Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

Let’s talk 2010.

First, I’m resolved to get some new proposals to my agent and start cranking out more novels. We’ll see how that goes. I have some ideas that I’m pretty stoked about, but can’t say more than that right now. Wish me luck.

Second, let’s talk about what I know is coming down the pipeline this year. My release schedule is pretty locked in already, which makes some of the new year feel more solid. Promotion is never ending for the authorly, ya know?

I have two new books coming out from Kensington this year. The first is the Sexy Beast IX anthology in September with the fabulous Lisa Renee Jones and Vonna Harper. In my part “Between Lovers,” I’m introducing a new world with modern day shifters out and about in the real world. The Between, they’re called.

Here’s the totally unofficial blurb:

The Between. A race of people between light and dark. Good and evil. Human and animal. The world discovered their existence over a decade ago, and so far the balance between humans and Between has been precarious at best. One bite is all it takes to cross the line from human to Between. It doesn’t matter what species of shapeshifter bites a human–only the soul can dictate what kind of animal is most suited to a Between. Many humans think they’re dangerous and should be locked away, while others covet their power.

It’s a perilous time to be a Between and even more perilous to rule the Between. Elan Delacourt’s soul made him a lion, a king, and he’s been juggling human-Between politics since his father unveiled their people to the world. Then Elan finds that one of his own is kidnapping women and turning them into Between illegally. To make matters worse, he’s murdering the women and dumping their mutilated, half-changed bodies where humans are most likely to find them. This shifter must be stopped, and quietly, or all the peace Elan has fought and sacrificed for will evaporate like mist on summer day. When Elan’s security teams finally track down the offender, they find someone else has done their dirty work for them.

Rhiannon Reid never imagined a spontaneous camping trip into the wilderness would end her life as she knew it. She’d never even met one of the Between until one was torturing her for days on end, sinking his fangs into her flesh, and laughing while the agony of change ripped through her body. One moment of inattention is the only opportunity she gets, and she takes it, killing her kidnapper while trying to escape him.

She’s solved a problem by slaying the rogue shifter, but created a whole new one by surviving to tell the tale. Elan he has to ensure her silence about how and why she was turned. Ruthless commonsense dictates that he have her killed–it’s the only sure way to know she’ll never talk. But . . . he just can’t do it. The riskier approach is to make her happy enough to be a Between that she no longer cares how it happened. That’s a challenge he finds himself eager to take on–a king’s duty is never done until his subjects are fully satisfied.

Then there’s Primal Heat in November, which is also in the present day, but has ancient shifters showing up from a distant world to claim what’s theirs.

This is also a totally unofficial blurb.

The world changed in the blink of an eye. The Kith returned to Earth, and humans learned the terrible truth. They were lesser beings, slaves, abandoned to colonize a barbaric planet the Kith discovered centuries ago. They might have gone on in ignorance, but the Emperor of the Kith knows that his One is among the Kin. He sensed her the moment she reached maturity, and he will tear the planet apart if he must to find her, to claim her, to bond his mind and body with hers.

Wicked Lord

Sergeant Major Bren Preston doesn’t believe for a second that the powerful Kith brought an entire armada across space for a woman. No matter what the Kith ambassador claims–or how attractive she finds Lord Farid Arjun–she knows Earth will never surrender to the Kith fleet. But when she finds that her own commander, General Arthur, wants the planet for himself, she’ll have to decide what she’s willing to risk to save her people. Farid might be able to help her. For a price. He’s desired her from the moment he first saw her, and he’s not going to settle for less than everything she has to give. Her body, her heart, her mind, her hard-won independence. She’ll have to surrender herself to him if she wants to save Earth.

Carnal Empress

Jana Townsend was once a normal woman with a normal life. Until the day Emperor Kyber showed up and claimed her for his own. Nothing had ever felt so right, so perfect. But it was over far too soon. General Arthur’s men captured Kyber and spend months torturing him before Jana and the Kith forces can free him. Now, Jana and Kyber can’t find the common ground they’d once had. Both of them have changed, become different people, but the bond between them can’t be broken. They’re too damaged to move forward, but they crave each other too much to let go. The only thing they can agree on is that before the Kith leave Earth, they have to keep the planet from General Arthur’s clutches. For Kyber, justice and vengeance go hand in hand, and working with Jana to fight a common enemy shows him that the one thing he can’t lose is her.

Check out my upcoming releases page on my website to see what else I have coming from other publishers and to see an excerpt from the two books I just mentioned!

The holidays are over and we’re rushing toward 2010!

How did it all treat you? Did you get all the gifts you wanted? None of the gifts you wanted? Check out the suhweet Snuggie that Santa brought me!

So we’re just days away from 2010 and I’m super excited. I love the fresh start of a New Year. And I LOVE the romance of New Year’s Eve. Except, my New Year’s Eves has been so absolutely boring ever since I had a kid and dived headfirst in the world of single parenthood. Last year was the first time in YEARS I actually did something on New Year’s Eve. And even then, it ended up being kind of a dud evening (let’s not talk about how I decided to drink diet Red Bull and vodka–forgetting that I’d given up caffeine!).

Once upon a time I used to have wild evenings. Like, I-probably-shouldn’t-even-put-this-on-the-web-in-case-my-child-finds-it-years-from-now type wild. My New Year’s Eves used to be so much fun, so exciting, and so full of possibility on who I might meet. My offers lately have been from my parents, inviting me to play Scrabble and have dinner with them and their friends–oh, no, wait, not the dinner part, just the Scrabble. When did my life get so boring!?

I mean even if I got babysitting, all the fun parties and events seem to have dried up. For once I’d love to ring in the New Year with a fun date (are you out there man of my New Year’s Eve dreams?) or go to a fabulous event/party. SOMETHING! Some day again it’ll happen…some day.

So tell me, what are you doing New Year’s Eve? Anything amazing? Tell me! Let me live vicariously through you! Or maybe, is this all just part of growing up? Do we really just sit home and watch the ball drop on tv, while twittering the night away?

Here’s a song that somewhat encourages my New Year’s Eve obsession. It’s Harry Connick Jr. who positively makes me swoon when he sings (he’s not a bad actor either )

Firstly, I just want to wish you all happy holidays, however you celebrate it, I hope it is exactly what you wanted and what you wished for. My family will celebrate here in sunny California as if we still lived in the UK with a traditional Christmas dinner, homemade mince pies, Christmas pudding. trifle and Christmas Crackers. We can’t seem to let go of the old traditions despite having lived here for 11 years! Whenever I suggest not doing something, all the kids get up in arms about not changing a thing, so that’s what we do-a Victorian Christmas in the New World

I also wanted to share my new book cover for Simply Insatiable, which comes out in May 2010.

Here’s the blurb:

THE MOST SCANDALOUS PASSION…
Lord Minshom is known throughout London for embracing every illicit longing-the more scandalous the better. When his estranged wife, Lady Jane returns with an ultimatum he flatly refuses-even if it means she will turn to other men. Forced to watch Jane flirt shamelessly at the House of Pleasure, Minshom is enraged…and excited. The innocent girl he wed at seventeen has transformed into a voluptuous woman who still ignites a scorching hunger within him…
ARE ALWAYS THE MOST PLEASURABLE…
After seven years apart from her husband, Jane is now ready to settle their differences and start afresh. But when she is reunited with Minshom, his attitude infuriates her-and she is determined to teach him a lesson. Yet even as Jane accepts the attentions of other men, it is Minshom she truly wants. For she alone knows how to satisfy all of his wicked needs…

Have a great 2010!

Welcome to winter, everyone! I love this time of year–long nights, short days, snow, cold–the perfect book-by-the-fire season. Unfortunately, I don’t have a fire, but I still have plenty of books. Shelves and shelves of them. And schnapps in hot chocolate is a good fire substitute. (My DH took to an e-book reader years ago. Since he reads a book every few days, that’s probably a good thing. I’m out of shelf space.)

But I want to talk about the holidays. The one thing I love about this time of year, besides the winter stuff, is the goodwill so many people enjoy showing. I’m sorry we don’t see more of it all year long, but any is better than none. I feel good about buying books for school kids at my local bookstore, and adding to the “feed the hungry” baskets at the grocery. I even have an offer on my other author’s website right now to give away free signed books. Granted, it’s partly good will and partly publicity, but it’s still free. (The website is www.SarahStorme.com, in case you’re interested.)

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. However, I’ve made a pledge to myself to do more for others this year. As an author, I plan to sign up for reading days at the local library, and as an engineer, I’ll be working with a high school to help kids get interested in math and science careers.

My question is, what do you recommend to spread goodwill? I’m looking for ideas.

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays. The best part for me is having time off from my day job to write! Woohoo! I’m off to do just that…

Well duh, obviously I’m grateful for my association with Kensington Aphrodisia and if someone would tell me where the model for Taming a Cougar hangs out, I’d be doubly grateful. How come there ain’t no hunks in my neighborhood? Well there’s one buffed dude but he lives with his parents, has been in and out of mental facilities, and growls more than talks. (poor parents. poor dude)

At the moment I’m insanely grateful for the view out my window. After living in a canyon for many years, I’ll never take the sky and mountains view for granted. No matter what’s going on in the sky, I love watching nature. Nature has always factored predominantly in my world. I welcome sun, wind, rain, snow, the whole package. And don’t get me started on my love affair with the mountains and nearby river.

I’m grateful for my sons and grandchildren. They’ve broadened my scope of what life’s about beyond measure. Even when my sons were teens and I threatened to drop them off at a gypsy camp, their hold on my heart never let up. I’d die for my grandchildren; I’d probably kill for them. Its that basic.

I’m grateful for my parents’ impact on my life, both of them although they touched me in very different ways. My mother was my rock, the planter of my love of reading and from there writing. A teacher, she made books a core part of my and my sister’s childhood. We didn’t have TV (useless in the remote areas we lived in) so when my sister and I couldn’t be outside, we curled up with books. We still share and trade. Mother always encouraged my early attempts at writing (and my poor younger sister had no choice but to applaud the comic books I created with the Lone Ranger’s horse as hero). As for my father who divorced the three of us when I was 5, in ways I’m still discovering, he shaped my view of men. Although I’ve been married forever to the same man, they remain mysterious creatures and much of what I write about revolves around trying to reach their hearts and souls.

Parts of my childhood were rocky, including a period of homelessness. I hope I’ll never take a roof over my head for granted. The size and style of house under that roof doesn’t matter. I don’t see myself as materialistic and am grateful for that as well.

In other words, I believe that gratitude is all about the people we share our lives with and appreciation of nature.
And books to read and write.
Vonna
www.VonnaHarper.com

It’s been a while since we’ve had a sexy post here at the Aphro site. I figure, it’s the season to be jolly, and what’s more jolly than . . . sex in interesting places!

When I started my Wild Ride to Love series, the concept was that three sisters would travel home by planes, trains, and automobiles to their baby sister’s wedding – and along the way, each would have a sexy romance. Fun idea, isn’t it? A physical journey, and the sexy journey of falling in love.

So, I started writing the first book, Sex Drive, which is out this month. Repressed professor Theresa Fallon, the eldest sister, lives in Sidney, Australia, so of course she has to travel home by planes to Vancouver, BC. One flight from Sydney to Honolulu, then another from Honolulu to Vancouver. And of course I had to give her an ultra-sexy seatmate, in Damien Black, thriller writer and one of Australia’s 10 sexiest bachelors!

Well, there they were, eating and drinking and flirting, on that first very long flight and . . . well, it’s an Aphrodisia book so we know the in-flight entertainment is going to get down and dirty, right? On a plane. Have you ever done it on a plane? There’s not all that much room, or privacy, is there? And yet, somehow Theresa and Damien manage. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Still, I couldn’t imagine restricting their sex scenes to the confines of an airplane (I have an imagination, but it’s not that creative!), so I gave Damien a stop in Honolulu for a reading/signing at a bookstore, and he persuades Theresa to overnight there with him. And that opened up other interesting possibilities. Yes, the hotel room has a bed, but Waikiki Beach by moonlight just begs for a little skinny-dipping, don’t you think? What’s better foreplay than skinny-dipping?

[Want to view a book video of Sex Drive?]

I’ve written outdoor “maybe we’ll get caught” sex before, particularly in Champagne Rules. I’ve written firehall and firefighter training center sex in Hot in Here. Sex on the front deck of a sailboat; that’s in “Too Hot to Handle” in Men on Fire. Hmm, what are some of the other ways that inventive lovers can find to hook up?

Time for you to get into the act. What have you done, read, written, seen, imagined? What’s the most inventive place you can think of to have sex? Let’s share some spicy stuff and heat up this holiday season!

I am not a person who looks forward to holidays. In fact, I would be happy if they didn’t exist at all. I don’t like being obligated to celebrate something I don’t believe in, I don’t like having to pretend cheer when I am not feeling it, and I definitely don’t like having to decorate because people say I should. Does it sound like I am a grinch? Well, I am, damn it (and I have a Grinch t-shirt, too, to prove it). From the last Thursday of November to the the first of the New year, I go into hibernation mode. There’s nothing happening I’m interested in, so I just withdraw from the world and wait out the good cheer, bypass the fattening goodies and generally try to ignore life as I know it.

To get through the days, I have a passion I call “movie stalking”. Yes, you read that right. In fact, I’ve been discussing my latest stalking with Kate Douglas, one of the few people able to stand the bull I toss her way.

What is movie stalking, you ask? Well, I will tell you. I look for movies about people who are miserable, twisted and depressed as I am. For the sake of my sanity that is not hard to do. My lastest craze is A Single Man, with Colin Firth. For those of you who haven’t stalked down every review of this flick, it is about a homosexual in the 60′s who has recently lost his lover to an accident. He’s living closeted, miserable and–much to my delight–is plotting his death. No, I haven’t seen the movie. But I love the idea of it. Therefore I have began to follow everything about the flick, reading every tidbit I can in anticipation of the day when I will get to revel in the misery. I’m so thrilled that someone’s life is worse than mine, even if that life is a fictional one.

I’ve done this for 30 some odd years, which may be how I’ve managed to make it to middle age relatively intact. Some movies I’ve stalked include Ordinary People (Timothy Hutton falling to pieces), In Bruges (Colin Farrell disintegrating), Man on Fire (Denzel Washington maginificently broody), Fallen (my man Denzel again), Heathers and Girl Interrupted (ah, magnificent mess Wynona Ryder and in the second Angelina Jolie wonderfully psycho). To round it out, I’ll add Reign Over Me. I think I am the only person I know who liked watching Adam Sandler fall apart on screen and loving every minute of it. My list goes on and on, but I won bore you with the entire run down of suicidal performances. Suffice to say, I need my misery movies the way some people need their Rom Coms or their dramas.

They just make me feel better. Happier.

So I will continue to stalk A Single Man until it lands on DVD, where I can rent it and watch it dozens of time, revelling in Colin Firth’s excellent portrayal (so I have read) of a miserable life. There’s even Oscar buzz around his role. I love that even more. I do so love to see misery earn its due reward.

Because no one wants to read about all misery, I am sure, I’ll toss readers a bone and announce that Possession (along with Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales VIII) has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. You coulda knocked me over with a feather. That book (in my mind) so did not deserve to land anywhere but the nearest trash can. It was the book I liked least and wanted to vanish without a trace. Karma obviously came around and nipped me on the butt. Why. I dunno. Needless to say, I am honored. The nominees are awesome and to be included in their group is just mind boggling. (and my mind isn’t easily boggled, LOL)

If you would like to have a copy of Possession, just leave a comment. I’ll pick a winner on the 20th of Dec and announce it here. If you want to make Devyn happy, take a minute and recommend your own movies and why you love them. Maybe you’ll give me some ideas as to what I could rent during the holidays…

(Note: If you already own Possession and your name is drawn, you can pick another title from my backlist.)

Okay, so today I want to share something special with you all. A new site called Vivalook. Some of you might know this already, but for those who don’t, my oldest daughter has been interested in graphic design for quite awhile now. And because art has always been something that fascinates me I decided to interview her.

Thanks for being here! First, I want to know how you became interested in this particular field?

Well, it all started because my dad had put photoshop on the family laptop, which I’ve sort of claimed. I began exploring it and editing
my pictures for Myspace, and some of my friends who’d seen my work.

Where did that lead you?

When Dad saw some of my pictures he told me that people would pay to get their pictures retouched, etc.. He also said that people can’t always figure out how to use photoshop. This kind of shocked me. I’d just assumed everyone who had a book cover or banner or just a picture done had done it themselves or someone very professional did it for them. So, he helped me set up a website and helped me organize all the things I am going to be doing.

For some people, creating a banner or retouching a picture is a time consuming endeavour. What is it about this sort of work that you like?

I enjoy doing it so much because it’s like another way of expressing yourself. Plus, I’m 16 and I need a car, lol.

Is there something specific you enjoy doing the most? Is it the retouching, like changing the eye color or hair color, or is it something else?

I like starting from scratch. Like when I make a banner I’m using photoshop more, I’m not getting help from other pictures. It’s sort of like taking a blank canvas and making it into something unique.

And what part of graphic design do you want to learn to do better?

I’d like to get better at animation and flash. There are a lot more options with animation and flash. It’s not as limiting.

Thanks for answering my questions. I can’t wait to see all the things you create in the future!

Thanks for reading! I hope I hear from you!

Here’s a book cover she created for me. The Silver Wheel is a free (g-rated) read you can download via my website.

Anyway, you can see Vivalook’s portfolio here And, be sure to check the Vivalook site often as more pictures will be added daily!

Waiting for your first ever title to come out is like a child waiting from Santa to come. Sometimes it feels like he’s never going to get here.

And like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, there are people along the way that tell you you’re never going to get that one thing you really want.

But the wait is almost over and one month and one day after all the Christmas hubbub is over Secrets of Sin will be sitting on the shelf!

So here is my Holiday gift to you, a sneak peek excerpt from the best gift I’ve ever gotten. My very first book.

And what about you? What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten?

“As I told you, Monsieur Barhydt.” Emiline thrust her chin up to make her point clear. “I rule Bougainvilla and I surely do not take your commands. But you are right about one thing, Sir. We will continue this discussion tomorrow.”

She wasn’t sure if it was his words or the definite twinge of excitement she felt that scared her most. This man she now considered barely more than a stranger, somehow saw into the farthest part of her mind—a part that she only even admitted to herself in the darkest of dark and lonely nights.

Learn more at www.authorchloeharris.com

It’s a busy month. There’s so much to do in the time sandwiched between major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years. With all the holiday season demands, time is short. For me, a losing round with the flu, a big writing deadline fast approaching, not to mention my first Kensington Aphrodisia title Sweet and Dirty being released the first of January (yay!), makes me about as busy as I’ve ever been.

For these six weeks, reading a full novel is a challenging time commitment — next year will be less impossibly packed, since this is ridiculous. I miss novels. Story is like air to me, an addiction I don’t ever want to break. So I compromise. I read shorter. Many good short stories are available to read, such the ones at Aphrodisia author Susan Lyons’ website. (I found her free story “Finders Keepers” very romantic.) Another Aphro author, Lacy Danes, has an excellent scorching story, “The Invitation,” in an anthology called Naughty Bits.

I occasionally write short too. Here you can kill a short amount of time with my free Choose Your Own Romantic Adventures, and short-short story “Play Money.”

Do you ever read shorties? What are some of your favorite short stories?

To celebrate the impending release of my first Kensington Aphrodisia title, I’m giving away a copy of Sweet and Dirty to one winner out of those of you who leave a comment. Sweet and Dirty has just received 4 stars from RT Magazine Book Reviews. I’m seriously happy about this review, so let me copy it in full here: “Crooks’ two stories explore the world of BDSM, and the author has clearly done her research. The characters reveal the psychological as well as the physical components of D/s sex, which makes the stories that much more real. Fans who like a BDSM twist to their happily ever after should be completely satisfied. Extra kudos to the author for one character’s refusal to buy into the ‘dominance’ theory of dog training.”

Christina