Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

I signed a contract for my three book deal with Kensington today, so that’s what’s on my mind right now.

Whenever I get a new contract, I buy myself a little present. It has to be something I wouldn’t normally buy for myself, but that I really want. It’s an extra, an indulgence. Most of my advances go to very practical things, promotion, paying bills, etc, but I get one really nifty thing each time.

The first time I sold, I bought myself a digital camera. Yes, I was in the Stone Age and didn’t have one. I’d wanted one forever, but it seemed like such an extravagance because I didn’t really need it.

But I deserved something nice, don’t you think? I did. Behold the booty for that contract. It’s even lime green…my favorite color!

For the contract I just signed, I got myself a new cell phone. My old one was dying, so I bought it a bit early, but it still counts!

It has all kinds of neat features that make me squeal and jump up and down and hug it. It plays music, interfaces with Bluetooth, has speakerphone, and let me download the Boston Pops playing the Pink Panther theme song as my ring tone. I always have Pink Panther, you see, though my old phone had just a tinny midi file. I tried the standard rings, but it just didn’t register that my phone was ringing. So, I got the awesome new version of my ring tone.

Isn’t it pretty? I love getting presents, and I love buying myself presents. Now if only I could find a good reason to send myself flowers, I’d be all set. Hmm…

-Crystal Jordan
http://www.crystaljordan.com

CARNAL DESIRES – Nov 08
ON THE PROWL – May 09

Lyon, The Lords of Satyr

An author I know, who is also good friend and sometimes crit partner, has an interesting philosophy about life versus career.  She has one set of clothing for her “author life” and another for her “real life,” as she calls it.  When I heard this, I was reminded of the series about London call girl Belle Piper titled Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which aired on Showtime this past summer.  I don’t know about you, but I was riveted.  More to the point, Belle has separate wardrobes for her “call girl” side and her “real life” side.

A few weeks ago, my friend and I went out and bought wigs on a lark.  Long and sultry, multi-hued.  I’d never owned a wig, so I went grocery shopping in mine, to give it a test run.  I went from mildly embarrassed to confident when the check-out clerk asked me (in an admiring tone) where I’d gotten my hair done.  I replied, “It’s a wig. Can you tell?”  She said it looked amazing and wanted to know where I’d gotten it.  How fun!  I could hardly wait to tell my author friend.  Afterward, we did a book signing together and had a hoot wearing our twin wigs.  It’s amazing what a pick-me-up such outer trappings can be.

Now my author buddy is after me to go clothes shopping at some resale shops.  Who knows what kind of trouble we’re going to get into with that?  For some reason, she really envisions me in boots.  As with the wig, I’ve never worn boots.  And I’m not really enthusiastic about them.  But that’s my “real life” side talking. If you see me in boots sometime, you’ll know my “author life” took over on a shopping jaunt.

I think I’d define my ideal “look” for both real and author lives as professional-sexy. I don’t think I achieve that, but I’m working on it.  My “author” side thinks sexy, but my inner core—the one that allows me to meet deadlines and outline books—is all professional.  When I go shopping, the two are at war.

How about you other authors?  Do you cross-dress?  How do your “author clothes” differ from your “real life” ones?  Higher heels?  Boots?  Tighter?  Lower-cut?  Higher-cut?  Corsets with jackets?  Poofy hair?  That is, are your “real life” clothes the same as your “author life” clothes?  If not, what are the differences?

Elizabeth Amber
NICHOLAS, THE LORDS OF SATYR
RAINE, THE LORDS OF SATYR
LYON, THE LORDS OF SATYR (Aug 2008)
DOMINIC, THE LORDS OF SATYR (March 2009)
erotic historical paranormal romance
Kensington Aphrodisia
www.elizabethamber.com

I’ve recently had several friends tell me about books they really enjoyed, despite the fact that the reviews on Amazon, RT or wherever weren’t so hot. I’ve also recently had several newer writers send me very upset emails about reviews they thought were unfair, or less than stellar.

I myself try to ignore the bad reviews, smile over the good ones, and go on with my writing.

After all, not everyone likes the same books. Not everyone is going to “get” my sense of humor, or like the sexuality level of my books—under either pen name. And not everyone is going to enjoy the paranormal elements in my books, or understand the warped inner workings of my mind. And that’s okay. After all, the great thing about this business is that there’s something for everyone. Books are not a one size fits all type of proposition—thankfully!

A bad review doesn’t mean I’m a failure as a writer, just like a stellar review doesn’t mean I’m the next Sherrilyn Kenyon (although wouldn’t that be cool? )

Opinions (i.e.reviews) are like belly buttons—everyone has one, and they are just one person’s opinion at that time, and should be taken as such.

I know I’ve read books when I was younger that I absolutely hated, and now that I’m older and my tastes have changed, I absolutely love them. And by the same token, I adored certain books in my twenties that I can’t stomach at all now. And, I must mention, there are books that I loved then, love now and will most likely love until I take my last breath on this earth. Such is the beauty of books.

So – I have a few questions for everyone depending on if you are an author, a reader, or both.

For authors: Do you read your reviews? How do you let them affect you and your writing if at all?

For readers: Do you read book reviews? Do they affect your buying habits for books? Do you write reviews for books you like/don’t?

Now since I’ve asked, it’s only fair that I answer my own questions, right? So here they are.

I already told you above, I read mine, just to know what’s out there—after all, good review quotes make great promo! Not to mention a great review is great motivation to put my butt in the chair and write each day. I read the bad ones, but try not to take them too much to heart. After all, my books are selling, so someone out there likes them. I don’t want to let one person’s opinion overshadow my entire writing career. Just because they don’t happen to “get” my warped mind – there are others out there who will and do.

When I’m buying books, I rarely look at reviews—unless it’s a book by one of my friends, and that’s more for, “Oh, cool! Look, my friend X, got a five star review!” I do chat about books with friends, and friends who have the same reading taste as me, I listen to when they rave or don’t rave about a book. But I’m such an eclectic reader, I enjoy a wide range, and buy that way. If I REALLY love a book (i.e. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead was the last one I wrote a review for on Amazon), I will write a stellar review for it. But if I hate it, I just won’t say anything. I don’t like putting negative energy out there for someone just because a book didn’t click with me.

So, fess up. What do you do?

Cassie

I’m excited to say that “Simply Sinful” will be out next week, sometime around the end of October, November depending on where you look! I’m delighted to see it finally happening. When I got my box of books last week, my family were all like ‘Oh, wasn’t that out ages ago?” You see, they’d seen the cover art hanging on my wall for the last 6 months and were so over it

It’s also weird that I sent Simply Sinful in a year ago. Since then I’ve completed another book for Virgin Cheek, one for Ellora’s Cave and book #3 Simply Shameless for Aphrodisia. I know that my writing has improved since I sent this one in, but I try not to let it worry me too much. I could only write the best book I was able to at that particular point in my career. But sometimes, as any writer will tell you, its hard to constantly look back to where you were, rather than where you are now.

The reason I posted so late was because I got a huge package in the mail yesterday. On my desk right now is a pile of paper-437 pages in fact-it’s a copy of Simply Shameless and it’s covered in red pen from the copy editor. Who knew that there were so many places to add comma’s? Not me It’s hard for me to get the grammar right sometimes as I grew up with English English and now write in American English about Regency England. Sometimes I get confused, and sometimes American English just doesn’t work for me, so I slip back into what I know. Usually what happens is I get told off by my English readers for using words like ‘gotten’ and told off by my American readers for not using coffeepot or wineglass as one word. You just can’t win sometimes!

I hope you all enjoy reading Simply Sinful as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really loved the character of Peter Howard in ‘Simply Sexual’ and it was a real pleasure to be able to see him grow and change and fall in love. The book was originally intended to be a straight menage a trois story and parts of it certainly are, but as the characters developed, and as their sexual tastes emerged, other things started to happen and I just went with it. (and yes, some of it shocked me too!) But I hope everyone will think Peter’s happy ending is exactly what he deserves.

Let me know what you think of the book!
Kate Pearce x

Hurray, I just finished “Too Hot to Handle,” my novella for Men on Fire, Aphrodisia’s second firefighter anthology. (For those who missed the first antho, it’s The Firefighter, and it’s fabulous!) Men on Fire won’t be out for a year (November 2009).

It’s always so strange, turning in a manuscript and then waiting to see it in print. I think we all wish that, magically, the books could appear on the shelves next month, but that’s not how it works. The fastest I’ve seen for my own books was Champagne Rules. I submitted it at the end of July 2005 and it was on the shelves in February 2006! (That’s because Kensington was launching Aphrodisia as a brand new line, and they were in a hurry, which worked just great for me.) The slowest was She’s on Top, submitted at the end of August 2006 and not on the shelves until April 2008. Yikes, that was quite the wait!

But of course, while I’m waiting, I’m writing. Having just finished one project, I’m diving into the next. They say there’s no rest for the wicked, and we Aphro authors are definitely wicked.

It’s interesting, having all these characters in my head. (Yes, I hear voices!) It’s like saying goodbye to one set of very good friends, and welcoming new folks who are still kind of strangers, but who are going to become a very big part of my life in the next few months.

I sort of know my next heroine, because she played a minor role in the book I turned in September 1 (Sex Drive, scheduled for December 2009). Sex Drive is the first in a 4-book Wild Ride series, in which four sisters embark on sexy “planes, trains, automobiles and a cruise ship” adventures. Sex Drive’s heroine, the oldest sister, had her adventures mostly on planes (with a stopover in Honolulu because, let’s face it, the poor girl deserved a bed and a beach). My next heroine, Kat, the second sister, will be exploring the sexy possibilities of trains. (By the way, if anyone has a brilliant idea for a sexy “trains” title, do let me know.) Now I’m all keen to get going on Kat’s book.

The truly lovely thing about being published is that all these heroines and their heroes get to see the light of day on bookstore shelves, and readers get to share their romantic journeys.

And, because I just got the news and have to share it, I’m thrilled to bits to announce that Touch Me, published in 2007, just won the Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Awards, Erotica category, for 2008 (it also won the Desert Rose Golden Quill). The writer’s life really can be fun!

Writers, how do you deal with endings and beginnings, and what do you love about the writer’s life? Readers, are you now totally convinced that writers are eccentric, if not completely neurotic?

Hi everyone,
I’m happy to announce that the winner of my contest from Monday is Fedora. Her comments were exactly what I was looking for! I’ll be in touch Fedora! Congratulations and THANK YOU!

Unfortunately, she was the only entrant in the contest, so the two other gift certificates will go unclaimed. Maybe next time!

I’ll be bowing out of the blog here for awhile. But I’ll be back in 2009 when I have cover art for BREATHLESS. In the meantime news and updates will be posted on my site: www.bonnieedwards.com

Please stop by!

Bonnie

Before I get to manhood, I want to invite you to check out the weekly talk show I host for SingleMindedWomen.com. We’ve had some great guests, including Dr. John Gray, of MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS fame. On 10/13 at 6:00 p.m. PT, will be a Single Parents Roundtable, which should be quite interesting. I hope you’ll check it out!

So, on to manhood … I’m nearing the end of my story in the 2009 firefighter anthology (with Susan Lyons and Jodi Lynn Copeland). Which means it’s time for … you got it, p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-o-n, my all time favorite activity.

So, since there’s a scene in my story where the hero and heroine do a wordplay on the word ‘manhood,’ naturally, I had to take a trip to Merriam-Webster.com to look up manhood, which then caused me to click on penis. Which Merriam-Webster defined as:

a male erectile organ of copulation by which urine and semen are discharged from the body and that develops from the same embryonic mass of tissue as the clitoris

Now, there was a mood-buster.

So, I went on to look for sexy celebrity chefs, which resulted in a much more enjoyable experience – the accidental discovery of the 2008 Great Male Survey Results. Of course, I zoomed right in to the sex part of the survey. Here are some statistics I found interesting:

 37% said they have sex less than once/month
 Regarding how long their sexual sessions last, 39% said 15-30 minutes, 17% said 15 minutes or less, 13% said 5 minutes or less
 60% have never told a woman they love her to get sex
 50% would be offended if a woman faked an orgasm
 61% would like to have a threesome
 44% are not comfortable with their wife/girlfriend having had more than 5 sexual partners
 74% HAVE NEVER TAKEN AN STD TEST

So, if you find yourself in the mood to procrastinate with me, check it out. I’d love to hear the statistic that you found most interesting.

Oh — and, I totally forgot about another procrastination opportunity, I’m giving away copies of SIN CLUB, plus a sexy bra sachet and bustier key chain at All the Blogs a Page - so please stop by and enter.

Best,
Rachelle

OK, so I got called last weekend when my stepmom died after a long, nasty bout with Alzheimer’s. Just back from the funeral trip to PA (14 hours in the car each direction. Woof.) and I confess I have NO inspiring ideas on what to blog about today.

I have pages to catch up on! I’m behinder than I like to be on my WIP.

I missed out on the big all-block garage sale I spearheaded, and can only hope the other 12 families did a gangbuster business while I was gone.

But the family visit had some very special moments I’m glad I didn’t miss…like taking the collegiate Queen Niece shopping (she didn’t get to visit us this summer–had to work) and outfitting her with a cute red pea coat, gloves/scarves, and furred snow boots so she’s ready for the snowy hikes across campus! And taking her to lunch. And seeing my four half-sibs for a few days, all of us together…and, because this was their mom in that casket, I had the rare and beautiful privilege of comforting them. Of being counted as ONE OF THEM in a family I didn’t even know about until I was 40 (long story).

And at visitation, when so many longtime family friends told me I looked just like MY mother…I had to smile. After all, these people haven’t seen my mom since she was in her 20′s because she moved away from PA when she married my dad, and she died 10 years ago. And in her 20′s, my mom was HOT in a sloe-eyed smokey sort of way…and we can’t ignore the fact that I’m (cough) somewhat older than that.

So I’m smiling. My whole week got disrupted but yeah, I got a new perspective on who I am and how much I’m loved–and yeah, all my sibs were SOOOOO happy to get their freebie copies of
THE PLEASURE OF HIS BED and UNWRAP ME!

So I guess it was a pretty good extended weekend after all!
And now I’ll get back to cranking those pages….

It’s nice to have a link running through your stories when you pitch an anthology idea. Many anthologies have exciting themes: shape shifters, BDSM stories, mystical legends or what-have-you. I’ve even been one of three in an anthology about men in toolbelts. (BUILT)

But me? On my own? I do underwear. Even I have to admit it’s
mundane, and on the surface, doesn’t even seem romantic.

Working on THIGH HIGH I got to wondering about men’s underwear for the ghost story, Parlor Games. I’ve got a bachelor auction happening in a haunted former bordello. Once I figured out that the underwear these guys wear is actually a hidden code for the bachelors’ predilections then mundane flew out the window. There’s some hot stuff out there in the male underwear department. Who knew?

Most times, when we think lingerie we think merry widows, or garters and stockings. For women. We think silky, slinky, sexy…for women! A quick google search proved me wrong. For men, we’ve got lace up pouches, g-strings, body strings. (ouch!) That’s just for starters. I’m not getting into the rubber! (Not ever)

So my next Aphrodisia title is BREATHLESS, where I have fun with even more underwear. (Ok, is this getting close to a fetish?) Since I once sold lingerie it’s a good fit for me. (Pun intended.)

Yesterday, I got the most wonderful note from a reader who’d just started reading THIGH HIGH. As an assault survivor she loved that there were hot, sexy scenes without any feeling of danger, no anal sex, or nearly-forced sex, or anything to trigger her memory. Which made me ponder the romance in my stories.

For those of you who have read THIGH HIGH, I’d like to hear which novella seemed the most romantic for you. The one that hit all the right buttons and made you sigh at the end. There’s an important reason for my asking this so, three people will win gift certificates for the online bookstore of their choice. It’s not as easy as giving me a title, I also need to hear what it was that made you love the story more than the other two. In other words, I need to know what novella was the very best romance read for you and why.

I hope I get lots of entries! The winners will be announced in Friday October 10. The contest will run all week, just email me at bonnie@bonnieedwards.com Thanks so much!

This is not at all what I planned to write about today, but I’ve been slapped upside the head with a dose of reality as I struggle to meet a deadline on a novella while babysitting three of our grandkids. In a nutshell, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU YOUNG MOMS DO IT!!! The kids are wonderful–well behaved and so darned cute, but they’re busy. REAL busy, and they want to be with Dabba and Bompa every second of the day. Then there’s picking them up at school, trying to get the baby to nap, running the middle one to ballet…did I say they’re busy? Luca is a very adult seven year old, Gracie is 4 AND A HALF ALMOST FIVE (and the caps are exactly how she says it) and Cole just turned two and has the speed of greased lightning. If he can’t climb it he’ll take it apart or lose it…all with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his big blue eyes. I’ve got pictures of all the kids up on my website, including the two year old granddaughter in Hawaii and her brand new baby brother who I’ve never even met. You can see them at http://www.katedouglas.com/id50.htm Just scroll down to the bottom half for the crew we’re watching this weekend. Unfortunately, the fact they’re cute and entertaining as hell doesn’t get a novella written. I’ve tried. Really I have, but I have a feeling that I’m just going to have to work twice as hard once I get home Sunday night.

One thing that I got a giggle out of tonight was almost worth not getting my work done–I was cleaning up the kitchen and asked my husband to give the two youngest their baths. When he finally got them clean, dry and in their jammies, he looked as if he’d been keelhauled. He came out of the bathroom a beaten man. At least I didn’t feel quite as badly about not getting much written…but I have to say, hats off to all of you young moms who still manage to write your books while raising kids. You’re truly amazing, and I’d love to know how you do it!