Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

It looks like I’m going to be doing a ton of traveling this year. In the month of April alone, I’ll be gone three out of the four weeks to go to conferences. Oy to the vay, dude!

So, here’s the line up of where I’ll be running around this year. Some of these places people can come see me. Some, not so much.

April:

PCA/ACA: The Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. I’ll be there getting my geek on and presenting about romance as a scholarly discipline.

Library Conference: This is an annual event in California where I’ll be presenting on librarianista type things. Should be entertaining.

RT: Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio. I’ll be at the print signing, which is open to the public and for those actually going to the conference, I’m doing a panel called Sextopia, where I talk about incorporating sex into worldbuilding when you’re writing. Come see me!

June:

Trip to my best friend’s house in Idaho. I haven’t seen her in a while and I miss her muchly, so I can’t wait to go hang out. Plus, she has a super cute puppy that never fails to entertain.

July:

RWA: This one’s in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope I can make it to RWA this year. I’m planning on it, but this might be the one that goes by the wayside. Fingers crossed! I hope to see you all there!

August:

Trip to my aunt’s house in Texas. No, you’re not invited. I don’t care how good a cook she is or how much you beg, you can’t come. I’m hanging out with my aunt, cousins, nieces and nephews (my cousins’ kids, and I know they aren’t technically my nieces and nephews, but I’ll call them what I want. I’m up to four on that side of the family!). I always come home with lots of stories from Texas.

I’m exhausted just thinking about all the travel. The last part of the year, I’m just going to spend recovering!

-Crystal Jordan

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!

In the insanity between Thanksgiving and Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Yule or…pick your winter holiday), it’s rough to get any writing done.

I mean, it’s exciting and awesome to get to see friends and family that you might not keep as close in touch with as you should. But this one time a year, you get to see them. That’s fabulous! Something to be truly thankful for.

However, amidst the holiday shopping sales, wrapping paper, holiday parties, family visits, etc it’s rough to squeeze in some you time. For me, the you time means writing time. And I have a Januray deadline! I’m not freaking out at all. No siree, I’m on top of stuff. This holiday thing isn’t sending me into a grab a paper bag and hyperventilate style panic. Pshaw!

All I can say to you is, enjoy your holidays, try not to panic too much, and make sure to pamper yourself as much as you pamper your loved ones. You deserve it too!

Happy holidays!

So, I’m signing my new book later today at Borders Bookstore in Los Gatos, California. If you’re in the are, come visit!

I’m so excited about this book, I can’t even contain it. It is, hands down, my favorite book I’ve written to date, so…here’s a little squee and all the info and excerpts I can throw at you!

The biological warfare of the twenty-first century changed the planet in astonishing ways, transforming humans into shape-shifters who love to walk on the wild side—reveling in danger and the explosive desire that consumes them…

Half-human, half-lynx, Delilah Chase makes her living as a professional thief. But when half-human, half-hawk Hunter Avery catches her trying to steal his priceless ruby, he makes her a proposition: spend a week in his bed, or take a trip to jail. What follows is seven days of unrelenting, primitive passion neither can live without…

As the owner of Tail, the most notorious techno brothel in New Chicago, mink-shifter Lorelei Chase specializes in fulfilling all of her clients’ kinky fantasies. She just has one rule: Never sample the goods that her customers or workers offer. But every day, jaguar-shifter Nolan Angelo and wolf-shifter Pierce Vaughn tempt her to break that rule—until she ultimately gives in to a burning lust that knows no control…

Places to buy it: Amazon.com · Barnes & Noble · Chapters.ca · Borders · Books-A-Million · Kensington · Indiebound · Powell’s Books

EXCERPT from UNTAMED…

Delilah Chase perched on the corner of the building, her hand braced on the ledge in front of her as she swept her gaze over the city below. From ninety stories up, it looked clean, beautiful, an ocean of multicolored lights against pure ebony.

But Delilah knew the truth. Up close, it was gritty, dirty, and dangerous. A place where someone like her flourished.

She grinned and let the adrenaline humming through her body take over. Her claws slid forward, scraping against the slick metal ledge. She ran her tongue down a long fang, her smile widening. It was always this way when she was on a job. Half cool, calm professionalism, half unadulterated thrill seeking.

Schooling herself to patience, she tilted her wrist and checked her chrono. A few more minutes and the virus she’d seduced a young computer techie into feeding into the building’s security system would kick in. She’d have a quarter of an hour to get in, steal the priceless ruby her client wanted, and get out again.

Kitten’s play, this job.

Still, every case had its risks, and the moment a thief got too cocky was the moment they slipped up. If all went well, by the end of the night, multi-trillonaire Hunter Avery would be missing a gem and Delilah would have a sizeable commission in her encrypted cred account. So, things had better go well. She gauged the distance between the skyrise she stood on and the one she needed to break into. Tricky, very tricky. Timing was everything. The lynx within her purred at the challenge.

This was going to be fun.

Balconies circled the entire penthouse. Not surprising a family of red-tailed hawks would build the glass and mercurite sanctuary for themselves in the middle of the city. High enough they couldn’t see the grime of the real people below.

The newsvids had reported on every aspect of the Avery family’s lives for as long as she’d been alive. Their fortune was one of the few to survive the Third Great War, which made them newsvid darlings, beautiful people in an ugly world.

Delilah had heard all about it when Hunter’s parents were killed in a tragic industrial accident. A few years after that, Hunter’s uncle died, and Hunter had all but disappeared from public view. The buzz on the street whispered that Hunter had done the killing himself, his mind twisted from seeing his parents’ death. A bitter little smile curled Delilah’s lips. Figures that he’d get away with murder. The rich always did.

Now, Hunter was practically a recluse in his tower penthouse, only allowing a trusted few in for business purposes, and only leaving for a few business meetings or high-society parties a year. Which meant conning her way in wouldn’t work, so breaking in was her best option. Her client said Avery was in Los Angeles at a board meeting and wouldn’t be home until the next day. Her intel had confirmed it, so tonight was the night to get what her client wanted.

If a tiny part of her was curious to see the inside of the Averys’ ivory tower, and got a malicious thrill from stealing from the richest man alive, she’d never admit it to anyone else.

Her chrono vibrated against her wrist, letting her know the window of opportunity had opened. Reaching behind her she pulled her grappler gun out of her knapsack, aimed it at the balcony railing and fired. A gossamer-thin strand of mercurite shot from each end forward to form molecular bonds with the railings on both buildings. She flipped a setting so the grappler would move along the wire. Taking a breath, she said a quick prayer that the virus worked and she wasn’t about to get fried by the security field that electrocuted any unauthorized life forms attempting to enter.

Then she tightened her grip on the grappler, jumped, and let gravity carry her down the wire with a soundless rush of speed and wind. Her heightened vision took in every detail as she went. So, she knew the exact moment something started to go wrong. The mercurite was designed to dissolve after one use. It left no evidence behind. The wind was especially intense this evening and she might just reach the end of that one use before she reached the other building.

Shit, shit, shit.

Heart pounding so loud in her ears it drowned out everything else, she tilted her feet forward and hoped for greater speed. Tensing every muscle as she hit the perfect spot in her downward flight, she kicked her legs hard. She swung up and around the wire, launching herself into the sky. The cable slackened and she knew it was no more than silver powder beneath her. She twisted midair, flipping until she landed lighter than a cat’s paw on the edge of the railing. Triumph rushed through her, making her grin. Perfect.

She loved it when a plan came together. Almost as much as she loved it when the plans went awry and she had to think on her feet. It was why she was the very best at what she did.

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!

And by “classics” I’m not talking about Dickens or Hemingway. Not that there’s anything wrong with Dickens or Hemingway, but I’m going for classics in my genre. Romance classics. Even more specifically, I’m not even talking about classic bodice rippers or Old Skool Romance. I’m talking about the romance novels that made me love romance like a fat kid loves cake (note: as a fat kid, I can vouch for the fact that this is a whole lot of love.)

I mentioned last month that I took a much-needed break from writing. In that time I dug out all my old favorites and tried to rejuvenate my writing-love by reminding myself of the books that made me want to write in the first place. I do this occasionally, but not usually for a month solid. I haven’t jumped around the map much this time, I ended up veggies out on all my Linda Howards.

Man, can she write an alpha male. Sometimes a little too alpha for my taste, but always deliciously alpha.

She also writes a pretty wicked suspense, which is good because my next book is both suspense and has an alpha hero, so hey, bonus. Research/inspiration and rejuvenation.

Can’t complain about that.

My last deadline for writing was July 1. And since then? I’ve done jack. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero, on the writing front. It’s been delightful. My first break in almost four whole years.

The problem with taking a break is that you break your habit of writing every day. Ont he one hand, you want to break the habit so you can have a rest. On the other, getting started again and retraining yourself to write every day is paaaaaaaainful. So, that’s what I get to do starting Monday. Back to the grind, back in the saddle, back in the habit–whatever you want to call it.

Wish me luck!

Oh! I don’t think I shared these when they came in. I’ve got two new covers for books coming out later this year.

First is Under The Covers, the contemporary holiday anthology I’m in. I believe it comes out in September.

Then, we have Untamed, my post-apocalyptic shape shifter story that releases in October. It’s probably my favorite story I’ve ever written. And the cover is so lickable!

My current work in progress for Aphrodisia is a lovely little piece with alien shape-shifters who come to Earth and are very, very naughty. As well as a bit haughty, but love makes even the most high an mighty tip off their little pedestal, so never fear!

To get in the mood, I’ve been watching a ton of sci-fi movies and I thought I’d share some of the ones I’ve gone through recently. Note that these are not necessarily my favorites of all time, just the ones from this week or two.

Oh, yeah, I went and watch the new Star Trek. I’m a Next Generation girl myself, but I’ve seen all the movies, regardless of which cast they were using. I liked it! Chris Pine’s redo of Kirk was very interesting; plus, eye candy! Hello!

Another remake. Not sure if I liked it better or worse than the original. I do love Charlton Heston, but the updated special effects and costumes were pretty awesome.

Fave. Oh, yeah. This one is on the list because I watch it for more than just sci-fi inspiration. I love Firefly and the spin off movie Serenity. More the show than the movie, to be honest, but I own them both on DVD and love, love, loooove them.

Battlestar Galatica. I loved it, I hated it. Or parts of it. They went places I thought they wouldn’t or shouldn’t go, and yet I still liked it. Who knew?

Crystal Jordan
http://www.crystaljordan.com

“Naughty or Nice” in UNDER THE COVERS- Sept 09
UNTAMED – Nov 09

I’m moving to California (my home state) this week. In fact, I’m posting this in advance, so likely as you read it, I’m on the road between here and there.

It’s probably not a surprise that I’ve spent the last month or so packing. The fun part of this experience (as if there’s anything really fun about packing your life and relocating) was finding all the odd bits and pieces of writing stuff I’d forgotten about.

For example, I found the first handwritten version of Every Witch Way, one of my upcoming Kensington releases. It was bad. Very bad. I’m scrapping everything and starting over on that book, which I knew, but this confirms it. Eek!

I also found some of the research I did for ON THE PROWL about San Francisco (which is where much of the book takes place) and then a whole bunch of stuff I looked up for the futuristic shape-shifters I have coming out, UNTAMED (Nov. ‘09) and KITH AND KIN (which my editor will be renaming something sexier soon). Most of the notes were transferred into my computer files, but it’s interesting to see exactly what made it and what didn’t and where my research went. I tend to completely forget what my original concepts were as I get lost in the reality of the world I’m creating.

And as a final, side note: my new book, ON THE PROWL, released this week while I was transitioning states. Details below!

Meet the Cruz brothers. They look human—except for the golden sheen their eyes take when they’re aroused beyond control…and the way their claws come out when it’s time to play rough. They’re Panthers, ancient shapeshifters, and their survival depends on mating to bring out their wild sides…

Undeniable

When Antonio, the strong, sexy new leader of the Panther pride, meets luscious Solana in a dark alleyway, their passion lights up the night. But she’s an outcast, an impossible mate—and her touch makes him lose all control…

Irresistible

Ex-model and businesswoman Andrea doesn’t need anyone—until she meets Miguel, who tempts her mind with daring games and teases her body with dark, forbidden pleasure she can’t resist…

Indescribable

Wild twins Ricardo and Diego do everything together—and their women appreciate the teamwork. Until shy Isabel takes refuge in their pride, and both want to claim her. Of course, sometimes two mates are better than one…

Places to get it on the web:

Barnes & Noble
Powell’s
Amazon
Chapters.ca

I’m going to make this a super easy post for me and a super duper easy contest for you. I now have my author copies of On The Prowl in my hot little hands, which means I want to give some of these (autographed) goodies away. What do you have to do for a shot at the book? Just leave me a comment on this post and on Friday I’ll choose from the entries and announce the winner in the comments section.

Go forth and say something witty!

Here’s what all the fuss is about:

Meet the Cruz brothers. They look human—except for the golden sheen their eyes take when they’re aroused beyond control…and the way their claws come out when it’s time to play rough. They’re Panthers, ancient shapeshifters, and their survival depends on mating to bring out their wild sides…

UNDENIABLE
When Antonio, the strong, sexy new leader of the Panther pride, meets luscious Solana in a dark alleyway, their passion lights up the night. But she’s an outcast, an impossible mate—and her touch makes him lose all control…

IRRESISTIBLE
Ex-model and businesswoman Andrea doesn’t need anyone—until she meets Miguel, who tempts her mind with daring games and teases her body with dark, forbidden please she can’t resist…

INDESCRIBABLE
Wild twins Ricardo and Diego do everything together—and their women appreciate the teamwork. Until shy Isabel takes refuge in their pride, and both want to claim her. Of course, sometimes two mates are better than one…

**WINNER ANNOUNCED: SARA HURT**