| Happy Thanksgiving! |
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| 11:48am 22/11/2007 |
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mood:  contemplative
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Over the years, my household has done everything for Turkey Day from traditional giant-ass turkey with all side dishes made from scratch, to lasagna, chili, or Luby's. This year we opted for "lazy traditional". I've got one of those processed turkey loafs roasting in the oven for two hours, and the counter lined with Stove Top stuffing, Pillsbury crescent rolls, canned yams, and store-bought pie. The only items I'm making from scratch will be the homemade whipped topping and the mashed potatoes. I think next year we'll do semi-homemade lasagna again, along with homemade pumpkin cheesecake. Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving and Autumn Harvest to one and all! We're about to watch zombie movies now, as that is our idea of family viewing. |
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Read 1 - Post |
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| What folks are saying |
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| 08:35am 16/11/2007 |
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mood:  accomplished music: Coldplay - "Talk"
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While I'm still on cloud nine over this glowing review for A Rose of Any Colour - Maledom, particularly after the reviewer cited my contribution Efflorescence as her favorite in the collection, I've recently received encouraging kudos elsewhere that I must share!
Spellbound - Tales of Mischief & Mayhem has received this belated review, but well better late than never, and it was just in time for Halloween so I certainly can't complain about getting more mileage out of Spellbound. This reviewer also cited my story, Grave Desire, as one of her two favorites in the collection, so I seem to be on a roll when it comes to anthologies!
Of course, "official reviews" are all well and good, but it really means something when a reader shares their thoughts. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) magentametrix made my day when she recently posted these absolutely lovely comments regarding The Eldritch Legacy. Because readers are what it's all about, and feedback like Magenta's is what keeps me going with this crazy writer gig. :)
Though there's another belated review I was just informed of, this one for the first Eldritch Legacy title. The reviewer states "I can honestly say I've never had a desire to be locked in a dank dungeon until I read Secrets Revealed by Katrina Strauss." She knocked off a few points for what she felt were "overly-detailed sections" that she had trouble following and flat-out suggests skipping. (A year ago, one other reviewer took points off for what she described as overly-esoteric dream sequences and awkard transitions between sleep and waking, but well, I'm not sure how to respond to that as my own dreams are overly-esoteric, and waking up from one can be damned confusing...) I might be a tad miffed, but overall, this reviewer says "I highly recommend Secrets Revealed to readers who like their erotic romance touched by magick and spiced up by the addition of a well handled whip. You will not be disappointed." And she requested the other two books for review, saying she can not wait to read them.
In other writing news, yesterday I turned in edits on Some Kind of Stranger. My editor says I should have cover art before the winter holidays, with a tentative release date of January 15th! So yay for good reviews, and yay for upcoming releases! :D |
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| recommended read |
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| 10:13am 15/11/2007 |
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mood: busy music: Gary Numan -
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Good friend and writing partner Kayleigh Jamison is celebrating the re-release of her highly-reviewed novel Svetkavista. Kayleigh weaves a lush tale of an m/f/f triangle against the rather unique backdrop of the Rom gypsy lifestyle. This book is a rare gem of a read and one of my favorite titles to date, be it erotic romance or othwerwise. Mind you, I fell in love with this story before Kayleigh and I had really become friends and, if anything, the beautiful, bittersweet tale that is Svetkavista is one of the reasons I initially came to respect Kayleigh as both a writer and a person.
( If my word is not enough for you, check out some of these glowing review quips that Svetkavista received after its first release )
And as I've pointed out before, Kayleigh was also the editor behind all three of my Eldritch Legacy books. She has taught me more about writing than anyone to date, so you have her to thank for the fact that my books don't suck. ;)
In other words, get thee to All Romance E-Books and check out Svetkavista today!
http://allromanceebooks.com/product-svetkavista-5215-144.html
While you're at it, check out Kayleigh's other fine offerings(including two anthologies she and I are in together) at: http://www.kayleighjamison.net/ |
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| yaoi progress report |
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| 01:31pm 12/11/2007 |
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mood: accomplished music: Gary Numan - "Torn"
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The first draft of Close to Me (the second Blue Ruin book) is done! It ended up being a very different story than originally planned, and it proved, as always, to be an adventure with many unforeseen loops and twists. While I often say that I argue with my Muse and usually lose, this is the first book where I truly learned to negotiate with the Muse, breaking some rules and taking risks with the storyline, then putting my foot down and reeling the characters back in when I saw that it was needed. I'm pleased with the results and feel this is one of my stronger works, and this at the first draft stage so it will be exciting to see how it reads after I tweak and polish it.
But it's hands-off for now while I let it simmer on the backburner for a month or so. I'm told I'll get publisher edits back on book one, Some Kind of Stranger, this week, so yay for good timing before I delve into that! |
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| my new ride |
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| 09:21am 11/11/2007 |
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mood: accomplished
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The spouse and I went out yesterday with our 5-year-old to buy me a "semi-used" car since we sold my "mom car" before we left Texas. We picked two whole cars off the lot, knowing exactly what I wanted and what he was willing to pay for, then discussed the plan. Spouse was prepared to just walk out the door if they didn't make us an offer we could work with. I said hmm how about this, you haggle and see how low they were willing to go, then at that point we'll tell them we're going out for lunch to "think about it."
Plan in place, we tag team the salesman for about three hours. Mr. Salesman tries to get me alone twice, because he knows I like one of the cars while the spouse seems skeptical, though I try my best to act lackadaisical about it. I give him the "You'll have to discuss specifics with the spouse, it's his wallet." So then I sit back and look pretty while the spouse shows him the actual Kelly Blue Book price versus their inflated amount, then haggles him to lower the price and the terms *twice*. Then, when when Mr. Salesman thinks he has us because the spouse seems pleased, the spouse then turns to me with "What do you think honey?" to which I reply "Well this is certainly more comparitive. But I think we are taking our kid out to lunch because it's 2 PM and he's hungry. We'll discuss it and come back and let you know what we decide."
So, he lowers the price and terms again. At this point, he has dropped the asking price by $3.5K (placing it only $200 above the KBB rating now), the monthly payments by over $100, and the down payment to ZERO. The spouse and I give each other the "look" to indicate that okay, this is the deal for us and we'll take it. Which we tell the salesman, then we inform him we're still going out to lunch while he draws up the paperwork. He's worried now because he thinks we're going to leave and not come back, so he offers to let us take the car with us (to guarantee we come back.) At that point, the bluff is off, because we got what we wanted, so I tell him, in all honesty, that I'm not comfortable taking the car off the lot until we sign the papers. (I mean really, what if I got into a wreck?) So then he offers to reimburse our lunch for up $100 if we can sit tight just a few more minutes and sign for the car. Wow, we weren't even trying for that one. *laugh*
So we got the car, and well at that point "lunchtime" was over and it was closer to dinnertime. So we drove, in our separate vehicles, the thirty minutes back home, picked up the teenagers, and all went out in my new ride for sushi and bento courtesy of the car dealership. I'd say we scored. Of course the salesman still probably played us as much as we played him, but we walked out of there with a better deal than the average customer would have. Oh, and the car is nice too. I won't divulge make and model because that's too specific to give out over the Net, but it's a 2K5 model, the color that I wanted (and no, believe it or not it isn't black), in very good condition, and it's the smoothest drive I've ever owned. It's also nice to know that my spouse and I still make a formidable team when we put our minds to it. |
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Read 8 - Post |
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| 5 Flutes and a Bottle of Champagne from Cocktail Reviews! |
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| 01:05pm 07/11/2007 |
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mood:  cheerful
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The first official review is in on A Rose of Any Colour - Maledom, and it's fabulous for a few reasons! ;) Cocktail Reviews' scoring system is based on 1 to 5 "champagne flutes", rather than stars. In the event the reviewer feels a story surpassed five flutes, the story receives the distinct honor of being given one whole champagne bottle. In the case of anthologies, each story is rated individually, then averaged for the book's overall score. Well...A Rose of Any Colour has received five champagne flutes overall, which is fabulous! This is based on the fact that five of the six stories received either 4 or 5 champagne flutes, and then guess whose story received one whole champagne bottle??? :D Which is beyond fabulous, and I am positively on cloud nine here! The reviewer also states that she is not involved with the BDSM lifestyle, so it really says something for her to have rated all of the stories so high!
Here are some of the reviewer's comments on Efflorescence and why she felt it warranted one whole champagne bottle! (And this makes four readers now who have said my story made them cry!)
"I will not forget this tale in a hurry. The combination of Hannah revisiting her past and recalling the tale of her youth and the mention of a rare blue rose brought me to tears. The elderly are sometimes perceived as just that—elderly. That they didn’t experience life, or have a youth is sometimes forgotten. Efflorescence crushes that misconception fabulously. Ms. Strauss has written such a fine tale that I’m very interested to read any other works she may have.
"Efflorescence was my absolute favourite out of a fine set of tales because of the richness of the wording, the way the tale weaved through the character’s emotions, and the setting—no blips in the historical aspect that I could see. Whizzing back in time is always fascinating, but this historical tale has topped any that I have ever read so far. Tremendous!"
And of the collection overall, again, my fellow contributors each received 4 or 5 flutes, and the book has received five flutes overall! Did I mention that I find this fabulous? I am very proud to have my story featured alongside the work of such talented authors! :D
To indulge in a bit o' the bubbly and see what struck such a chord with this reviewer, you may view her comments in full here: http://cocktailreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/a-rose-of-any-colour-book-2-maledom-freyas-bower/ |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Efflorescence |
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| 08:58am 06/11/2007 |
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mood: accomplished music: SoaD - "Chop Suey"
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Very positive reader feedback so far on A Rose of Any Colour - Maledom! Three people have told me now that my story Efflorescence made them cry, with one stating she certainly never expected to come across a tearjerker in a BDSM antho! (Though don't worry, it's a tearjerker in a good way!) The link I've been posting is the actual purchase link at the publisher storefront, but here is a new and improved link where you can not only buy the book, but read excerpts from each story as a little sneak preview to whet your appetite!
http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/286/79/
And remember, I am an attention whore not one of those detached authors. I love reader feedback. Many thanks to those who've taken the time to let me know what they've thought about Efflorescence! And for those of you haven't checked out A Rose of Any Colour - Maledom, this is a fabulous collection that includes both historical and contemporary pieces, with heat levels ranging from light to hardcore. Varying tangents of the BDSM lifestyle are explored, offering a little bit of something for everyone! |
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| And the winner is... |
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| 08:47am 01/11/2007 |
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mood:  awake
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I'm pleased to announce the winner of my Blood Sugar Sex Magick contest is...Tami aka Black Roze of Tennessee! Congratulations to Tami, and many many thanks to all of you who took the time to read the excerpts throughout October and participate in the contest. I'll be running another giveaway come Valentine's Day in conjunction with the January/February release of my yaoi novella, Some Kind of Stranger, so stay tuned for the hot bishie boy goods. ;) |
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| Halloween discount! |
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| 03:17pm 31/10/2007 |
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mood: happy music: The Killers, my band du jour
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For Halloween, publisher Aphrodite's Apples Press has unveiled their new and improved website. You can now find all of my Eldritch Legacy titles at one convenient page! Customers now also have the option of posting reviews. On top of that, all Aphrodite's titles are currenty marked at ten percent off! So if you haven't had a chance to buy book three (or two...or one...) of The Eldritch Legacy, here's your chance to get it at a discount and then post your commentary! Check it out at http://www.aphroditesapples.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=26 and then snuggle up tonight with a dark and sexy Halloween read! ;) |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| BSSM excerpt #4 - last chance to enter! |
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| 07:24am 24/10/2007 |
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Here is the final excerpt in my Blood Sugar Sex Magick contest. I saved the best for last -- one that encompasses all aspects of the contest theme, and one of my prouder moments of prose. Yes, it's the prelude to the infamous "ritual sex" scene from Fates Fulfilled, the "urban noir" finale of the Eldritch Legacy. Considered the most controversial of the trilogy, Fates Fulfilled explores, among other things, switchhitting, bloodplay, knife play, real-life vampirism, and left-handed magick. But hey, we're talking a family dynasty with roots in a medieval dungeon, carried over to their urban punk rock counterparts. These kids aren't exactly going to be into bingo or knitting... I also paid homage to my manga/anime/bishie obsession with another young male character (not featured in this excerpt) with glasses and long silver hair. In fact, I envisioned many key passages as panels in a manga or scenes in an anime, and wrote them as such. A few reviewers astutely picked up on this, and it opened the door and paved the way for my manga-styled approach to the new yaoi series, Blue Ruin.
Anyway...this week's question and information on how to enter the drawing will be included at the end. Enjoy!
( Warning - sexual content, knifeplay, and ritual bloodsucking, oh my! )
Remember, this is the final week of the contest, and your last chance to be entered in the drawing for either the the Kama Sutra Oils of Love sampler set **OR** three free titles from my backlist. Be sure and check back on Halloween, when I'll announce the winner. Good luck! |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| hot manlove for women, by women |
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| 09:08am 20/10/2007 |
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mood: contemplative
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I joined in discussion over at one of the GLBT promo groups about why so many women are reading and writing m/m romance. I thought I'd repost and expound upon some of my comments here.
Here's perspective from someone who didn't really "get" m/m until I discovered yaoi. I personally enjoy themes of D/s, be it m/f, f/f and, as I discovered with yaoi, m/m, since the seme/uke dynamic of yaoi is inherently a D/s one. When I sat down to pen my first BDSM m/m story, I found I was able to get away with more taboo themes than I could with the het. (Which leaves me to ask why for some readers, it's okay to see a man putting another man into that situation, whereas if it's a man doing that to a woman then people's heads implode!) And as I write realistic yaoi minus the "we're all gay so it's okay" fantasy like some prefer in their m/m, I can draw on my own days that I spent primarily in the company of gay men and explore the challenges that come with the gay lifestyle. Not only does that make for more conflict and character development, but it adds in a nice dose of angst.
Finally -- with yaoi, anyway -- I get to have my cake and eat it too. I have one man, my seme, that allows me to explore my dominant alpha male fantasies, while his partner, the uke, allows me to write a sensitive and submissive boy that enjoys being tied up and spanked. But again, it's the seme/uke, D/s dynamic of yaoi that I love. More traditional m/m (wow, that must be progress to be able to say traditional m/m, no? *laugh*) does not really do it for me, but then traditional het stories don't cut it for me either.
Looking at m/m overall, the genre is to many women what lesbian porn is to men -- a pretty, eyecandy fantasy of what we'd LIKE to think is going on behind closed doors. When is the last time any of us watched a hot lesbian porno (and yes, it used to be one of my big fetishes, and I watched it more than my husband so what can I say) that actually took place in a lesbian bar with average, everyday women? No, it's the hot blonde cheerleader and sultry brunette bad girl hook up in the girl's locker room, or the hot horny suburban housewives make it on the hood of the red corvette that happens to be parked in the garage. Then again, I still ask men "Just what is it about lesbians that straight men find so hot?", which is right up there with the equally-perplexing "What is the Western male fascination with bewbies?" Though since I got into yaoi, I think I might understand the fascination with lesbians a bit more...to me, I enjoy writing and reading about men without some chick coming in there and complicating things, and I get two, count 'em, two hot manly cumshots. Or well, at least two...I'm about to pen an all-male threesome for my current WIP. To me, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl in the middle of the sammich, it's the fact that a willing submissive is being dominated. So in the end, *har har*, maybe it's that writing m/m as a woman allows me to truly explore the complexities of love and sex between people.
So, those of you girlies who read and/or write m/m, what is the draw for you? If you're like me and prefer the yaoi take on things -- hot bishie-on-bishie action aside, what is it about that particular flavor of m/m that makes it stand out over regular m/m fare for you? And for those of you on the "tough love" side of things, why is it that we are indeed "allowed" to get away with more taboo themes between two men? Does disdain for the "submissive female" lie in current political-correctness, or does it run deeper? (Bear in mind, I've lost one male reader due to his disgust at my lead male's use of "forced seduction" with my lead female in my first het novel!) |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| BSSM excerpt #3 |
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| 09:22am 17/10/2007 |
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mood: awake music: stuff
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For this weeks Blood Sugar Sex Magick excerpt, I'm sharing a snippet from my short story, Windswept. This piece appears in volume 3 of Aphrodite's Apples ongoing Masquerade anthology series. The premise of the series is that once a year, the Gods of Olympus host the Masquerade Ball. A select few mortals are invited to fulfill their wildest dreams with the god/dess of his/her choice. I had never thought I'd submit to this series, as naturally my first choice would have been Hades, the dark outsider, and he'd already been taken twice.
I sat down one day to try my hand at a steampunk piece, and in researching steam technology I came across Aeolus' ball, named for the Greek "Keeper of the Winds". Intrigued, I read up on Aeolus, as I wasn't too familiar with his legend. According to some versions of his story, Aeolus was born mortal, but then granted immortality by the goddess Hera in reward for brewing a storm against the Trojan fleet. Finding many similarities between Aeolus and Anne Rice's vampire Marius (to the point where I wonder if Ms. Rice might have based Marius partly on Aeolus) I discovered another lone outsider of the Pantheon. With my Muse completely diverted, I sat down to pen a contribution to Masquerade, and Windswept was born. While it's proven to be my most lighthearted and, *gasp*, "traditional romance" piece to date, I retained my funky flair with a nerdy misfit named Tempest Rayne, a bling-bedecked Aphrodite, a street-chic Three Graces, and a lounge lizard Zeus. And for all the camp, I still presented a Marius-inspired, angst-ridden Aeolus (who may perhaps bear a slight resemblance to actor Adrian Paul, who's portrayed another tortured immortal...) and a slightly dark twist near the end.
In this particular excerpt, we see how being made an immortal can be both a blessing and a curse. We also see that another one of my evil inspirations influences, who has nothing at all to do with Greek mythology, managed to sneak his way into this story. This week's BSSM question is posted at the end.
( I could not go out into the world, and so I brought the world to me... )
Be sure and mark your calendars for October 24th for the final BSSM excerpt and your last chance to enter the drawing! Prize option is the Kama Sutra "Oils of Love" sampler set **or** three titles from my backlist! Enjoy, and good luck! |
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| evil musely inspiration du jour |
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| 09:36am 16/10/2007 |
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mood:  sighing over teh pretteh
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The ever so talented Heise has released her latest pretties. I'd cite images like this as inspirational, as she has my preferred physical traits for seme/uke down to a beautiful science, but instead I find this...distracting! How am I supposed to get any work done today? *attempts to get back to my own yaoi boys*
**NOTE** My website has been transferred to a new server and so the site and images (including the pretty yoai boys *sniff*) may be down a while today.** |
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Read 13 - Post |
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| Pimpin' ain't easy but sometimes it's fun! |
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| 04:11pm 15/10/2007 |
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mood: accomplished
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I took a break from writing today and spent most of it doing promo over at Chatting with Joyfully Reviewed for their all-day BDSM loop chat. I must say, it was fun to go to a chat where I could share excerpts from over half of my catalog! That would be 6 out of 10 releases, both current and coming soon, so hey that's over half! While I always enjoy discussing The Eldritch Legacy, I was particularly excited to share a few excerpts from Some Kind of Stranger, due for release January 2008 from Loose Id. For those of you who are not as familiar with e-publishing, Loose Id is one of the top and most reputable publishers of erotic/romantic e-books and RWA-approved. (RWA = Romance Writers of America.) Sooo....is January here yet??? *looks at calendar and pines for my yaoi boys to go public* |
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