Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

I forgot to mention that I’ll be choosing a couple of names from comments to win a free book–either a copy of DemonFire or one of my Wolf Tales or Sexy Beast books (from the ones I have left) Just leave a comment to enter.

I’m finishing up final edits on Wolf Tales 11 tonight, so I’ll have to make this brief, but today has been pretty amazing, and it’s gotten me to thinking about dreams and goals and what we want out of life.

Back in 1984, when I first started writing romances, my dream was to some day, publish a book. I sold my first romance in 1998 to an epublisher, long before anyone had heard of ebooks–believe me, the Kindle and the Nook weren’t even on the radar then–but I was published, and so my dreams shifted up a notch. My next goal was to get an agent, someone who would like my writing enough to help me grow my career.

In May 2001, I signed with a new, unknown agent named Jessica Faust, who had just formed her own agency, BookEnds. The running joke then was that she could get me rejected in a fraction of the time it took me–it wasn’t unusual for my submissions to languish in the slush pile at various publishers for over a year. Jessica could get a rejection for me in less than a month!

So, my goals and dreams moved up a notch. I was doing well with epubs and small presses, it was time to dream big. I had an agent–I wanted a New York contract. That came in the summer of 2005 when Audrey LaFehr at Kensington liked my first Wolf Tales enough to not only offer me a contract, but start an entire imprint–Aphrodisia. (Hey, I most certainly wasn’t dreaming THAT big!) My 18th story in the series, Chanku Spirit in Sexy Beast VIII will release this month. Dream fulfilled–but it was time for a new dream.

Mass market. I really wanted a mass market contract, so I worked on a proposal and in Christmas 2008, after a few false starts with ideas that didn’t fly, I signed one for a parnormal series, The DemonSlayers, also with Kensington.

Another dream, checked off, so it was time to aim higher. How about a list? Is that a goal, to hit a list? That first book, DemonFire released last week and showed up on BookScan this morning. It hit the Nielsen BookScan list at #83 today! This is my first week out for my very first mass market book and my very first time to hit a major book list, so to say it’s exciting is a bit of an understatement! What’s next? Well, I’ve had damned good luck dreaming, so I guess I’ll shoot for either the NY Times or USA Today. Impossible? Maybe, but that’s what I heard from friends and family so many years ago when I said I wanted to publish a book. And I heard it over and over again when the rejections rolled in, but I kept writing and dreaming.

If we don’t dream, if we don’t follow those dreams and work hard to make them come true, then what is there? I think I’d rather dream and fail than not have dreams at all. Is there something you’ve wanted badly enough to sacrifice for, to dream of, that’s come true? I love stories about people setting a goal and reaching it, whether it’s to lose 20 pounds, go back to college, have a child, take a trip or anything that you’ve wanted for yourself, that you’ve dreamed of achieving and actually succeeded at. Or do you have a dream that’s not yet fulfilled? One you’re still working toward? If so, you have my utmost respect, because I know how hard it is to try and fail and then try again.

But trust me, if feels SO good when it finally comes true.

What a week! I’ve been scrambling to get Wolf Tales 11 done by my February 15 deadline (and no, I’ve already accepted the fact–and thankfully, so has my editor–that it’s not going to happen) while dealing with all the promotion for DemonFire, my first mass market release that’s coming out on February 23, and I realized this morning what the hold up is on WT11–my brain is stuck in the DemonSlayers world while trying to write about the Chanku! (Trust me, that does not work well.)

I’ve been spending tons of time going over notes–for the life of me I could NOT remember what color wolf Logan Pierce becomes (black) or who was taller–Mik or AJ. And it’s Mik at 6′5″ as AJ’s just 6′4″, and normally I can recall details like that because I KNOW these guys, but for the past couple of weeks I’ve been working on promo for DemonFire and thinking about my six foot, eight inch Lemurian warrior Alton, and Dax, my fallen demon who has so much going against him in his fight to save the world from demonkind that it’s a miracle–and Eddy’s love–that he was still around for me to write him into HellFire. (okay, Kate…take a DEEP breath…)

Needless to say, I am not my usual calm, collected self! Anyway, when I get totally frustrated and to the point where I can’t get my thoughts together, I do something that takes me away from writing. Today I baked cookies and cleaned my office. The cookies are wonderful–double chocolate chip/chocolate cookies with pecans. Horrible for the waist but wonderful for the psyche–AND I cleaned my office, and you, my friends, or at least one of you, will benefit from my little writer breakdown, because deep in the piles stacked around the room I found an ARC of DemonFire I didn’t know I had, and one of you who leaves a post, even if it’s just to tell me I’m a ditz for losing it, will have a chance to win.

So there ya have it–a scary glimpse into the mind of a woman who can’t figure out which world to play in, but it’s all good, eventually! And while I worry about finishing the book, at least I’ve got yummy cookies to eat and an ARC of a really great story (if I do say so myself!) to give away. And just to get the ball rolling, what do you do when it all seems too much and you’re spinning your wheels? Maybe I can learn something new to help me deal with…well, sexy Chanku and really hot Lemurian warriors and this fallen demon who is just flat out gorgeous. Hey, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!

I’ll pick a winner in a couple of days, so be sure and check back.

I just realized two things–it’s my day to blog, and I’m supposed to head to town in about an hour for an appointment! So, m’dears, I’m going to make this one short and sweet and just let you know that Wolf Tales 9 is out. I’m already hearing from the world’s most terrific readers who have bought and read the book and would definitely give it more than the two star review it got from Romantic Times! I’ve been thrilled to hear from those of you who’ve taken the time to send an email or leave a comment on my Facebook page, because, as you know, this one is really dear to my heart.

A year ago, when I was getting ready to write the book, I polled my newsletter readers and asked which characters they would like to know more about. I already knew this would be the book where all my Chanku gathered while they awaited the birth of Tia and Luc’s first baby, and I figured it would be a perfect opportunity for them to talk about themselves and how they discovered their Chanku heritage.

I was amazed by the number of you who took the time to write and tell me who you wanted to know more about. Mik and AJ were the obvious winners, but there were requests for background on Luc Stone and Jacob Trent, on Oliver and Anton’s early years and also on a number of others. They are all in the book, and the response from readers has been even better than I’d hoped.

If you haven’t yet read Wolf Tales 9, I encourage you to take a look. Because of the backstory, if you’re not into the series at all, it might be a good place to start, to give you an idea whether or not you want to get into the lives and loves of my Chanku shapeshifters.

Now I need to head out–but I’m going to make this a one day only contest to win a copy of Wolf Tales 9–or any other of the newer books in the series. (I’m out of the earliest ones) The winner will be chosen from one of the comments.

My question is a little off topic–have you ever hesitated to start a series because you’re afraid you’re really going to like it, and just don’t want to make the commitment? I’m that way! I have never gotten into Laurel K. Hamilton’s books because I just know I’m going to get hooked! There are a couple of other wonderful authors out there as well, and as much as I want to read their books, I know I just don’t have the time to give them the attention they’re due. I know…pretty dumb, right? So, am I the only one with this stupid hang up?

Take care, all, and have a great day and a wonderful New Year!

My apologies for posting late, today, but I’ve been dithering. Yep…no excuse whatsoever. I’m not sure if it’s the time of year or just the fact that I have so much to do I don’t know where to begin next. There’s the first chapter for StarFire, due on my editor’s desk by the end of the year as a teaser in the back of the second book in the DemonSlayers series, HellFire. There’s the next Wolf Tales, number eleven, that I’ve got to write and deliver by February 15. There’s the Christmas dinner menu to plan, with no idea if I’m cooking for twenty-five or forty. I know that will include a whole roasted top sirloin, a baked salmon and roasted veggies and potatoes among other things, but a head count would be nice…I’ve got the boughs stacked up in my potting shed so I can build the Christmas wreaths I give away every year, and the Christmas cards to buy, not to mention address and send. Of course, there’s still a huge stack of DemonFire postcards to mail to my readers–I’ve been promising them since October–and the promotion to gear up for before Wolf Tales 9 comes out in a couple of weeks.

So guess that’s where I’ll start–with Wolf Tales 9. I was really shocked when it only got a two-star review in Romantic Times magazine, especially since I expected so much better! I think this is the best book in the series so far, but the reviewer though it filled with “gushy emotion-fests that only diehard fans of the series will be able to tolerate.” LOL…well, personally I love those gushy emotion-fests, so I’m hoping my “diehard” fans will more than tolerate them–I’m hoping you’ll love them as much as I do! This book was written as a result of a poll I did with my newsletter readers last year when I asked them which characters they wanted to know more about.

The winners, hands down, were Mik and AJ, so their story of their early years and how they met in Folsom Prison as cell mates is the longest. The one that really surprised me, though, was Luc and Jake’s “how we met” story. It actually unfolded as a complete surprise to me as I was writing it, and gave me a new appreciate of Jacob Trent. He can be sort of an arrogant pain in the ass at times, but there’s a much softer, more vulnerable side to him I never expected. It was fun exploring Anton’s early years, including how he met Oliver and again how he met Stefan and ended up cursing him–which led to Stefan’s five long years trapped as half man and half wolf.

There are others in the book as well, including a couple of unexpected events that add to the overall tension of the story, but the main thrust of the book is the various Chanku and their introduction into the pack. I do hope you’ll enjoy the book, and to get you in the mood, I’ll be giving away a couple of copies of past releases of either Sexy Beast or Wolf Tales to those who leave a comment.

So, let me know…are you ever caught up with too much to do which results in doing nothing? And if so, how do you get past it? For me, it requires just sitting down at my computer and triaging what has to be done first–and hoping I go beyond the act of merely putting things on a list!

To all of you, Happy Holidays, and don’t let the hustle and bustle of the season keep you from finding the time to read a few good books!

I was in the local Safeway today picking up some groceries, and I stopped to look at the books to see what was new. An older lady stood beside me picking up one, then putting it down with an audible grunt of disgust, then picking up another book, same thing. Finally she turned to me and said, “My daughter reads all the time. I don’t understand what she sees in this shit. It’s a waste of time.” And she grabs a copy of COVET by JR Ward. “It’s all make believe,” she said. “None of it’s real. It’s garbage.”

Obviously, I could NOT keep my mouth shut–especially since I absolutely loved JR’s COVET! I smiled and said, “Well, I’m an author and that’s what I write—paranormal romance—and I certainly don’t think it’s garbage. It’s
entertainment, pure and simple.”

She got sort of a blank look on her face so I reached into my purse and grabbed a Wolf Tales bookmark and a DemonSlayers postcard (yes, I ALWAYS have them with me!) and handed them to her and said, “Maybe your daughter would like these.”

She stared at them a minute and then gave me a bug-eyed look and held up my Wolf Tales bookmark and said, “My daughter has almost all of these. She reads your books!” Now she wasn’t grunting, but she was definitely excited to be talking to the author of the books that her daughter reads that bug her so much.

We parted on good terms. Hopefully she won’t be quite so critical of her daughter, who, she said is 34 and has always loved to read. She, however, does not like to read. I feel sorry for her, but at least her daughter’s obviously got a mind of her own and reads in spite of dear mom…and she reads MY books!

I’m still chuckling over that little interlude…but it made me sad, in a way, to think that a mother would be so critical of her adult daughter who enjoys reading, simply because Mom doesn’t understand the books her daughter enjoys. Of course, my own mother doesn’t understand the books I write—she did ask me if she could read DemonFire, “because it’s not one of THOSE.”

I explained that it may not have as much sex in it, but it’s still got demons and spirits and make believe. So then she said she still wanted to read it, but I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Sure thing, Mom…uh, do you mind if I blog about it?

Hope you’re able to enjoy a good book without guilt. We should all be free to read–and write–what entertains us, what inspires us and what makes us happy. Do you ever find yourself having to defend your choice of reading material? If so, I want to hear what you have to say when someone asks why you’re reading “THAT BOOK!”

I’ll be choosing ONE WINNER for a copy of an ARC of DemonFire, the first book in my DemonSlayers series, out of those of you who leave a comment.

I’m scheduled to blog on the 4th, and while it’s only nine p.m. on the 3rd here in Hawaii, it’s already 3:30 a.m. on the East coast, so guess I’d better get my groove on! I’m over here babysitting the grandkids and having way too much fun, though I’m reminded by every ache and pain in this old bod that motherhood is definitely for the young. I’ve got our daughter Sarah here with me, along with her five year old, Gracie, and believe me, I could not do this without them.

Sarah’s got three of her own–eight and under–and watching her handle her three year old niece and one year old nephew along with Grace is truly impressive. I wasn’t that good when I was a mom, and I only had two. Obviously I raised her right–either that, or she’s got more of her dad’s genes than mine! Anyway, while Sarah and the girls are off seeing the sights of Oahu, I’ve been watching Owen sleep (two naps a day doesn’t leave much room to go play!) and working on HellFire, the second book in my DemonSlayers series.

It’s coming along well, though I’ve not gotten as much written this week as I’d hoped. I have done a lot of editing on the bulk of the story that’s finished, and I’m at a point where I”m working down toward the end of the book which is always fun, since I never have a clue how they’re going to end until they do.

DemonFire, the first one that comes out in March, totally threw me for a loop. Things happened in the end of that one that were totally unplanned, but they definitely set the tone for the rest of the series. I’m really enjoying working in two worlds–the one with my sexy Chanku, and the one with the sentient crystal swords and a demonic invasion of Earth.

I know that fans of Wolf Tales are going to love the next in that series–Wolf Tales 9 is all the “how we met” stories I haven’t covered yet–Jake and Lucien Stone, Mik and AJ in prison, Anton’s early years with the circus and how he met Oliver, and how Anton and Stefan first met. Again, I discovered things in the writing that I didn’t know before, and I think you’re going to be as surprised as I was!

Anyway, I do hope my Wolf Tales readers will also be willing to give DemonFire a shot. It’s my first mass market release, and while it is paranormal, it’s not erotic–though I have to admit, it’s definitely sexy. I don’t think I can write a romance without a really sensual side to it.

So that’s my question tonight–how important is the really graphic sex in your romances? Can you get just as involved in the book when the pairings are only heterosexual without any kink or twists? Let me know what you think!

PS: Leave a comment for a chance to win a book, and if you already have the series, I will hold your name and send a copy of Wolf Tales 9 when it releases in December.

***I’d forgotten about the long weekend, so I’m extending the contest for a free book until Monday, and I’ll pick two winners instead of just one***

Ever have one of those weeks where you’d like to punch a “redo” button? That’s sort of how mine’s been. I’m working on my Zebra book, the second in my DemonSlayers series (HELLFIRE) and I think I’ve “rewritten” more than I’ve written. I had to make an unexpected trip to town (when you live in the boonies, a trip to town takes a whole day) and have to go back this morning, which means two entire days lost to what I’d rather be doing, which is writing. My editor emailed me on Wednesday and wanted a synopsis for a novella due in January–one I hadn’t even thought about because the contract I haven’t had time to read is still sitting on my kitchen counter.

I managed to come up with a story idea and sent that in Wednesday night, but then I went back to HellFire and realized that I’ve written a heroine without any guts at all, and I do NOT like wussy women, so that means going back through the 50k I’ve got so far and “fixing” Ginny. Then I spent two days trying to build an Excel database with no idea how to do it, which was more wasted time…point being, I want to hit “redo” and go back to Monday. I want to write Ginny as the tough, gutsy and sort of mouthy heroine I know she really is. I want to have that story idea for the novella all mapped out and ready to go. I want to know that my Facebook friend Kay can build my database in about twenty minutes (which she did, bless her heart!) and save me all those hours of tearing my hair, and then…

Nah. Because if I hit “redo,” I might miss the good stuff. I’ve gotten some wonderful letters this week from readers who’ve read Chanku Challenge in Sexy Beast VII and thanked me for explaining all of Beth’s problems. If I hadn’t gone to town, I wouldn’t have had that time with my granddaughter and heard all about her first days at kindergarten, and if I’d figured that database out on my own, I wouldn’t have been reminded just how amazingly generous my online friends really are, so guess I’ll just quit whining and head down the hill.

We are all the sum total of our experiences, good and bad. We’re the result of choices made and roads taken, of people we’ve met and places we’ve been. I can’t ask for more than the life I’ve got now. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine and I refuse to waste a minute…though there are times when I sure could use that “redo” button!

What about you? Anything recently where you want to do it all over? Go ahead…dish! I’m waiting to hear. And to add incentive, I’ll be giving away a copy of one of my books to one of you who posts. I’m headed out, but I’ll check back later!

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. I finished writing WOLF TALES 10 and did the copy edits for WOLF TALES 9, and then I had to get right to work on HellFire, the second book in my new series, THE DEMONSLAYERS, which is a Kensington Zebra series, not Aphrodisia, and I have to tell you, it was just weird! Not the story, but switching worlds. I’ve been writing about my Chanku shapeshifters now since 2005. I know every single one of those characters as if they were real people. Anton Cheval speaks to me in a voice that’s so clear I recognize him when I’m dreaming, and when I hear Keisha ripping him a new one, I always have to smile because she does it with love and still puts the arrogant uber-alpha in his place!

Anyway, my editor wanted the first two chapters of HellFire to go in the back of DemonFire, so the morning after I mailed off my completed manuscript and the copy edits for two of my Wolf Tales, I sat down to write HellFire…and all I did for most of the morning was stare at the frickin’ blank screen! Oh, and doodle around Facebook and MySpace and check email, read blogs, go back to the blank screen, screw around some more. I finally had to pull out the completed manuscript for DemonFire, print it out and read it to get back into that world. Once I’d reread the story, my characters were there in my mind, real people, every one of them, and the story just flowed.

Which brings me to the point of this post (and see, you were wondering if there WAS a point, weren’t you?) and that is whether or not you have a problem switching genres when you read? I don’t, which is why I was so shocked at the issues I ran into writing in two worlds. I read everything, from historicals to contemporaries, from erotic romance to paranormals and urban fantasy, and I love all of them, but I’ll admit that I’m concerned my readers won’t like my new paranormal series because it’s not erotic romance. Granted, I really REALLY wanted to put Dax and his buddy Alton together in bed, and I had to force myself to keep the sex straight, but I still think it’s sexy and the romance is hot, the sexual tension is there, but it’s definitely NOT Wolf Tales.

I hope that’s not a problem, and for what it’s worth, I’m still writing Wolf Tales, too…just gotta keep those worlds separate! The newseries doesn’t debut until March, but if you want a feel for it, I’ve got a first chapter posted at www.katedouglas.com. Just click on the cover!

Good morning and yes, I’m late getting my blog posted and I do apologize, but this past week has been nuts! My new book, Wolf Tales VIII has released and I’m already getting great feedback from readers, but I’m also hearing that it’s not showing up as available in Barnes & Noble stores (in Minnesota, at least) and the day it was due to ship online from B&N the search engine refused to display it.

Am I cursed? No…just typical glitches that always seem to happen about the time a new title releases, but I’m hoping my readers will persevere and manage to find their copies. On the upside, my editor’s wonderful assistant sent me the jpg. of my next book, Wolf Tales 9, and I love it! Note that it’s a “9” not a “IX” for this one—I’ve lost my Roman Numerals and gone Arabic, but I’m okay with that, especially with such a hot cover!

I did laugh when this one came out, though—the guy has these gorgeous tattoos, and anyone who reads my series knows that Chanku lose their tattoos (or piercings or, in the case of one character, an IUD) when they shift. I don’t care—the tattoos are very cool and the couple is perfect for one of my newer pairings of Logan Pierce and Jazzy Blue. Logan’s hair is a little darker, but he had lots of tats before his first shift, and Jazzy is an interracial mix of African American and Asian, an ethnic combination that fits the woman on the cover.

Of course, if it were up to me, I’d boot her out in a heartbeat and keep this guy for myself. He’s absolutely gorgeous, and there’s such a wonderfully sensual feel for the pose and cover, that I really love it.

I’m staying in this weekend and writing. Turned down invites to two 4th of July parties, but I’ve come almost to the end of Wolf Tales 10, and all I want to do is write. I figure I’d be horrible company, anyway, with all the voices clamoring in my head! Some of the things that have happened in this story have been totally unexpected. I had a new character show up—well, a new old one, if that makes sense. Do you remember Igmutaka, the spirit guide who helped Mei and Oliver with their little problem? He suddenly manifested as an absolutely gorgeous, rather androgynous human male—just showed up at the breakfast table one morning. Even Anton was surprised…I’m still not sure where he’s going to fit in, or if he’ll be in the next book (Wolf Tales 11) but things like this definitely keep the job as author interesting. Sometimes I think I’m in control, other times, when stuff like this happens, I wonder if I’m merely channeling entities that exist on another plane…hard to say, but for what it’s worth I’m having a ball and can’t wait to see what happens next.

I want to wish you a very happy 4th of July. Enjoy yourself and be safe!

OOPS! Forgot! Leave a note and I’ll enter you in my contest to win a book, one of the recent releases in the series.

I’ve had a really stressful few weeks—finished up my first draft of DemonFire, the first book in my new Demon Slayers series from Kensington Zebra, then had to do some revisions on it. Not that big a deal except the book is almost 120,000 words, which means revisions required a bit more time. It’s the longest book I’ve written and I must admit that making a little change in the beginning and then dealing with the ripple effect was pretty daunting!

Once I got that done, it was back to Wolf Tales 10, the newest in my series. This one started off with a regular character dying in the first few pages, which really screws things up if you don’t get it right, so I’ve been working on that aspect of the story, and I do think readers are going to love it! (I hope…) but the point of this blog isn’t about the books—at least not about the ones I’m writing. No, it’s about the ones I’m reading. When I’m stressed out, I go for the tried and true method of stress relief—and no, we’re not talking sex. (That’s a given, but sometimes even that’s not enough!)

We’re talking books. Lots of books, because when I’m overwhelmed in MY world, I love to lose myself in someone else’s. If my picture shows up, it’s a shot of just one of the walls of books in my office…and I’ve got a big office, and these are just my KEEPERS! Just looking at the stories that have saved what sanity I’ve got left over the past couple of weeks makes me want to read them all over again. There’s JR Ward’s LOVER AVENGED, Ann Roth’s MY SISTERS (for the third time!) Lori Handeland’s DOOMSDAY CAN WAIT, Susan Elizabeth Phillips re-release of GLITTER BABY, Lisa Kleypas’s BLUE EYED DEVIL (second time) Christine Feehan’s BURNING WILD, Virginia Kantra’s SEA LORD (I think I’ve read it four times in the past month and I may read it again!), Angela Knight’s GUARDIAN, Jayne Ann Krentz’s THE PERFECT POISON, Elizabeth Lowell’s BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER, Susan Andersen’s HOT & BOTHERED and tonight I’m reading Camille Anthony’s 5th book in her Werewulf Journals, HUNTING CHASE…every one of these, new or old, is a comfort read. They make me smile, take me out of the real world and plant me smack-dab in a fictional one that makes everything right with a perfectly happy ending. And they are a reminder why, in this horrible economy, romances are booming.

I’m not the only one looking for a happy ending, but I’m always looking for another good book to read. What titles do you grab when the days are a bit on the dark side? What are you reading now, and what book do you pick up to reread when things get you down? C’mon now…I’m adding to my shopping list! I just ordered Tails of Love, by Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, et al, Atlantis Unleashed by Alyssa Day and Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn, but I want more! Suggestions, please?