Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

Over the weekend I read a rather negative review of Secrets of Sin. It was the first one out of six or seven that’s been more negative than positive. The reviewer gave it 2 out of 5 something or other. It wasn’t stars and I can’t quite remember was she uses.

She said it had no romance and was just about sex. I’m not sure I can agree with that. I know how hard we worked to specifically make sure there was lots of romance. And several other reviewers have used phrases like “touch me on a deep emotional level”, “delightful lead characters” and “desire and love run wild” to describe the story so they all saw the romance in it too. What I do agree with is that the romance portion of the story didn’t work for her. She said she never warmed up to Reinier, the hero. I have no problem with that. He’s a hard man to love and we knew some people wouldn’t.

Personally as a reader I adore a man that’s flawed and hard to love. Knights in shining armor are fine too but give me a tarnished hero with some kinks (yes pun intended) in that armor and I’m even happier. I’ve read a lot of them lately like Ian in the The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, Leo in Wild Heart and Christian in The Sin of Lord Easterbrook. But they are hard to love in a much more sympathetic way than Reinier.

Reinier is more in the vein of a Susan Johnson “hard to love” hero. And no, I am not comparing Chloe Harris to Susan Johnson, just that our hero is flawed in a similar way as some of her’s. When many historical writers write bad boys the things that make them bad are generally off the page or happen before the hero and heroine meet. SJ isn’t afraid to have the hero turn back to his bad habits after the first meet and we weren’t afraid to show how bad Reinier can be in vivid detail.

In a lot of historical romances the reader falls in love with the hero way before the heroine does and they continue to read to see her discover what they already know. But with Reinier, I think, the reader and the heroine are on more of an equal footing. For the most part it’s going to take just as long for the reader to love and forgive him as it does the heroine, for some readers sooner and for some not at all.

One reviewer called the story “slightly dark in a sensationally passionate way.” It’s set in the Caribbean on a lush island where everything is bright and airy. How can she say it’s dark? The dark she’s talking about, I think, comes from Reinier. There is a darkness in him that invades the story. I LOVE that in a hero. I get the shivers from just looking at the DVD cover with Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII. But I’m weird that way. I’ve always known that.

So what about you? Do you like a hero that’s hard to love or that perfect knight that saves the day? And what the hell, let’s give away another copy to a commenter so you can see for yourself.

Conjuring

I’ve spent the last week staring into space a lot…hitting the pool nearly every day…cooking and baking like I haven’t enjoyed for weeks…actually READING A BOOK that is not my own! Playing music with lyrics–loudly! For all practical purposes, I haven’t written a word, except emails, for a week now.

I have NOT stopped writing! Matter of fact, I’ve only begun: my completed book last week took me to the end of contracts with all of my editors.

While one of them–I hope!–will want the second book in my Love Secret series, and my Aphrodisia editor–I hope!–will want another couple of books, neither guy is committing to anything until he finishes my current projects with him. My previous Dorchester editor, now at Kensington, is open to something totally NEW from me, and my agent tossed me a COOL series idea, so I’m conjuring…

(How do YOU concoct stories? Keep reading–I might have a book for you!)

Oh, it’s so tempting to just PLAY! And I’m doing that, from what any normal observer could tell…but then, we writers are sly! Who knew that crocheting could be a great way to get my mind out of gear enough to hatch plot premises as my fingers fly? Who knew that gazing raptly at the moving surface of the pool would show me a key image that feeds into this new series proposal?

And then there’s ripping up my stack of GQ and other magazines–and last night one of those guys in the ads made me suck air and say “OH MY GOD!” out loud as I gawked at his photo. Needless to say, the new series has its first hero now, once I figure out this hottie’s name and who he is. Collaging still works for me: that collection of provocative faces on my bulletin board, beside my computer desk, is often the prod I need to keep writing when I’m nor sure where the story’s going or why I thought it was so freakin’ wonderful when I proposed it! Those focused, intent faces belong to real people–at least in my head–and they get pretty relentless when I think I have nothing more to say about them.

Pretty soon the Tarot decks will come out and I’ll start noodling with character/situations. The images–the colors and facial expressions, and the way the people on the cards land…how they might be looking at each other, like they’ve got secrets…often triggers story for me.

Come Monday, the 8th, my agent is lunching with this editor to brainstorm this series idea, if she likes it. I think it’s especially auspicious that they’re doing this on my birthday! And meanwhile I’ll keep noodling…waiting for my agent’s report and reactions.

Care to share YOUR method for conjuring? It’s always fun to hear how other writers spin their webs from thin air and imagination! Tell me your favorite ways to make the magic happen, and if I tap you with my wand you can pick any book you see at CharlotteHubbard.com or MelissaMacNeal.com. And thanks for playing along!

Now…back to waving my wand…

So last month, I talked about how I wandered into stores in the gorgeous State of California and joked about how I *didn’t* look like the cover model on my December release Breathless.

Comes my March release from Harlequin Blaze and I trot myself all over town from drug store to grocery store to discount super store to sign the books on the shelves.

Thrilling indeed. One chain has four copies in each store, another only 2, but hey…I’m there on the shelf with some of the best authors Harlequin has to offer. I’m pumped, I’m ready and armed with my little gold “autographed copy” stickers that fit perfectly under the Blaze logo.

In stores March 1

I like to introduce myself and get permission to sign books. So, in the third store of the afternoon, I take the copies to the Customer Service desk and hold up the top copy.

“This,” says I, “is me and I’d like to sign them all.”

The customer service lady looks at POSSESSING MORGAN, then at me, then back to the book. A look of chilled horror comes over her expression.

The penny dropped. “No, no! This isn’t me.” I point to the gorgeous brunette on the cover. “I wrote it. I’m the author.” I point bravely to my name.

I thought she was going to crumple to the floor. Not, as you may think, with the thrill of meeting an author in her drug store, but with relief that she didn’t have a nutjob on her hands.

Yes, she thought I was saying I was the cover model. Now, seriously, how nutty do I look? I’m just glad she didn’t call for security, because she admitted that she was wondering how the hell to handle me.

The next store I went to I decided not to bother anyone who worked there and just signed the books I found on the shelf. Yes, I wondered if I was on a security camera and had visions of being kicked out of the store for defacing their inventory.

But now I’m wondering if I should change my hair to dark brown.

To celebrate the release of Possessing Morgan I’ll be giving away one copy to someone who comments here today…and shares a moment of total miscommunication with a stranger. I’m sure we’ll come up with some doozies!

Just found the Spanish cover for Sins of the Night, which releases April 2010. I’d hoped the cover would be good and from what I can see, it looks sexy. Trying to find a larger one now!

Meanwhile, the promo materials I have ordered for Siren’s Call have begun to arrive and they look fantastic. If anyone wants a postcard or bookmark, just shoot me an addy and they will be sent!

I forgot to mention that I’ll be choosing a couple of names from comments to win a free book–either a copy of DemonFire or one of my Wolf Tales or Sexy Beast books (from the ones I have left) Just leave a comment to enter.

I’m finishing up final edits on Wolf Tales 11 tonight, so I’ll have to make this brief, but today has been pretty amazing, and it’s gotten me to thinking about dreams and goals and what we want out of life.

Back in 1984, when I first started writing romances, my dream was to some day, publish a book. I sold my first romance in 1998 to an epublisher, long before anyone had heard of ebooks–believe me, the Kindle and the Nook weren’t even on the radar then–but I was published, and so my dreams shifted up a notch. My next goal was to get an agent, someone who would like my writing enough to help me grow my career.

In May 2001, I signed with a new, unknown agent named Jessica Faust, who had just formed her own agency, BookEnds. The running joke then was that she could get me rejected in a fraction of the time it took me–it wasn’t unusual for my submissions to languish in the slush pile at various publishers for over a year. Jessica could get a rejection for me in less than a month!

So, my goals and dreams moved up a notch. I was doing well with epubs and small presses, it was time to dream big. I had an agent–I wanted a New York contract. That came in the summer of 2005 when Audrey LaFehr at Kensington liked my first Wolf Tales enough to not only offer me a contract, but start an entire imprint–Aphrodisia. (Hey, I most certainly wasn’t dreaming THAT big!) My 18th story in the series, Chanku Spirit in Sexy Beast VIII will release this month. Dream fulfilled–but it was time for a new dream.

Mass market. I really wanted a mass market contract, so I worked on a proposal and in Christmas 2008, after a few false starts with ideas that didn’t fly, I signed one for a parnormal series, The DemonSlayers, also with Kensington.

Another dream, checked off, so it was time to aim higher. How about a list? Is that a goal, to hit a list? That first book, DemonFire released last week and showed up on BookScan this morning. It hit the Nielsen BookScan list at #83 today! This is my first week out for my very first mass market book and my very first time to hit a major book list, so to say it’s exciting is a bit of an understatement! What’s next? Well, I’ve had damned good luck dreaming, so I guess I’ll shoot for either the NY Times or USA Today. Impossible? Maybe, but that’s what I heard from friends and family so many years ago when I said I wanted to publish a book. And I heard it over and over again when the rejections rolled in, but I kept writing and dreaming.

If we don’t dream, if we don’t follow those dreams and work hard to make them come true, then what is there? I think I’d rather dream and fail than not have dreams at all. Is there something you’ve wanted badly enough to sacrifice for, to dream of, that’s come true? I love stories about people setting a goal and reaching it, whether it’s to lose 20 pounds, go back to college, have a child, take a trip or anything that you’ve wanted for yourself, that you’ve dreamed of achieving and actually succeeded at. Or do you have a dream that’s not yet fulfilled? One you’re still working toward? If so, you have my utmost respect, because I know how hard it is to try and fail and then try again.

But trust me, if feels SO good when it finally comes true.

I’m excited to say that my FIRST Kensington Aphrodisia book is now available for purchase!! Yay! Okay, it’s not just MY book. Kate Pearce and Susan Lyons are in there too. LOL But I’m perhaps a bit excited because this is my first Aphrodisia title.

Also there’s a contest!

For a chance to win a print copy of “Some Like it Rough” simply send me an email at annerainey11@gmail.com with MARCH CONTEST in the subject line. I’ll be picking 3 winners on March 18th and announcing it on my blog: Three Wicked Writers

DANE, THE LORDS OF SATYR

Do you talk with your friends about sex? With your mom? Your sister? Anyone? Do they know about your first sexual experience? Your current sex life?

I don’t share many of these intimate details. I met my best friend in middle school and we’ve been best buds ever since. We know the circumstances of each other’s first sexual experience, but we’ve only recently opened up about it. (I was 18, he was my first love, my second boyfriend, my first heartbreak.)

But my bf and I don’t know the details of each other’s story. Probably never will. We don’t know any details about each other’s current sex lives. I don’t know the details of my sister’s or my mom’s. When it comes to family members, that info is definitely TMI for me.

Are other romance readers and romance authors the same when it comes to this issue? I wonder.

How about you? Do you keep this very private, semi-private, or do you dish with a close friend or family member?

Elizabeth Amber
Nicholas | Raine | Lyon | Dominic : The Lords of Satyr series
Coming in 2010: Dane
erotic historical paranormal romance
Kensington Aphrodisia
www.elizabethamber.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ElizabethAmber/

Read an excerpt from Dane, The Lords of Satyr (May/June 2010 release)

http://www.elizabethamber.com/excerptDane.html

Synopsis: As he searches for his missing brother in 1880s Rome, the arrogant Lord Dane Satyr wrestles with his fiery inner demon, Dante. Dane has little patience for the ElseWorld Council’s insistence that he must take a human wife to safeguard his ancestral lands.

Eva, a beautiful social climber with a gift for matchmaking, is determined to throw her humble beginnings in the faces of an Italian society that once scorned her mother. She schemes to wed a human from among their ranks. But she is far from human herself. And above all else, she must ensure that no one–not Dane, his brothers, her best friend, or anyone–learns what she truly is.

When Dane and Eva first meet, they are consumed by intense needs they cannot satisfy alone. Can their scorching passion and growing love for one another overcome the dangers that keep them apart?

It looks like I’m going to be doing a ton of traveling this year. In the month of April alone, I’ll be gone three out of the four weeks to go to conferences. Oy to the vay, dude!

So, here’s the line up of where I’ll be running around this year. Some of these places people can come see me. Some, not so much.

April:

PCA/ACA: The Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. I’ll be there getting my geek on and presenting about romance as a scholarly discipline.

Library Conference: This is an annual event in California where I’ll be presenting on librarianista type things. Should be entertaining.

RT: Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio. I’ll be at the print signing, which is open to the public and for those actually going to the conference, I’m doing a panel called Sextopia, where I talk about incorporating sex into worldbuilding when you’re writing. Come see me!

June:

Trip to my best friend’s house in Idaho. I haven’t seen her in a while and I miss her muchly, so I can’t wait to go hang out. Plus, she has a super cute puppy that never fails to entertain.

July:

RWA: This one’s in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope I can make it to RWA this year. I’m planning on it, but this might be the one that goes by the wayside. Fingers crossed! I hope to see you all there!

August:

Trip to my aunt’s house in Texas. No, you’re not invited. I don’t care how good a cook she is or how much you beg, you can’t come. I’m hanging out with my aunt, cousins, nieces and nephews (my cousins’ kids, and I know they aren’t technically my nieces and nephews, but I’ll call them what I want. I’m up to four on that side of the family!). I always come home with lots of stories from Texas.

I’m exhausted just thinking about all the travel. The last part of the year, I’m just going to spend recovering!

-Crystal Jordan

Well, there’s many things I could be talking about when I ask if you enjoy it. But right now, I’m asking about dressing up.

RT (Romantic Times convention) is coming up (less than two months!) and I’m getting super excited. This will be my first conference. Not only will I get to see author friends and meet readers, I get to DRESS UP! I mean, part of me will always be this kid who loves Halloween and any opportunity to put on a costume. But I never get invited to adult Halloween parties anymore <bummed sigh> and there’s never really been any other reason to get dressed up. Until RT!

So I’m getting all into the costume building, well, not as much as some people, but I am a little bit. Going more strong on the accessories to the costume (wings, head pieces, hats, etc.) Seriously, check out the headpiece–click pics to make bigger–I made from scratch (seriously I formed the wreath part and everything! I’ve got mad skillz with a glue gun!) for one of my costumes! I only used a little child labor for the beading (hey, working the fine motor skills). I’m really excited for this conference. For the costumes, the socializing, everything…did I hear something about cover models?

So who’s been to RT before? Anyone planning on going this year? Any tips for a newbie? Are you dressing up? If you’re coming please, please, please come say hi! I’ll be a total noob! I’ll also be at the signing with my Kensington and some Samhain books!

Shelli

www.shellistevens.com

I’m counting down to the release of my first book with Berkley, which is also the start of my new Sisters of Darkness Series. Book 1 is called Seducing the Succubus.

This series is about four succubus who are in Hell’s version of the Witness Relocation Program. They helped bring down a powerful demon back during the 1300s who was killing off the human population using the black plague. Now the demon has escaped and he’s mad as hell and looking for revenge not only on the succubus, but the world.

I’m very excited about this new series and was even more excited when I received my wonderful new cover.

Seducing the Succubus

Seducing the Succubus releases October 2010, and I’ll keep everyone updated as I know more!

For now – I’m off to continue writing Book 2!

Cassie