Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

The other day I was wandering around the mall with my best friend. She went to buy an iPhone and then we went to the Apple Store to get her a cover for it and some extra accessories. Along the way, we stopped in at one of the mall’s bookstores. There on the shelf were three shiny new copies of Carnal Desires. It also looked like there had once been more, so people might actually have purchased some!

I looked at my best friend and said, “We should find a manager and ask if, you know, they want me to sign these. Or put bookmarks in them or something.”

She looks back at me. “Okay. Go do that.”

Me: “I’ve never done this before.”

Her: “Why are you looking at me? You’re the writer. It’s not like I’ve done this before.”

Me: “You used to work at a bookstore.”

She sighed, finally realized that her best friend duties required her to suck it up and help me, and went with me to find a store employee. I stuttered and stumbled my way through an explanation to a boy young enough to be a my baby cousin, and he went to fetch a manger while very excited that there was an author standing at the counter. So, for my first, I signed stock in bookstores. It was scary and fun. Though not as fun as having the original store employee follow me around trying to see which book was mine. Don’t buy it, little boy! Run for your virtue!

(I also spotted Kate Pearce’s new book Simply Sinful. If you haven’t picked that bad boy up, you really should. In fact, get all her Simply books, they’re deliciously naughty.)

My birthday was two days ago. I turned 28 on the 28th. Someone called it my anniversary birthday (which made no sense to me), but this is the only time my date and birthday are the same number. It’s rather odd to be 28, but I’m not sure why. Maybe I should feel more mature than I do, but I don’t. Ah, well.

It has gotten me thinking about what I’m going to do with myself in the next year. Maybe it’s my birthday that always kicks in that line of thought or maybe it’s the new year, but I do tend to think about my plans right around this time.

I have several releases coming out next year, which always sends shivers of delight down my spine. The first is On The Prowl, which comes out in May. Then in September, I have a holiday novella in an anthology, then in November I have the book I’m currently writing coming out. It’s currently titled Untamed, which I think will stick, but you never know.

In between those releases are deadlines for books coming out in 2010. I have a novella with a Big Cat hero for another anthology, then two full books. All this between now and this time next year. Plus, the full time day job.

I think this is the last year I sit down and ponder this without expiring from exhaustion just thinking about all I have to do. I’ll get it all done. I hope.

Happy new year! Best of luck with all your goals for the coming months!

Ah, yes. The hangover. No, not the one from drinking too much. Though that might be preferable. I’m talking about a holiday hangover. Christmas is over and I’m slowly recovering. The Pacific Northwest got hammered with snow storms. As I said on my personal blog it canceled just about any plans I had. Meaning no fabulous holiday parties We’re supposed to get rain today–which in turn will melt AND FLOOD all that snow. But so far I haven’t seen a thing. Just a ton of white stuff on the ground that I’m a bit tired of.

Then I look around thinking once again my child ended up with more presents than she needed. There’s wrapping paper, packaging materials, and boxes exploding out of my garbage and recycling cans. Add to it that garbage service was canceled last week (and maybe this week?) due to snow. That’s quite the back up.

And then I’m calculating the monetary damage to my pocket book from the 2008 holiday season–while trying to ignore the beep of my email which likely signals ANOTHER store have freaking amazing sales. Although, I do confess to hitting up the Victoria’s Secret semi-annual sale online (do you blame me?) with some of my Christmas money that I received as a gift.

Then there’s the bad eating the last couple months, the candy I’ve been receiving, and conveniently forgotten gym membership. And we can’t forgot soon we’ll be taking down the decorations/tree  in the near future…

I had a great holiday over all, but have to say I’m excited to welcome in a fresh 2009 next week. Not like I have any big plans or anything to ring in the actual New Year.

How was your holiday season? Did you get what you wanted for a present? Not shop at all? Or did you do as Sasha suggested and drink a ton of eggnog? Share!!

Shelli

http://www.shellistevens.com

I should probably tell you all some behind the scenes tidbit about my December release PRIMAL MALE, but instead, I just want to say I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season. Here’s some tips to help you enjoy!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday
buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots,
leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find
it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000
calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-oholic
or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than
you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed
potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole
milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an
automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your
eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s
food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You
can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for
long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a
10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted
Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them
and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of
attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind,
you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple,Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you
don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When
else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory
celebratory calories, but avoid it at all costs. I mean, have some
standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get
up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over,
but hurry: January is just around the corner.

The other day I cranked up the Christmas CD and rocked out to my favorite holiday music. Why? Because I always do that when I decorate my Christmas tree.

It’s my thing. I listen to Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, various choirs and chorales singing their versions of songs for the season and Christmas carols. It’s a personal tradition.

My family, on the other hand, rolls their eyes at the corniness.

But for me, those moments trimming the tree are moments I relive all my previous Christmas seasons. I have ornaments that were old when I was a child. They’re of the finest blown glass I’ve ever seen. I inherited “those old things” from my mom when I moved out of the house and wanted to decorate my first Christmas tree. She saw them as old junk. (Mom loved her new shinies…always!)

So the delicate old bulbs go on the high branches. During that phase of decorating I think of childhood Christmases. I think of my parents, both gone now and sniffle a little. (When it was closer to their passing, I flat out blubbered, and didn’t care.)

Then I add my “Baby’s First Christmas” bulbs that take my mind to the Christmas mornings I watched my little children tear into their packages. Once, my daughter opened the kitchen door to let out our dog and she found!!! LO AND BEHOLD!!! A strip of red velvet adorned with sleigh bells hanging on the back fence. “Santa! Mommy! Santa lost some sleigh bells off his sleigh!”

By then, I’m smiling and singing along to Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. The ornaments I use at that point came from my years buying home made ones from craft fairs. You know the kind: cork reindeers, crocheted Santas, I even have some plastic wineglasses with miniature scenes inside them, complete with snow, trees and Santas. (I know it’s kitsch…don’t care, someone made them with their own hands and the funds went to good causes.)

Then, I come to my favorite song, the Harry Simone Chorale’s version of “Little Drummer Boy” and I’m at the bottom of the tree with the unbreakable ornaments. These I bought for all the cats we’ve shared our lives with. I’ve never had a tree that my cats haven’t played under, or my dogs haven’t hit with their tails. The tree shimmies and shakes, but hasn’t fallen over yet. But if it ever does, and if I lose my oldest bulbs from the high branches, it’ll just be another Christmas memory.

My daughter once told me she loved her boyfriend’s house at Christmas time. His mother had “theme” trees. All decorated with expensive bits of this and that: matching, of course, and totally in keeping with the house decor.

Me? Gimme my “memory” tree…that’s my theme, Christmas songs and all. As for my family rolling their eyes at the corniness? One day, seeing me sing along, sniffle and chuckle while decorating will be one of their memories. A happy one, I hope.

Have a happy happy holiday and may your memories bring you joy, even if they bring out a sniffle or two. Sing along, be corny! I think it’s good for the soul.

Good rainy/foggy morning from southern Oregon. I had to include the qualifier ‘southern’ Oregon because today I’m very glad I don’t live in the northern part of the state right now. Wow! Talk about the area forced to a halt due to the snow. I love accessing the road cameras online, especially since I can sit here in my warm house instead of having to put on chains and praying I can reach my destination. For the uninformed, the Portland area knows rain, in spades. What throws a monkey wrench into the works is snow, freezing snow, a lot of it.

On my way up to my office this morning, I tried to put my mind to what I wanted to write about. A number of possibilities came to mind, but in the end I decided I didn’t want to write about writing for a change. Instead, I’m going to give a shot at creating a Christmas wish list with the hopes that others will chime in about their own lists.
1. Number one top of the list: I wish all the best to our incoming President and those he has gathered around him to lead this country. We need direction, strength, and courage as maybe we never have. The bottom line goes beyond how deep and long this recession will take us. Unrelenting economic worries eats away at our hearts. We worry for ourselves, families, friends, strangers, businesses, local, state, and federal institutions. Lately it feels as if there’s nothing but negative news, but a year ago most of us felt secure and optimistic, and that can happen again. Maybe what this all boils down to is that I hope everyone goes into the new year with a positive attitude. We Will stand strong. And we’ll come out of this mess stronger and wiser.
2. A positive future for our planet. This ground beneath our feet, the air we breathe, the water we drink are all being stressed. Mostly I want to hear frogs which my biologist son says are symbolic of an area’s health.
3. Taking on the weight of the world is exhausting so I’m heading closer to home for my next wish. A dear friend has been battling cancer for years. Now there are no more treatments to try, no more tests to take, nothing except facing the end to her life. Pat, I hand you more of the courage and acceptance that has taken you through this journey.
4. Alex, dear 5 year old Alex. My wish for you is that you will always be protected and safe, that your smiles will never fade, and you’ll spend your life surrounded by those willing and able to guide you through a world defined by Downs.
5. Finally, because 5 seems like a doable number, I hope that no matter how much the local wild turkeys aggitate our dogs, they never catch one.
Vonna
www.VonnaHarper.com

One of my favorite Christmas memories from childhood was being given the responsibility of taping all those lovely cards to strips of colored ribbon, which my parents then hung on the living room walls.

Note: There were cards. Lots and lots of cards. And we were a tiny family with almost no relatives. Second note: They were Christmas cards. Not “holiday” or “season’s greetings” cards.

Confession time: I grew up in a neighborhood that was completely white. Not only white, but we had only one church, which was a United Church. In my entire elementary school, I knew one girl who was Catholic (which made her incredibly exotic and a little weird). Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists? I don’t think I even knew they existed. (Yeah, doesn’t that say a lot for my education?)

(And is it any surprise, after an upbringing like that, and eventually discovering that the world is made up of lots of different and very interesting people, I often write multicultural books? As in, with either the hero or heroine being something other than plain vanilla. Nothing against vanilla, but a steady diet of it is pretty boring!)

Anyhow, to get back to cards. Who sends them these days? Communication is so easy, with email, text messages, cheap long distance phone rates. Do people even remember how to write? And, if they do, are they willing to spend the time to handwrite a message to a loved one, much less a casual acquaintance? Of course some people now do the Christmas letter, in which they type out everything that’s happened to them or their family in the last year, and perhaps even decorate it with photographs. They’re wonderfully informative, but not as personal as those old-fashioned handwritten notes.

Businesses often seem to feel it’s necessary to send holiday greeting cards – suitably generic and politically correct, of course. Do these cards really mean anything to anyone? Think of the money that gets spent on them. I guess they’re a quick and pretty way of saying, “We appreciate your business and hey, don’t forget about us when it comes to meeting your business needs in the new year.”

I’ve noticed an interesting trend when it comes to who makes the cards. In my childhood, they were Hallmarks or the equivalent. Then, they were often Unicef cards. Now, just to take the first five off my mantel, I find: BC Children’s Hospital, BC Cancer Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, and cards by two Canadian artists. So, we’re supporting charities and the arts, and I think that’s a great trend.
Incidentally, am I the only one who is getting “tree” cards this year? At least 2/3 of the cards I’ve received have one or more trees on them. I love trees, so I’m happy, but I have to wonder if there’s some cosmic significance to this.

And, speaking of trees, I know some people recycle cards, which is a great idea. And very kind to all of those trees . . .

Personally, I don’t send many cards, and the ones I send are handmade, using my own photographs. I don’t celebrate a religious holiday, and I’m not a big fan of cold winters, so my cards are along the lines of “and now for something completely different.” This year’s photo was taken on a beach in the Bahamas.

Do you send cards yourself, either personally or for business reasons? What kind and how do you choose them? Do you handwrite notes or enclose chatty newsletters? If you celebrate a religious or cultural holiday, do you send “Happy Hanukkah” or “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Kwanzaa” cards to others who you know celebrate the same holiday, or do you stick with the politically correct generic ones?

Do you like getting cards? What do you do with them? Did you have childhood traditions that you’ve maintained, or that have slipped away? Do you have new traditions you’ve started with your family?

Whatever holidays you do or don’t celebrate this month, I hope you share some lovely times with your families and friends.

So everywhere you go these days it’s all HoHo…er Doom n Gloom, HoHo…er Doom n Gloom, rinse and repeat. I have to say, it’s tiring. The economy’s in the sh*tter, the book business is imploding (Except for K who thankfully, that we know of, have had no layoffs), the car industry is sinking like sumo wrestler in quicksand and the jobless rate is an at all time high.

At the same time it’s the Hap-Hap-Happiest time of the year, right? Of course it is, because happiness is isn’t a place or a goal you’re supposed to struggle toward, it’s a state of mind. And I’m bound and determined to enjoy this Christmas…and I’m going to tell you why! I splurged and bought a new Christmas tree this year. That’s right, a new tree. Right now, it has no ornaments, but it’s still lovely and our puppy hasn’t figured out how to knock it over. I’m doing Christmas Eve at my house this year with my family. We’re having BBQ, because I’m just too smart to cook. And while there will be fewer presents under the tree this year, we have a house to hold our tree, the bills are paid, we’re warm and fed and most importantly of all, we (me, the kids, the cats, the dogs) have our health.

We have a lot to be thankful for and that’s really what this time of year is all about.

This is the first time in three years…okay five or six years I’ve done any real baking. One of my fondest memories is making Snickerdoodles and fudge with my mom, and Chex Mix (BEFORE you could buy it in a bag!!! Hmmm Maybe I should make some this year).

I even tried out this lovely recipe last night.
Read the rest of this entry »

Hi All,

I’m sure everyone’s caught up in holiday business. My “To Do” list gets bigger each day, not smaller. In fact, I was supposed to post last night, so I’m hoping to sneak in a quick entry this morning.

I just received my cover for my next Aphrodisia, Blood Deep—if you love an idea of sexy vampire menage a trois, the “Blood” series might just be for you!

For authors, check out my blog (the December 12, 2008 entry), for a terrific contest I’m running with Croco Designs, who is the amazing designer of the Aphrodisia website. You can win a $25.00 gift certificate for design work. Put it toward artwork for bookmarks, an ad, or banners, or toward some webdesign work.

For readers, I’m going to post a new website contest later this week. Win a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate, to be give away after Xmas, so you can treat yourself to a gift just for you.

And check out Rachelle Chase’s Dec 10 blog post here if you haven’t already, for her fabulous contest.
And I’ll also like to say thanks to my editor at Kensington, Hilary Sares, who braved the ice and snow to visit my RWA chapter last weekend, and gave us an amazing Q&A session on the publishing industry.

Blood Deep is a June 2009 release—here’s a sneak peek:

Miranda kicked out wildly. “Y—you can force me to feel pleasure, but you will never seduce me!”
Zayan jerked his attention upward to see Lukos stroking his fingers along the neckline of her pelisse. Miranda opened her eyes wide. They locked with his. Hers were vivid blue—the brilliant shining blue of the waves that lapped at the southern shores of Italy.
She didn’t look frightened. She looked…hopeful. It shocked Zayan so much, he straightened from her wrist. Strangely, he could not draw away from her steady, determined gaze.
“You won’t seduce me,” she said again. “No matter what you do. But I want to touch you. I believe I can return your soul, Zayan.”
Did she really think she could save him, the naïve child? His answer was harsh. “You can’t, angel.”
“Let me touch you,” she said.
He had not expected this. She spoke to him as his wife used to. He was the general, but his wife had spoken sharply to him, had expected him to obey her command.
Zayan jerked back as the woman’s hand struck his chest, her fingers splayed wide. Heat surged through his pectorals, a hot spear through his muscles, a fiery grip around his heart. Her power held him transfixed. He couldn’t move.
By the gods, she was strong with magic.
Far more than he’d guessed.
His temperature soared; heat raced through his veins as though he were being consumed by fire. Could she make him burst into flame? Could her touch make him explode, burn to ash?
“Oh! Oh!” she cried. Her body was convulsing. She moaned. She moved her hips in the fierce bounce of a woman caught in the throes of a powerful orgasm. Her lips opened wide as she rode out the pleasure.
Zayan’s nostrils flared at the tang of her juices. He could scent her cunny becoming wet and creamy. Lukos could scent her, too, he knew. Lukos could shift shape and become a wolf, which made the demon even more primal about sex than Zayan was.
“What in hell is she?” Lukos growled.
Still enduring the blasting heat, Zayan could barely speak. “Not a demon,” he managed. “Not a vampire.” He drew in a deep breath as the heat began to ebb. He wasn’t going to go up in a ball of flame. “An avenging angel?” But he didn’t think so.
Miss Miranda slumped back against the seat. Her chest rose and fell. Zayan saw the horror in her eyes. The stark fear. She stared down at her own shaking hands.
She didn’t understand her own power. He read it in her thoughts before her intense emotions became a blur that he couldn’t understand. He’d never had that happen before. The only minds that could shutter themselves from him were those of vampire queens, and demons who had been Lucifer’s apprentices. But he had glimpsed the most powerful emotion Miranda felt—she was afraid of herself.

Excerpt from Blood Deep © Sharon Page

Well, I’m kicking off the Holiday Season with a couple of contests. First off, visit my blog and help me choose which photo to use for the new site — and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a red hot iPod.

Secondly, it’s time for the third “Chase the Dream” contest for writers, which I co-sponsor with author Leigh Michaels.

So, enter the first 1,000 words of your unpublished manuscript, and you could land a contract with an editor or agent. We’ve got some great editors on board — and this year, you can listen to audio clips from editors and agents telling you what they look for in a submission!

So, please stop by http://chasethedreamcontest.wordpress.com for more information.

And, feel free to spread the word about both contests. The more, the merrier.

Happy Holidays!

Best,
Rachelle
www.RachelleChase.com

As a romance author, I get amazing mail—-misdirected mail. Maybe this happens to you? You open what you think is your bill or letter, only to find it belonged to your neighbor! Oops! Well, that just happened to me. And although it’s in really bad form and I’m behaving in a really tacky manner, I’m going to share the letter with you… As you can see Barbie wrote it to Santa.

Barbie’s Christmas List! )

Barbie
c/o Mattel, Inc.
El Segundo, CA 90245

Santa Claus
North Pole, North Pole
December 23, 1996

Dear Santa:
Listen you ugly little troll, I’ve been helping you out every year, playing at being the perfect Christmas present, wearing skimpy bathing suits in frigid weather, and drowning in fake tea from one too many tea parties, and I hate to break it to ya Santa, but IT’S DEFINITELY PAYBACK TIME! There had better be some changes around here this Christmas, or I’m gonna call for a nationwide meltdown (and trust me, you won’t wanna be around to smell it). So, here’s my holiday wish list for 2008:

1. A nice, comfy pair of sweat pants and a frumpy, oversized sweatshirt. I’m sick of looking like a hooker. How much smaller are these bathing suits gonna get? Do you have any idea what it feels
like to have nylon and velcro crawling up your butt?

2. Real underwear that can be pulled on and off. Preferably white. What bonehead at Mattel decided to cheap out and MOLD imitation underwear to my skin?!? It looks like cellulite!

3. A REAL man…maybe GI Joe. Hell, I’d take Tickle-Me Elmo over that wimped-out excuse for a boytoy Ken. And what’s with that earring anyway? If I’m gonna have to suffer with him, at least make him (and me) anatomically correct.

4. Arms that actually bend so I can push the aforementioned Ken-wimp away once he is anatomically correct.

5. Breast reduction surgery. I don’t care whose arm you have to twist, get it done.

6. A jogbra. To wear until I get the surgery.

7. A new career. Pet doctor and school teacher just don’t cut it. How about a systems analyst? Or better yet, a public relations senior account exec!

8. A new, more new gen persona. Maybe “PMS Barbie”, complete with a miniature container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and a bag of chips; “Animal Rights Barbie”, with my very own paint gun, outfitted with a fake fur coat, bottle of spray on blood and handcuffs; or “Stop Smoking Barbie,” sporting a removable Nicotrol patch and equipped with several packs of gum.

9. No more McDonald’s endorsements. The grease is wrecking my vinyl.

10. Mattel stock options. It’s been 37 years–I think I deserve it.

Ok, Santa, that’s it. Considering my valuable contribution to society, I don’t think these requests are out of line. If you disagree, then you can find yourself a new bitch for next Christmas.

It’s that simple.

Yours truly,
Barbie

Well, I can tell you, I felt Barbie’s pain. I put the letter right back in the envelop and sent to Priority to the North Pole.

And now to a more serious subject. Romance writer Jo Leigh is having a tough time. The love of her life died after a long battle with cancer. Her heart is aching and her bills are crazy. The romance community has pulled together to help both. To show love and support, a bunch of writers have given books, critiques and cool writing things up for auction. Editors are auctioning off critiques. If you’re a writer or a reader, you can find lots of great items up for bid. Check out the items up for bid.

And now for the giveaway… I have stackfuls of books waiting for good homes. My November release RUNNING WILD has just been chosen as PNR Reviewer “Top Pick” for November 2008. Yey! I’m giving away one copy of that. I’m also giving away a copy of THE SUPPLICANT. Both copies will be autographed. I’ll pick random winners on Friday. Just leave a comment if you’d like a chance to win.

Best,
Lucinda