Hello everyone! Today I am super excited to welcome back the amazing J.L. Merrow to the blog. J.L. is here to talk to us more about her newest release, Slam! (which I am reviewing here later this morning). Plus she has brought a great giveaway for one lucky winner on her tour. Please join me in giving J.L. a big welcome!
I have to confess, one of the reasons I wrote Slam! was to indulge my love of cheesy limericks. My hero, Jude, has a penchant for off-the-cuff limericks in addition for his more serious (and I use the term loosely) poetry.
Ah, limericks. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
No, wait. That’s a sonnet. So how do we define a limerick?
Well, if you’re me, you go by the definition you learned at school, which is that a limerick has five lines with an AABBA rhyming structure and, crucially, you can sing it to the tune they taught me, which is similar, although not identical, to the one in this instructional video:
The bit about singing it is important because it tells you immediately if you’ve got the rhythm right. Also, whether you were quite as alone in the house as you’d thought…
Of course, one thing they forgot to mention at school is that limericks are frequently smutty:
The limerick packs laughs anatomical
In space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I’ve seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical – Anon.
So what makes a good limerick? Well, actually, it seems there’s a certain similarity to sonnets. A sonnet usually has a “turn”, or a twist in its tail, that takes you from one mood to another just at the end of the poem. A good limerick will, in my opinion, have a punchline (Edward Lear, it must be said, begged to differ on this point: his last lines were frequently almost exactly the same as the first lines. Some of us might consider that cheating *g*).
Here’s a couple of limericks I prepared earlier:
When Willoughby wanted a pet
He said, “What on Earth shall I get?
For I’d have to concur:
I’m allergic to fur –
But I’m desperate to shag the new vet.”
There was a young fellow called Lance
Who round a tall “maypole” would dance
His lover would moan
And say with a groan
“Just get on and suck it, you nance!”
One of my favourite limericks is a rule-subverting one by that prolific writer, Anon:
There was a young man of Japan
Whose limericks never would scan.
When asked why this was,
He replied “It’s because
I always try to fit as many syllables into the last line as ever I possibly can.”
Do you have a favourite limerick you’d like to share? Or one you’ve penned yourself?
Limericks, lies and puppy-dog eyes
Jude Biggerstaff is all the way out and loving it—mostly. The Anglo-Japanese university graduate is a carnivore working in a vegan café, an amateur poet with only one man in his life. His dog, Bubbles.
Then there’s “Karate Crumpet,” a man who regularly runs past the café with a martial arts class. Jude can only yearn from afar, until the object of his affection rescues him from muggers. And he learns that not only does this calm, competent hunk of muscle have a name—David—but that he’s gay.
Jude should have known the universe wouldn’t simply let love fall into place. First, David has only one foot out of the closet. Then there’s Jude’s mother, who lies about her age to the point Jude could be mistaken for jailbait.
With a maze of stories to keep straight, a potential stepfather in the picture, ex-boyfriends who keep spoiling his dates with David, and a friend with a dangerous secret, Jude is beginning to wonder if his and David’s lives will ever start to rhyme.
Warnings: contains a tangled web of little white lies, a smorgasbord of cheesy limericks, a violin called Vanessa, some boots that mean business, and the most adorable little dog ever. Poetry, it’s not…
Samhain | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Giveaway
I’m offering a free signed paperback copy of Hard Tail (I’m happy to ship internationally) to a randomly chosen commenter on the Slam! blog tour, plus I’ll write the winner a limerick on a subject of their choosing!
I’ll be making the draw around teatime on Wednesday 17th April, GMT. Good luck! 😀
JL Merrow is that rare beast, an English person who refuses to drink tea. She writes across genres, with a preference for contemporary gay romance, and is frequently accused of humour.
She is a member of the UK GLBTQ Fiction Meet organising team.
Find JL Merrow online at: www.jlmerrow.com
This is great 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I don’t really have a favorite limerick, but I do have one I penned a while ago that amuses me…although I think the rhythm is a bit off.
There once was a promiscuous twink
who’d never hesitate to sink
down to his knees–
he’d make the men wheeze
then stop just on the brink.
LOL! Love it! Nicely teasing.
Thanks for sharing it with us! 😀
I don’t know many limericks and I don’t have a favorite but I enjoyed those you shared!
In that case, have another one of mine:
Poor Cedric cried “Heavens above!
I’m desperately looking for love.
I tried dating a flea
But we soon found that we
Couldn’t do it, when push came to shove.” 🙂
You are hysterical! Love it. I think the last time I read limericks was from a children’s book which seems all kinds of wrong.
Not good at making stuff up (hence being reader not writer) but here goes:
There was a young writer called Merrow
Who’s writing it could not be said was mellow,
Her new book is called Slam!
Lets hope it sells like jam
And other writers with jealousy turn yellow!
LOL! Fabulous! Thank you! 😀
I love your humour, J.L.
I’ve just finished [book: Pressure Head], and laughed throughout. And setting it in St. Albans! Win!
So yes, I’d love a chance to win your new book.
Here is an (ancient) limerick, from memory, which I have changed the gender of the ‘young lady’:
There was a young fellow from Tottenham,
Had no manners, or else he’d forgotten ’em,
At tea at the vicar’s
He pulled down his knickers
Because, he complained, he felt hotten ’em.
I’ve got a couple of others, so if I see you on a blog hop and you ask again, I can do a different one 🙂
LOL! Oh, that’s great! 😉
And in the finest tradition of British comedy, too – shocking the vicar!
Glad you enjoyed Pressure Head – I’ve just started work on the sequel. 😀
Don’t have a limerick, but have to say I’m delighted to see that you’re working on a sequel to Pressure Head!
Good luck with Slam! too. Would I be right in thinking that the complicated hand shape on the cover is the volleyball signal for “slam”? Making assumptions and drawing conclusions here!
Thank you – and an interesting interpretation of the cover! I’m afraid I know nothing about volleyball signals, so for all I know, it could be! The “Slam” of the title is, in fact, a poetry slam (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry_slam) – my hero Jude is an amateur performance poet. 🙂
I’d never heard of poetry slams until a friend suggested we go along to one at the Cheltenham Literature Festival – and a novel was born! 😉
Duh! Because I’d made that assumption about the cover, I hadn’t really looked at it. Now I feel such an idiot, because it’s obviously a heart! No doubt people are doing that shape that way all the time, but I’m oblivious…
I’ve never heard of a poetry slam. I went to the Cheltenham Literary Festival for the first time last year, and loved it.
PS I pre-ordered Slam so shall soon know all about poetry slams…
Oh, you should definitely go to a poetry slam if you get the chance! Fabulous fun. Or open mics, if there are any near you. But yes, the LitFest is a great event. So much going on, and all in celebration of books. 😀
I have noticed people making the heart sign with their hands a fair bit lately, but only since I got the cover for Slam! Before that, I was oblivious! 😉
I had no idea about the heart sign either, but I didn’t think of volleyball, I’m afraid my mind is more sink-like than that – I thought he was drawing attention to a certain part of his anatomy!
Heh, that’s just what my local writers’ group assumed too!
I’m choosing to believe his hands would be lower if that was the case! 😉
Sorry, don’t know any limericks as catchy as these but definitely enjoyed reading all of them! Good luck with the new release and thank you for the giveaway.
Glad you enjoyed – and thank you! 😀
Sadly I don’t know any limericks but I love the one with Willoughby and the vet! 😉
(And I love the cover for Hard Tail! Actually I also love the covers for Slam! or Pressure Head – those three belong to my favorites in the m/m genre!)
goingtoreadnow (at) gmail.com
Glad you enjoyed the limerick!
And yes, I was very pleased with all these covers – Kanaxa was the artist on all 3 of them, and she’s really done me proud! 😀
I love your two limericks there.
Can’t think of any more, I’m afraid.
Thank you!
I’ll give you another of my faves, this one by WS Gilbert:
There was an old man of St. Bees,
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp,
When asked, “Does it hurt?”
He replied, “No, it doesn’t,
I’m so glad it wasn’t a hornet.”
That one just tickles me! 😉
Hmmm, limericks? Can vaguely remember one about a man from Nantucket, just not the whole thing. You had me with Jude’s name; I went to school with a boy named Biggerstaff. Can’t remember his first name, do you see a trend here? Memory is one of the first things to go when you get old.
Heh, there are quite a few limericks about people from Nantucket. Can’t imagine why… 😉
Actually, there’s one in Slam, but it works better in context so I’ll leave it for readers to discover!
I do love those Northern surnames, like Hardwick and Biggerstaff and all those ones ending in Bottom! 😉
Had a friend in school who’s last name was Butts. I remember she had 2 uncles named Red (because of his hair) and Harry. Those parents had a weird sense of humor, especially for the 1920s.
Harry Butts? Nooooooooo! Poor kid!
A friend of mine was at school with a Richard Sole. Which was fine, until school prizegiving day, when they read out the names with only an initial: R Sole *cringes* 😉
I love reading limericks – they are such fun! But a writer I am not!
The new book looks great!
Well, if everyone wrote, no one would ever have time to read anything!
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I don’t really have a have a favorite limerick nor can I write one but I love the ones you wrote! Your book sounds great too!!
Thanks for the great giveaway!! You’re very generous!!
Ashley A
ash_app@hotmail.com
Thank you! And good luck in the contest. 😀
I’ve tried writing limericks, but those are one of things I have no talent at, lol.
penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com
Well, if we were all good at the same things, the economy would swiftly collapse, so here’s to celebrating differences! 😀
When Carolyn wanted a book
She immediately pulled out her nook
She pressed to buy Slam!
Made like Emeril and Bam!
She bought it ’cause she’s not a crook
I don’t know if limericks have titles, but mine would be: “Supporting Authors” I know, it’s just not naughty enough to be a truly great limerick, but I hope the message gives it some merit.
Thanks for the fun post, J.L., and the giveaway!
Fabulous! I love it! It rhymes, it scans and it has a serious message, with a sting in the tail for those of a piratical persuasion! Thank you! 😀
As a prize for my fave comment so far, have a limerick about the more romantic (although arguably, even less nice) sort of pirate:
There was a young seaman from Bristol
Who was knocked on the head with a pistol
His captor quaffed rum
Saying, “What a fine bum—
If my yard doesn’t fill it, a fist’ll!”
I’m equal parts laughing and blushing now, JL! And THAT is what I expect from a proper limerick, by the way. Thanks!
You’re welcome – glad you enjoyed it! 😀
Had fun with the Silver Publishing limerick contest last month–the form converges nicely with my short-winded muse! SLAM! looks like my kind of story…
Mmm, I always find limerick competitions hard to resist. 🙂
Hope you’ll enjoy Slam!
Lol, I love the song! I don’t have any limericks to share, but I will definitely show the video to my kids. Thanks!
tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hope your kids enjoy the song! Here’s a link to some limericks you can share with them: http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/BoN/bon010.html
Enjoy! 😀
Oh my gosh, what dirty minds you all have! I’ll have to get Slam! just to get more of these limericks. 😀
Dirty mind? Moi?
*attempts to look innocent*
*gives up as abject failure*
Hope you enjoy Slam! 😀
Funny song, thanks for sharing.
annawelch23456(at)hotmail(dot)com
Glad you enjoyed. 🙂