December 10th, 2009 | by Christina Crooks |
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.”
Hi Cristina! Love the cover and congrats on the review! I like shorties and longies . . . wait, now that just sounds so dirty!
I would list them but there are just so many. Happy Holidays!
by Anitra Lynn McLeod · December 10th, 2009 at 12:42 pmThanks Anitra! Happy Holidays to you too, you dirty minded thing. I adored your novella, “Eye of the Beholder” in Sexy Beast 7. Hottest Beauty and the Beast version I’ve ever read, and a great story too. You rock.
by Christina Crooks · December 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
congrats on teh book and great reviews
by kh · December 10th, 2009 at 1:47 pmsuch a hot cover girl
i love short story form Megan hart and jeni ash
so hot
but i like longie too
Thanks, kh! And thanks for the author recs. It’s great to have new shorties to look into.
by Christina Crooks · December 10th, 2009 at 3:36 pmCongrats on the great review!I like sort stories and long stories——i just like stories.
by Estella · December 10th, 2009 at 4:20 pmEstella,
Thanks! And, me too. Good stories exist in many lengths.
by Christina Crooks · December 10th, 2009 at 4:37 pmI love getting anthologies to read the short stories. One of my fave antho books is Pure Sex.
by Amy S. · December 10th, 2009 at 9:10 pmCongrats on the rave review, Christina. Some of my favorite short stories are from a Valentine themed Harlequin anthology called “Jinxed.” It features stories from Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jill Shalvis and Crystal Green.
by Jane · December 10th, 2009 at 9:33 pmAwwww Thank you! Funny thing but today I ran across a copy of one of my fav sci-fi short story collections: 7 Deadly Sins of Science Fiction. A lot of excellent shorties in there.
by Anitra Lynn McLeod · December 10th, 2009 at 9:40 pmThanks Amy S., I’ve got Pure Sex in my online shopping cart now. I’m familiar with Lucinda Betts’ hot work and Bonnie Edwards is wonderful too, so this one seems like a sure-fire pleaser plus a way to discover Ms. White’s work!
Jane, I appreciate the congrats. And the additional quality short story recs and new-to-me authors.
Anitra. You read sci fi too? How awesome. I’ve got to check that title out. One book of shorties you might enjoy is Isaac Asimov’s Valentines, an anthology of sf love stories. Some memorable ones in there.
by Christina Crooks · December 10th, 2009 at 10:51 pmThe winner of my January book, Sweet and Dirty, is: kh. Congratulations! kh, please email me at christinacrooks @ gmail .com with your mailing address.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by, and for your great comments and suggestions.
by Christina Crooks · December 11th, 2009 at 12:43 amthanks so muich christina
by kh · December 11th, 2009 at 4:05 pmsend email