hope it and the books to follow do well.


Thank you, intinst, and I am thrilled with your review on Amazon! Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review and post it.

This is what I love about KindleBoards...I have read so many books that are not in my "normal range" over the past 2 years. It's been terrific discovering new authors and genres.

L


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

What a coinky-dink, I read it this weekend also. It was interesting, not at all what I expected.  I thought it would be much more your basic "m/m romance in secret because of the time period and place with a little mysterious-ness thrown in" kind of thing; it's hard to really tell from the description, but just because I know that's kinda what your company works with, is m/m romance.  So I was surprised by the essentially lack of romance in it.  But I don't want to spoil anything so don't want to say too much.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Steph H said:


> What a coinky-dink, I read it this weekend also. It was interesting, not at all what I expected. I thought it would be much more your basic "m/m romance in secret because of the time period and place with a little mysterious-ness thrown in" kind of thing; it's hard to really tell from the description, but just because I know that's kinda what your company works with, is m/m romance. So I was surprised by the essentially lack of romance in it. But I don't want to spoil anything so don't want to say too much.


Okay, don't say too much but...did you enjoy it? LOL


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Well, you might note I left a 4-star review on it....does that tell you anything?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Steph H said:


> Well, you might note I left a 4-star review on it....does that tell you anything?


Yes, I just saw that! I guess you liked it. Thanks, Steph, for taking the time to post a review. I appreciate it!

L


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Reading all the reviews, including mine, there's a common thread. This book makes you think.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hi everyone,

*Poisoned Ivy* got a nice four star review over at Reviews by Jessewave. Check it out...

http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/?p=27257

Also...the cover artist is J.C. Leyendecker, who died fifty-nine years ago today (July 25, 1951). I wrote a bio-blog about his life and work and posted it at the Macaronis website. I invite folks to drop by and read, and perhaps leave a comment. I think knowing a bit more about the artist might provide some insight into *Poisoned Ivy*.

http://historicromance.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/in-honor-of-j-c-leyendecker/











L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Another good review for Poisoned Ivy, from Jerry Wheeler at Out in Print:

http://blog.outinprint.net/2010/08/29/poisoned-ivy--scot-d-ryersson-bristlecone-pine-press.aspx

L


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Another good review for Poisoned Ivy, from Jerry Wheeler at Out in Print:
> 
> http://blog.outinprint.net/2010/08/29/poisoned-ivy--scot-d-ryersson-bristlecone-pine-press.aspx
> 
> L


Great review. I copied my review over to the UK store.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Great review. I copied my review over to the UK store.


Oh, thank you Gertie! So far no UK sales of any of my books. Wouldn't it be fun if this was the first one?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Oh, thank you Gertie! So far no UK sales of any of my books. Wouldn't it be fun if this was the first one?


Yes, it would be fun. I know I want to read it again to get the full flavor. When I read something that builds up the suspense like that, I tend to read too fast.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I am very excited that _Poisoned Ivy_ is the Kindleboards book of the day. The author, Scot D. Ryersson, has another book coming out very soon so if you enjoy his writing, be on the lookout for _The Arsenic Flower_.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Do let me know, Leslie. You know I enjoyed Poisoned Ivy.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Do let me know, Leslie. You know I enjoyed Poisoned Ivy.


Thanks, Gertie! _The Arsenic Flower_ is a little bit different...Rick Reed had this to say about it:

If you're looking for a darkly captivating read, one that's wholly original yet seems to be channeling the spirits of both Oscar Wilde and Charles Baudelaire,
The Arsenic Flower is a bit of truly decadent, wicked fun.
It's macabre, delicious...and compulsively readable...
a journey through the darkest regions of the human heart.

Rick R. Reed, two-time EPIC eBook award-winner
and author of A Face Without A Heart, published by
Bristlecone Pine Press​
Hopefully it will be for sale within the week...just waiting on the ebook files and final proofing.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks for being part of the KB Book of the Day program!  

Betsy


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