When I heard about the actions of Miami Dolphins Guard, Richie Incognito, I was surprised that  despite everyone saying bullying and cliques end in high school, this latest scandal in the NFL proves that this is not the case.  Like a powerful jock who rules the school with a iron fist, Incognito used his status withen the team as a veteran to bully and make Jonathan Martin's life a living hell.

This was made apparent by the stories of bullying within the Dolphins compound, and the voicemails that Martin released to the media days after leaving the Dolphins facility and checking himself into a  mental health clinic.  The NFL has made no secret of trying to make the game of football more safe, not only for those in the league, but also for the next generation of great football players.
 
Now the NFL has a chance to make another statement. One against the bullying of others. No matter if its in the hallways at your local high school, or in the dining room of a professional football team, it is still bullying and it is still wrong. If you are in a position of power, such as Incognito is as a  eight year veteran of the NFL, you should be setting a  positive example for those around you, not sending a fellow teammate sickening voicemails about how you want to slap his mother across the face an take a dump in his  mouth.

by intimidating and bullying his fellow teammate, Jonathan Martin, Incognito has not only become a negative example and influence for his teammates and his team, but also the city of Miami and the  NFL altogether. The NFL has a chance to make a statement here, and join the fight against bullying. First by banning Incognito for his actions against Martin, and then implementing policies that will prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

The ball is in the NFL's court right now. I know there is a lot of pressure to presume incognito guilty and come and ban this man from the sport, but its really not a presumption since Incognito has already been heard in his verbal tired on Martin's voicemail earlier this week. That alone should show that The NFL is dealing with a unstable, racist, and homophobic man, that has no business in the NFL.

What do you think? Should incognito be banned? see my video above and tell me what you think!




 
I had the privilege of sitting down with erotic fiction author, V.C ,from www.facebook.com/vcerotica, over the weekend to talk about her new book, "The Man on top of The World."  The interview covers her  upcoming book releases, becoming comfortable with who you are, and why erotic fiction is so popular right now!


Chevy: I'm wondering how others become comfortable in their skin with their sexuality. Or writing about the topic of erotic fiction?


V.C: It's not talking about sexuality and LGBT that makes me uncomfortable,
I've never been afraid of talking about it because I feel like myself when I do.
I'm also an intersex woman who has had to struggle with the stigma of that too
(like people confusing me as male when I am a woman, or people thinking i am a hermaphrodite or a pseudo-hermaphrodite when the proper term is intersex and in truth I'd rather just be called a woman). Writing LGBT-themed short stories, novels, and novellas is kind of like therapy to me, fun, but therapeutic :). I didn't start writing LGBT romance/erotica fiction until college but even while
young I was always into watching, reading, and talking about sex and LGBT issues and reading books about them. I just love it and how talking about it brings people closer together.


Chevy: Let's talk about your upcoming Novels. What do you have coming out in November?


V.C: My glam rock romance novella, "The Man on Top of the World." Originally this one was a short story in response to Storm Moon Press's "Glam Rock" anthology call. They didn't get enough submissions for the anthology, but they loved the story so much that they wanted it to be a short novella. I'm the most excited about this one because it will be my first ever published novella and because the characters in this book and the glam-rock theme means a lot to me.



Chevy: Your book, "The man on Top of The World" follows the story of Jonathan Maxwell. a drummer for the fictional backup band " The Diamonds" who also experiences a homosexual relationship with band front man, Izzy Rich. What made you decide to base the story on a male on male relationship, instead of a female and a female? Are you afraid some may be more accepting of the latter.


 V.C: "The Man on Top of the World" that I wanted it to be about an androgynous cross-dressing loving bisexual male rock star and for it to be about the relationship between him and his backing band drummer. Actually, M/M fiction/erotica is so popular these days that F/F fiction/erotica is kind of
ignored even though in real life lesbians are more accepted by society than gay
men. Frankly, lesbian fiction doesn't sell as well as M/M fiction. I have a
lesbian novel coming out next year in April called "The Mistress." I wouldn't be
at all surprised if "The Man" sells better than "The Mistress," and that's only
because of the genre and pairing. M/M is what's hot with readers, which means
that no author has to really fear that they wouldn't be accepted for writing a
story centered around M/M characters.


Chevy: Why do you believe M/M is so popular now versus F/F?


V.C: Most readers of erotica/romance fiction are women and are oftentimes written by women. Because these readers tend to really gravitate and frankly be
really turned on by M/M romantic and sexual relationships versus F/F romantic
and sexual relationships, the M/M genre tends to do a whole lot better than the
F/F genre. Not that there isn't a fan base for F/F romance fiction/erotica, there are a lot of readers both male and female who love them, but it's M/M erotica/romance fiction that trumps over it in popularity. Majority of publishers out there demand for more M/M fiction than F/F fiction because they know how well it sells. M/M sells, plain and simple.



Chevy: Does Jonathan struggle with his sexuality during his narrative at all. Or does he know right away that he is bisexual? Do you think reading this novel will help some of today's LGBT youth discover themselves, since the novel is written by a author who has experienced discovering their sexuality during their youth also?


V.C: Jonathan knows that he is bisexual, he doesn't let it be known to
everyone but he is comfortable with being bisexual when the question is brought
up. He's known it long before Izzy became a part of his life. The struggle that
Jonathan does go through in "The Man on Top of the World" is not so much his
bisexuality but why his relationship with Izzy has to be a secret. The questions
he mostly asks is why he can't just love Izzy openly without their sexual
orientations being a big deal and why Izzy's fame and celebrity has to inhibit
that. "All That Glitters" explores LGBT self-discovery a great deal though
especially when Izzy details his tragic and troubled youth. I would hope that
Izzy's story as a boy in "All That Glitters" will inspire and encourage LGBT
youth to be themselves despite what society may think of them, and that against
all odds, they can be a rock star too, maybe not literally, but figuratively
:)


Chevy: Do you have any other books coming out this year as well?


V.C: That's it! Next year I will have 2 books out for release with the same
publisher, Storm Moon Press. My second book (which is set to be released in
early February) is a novel that is basically Izzy telling his life story, so
it's a fictional autobiography/bildungsroman novel :). It's called "All That
Glitters" which I'm even more excited about than "The Man on Top of the World."
Stay tuned for that one!


Chevy: Ok last one. As a reader myself of whatever I find on bookshelf's, in whatever store I happen to be in. I didn't really see or know that much about erotic fiction (except online), before 50 shades of grey came out. Did 50 Shades of grey really help get the erotic fiction novels mainstream. Or did it help in anyway? Where do you think the erotic fiction genre will go from here in the future?


V.C: I honestly would hate to think that 50 Shades is the reason why erotic
fiction novels are mainstream, and I would hope that people knew before 50
Shades that erotica has existed before its publication. But the fact of the
matter is yes, I think 50 Shades has if anything made erotic fiction more
acceptable for people to admit that they actually read erotica without being
bashful about it. I think it has also made people more comfortable in talking
and raving about it as much as a non-erotica mainstream book. I wouldn't give 50 Shades all the credit but it has certainly given the genre a major boost of
public visibility, for sure. What I love about erotic fiction is that it's not just strictly for straight people or just for LGBT people, it's for everyone no matter where you fall in the LGBT spectrum or even outside of that. Erotica is not a dirty word anymore. It can nowadays be looked at with respect and taken seriously in how it can/does explore other matters beyond the sex. From here, I think erotica will continue to entertain and challenge readers while also turning them on, and what's not to like about that? ;)


Make sure to check below for all of Vanessa's upcoming book releases,
and to like her on Facebook or Twitter.


The Man on Top of the World (Bisexual M/M Glam Rock Romance Novella)


Release Date: November 29, 2013


Publisher: Storm Moon Press


All That Glitters (Izzy Rich's Autobiography, Bildungsroman)

Release Date: February 21, 2014


Publisher: Storm Moon Press


The Mistress (Lesbian BDSM Romance Novella)


Release Date: April 18, 2014


Publisher: Storm Moon Press 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vcerotica


Twitter: @vcerotica


Blogger: http://vcerotica.blogspot.com/


Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815625.V_C_