Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

Dude, I am so stoked! This is my first contemporary story for Kensington (okay, so the crazy aunt might be a psychic. I could resist a little hint of paranormal!), and it was a lot of fun to get to write a baaaaad boy hero. He’s a tattooist, hell on wheels, and sexy as all get out. Yum. Plus, he drives my heroine up the wall, which she really needs.

Here are the details. Christmas came early this year, baby!

Under the Covers anthology by Crystal Jordan, Lorie O’Clare, and P.J. Mellor

“Naughty or Nice” by Crystal Jordan

Dayna Sharp has the perfect job, the perfect man…the perfect life. So why is the prospect of marrying Mr. Wonderful so perfectly boring? It’s a question Dayna can’t shake when she brings her fiance home to meet her spectacularly un-boring family–and finds herself pursued by a bad-boy bearing gifts that could burn a hole in more than her Christmas stocking…

“Nativity Island” by Lorie O’Clare

Marine biologist Mercedes Porter isn’t accustomed to hot weather on Christmas – or to being half a world away from home on her favourite holiday. But here she is, stranded at a seaside lodge on a tiny island. The only other guest is a darkly mysterious, undeniably gorgeous stranger who certainly knows his way around the mistletoe – and, before long, around Mercedes…

“Escaping Christmas” by P.J. Mellor

The best things in banker Samantha Harrison’s life are her dog, her friends, and her boyfriend – pretty much in that order. But everything changes when, right after knee-buckling, tree-trimming sex, her man breaks the news that he’s leaving her for another women – walking out with her pride and her pooch. Determined to recover both, Sam soon finds herself in Christmas, Texas, handcuffed to the hottest lawman she’s ever seen – and hoping for some naked justice…

For more information on a million places to order this smokin’ hot holiday anthology AND to read an excerpt of “Naughty or Nice”, click here!

Dominic, The Lords of Satyr

I’m finishing up my revisions on Dane, The Lords of Satyr, my fifth novel, so I’ll be short and sweet.  I missed Lora Leigh’s RAW this past weekend because my husband has a bad case of flu.  I urge you to all to be diligent in washing your hands this fall and winter.  My husband’s doc said hand-washing is a big help in preventing flu.  I read that a good rule of thumb for how long to wash, is to sing the Happy Birthday song twice as you wash (in your head so people don’t think you’re eccentric.)  And I hope to be invited to RAW 2010 because I was really sad to miss meeting Lora Leigh and Lorie O’Clare and many other authors and readers who were able to attend this great event in West Virginia.

I WILL make it to Moonlight and Magnolias in Atlanta October 2-4 and to the Seattle area GSRWA conference on October 9-11.  I hope you’ll come by and say hello if you see me running around or at the booksignings. Authors love to yak, and I’m no exception. We’re sequestered in our little caves writing all the time, so when you let us out . . . woo hoo! I’m ready for some wine and conversation. Don’t be shy about meeting and greeting any author. Seriously.  Sometimes people are shy about it and authors wind up feeling like wallflowers. We want to meet you and we love chatting about books and what you like to read. Whatever.  As long as you don’t ask us to write a novel on the spot, we’re happy.

Kensington has been generous in giving me some extra books recently, so I have a copy of Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr to give away.  I’ll choose a winner from among commenters October 6th. I know that’s a little over a week away! Sorry about that.  I may be remiss in replying to comments till then too. A busy week ahead.  So tell me, what ‘s the one question you’d ask me (or authors in general) if you met me/us about books and writing?

xoxo

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

WINNER!!!

Estella comment #9

Contact me at contactme@katepearce.com with your address, if I don’t get to you first!

As you all probably know by now, the fourth installment of my ‘House of Pleasure’ series Simply Wicked comes out at the end of September. I’m excited to see what readers think of this addition to the series, as it’s all about Anthony Sokorvsky, a character who has been in all three of the previous books and has attracted a lot of interest.

Here’s what RT had to say about the book:

Simply Wicked
Kate Pearce
4 1/2 stars

SUMMARY: Misfits Anthony Sokorvsky and Marguerite, the widowed daughter of Madam Helene Delornay, help each other get back into society’s good graces. Marguerite’s marriage tragically ended in a duel for which her late husband’s family blames her, while Anthony’s homoerotic proclivities are hardly a rumor. It’s a business arrangement that turns physical, surprising both of them and catching the attention of Anthony’s former lover, a devious man who also has ties to Marguerite’s past. (Aphrodisia, Oct., 304 pp., $13.95)
Michelle Wiener

If you’d like to win the chance of owning a signed copy-please leave a comment below

Kate Pearce x

p.s. I’ll announce the winner on this page by Sunday 27th of September and on my facebook page

The end of September? Really? 2009, right? Where did the first half of the year go? I had so many plans for this year, and Nothing I’d planned is done yet. It’s not like I haven’t been busy either. I have. I’ve been working, and reading, and watching movies, and playing with my cats, playing with my camera. Oh yeah, and playing with my friends.

I deliberately took 2008 off from writing anything new. I finished up my contracts and thought I’d take the 2009 to work on something different, just for my own creative challenge sort of thing. But man, it’s September and I still haven’t gotten a new book written. Part of me thinks, “It’s okay, you’re refilling your creative well with life experience.” Another part of me thinks, “God Sasha, get off your ass and write something!” This thought runs through my head especially when I hear about friends getting new contracts and great new covers. Yet, I’m only now starting to write again.

I think sometimes as authors we get so wrapped up in writing about life that we forget to live it. I have friends who used to ask me why I’d still work at the restaurant/bar when I didn’t have to because I could live off my living. My answer then was that I’m a people person. I like to serve and meet and chat with people from all walks of life. When I made the choice to take the year off from hardcore writing I told my boss I could work more hours. So for the last 9 months I’ve been working 4 nights a week, and my friends ask me if I’m ever going to write again. I say for sure! I’m just gathering data. And strangely enough, that’s what it does come down to. When I really think about it, my writing, my creativity increases drastically when I work outside of my writing. My energy goes up, my characters feel more like real people and story-lines come easier. I think many writers get this boost form their families, but not all of us have family close by to keep us from living in our own heads too much.

Hobbies are a great way to get yourself off the computer and out among the “people” for a while too. Some people like to work out often, or play sports. Being part of crafts groups or even writing groups can help with this. Me, I spent a lot of time this past summer improving my photography skills. Since I don’t have anything new story wise to share with y’all, I thought I’d share some of my photos.

This slideshow is from a day at the park with my work crew, playing ball and having a BBQ.

Click To Play

f you want to see More of my photography, (not just people, but landscapes, and misc. stuff as well) you can visit my PhotoBlog

No, not that closet. And fortunately not the one in my house. How did so much ‘stuff’ wind up in it?

I’m talking about coming clean here about a fact of Vonna Harper life. Yes I write for Aphrodisia and am damn proud to be part of this wild bunch. By my count, my Sept 28 release Taming the Cougar will be my tenth (wow!) Aphrodisia story

But I’m more than a print erotica writer. Yep, truth is (and many of you might already know that and wonder why I’m making such a big deal of this non secret) I also write erotica for Ellora’s Cave and Loose ID. That’s why I included the above cover for Savage Storm which is being released today at EC. http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7579-savage-storm.aspx

For a long time I believed that blogging here meant being loyal to Kensington and only Kensington, but after discussing things with other Aphrodisia writers and learning that they’re good with whatever I do–after all all writers have to pimp themselves–I decided the time had come to come out of this particular closet.

Savage Storm excites the hell out of me. I love that the EC artist nailed the mixed race element of this fantasy set on a mythical island in the aftermath of the mother of all storms. But what really turned my crank while writing it is the background story, and if you’re still with me, lean back for a moment ’cause I’m going to fill in the blanks. Years ago when I was writing mainstream Native American historicals as my alter ego, I decided to do one about the Seminoles of Florida. Research revealed that a number of escaped slaves slipped into the Everglades and lived with the Seminoles. Thus the premise for the NA historical AND the ‘why’ behind Savage Storm. My heroine is a mixed race slave willing to risk her life for freedom, the hero her equal in courage. Gives me the shivers just thinking about that pair.

That’s it for today because I need to do some revisions for another erotica novella I’m working on, this one for Loose ID. As my parting shot, I’d like to ask a question.
1. What percentate of print vs ebooks do you buy?
love you all,
Vonna
www.VonnaHarper.com
p.s. I’m now Twittering. Join me?

The Winner of the drawing for a copy of Possession or Men in Blue (winner’s choice) is:

Estella

Thanks to all who commented on the post.

Cheers, Devyn

Do you ever wonder what this world is coming to?

Hmm, that’s something my mom often used to say. Am I turning into my mother? Oh well, there are worse things – she was a smart, classy lady!

Anyhow, in general I’m an optimist. I believe the glass is half full rather than half empty, and I see the best in people.

But, recently. . .

• A friend told me about her tenants, who totally trashed the apartment just before moving out. And that’s after they asked for their damage deposit back early and she, trusting them, gave it to them.

• Another friend told me about a relative who doesn’t insure his vehicles though he can well afford it. He’s self-centred enough to really not give a damn about protecting anyone he might injure.

• I see authors lamenting the fact that readers are stealing their books. People who probably wouldn’t think of walking into a store and stealing something off the shelf are doing it all the time through e-piracy sites (like somehow, if it’s on the internet, that makes theft okay?).

• I could go on with examples, but it’s too depressing.

How do people get to be self-centred and mean? What makes them not care about hurting other people? In a way, I feel sorry for them. But I feel way more sorry for the people they harm.
However, that’s the “glass half full” side of things. There are lots of wonderful examples of kindness and generosity and I see a lot of them in the writing/reading community. Like:

• Readers who take time out of their busy lives to send fan mail to authors and to go online and post glowing reviews, and who blog about our books and recommend them to their friends.

• Authors who promote each other’s books and help each other out in dozens of other ways – when in fact we’re all in competition for purchasers’ book-buying dollars.

Generosity of spirit is a wonderful thing. Fortunately, it’s characteristic of many romance readers and writers. And of course, it’s a quality that all our heroines and heroes must have – if not at the beginning of a book, then by the end. In our fictional world, self-centred and mean-spirited people will never win love, and I suspect that’s pretty much true in the real world as well.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to slip this in here and announce that the winner of a copy of Simply Wicked was
STACEY A

I’ll be contacting you shortly
Thanks to everyone who entered. Watch for a contest on my blog on release day Oct 3rd for another chance to win,
Kate Pearce x

Lots of us writers duck when we hear the phrase “Mercury in retrograde.” Word Wizards are mainly aware that during those weeks when Mercury appears to travel backwards, our computers, cell phones—any electronic gadgets or things associated with communications—tend to go sour and render us potential Word Nerds. So how should we spend our time between September 7th and the 29th, if initiating new projects and relationships, signing contracts, or buying new cars, computers and big-ticket items isn’t so smart?

Take it from the prefix RE: during this time we can make great strides by going back over things we’ve already begun (or thought we completed!), just as Mercury appears to be going back over its path.

You could REvisit the setting of your current story…maybe REdiscover details and images you’ve forgotten in that place and time. Do you have a character you really should REname?

You can REvise your manuscript—or dig through your closet and REwrite a story you left for dead. Might find a whole new energy there, or a twist that was ahead of the curve when you first proposed it. Or you might finally find the key to REinventing yourself as a writer, and totally REvitalize your life!

Are you due for a REorganization of your space? Do you need to REview your career goals or REconstruct a plot with a saggy, baggy middle? These are things you could do while you REcharge the batteries for those electronics that tend to give us fits during retrograde days. You can also REshuffle the songs on your iPod or REstart your computer after shutting it down a couple hours to let those poor chips cool (my Mac wiz recommends doing this once a week).

On the RElationship front, you can REkindle a romance…maybe REnew your vows or REvisit public places where you daringly made love—or simply REposition yourself! REtreat to a favorite B&B! And hey, who among us couldn’t REplace that ratty old underwear? Might lead to REnegotiating who does those household chores you really don’t enjoy… or perhaps it’s time to REnovate your entire relationship by RElocating away from meddling friends and family.

And if that relocation involves breaking away from your Significant Other, well, that means you are REclaiming your personal power by REfusing to let others determine how you will feel about yourself. And that can REalign your entire life!

Worse comes to worse, you can REconcile your checkbook. THAT ought to scare you into something more productive! Or REconsider something you said during an argument and REtract that statement.

You can also REject the whole notion that Mercury in retrograde is a BAD thing! Because sometimes REthinking our beliefs can lead to to growth and progress!

My personal favorite?? The flashing neon sign on the Rum Boogie Club on Beale
in Memphis: EAT, DRINK, BOOGIE, REPEAT…EAT, DRINK, BOOGIE, REPEAT…

And now it’s your turn! How do you propose to make this September a positive, productive month? Who knows? Your answer may be just what one of us will REact to!

p.s. What does Johnny Depp have to do with any of this??? Made you REad to the end of this post, didn’t he?!

September is a month of renewal for many people. Renewed routine, renewed dedication to work, renewed gym memberships. After all, outdoor sports may be curtailed in the coming winter. Summer’s end brings routine back into our lives and turns our thoughts to cozy evenings.

For me, this month will mean a flurry of working to deadline on my next book for Aphrodisia. We’re tossing around titles at the moment, flitting from one to another as they come to me. I don’t know as yet, whether the marketing folks have considered a short list my editor likes or not.

I’m also looking forward to meeting my editor in person for the first time at a conference in early October. Maybe we’ll share a drink and a few chuckles and find the perfect title for my story about three log home builders. Ahhh! Those O’Banion men have stolen my heart. I hope they steal the hearts of readers, too.

I’m also deep into revisions on another book. So, two at once, using the same kind of energy. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Another thing I need to prepare for are the classes I teach in the fall. For eight weeks, I teach writing for two hours one evening a week.

Still a few weeks away, the course is beginning to take up space in my mind. Not the course so much as the unknown students. Will I have a couple of earnest and talented romance writers? A scriptwriter who wants to try his hand at novels, perhaps. Some “almost there” literary and Science Fiction or Fantasy writers who want to find the push to complete their first or third manuscript. A poet or two who wants some creative energy to spark a new direction?

Or will I have another writer who doesn’t actually write, but who has the entire story in her head… and loves to talk about it endlessly. (I got points last time for not letting her go on for too long and not looking bored when I stopped her.) Please folks, if you’re going to take a writing class, write. Otherwise, it’s a lot of hot air. Honest.

One of the things I’ve done lately to prepare myself for my upcoming challenging weeks, is get a new pup. Pup, you say? How can the added work of training a pup prepare you for the challenge of finishing your 4th draft of one book, your 3rd set of revisions on another book, and prep for a teaching gig?

Easy. My days are now spent with a smile on my face. I’m happier, more active, and more productive because of this pup than I’ve been in a year. He makes me laugh, he makes me move. He lessens the time at my computer, thereby making me work differently while I’m there. He brightens every moment of my day.

And wouldn’t you be a more cheerful, productive person if you had this little guy hanging on your every word?