Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

I should probably tell you all some behind the scenes tidbit about my December release PRIMAL MALE, but instead, I just want to say I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season. Here’s some tips to help you enjoy!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday
buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots,
leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find
it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000
calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-oholic
or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than
you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed
potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole
milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an
automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your
eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s
food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You
can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for
long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a
10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted
Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them
and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of
attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind,
you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple,Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you
don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When
else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory
celebratory calories, but avoid it at all costs. I mean, have some
standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get
up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over,
but hurry: January is just around the corner.

PRIMAL MALE, the sequel to SEXY DEVIL is here! The official release date is Nov 28th, but rumor is some stores in the U.S already have it, and it’s shipping from Barnes and Nobles right now! I’m pretty excited. This is my first true sequel ever. Sure, with my Berkley Books, they all center around Vancouver, and many of the characters have been secondary ones before, but to me, they’re not really sequels, even though they are slightly connected. Does that make sense?

Maybe it’s because PRIMAL MALE is a paranormal, so there are things -psychic and paranormal aspects- that are carried over? Or maybe it’s because Gina and Caleb, from The Devil Inside, actually have active parts in it as well. After all, they were the start of the whole thing.

Here’s the history on this series. The Devil Inside is my very first paranormal ever written, and it was written about 4 years ago, and published by Liquid Silver Books as a novella. It’s not super paranormal, just a psychic woman with a bit of a wild streak, hooking up with a straight laced guy who doesn’t believe in ‘that stuff”. I’m not a plotter, and although I knew Gina had a brother, when he and his best friend showed up at the end of the story, I KNEW I wanted to write their story. I mean come on… two hot ex-military guys who work private security now, and ones a telepath and the other is an empath? These guys were hot!

However, right around that time is when NY came calling and I got busy with other works like BOUND and TROUBLE for Berkley and THE CRIB and SEX AS A WEPON for Aphrodisia. It wasn’t until I got the right s back for The Devil Inside that I decided what I wanted to do. I pitched the idea to my wonderful editor John, and he like d it. SEXY DEVIL was born. In SEXY DEVIL you have a fleshed out The Devil Inside, and it’s sequel Devil’s Jewel.

Devil’s Jewel didn’t feel like a sequel to me when I wrote it because Devil’s (Gina’s brother) story picked up exactly where The Devil Inside ended. It was just in His POV, so we started to see the wrold as he saw it…which was a lot more paranormal and slighly darker becasue he and his partner were on a demon hunt.

SEXY DEVIL was last years release, and now finally, Drake’s story is here. PRIMAL MALE is a sequel in my mind, because it takes place abotu 6 months after SEXY DEVIL ends, and all of the players from that book are in this one at some point or another as well - in active rolls, not just on the sideline.

While keeping those characters involved made writing it a bit harder for me, in some ways it also made it easier and more enjoyable. And I’m thrilled that readers love sequels, and so far, they are loving PRIMAL MALE!

The reader reviews on B&N are starting to show, and so far, they’re great. Reader Rosalind sums it all up wonderfully, so instead of posting the back cover blurb, I’m going to copy her 5 Star review…

“Ms. White has intrigued the reader by delving into a paranormal world filled with adventure and romance. More interesting is the irony of Drake’s ability to tune in to everyone emotions around him, while having some difficulty coping with his own.

The reader also gets an unexpected treat from the other characters in the book to round things out. Unfortunately, there are some commitment issues in the book, making it even that much more enjoyable to read. This is a story that explores some pain and suffering, making it much more real. You need to know what happens in the end and if it can work. Sasha White isn’t afraid to explore the unusual then pull you in, so that you’re wrapped around her fingers. Also, readers will be pleasantly surprised at the bonus at the conclusion of the story. I truly adored it! Bravo, Ms. White for another excellent tale of love.”

YAY!! I’m so happy! SO happy, that I think more sequels are a definite possibility. What do you think? Think you’d like to see more of these supernatural hunters and their families?

Cheryl McInnis at Romance Junkies.com enjoys sequels, and gave PRIMAL MALE 5 Blue Ribbons!

“Author Sasha White has outdone herself yet again with PRIMAL MALE. This sequel to last year’s SEXY DEVIL is fast-paced, breathtakingly sensual and riveting. I finished this story in one sitting because I couldn’t tear myself away. The chemistry between Drake and Mel was very hot and the love scenes steamy and explicit, but even more compelling for me was the very real emotional connection between the two of them, and watching their relationship grow was deeply satisfying. PRIMAL MALE is yet another example of why Sasha White has become a favorite of readers who love both a well written story and sizzling love scenes. Pick this book up, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”

To celebrate the release of PRIMAL MALE, I’m giving away a copy of SEXY DEVIL. If you’re interested in winning a signed copy of the first book of this series, then all you have to do is comment on this post, and tell me if you ever post online reviews of the books you read. And if you don’t…why not? Us authors love them you know. We need tothem as a form of feedback, so we know readers are out ther reading our books, even if they’re not always loving them. *g*

I’ll draw a random winner and post here on Wednesday. So remember to check back on this post to see if it’s you!

READ AN EXCERPT
BUY THE BOOK

WINNER!!
NATASHA, your post was drawn randomly, and you win a copy of SEXY DEVIL. You have one week to email me to claim your prize. (to email me, use the CONTACT form on my website)

WINNER: Phoebe Jordan, please email me using the CONTACT button on my website. (this prevent the spam filter from blocking it) to claim your prize. You can have a copy of LUSH or SEXY DEVIL. Please claim your prize by August 15th, or I will draw another name from the commenters. Thank you!.

WOW. Pretty nice new digs we have here, eh?

This is my first post at the new home, and honestly, my first one in a long time for the Aphrodisia blog at all. Yep.. I’ve been an absentee author. Let me explain why though…I’m a binger. In everything.

Some things I’ve learned to control, like eating – that’s not to say I don’t binge on donuts every now and then, but it is to say when I do it…I do it knowingly. Y’know when you have a bad day and you just don’t care? I also binge when I read, or watch movies. And when I write. I wish I could blog regularly, work my night job, and write a certain number of words or pages each day - and never panic when a deadline got close. But no matter how hard I try, it just doesn’t work like that for me. I wrote one book that way, and it’s my least selling and worst reviewed book. For me, I need to immerse myself in the story, so that I can feel it and just let it happen. That means binging.

The ringer on the phone gets turned off, I take time off my day job, and I go “into the cave” and write write write. It’s not the healthiest thing. I gain 10 pounds with every book. But it’s fun. LOL It’s almost as good as doing nothing but reading for a day.

One of my favorite things to do is rent a bunch of movies and watch one right after the other. OR when I get a really good book I’ve been waiting for – I like to turn off the phone…sit with my Diet Dr.Pepper and bag of popcorn, and …read.

Another of my guilty pleasures is photography. It’s a guilty pleasure because I spend so much time playing with photos, surfing photos, taking photos and organizing my photo album. It’s my guilty pleasure because this is what I tend to do when I should be writing.

However, my interest in photography, and other creative arts paid off when I was asked to do a single author anthology for Aphrodisia, and I decided to set the stories around an art gallery. One that specialized in erotic art. (You can see some of the research and such in the LUSH Gallery page on my website.

LUSH has been out or more than a year now, and it’s still one of my personal favorites…maybe because in writing it I proved something to myself. About LUSH Billie Jo from Romance Junkies says, “Within the pages of LUSH, you will discover three sensual tales that will have you laughing, crying and grabbing for a fan to cool off.” And EC and Avon author Cathryn Fox says, “Sasha White’s stories are molten lava all wrapped up in spun silk. Richly emotional and highly passionate, these erotic stories take the reader on a sensuous journey inside the bedroom and out.”

Sexy Devil is also a single author anthology…only with two stories. Okay, there is a bonus read short story at the back, but it’s touted as the two story anthology. And yes, that one was a quick delve into that world and binge write too. Romance Reviews Today (Erotic) says: “SEXY DEVIL is comprised of two wonderfully written stories that will entertain as well as sizzle the pages. Author Sasha White shows her mastery at creating two true erotic romances rather than sex-filled, unplotted tales. In addition, readers get treated to a little bonus that caps it off beautifully.”

I think my stories are better when I binge write because I become as immersed in the characters and the story as I do when reading one of my own favorite authors. It’s a lot longer process, (I can read a good book in hours, but writing one takes at least a month) but they both work for me. Right now I’m in the cave working on MOST WANTED, which will be released sometime in summer/fall 2009. You don’t have to wait until then to read a new book form me though. Among a few releases for other publishers, the sequel to SEXY DEVIL will be out at the end of November.

Titled PRIMAL MALE, this book is my first single title for Aphrodiisia. That one wasn’t a binge write…and I worry about it.

So, to help you get in the mood to support my binging pleasure of writing, I’m going to help you support your own pleasure of reading. If you’re interested in winning a copy…of LUSH …or SEXY DEVIL Share your guilty pleasure with me in the comments, and be entered in the draw.

I have a few copies, so for every ten names entered, we’ll draw a winner. So 20 people share..2 winners…and so on… Winners will be listed here tomorrow!

WHoo Hooo! Who likes a hot book with a drool worthy cover? I DO!!!

Check this one out.

My story in THE COP is SEX AS A WEAPON. *grin* and this is what Annmarie at Joyfully reviewed has to say about it.
“Ohhhhhh Sasha White has written a deliciously sexy tale in her novella, Sex As A Weapon! I am not normally a big fan of novellas but Sasha White proves it can be done well. Not only is the plot fully developed, the characters are well rounded and believable. And the sex…the sex will make you squirm! I did say it was delicious didn’t I? Sex As A Weapon is a lip biting, knee clenching, heart pounding erotic ride that will leave you begging for another go around!“

Here’s the Blurb:
SEX AS A WEAPON
A novella within THE COP anthology from Kensington Aphrodisia.

Cop Kane Michaels wants the Risque Robber, and he’s followed the beautiful thief’s trail to the city’s hottest bondage club.
Finding his footing in this new world means trusting the mysterious and seductive bar manager. Now, with a stranger as a guide, one cop’s about to explore his forbidden fantasies and discover that trust it the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Now..CLICK HERE TO READ AN EXCERPT

Also, Don’t forget Alyssa Brooks and Renee Alexis have hot stories inthis antho as well…and reviews for the complete book are saying the book is well worth picking up.

Wateena at Coffeetime Romance has given it 5 Cups and says:
“Illicitly hot and highly entertaining, The Cop is a fabulous trilogy that goes from barely legal to criminal. Each tale is uniquely written with fascinating characters and a refreshing plot. Cleverly penned these stories entertain, titillate and mesmerize creating the illusion you are fully involved. Absolutely outstanding these stories compliment each other in a way that makes this book a true treasure.”

Check it out, and let us know if it makes you drool!

Hey everyone…Yahoo is being nasty..so we’re going to celbrate the release of PURE SEX on here.

To get you all up to date…here’s the back cover copy for Our Book.

What you want. What you need. What you crave. Three, count ‘em, three dangerously hot stories that are 100%…
PURE SEX

LUCINDA BETTS
The Bet

If golden girl Zoe wins the company’s big promotion, she gets Phillip’s bonus. If Phillip wins, Zoe’s his sex slave for twenty-four hours. Losing? That is so not going to happen. But it does—and now Phillip’s in charge of a sinfully uninhibited fantasy encounter. Once all bets are off, there’s no going back…

BONNIE EDWARDS
Slow Hand

Is that a furious runaway bride marching down the beach? Caribbean charter captain Jared McKay to the rescue. She’s ready to pitch her wedding shoes overboard and sail away. Aye, aye. Whatever the lady wants. Hey—was that a garter flying by? And wait a minute—a white lace thong just hit the deck. His wildest dreams that are about to come totally true…

SASHA WHITE
The Crib

P.I. Alexis Signorino works undercover as a cocktail waitress in a tough biker bar called The Crib—and she just ran into a suspect: Devon Kaye, looking guilty as sin and twice as hot. Alexis is up for a smokin’ hot sexual adventure…and it’s almost closing time…

Here’s what Coffeetime Romance reviews has to say aboutthe anthology in general…after giving it 5 cups!!
“Pure Sex is packed with three delightful reads that are absolutely
luscious. I have to say the cover is quite spectacular and grabs the
reader. All three authors have done a splendid job. Pure Sex is like
a nice piece of chocolate, once you reach for a bite, you’re bound
to want more. Sinfully rich, splendidly delicious.”

AND…there’s a contest for it, along wiht a photo of Devon, and an excerpt on My BLOG . The winner for a free copy of PURE SEXwill be announced on my blog on Monday..so go enter now!

I tend to be a person who moves around a lot, and changes jobs often. I get bored with life, or lonely because I’m single and if I keep moving or doing new things, being single isn’t so bad. Now, it’s important that you know I’m single because I choose to be. I could have aboyfriend if I wanted, but he wouldn’t be a guy that made my heart pound or my insides melt. It would just be someone to spend time with. At times I think I’m willing to settle for that, at others, I want what I write about. I want a man that can get a reaction out of me. I want someone who makes my heart kick in my chest and my body eager.

But it’s hard to find. It brings to mind that maybe not everyone has a partner, or mate out there. Maybe for some people HEA is being on their own, being independant, and doing what they really want to do.

I think that’s why in a lot of my stories I don’t put a HEA (Happy Ever After) . I’m fond of happy right now because it seems more realistic. Do readers want reality in their stories? I think if it’s sone right, then there can be the perfect blend of reality and fantasy. I do think HEA is possible, but not always in the space of the story told. Sometimes a sequel is needed, somethign that shows that life, and romance and relationships son’t always fall into the pattern of storytelling. That in life there is more than one conflict, and more than one happy ending before you reach the HEA.

What do you think?