Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

DANE, THE LORDS OF SATYR

Do you talk with your friends about sex? With your mom? Your sister? Anyone? Do they know about your first sexual experience? Your current sex life?

I don’t share many of these intimate details. I met my best friend in middle school and we’ve been best buds ever since. We know the circumstances of each other’s first sexual experience, but we’ve only recently opened up about it. (I was 18, he was my first love, my second boyfriend, my first heartbreak.)

But my bf and I don’t know the details of each other’s story. Probably never will. We don’t know any details about each other’s current sex lives. I don’t know the details of my sister’s or my mom’s. When it comes to family members, that info is definitely TMI for me.

Are other romance readers and romance authors the same when it comes to this issue? I wonder.

How about you? Do you keep this very private, semi-private, or do you dish with a close friend or family member?

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

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ElizabethAmber/

Read an excerpt from Dane, The Lords of Satyr (May/June 2010 release)

http://www.elizabethamber.com/excerptDane.html

Synopsis: As he searches for his missing brother in 1880s Rome, the arrogant Lord Dane Satyr wrestles with his fiery inner demon, Dante. Dane has little patience for the ElseWorld Council’s insistence that he must take a human wife to safeguard his ancestral lands.

Eva, a beautiful social climber with a gift for matchmaking, is determined to throw her humble beginnings in the faces of an Italian society that once scorned her mother. She schemes to wed a human from among their ranks. But she is far from human herself. And above all else, she must ensure that no one–not Dane, his brothers, her best friend, or anyone–learns what she truly is.

When Dane and Eva first meet, they are consumed by intense needs they cannot satisfy alone. Can their scorching passion and growing love for one another overcome the dangers that keep them apart?

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

Okay, this isn’t Dane. But I do have Dane on the brain since the manuscript (officially DANE, THE LORDS OF SATYR) is due to my editor soon.

Since I have no Dane cover yet, I’m celebrating one of my favorite satyr covers–NICHOLAS.  My Kensington editor (Audrey) just told me it went into a 7th reprinting!  A shout out to all you readers who helped make this happen!  I couldn’t keep writing without you, so many many thanks to you all.

WHAT I’M DOING IN SEPTEMBER:
1. Revising Dane!
2. Paying attention to the husband I’ve neglected while working on Dane.
3. Attending Lora Leigh’s RAW: September 25-27, Huntington, WV

http://www.readersappreciationweekend.com/

WHAT I’M DOING IN OCTOBER:
I’ll be at two other conferences in October and would love to meet any of you who’ll be in the neighborhood:

1. Moonlight and Magnolias, Georgia (near Atlanta)

http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/mm-conference/

I’ll be speaking on: Nailing the High Concept Book Hook, and I’ll be at the big booksigning.

2. Emerald City Writers Conference, Washington (near Seattle)

http://www.gsrwa.org/conferenceregistration.php

I’ll be speaking on: Nailing the High Concept Book Hook, and I’ll be at the big booksigning.

I hope to see some of you there! Please be sure to say hi.

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

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ElizabethAmber/

My friend Eva just got a subscription to Entertainment Weekly, and she’s passing issues on to me when she finishes with them.  I’ve never really read this magazine before, but it’s kind of nice to know what’s coming up this summer.  I usually find out about series I might’ve liked after the fact and miss out.

Tonight it’s Hung. This has a great hook, but EW just gives it a C+ because some of the jokes are a bit “limp” and the series hasn’t figured out what it wants to be.  Still, I’m intrigued and I’ll watch the first episode.

Then July 7th, Warehouse 13.  It’s sci-fi. Basically, the X-files are real and they’re in this warehouse.  I hope they don’t screw this up because it’s a great premise and I’m looking forward to it.

I think a Torchwood (BBC America) miniseries is coming July 7th, but I didn’t see anything about it in EW.

July 10th, Eureka continues. Humor and sci-fi. What’s not to like?

July 12th, Entourage. Oh yeah!  One of my favorite series is back for a 6th season. Did you watch Brian Williams’ interviews with President Obama a few weeks ago? That’s where I found out that agent Ari Gold (a character on Entourage) is rumored to be based on the brother of Obama’s Chief of Staff. Rham Emmanuel.

August will bring Project Runway and Mad Men, two more favorites.  I’m not really a TV-watcher, so this wealth of interesting shows is overwhelming. The manuscript for my fifth erotic historical romance for Kensington—Dane, The Lords of Satyr–is due September 1st. Good thing I can DVR some of these shows to watch after that!

Are you a True Blood fan?  EW said that its first episode this season had amazing ratings.  I was turned off by the violence in the first two episodes of season one, but I’ve been thinking of trying the series again. I love Sookie Stackhouse.

So what are you looking forward to watching this summer? What are you definitely not going to watch?

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

I posted this blog on Lust In Time a while back, where it sparked an interesting conversation that was sometimes funny, sometimes poignant.  I’m fascinated by stories of how relationships begin and end, so in hopes of sparking more thoughts on this topic, here’s my story first . . .

Marilyn Monroe, JFK Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Princess Diana, my first love.  I lost each of them too soon. They fascinated me.  They still do.  Forever young, energetic, beautiful, unobtainable.

That’s how I’d describe my first love.  Long story short, we dated senior year in high school for five months.  I loved him.  More than he loved me.  We went to different colleges and he met someone else.  I shed a lot of tears over that guy.  He was fun, funny, tall, muscular, cute, classy, smart, and had a fantastic family that was wealthier than mine. I’ll never forget him.

And that’s a good thing.

Through him, I first learned the piercing joy of loving. I learned the intense, debilitating pain of losing a love I’m desperate to keep, yet sense is slipping away. The highs and lows of that relationship are chiseled on my heart.  His loss was a wound, then a bruise. But it never quite healed.

And that’s a good thing.

I never thought I would thank my first love. I thought I’d hate him forever. But he’s a part of me that helps me write characters with deep emotions. I use all that pain and desperation; all the volatility of my time with him, in my romance writing.

So, Stephen, wherever you are, thank you for loving me. For leaving me.  I’ve written four romance novels, and you helped with every one.  Yes, I still remember you. What? You’re unhappy? You’re sorry you didn’t realize how great I was?  You’re miserable now and curse the day you left me?  Your wife divorced you, you’re broke, and you’re impotent?

Oh, sorry to hear that.

I think I prefer to remember you the way you were—forever young, energetic, beautiful, unobtainable.  A heartbreaker.

Do you remember your first love? Are you glad/sorry you ever met him? What were the good and bad things that you took from the relationship? Do you know where he is now? Do you want to? Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Dominic, The Lords of Satyr (or Nicholas if you prefer).  I’ll post a winner in the comments on Tuesday.

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

Dominic, The Lords of Satyr

My friends and family are shaking their heads over my newest obsession…Millionaire Matchmaker. Why do I watch?

Because Patti Stanger cracks me up, she doesn’t take any BS from the millionaires who come to her to find true love, and because I’m hoping to see some happy endings.

I get a sense of recognition when I watch these men who come into Patti’s office looking for help finding a long-term relationship. There’s often at least one all-too-familiar quality about each of them that reminds me of someone I’ve dated. Some are too unmannerly, too non-alpha, too cocky. And then there are the men in their forties who come in asking her to match them with a 21-year-old “hottie”. I’m not saying true love can’t happen between a 45-year-old and a 21-year-old, but they’ll have less in common to build on.

The most intriguing are the dates that seem to go so well. The dates when there’s plenty of laughter and apparent mutual attraction. I’m left feeling as hopeful as the woman who went on the date–they often say afterward, “It was the best date ever!” And then, the guy never calls again! Go figure. Patti give the guys a hard time about this and once demanded that a guy call the woman and explain that he wouldn’t be seeing her again in a romantic sense. He agreed to do this, but never did.

I keep watching though. After all, I’m a romance novelist, so I’m always hoping couples will find their happy ending!

How about you? Have you ever had a great date, then the guy never called again? If he did call only to say his version of, “I’m just not that into you,” would you have preferred that hadn’t called at all? What are some traits of past dates that have driven you crazy?

Leave a comment for a chance to win my newest release, Dominic, The Lords of Satyr. Winner will be chosen and posted here this Sunday, so be sure to check back. Thanks for visiting the Aphrodisia author blog!

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

So Many Clothes, So Little To Wear

There’s a smarter way to shop for clothes than the way I’ve shopped all my life.  This, I discovered when my best friend (BF) came over recently to help me go through my closet and come up with some “outfits.”  I have plenty of clothes, it seems, but few outfits. Why? Because I buy clothes on impulse.

On the other hand, BF is very disciplined. She’ll try on something in a store that looks great on her, and I’ll urge her to buy it.  She’ll often refuse, saying, “I don’t have anything to go with it.”  My response has always been bafflement. “Who cares? You’ll find something.”

So BF came over that afternoon, and like a fashion drill sergeant, she ordered me to hang my clothes in color groups. Then we mixed and matched.  When we managed to put together an “outfit,” she took a photo of me wearing it, so it would be easy to remember. Along the way, I realized how many pieces of clothing I have that are lovely, but that I haven’t worn because they don’t go with anything else I have. That has always frustrated me.

By the time BF left, I had six outfits.  And a shopping list.  She told me to get a long, narrow, red scarf; high, chunky-heeled black shoes; a black belt; and a red camisole.  “Yes sir!” I replied.  I’ve gotten three of the four.  (Red camisoles of the right length and decoration are hard to find.)

I’m not saying I’ll never impulse-buy again, but I’ll be doing less of it. I really learned something about shopping from my best friend that day:
1. The RIGHT accessories go a long way.
2. Buy smart—buy things that go together.

If you’ve felt the same frustration when trying to put your clothes together, invite a willing friend over to do this. It’s fun and worthwhile!

CONTEST:
My new release, Dominic, The Lords of Satyr pubs in March and I’ll offer a copy of it in next month’s blog. This month, I’m offering an autographed copy of the first book in the satyr series, Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr, since I have extras. Next Wednesday (Feb. 4th), I’ll have someone randomly select a winner from among those who leave a comment here.  Good luck, and thanks for visiting the Aphrodisia Authors’ blog!

~ Elizabeth Amber

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

My typical Thanksgivings with family and friends go like this: cooking, eating, board games, movies.  Today we played Scategories and my team was bested by a team consisting of a 10-year-old boy and his mom.  Ten-year-olds think out of the box when it comes to board games.  During a timed contest where you have to come up with 12 answers to questions (long story), we’re all trying to think of a W-word that’s located in a classroom.  My team drew a blank, but the 10-year-old said, “wall.”  Duh.  He was the big winner on that one, besting a table full of adults.

So, then it was on to movies.  We watched The Butterfly Effect with Aston Kutcher.  Great, unusual movie. I’ve never watched That 70s Show he was in or anything else with him, but I can see what Demi sees in him.  I’m now an Aston fan.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Elizabeth Amber

Dominic, The Lords of Satyr

Lyon, The Lords of Satyr

An author I know, who is also good friend and sometimes crit partner, has an interesting philosophy about life versus career.  She has one set of clothing for her “author life” and another for her “real life,” as she calls it.  When I heard this, I was reminded of the series about London call girl Belle Piper titled Secret Diary of a Call Girl, which aired on Showtime this past summer.  I don’t know about you, but I was riveted.  More to the point, Belle has separate wardrobes for her “call girl” side and her “real life” side.

A few weeks ago, my friend and I went out and bought wigs on a lark.  Long and sultry, multi-hued.  I’d never owned a wig, so I went grocery shopping in mine, to give it a test run.  I went from mildly embarrassed to confident when the check-out clerk asked me (in an admiring tone) where I’d gotten my hair done.  I replied, “It’s a wig. Can you tell?”  She said it looked amazing and wanted to know where I’d gotten it.  How fun!  I could hardly wait to tell my author friend.  Afterward, we did a book signing together and had a hoot wearing our twin wigs.  It’s amazing what a pick-me-up such outer trappings can be.

Now my author buddy is after me to go clothes shopping at some resale shops.  Who knows what kind of trouble we’re going to get into with that?  For some reason, she really envisions me in boots.  As with the wig, I’ve never worn boots.  And I’m not really enthusiastic about them.  But that’s my “real life” side talking. If you see me in boots sometime, you’ll know my “author life” took over on a shopping jaunt.

I think I’d define my ideal “look” for both real and author lives as professional-sexy. I don’t think I achieve that, but I’m working on it.  My “author” side thinks sexy, but my inner core—the one that allows me to meet deadlines and outline books—is all professional.  When I go shopping, the two are at war.

How about you other authors?  Do you cross-dress?  How do your “author clothes” differ from your “real life” ones?  Higher heels?  Boots?  Tighter?  Lower-cut?  Higher-cut?  Corsets with jackets?  Poofy hair?  That is, are your “real life” clothes the same as your “author life” clothes?  If not, what are the differences?

Elizabeth Amber
NICHOLAS, THE LORDS OF SATYR
RAINE, THE LORDS OF SATYR
LYON, THE LORDS OF SATYR (Aug 2008)
DOMINIC, THE LORDS OF SATYR (March 2009)
erotic historical paranormal romance
Kensington Aphrodisia
www.elizabethamber.com

The first time I heard of the concept of an author tagline was in a speech by Theresa Meyers of Blue Moon Communications. She was talking about author branding. Taglines were only a very small part of creating an author brand, but I started noticing taglines here and there after that.

So, how to find that quick, catchy synopsis that captures the unique flavor of my writing style.

Is Elizabeth Amber’s writing…
“Hot?” No, I couldn’t just say “hot.” Erotic romance is hot by definition, right?

“Wild? Sexy?” Yawn.

“Satyrrific?” Yes, I write a hot series about satyr brothers, but that sounds too contemporary and I write historical.
Here are three I admire:
Delilah Devlin has one of the best romance author taglines:
“Get in bed with Delilah. Everyone else has.”

And how about Ashlyn Chase’s: “Where there’s fire, there’s Ash.”

And I ran across this one recently. Bronwyn Storm’s “Where Romance Reigns” I like the play on storm/reign.

Since I haven’t come up with anything memorable, I’m holding out for the tagline of all taglines: NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling author! Hey, aren’t we all?

What are your favorite author taglines? Authors, what are some you rejected? What are you using now?