Thursday, November 19, 2009

Naughty Bits 2 - check it out!



(Click cover for a bigger version.)

Naughty Bits 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the successful debut volume from the editors of Spice Briefs, delivers nine new unapologetically raunchy and romantic tales that promise to spark the libido. In this collection of first-rate short erotic literature, lusty selections by such provocative authors as Megan Hart, Lillian Feisty, Saskia Walker and Portia Da Costa will pique, tease and satisfy any appetite, and prove that good things do come in small packages.


Available for advance order from Amazon and Amazon UK!

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Proofing -- light at the end of the tunnel

I did a little dance today (even though my eyes were on stalks) after I had completed my Author Alteration page proofs for RAMPANT. Whew! It's done and gone. I think the next time I see this book it will be published! Meanwhile, INESCAPABLE is due back for one final look over after the proofer is done with it, and then I'm back to writing. It's been an intense couple of weeks here, but it's no bad thing because I'm learning all the time. RAMPANT is due out at the end of March, and INESCAPABLE is out next week.

Ooh, in a bit of unrelated publication news, ALONG FOR THE RIDE is now available in print in the UK and Germany.



Right now I'm planning on collapsing on the sofa, watching some DVDs and having an evening off. I think I've earned it!

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Progress report

Too cute!



No, no, it’s not an indication of my state of mind, although it’s a fair representation of how I felt waking up this morning. ;) I spent the weekend proofing and editing INESCAPABLE. Last night my brain was vibrating and my eyes were crossing. This is when I realise how much work my left eye does for them both. ;}

The book has now gone back to my editor. I’m taking the rest of today off (yay!) before moving on to the next proof tomorrow. Hopefully some mindless shopping and tidying in the house will help as I try to push one lot of characters out of my thoughts to make room for the rest. It can get pretty crowded in there!

I always underestimate the editing/proofing stages. My brain thinks: “it’s just reading, it’ll be quicker and easier than writing.” Um, no, stupid brain. Once I begin the process I’m totally locked in, going back and forth over what I've read and what I know lies ahead, double checking everything. I expect the intensity of this stage is the same for many authors. Tweaking and polishing. Fretting. I work on the basis that things can always be improved, and sometimes that means it’s hard to let go, to decide when it’s done. Noticed I said done and not finished...

I have 9 days until the RAMPANT Author Alteration pages need to be completed. It's 410 pages, so I’m going to try to do around 100 pages a day and take it a bit slower. I’m getting there, and there are plans to go out and have lots of fun at the end of this busy stint!

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

Read erotica for a great cause!

Read erotica for a great cause! If you buy Giselle Renarde's erotica, funds go to LGBT youth. Go HERE to find out more.

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

It's okay, I haven't run away screaming...

It was touch and go there for a couple of days but I can now report that I haven't gone completely do-lally because of my to-do list. :) Not yet. In fact the list is moving along nicely. I even sighed with relief because it now feels manageable. Hurray!

The short story I was working on (Gridlocked) is done and gone, and in a bit of wonderful synchronized timing the edits for INESCAPABLE came in -- with some terrific feedback from my editor.

INESCAPABLE and RAMPANT (the two novels I've written over the last year) are both on my desk for edits and proofing at the moment. Once I got over the panic (lol!) I realised that it feels amazing to be at this stage with them both at the same time. It means I can see the results of my year's novel writing when it's almost ready to go out in the world.

And in even more amazing news, the editor feedback I've had on both these books makes me feel I might finally be getting the hang of this writing lark... :o} I know, it took me a while.

I'm working on the INESCAPABLE edits over the weekend and then onward to RAMPANT. The story ideas for the serial comission I posted about a few days ago are busy popping up in the background, and I'm eager to get on with that. I'm excited. Can you tell?

Have a great weekend, folks!

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Boy, it suddenly got very busy around here...

So yesterday I posted what I had to get done in the next few weeks, and last night AAs (Author Alteration pages) arrived for RAMPANT. This is my proofing stage, and it’s my last chance to make any changes to the manuscript. I’m excited to be at this stage but it’s going to be a busy time. Eeek! I’m okay, I can cope. In fact it’s a good thing because it forces me to be more organised with my time.

To do:
Short story to finish (around 4,000 words to go) by 15th
Edits and proofs for INESCAPABLE (57k) publishing 23rd
AAs for RAMPANT (100K) to be returned by 25th
Outline for serial story to be delivered by end of the month (i.e. plotting)

I’m fine. No really. Lol! I’d expected this to happen at some point and mentally I was as prepared as I could be. It’s always been the same for me, nothing for months and then a pile up.

Meanwhile, the subject matter of my serial story was pinned down yesterday and everyone involved is happy and agreed. It’s going to feature Annabel McGraw, a key secondary character from RAMPANT, which means it will be a historical set in Scotland. Yay! You can see how Annabel fits into RAMPANT in the cover copy, here. I’m very pleased indeed and look forward to the writing in December.

So what am I doing chatting when I should be... oh, I don’t know, finishing off that short story, for starters...gulp.

See you later!

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Exciting news!

Some very exciting news came in late last night, totally out of the blue. My agent contacted me with an invitation from Harlequin -- they want me to write a serial for them! I can’t begin to express how excited and honoured I was to receive this invitation. Yes...I was embarrassing to be around... :) Luckily the Man of the House had wine on hand to help me mellow out. ;) It was the most wonderful surprise and I happily accepted the challenge.

So how does it work? The serial is a short story of 10,000 words that will appear on the eharlequin.com web site over the course of a month. The story is told in eight chapters, and they are uploaded on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Harlequin community readers can then read it for free and discuss the story as it progresses. Fun! The serial remains in the online reads library for future readers as well. I’ll be writing the story for the Spice line and you can read a previous Spice chapter story, HOT AND WILD by Jodi Lynn Copeland, by going here.


This is such an exciting project, a real challenge for me and one that I’m eager to begin work on. I’ll try to blog about the process of writing a serial because it’s going to be quite different, bearing in mind the chapters and the method of publication of the story. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’ll post here as much as I can along the way.

My (as yet untitled) story will appear over the course of March 2010, the same month as NAUGHTY BITS 2 comes out, (an anthology of Spice Briefs) and just before the release of my first Spice novel, RAMPANT.

I’m now reshuffling my schedule to accommodate this new project. Luckily that was possible. I have a short story to finish in the next couple of days, edits coming in for INESCAPABLE, and then I’ll be working on the serial. Once it's done, I'll be straight back into work on THE HARLOT, my second Spice novel, in January. Whew, I better get a move on, ay!

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Saturday, November 07, 2009

Fairy Tale Lust

Check out this cover! It’s SO gorgeous. Not sure if this will be the final cover for the book, but I had to post it anyway because it’s such a stunning image. This is totally my cup of tea when it comes to erotic covers. :) I just know it’s going to be one of my enduring favourites. Yum.

The book is FAIRY TALE LUST, a forthcoming anthology edited by Kristina Wright for Cleis Press. I’m delighted to have a short story in this collection! It’s called “All in a Day’s Work.” I’ve long been a fan of Kristina’s work so it’s wonderful to work with her as an editor.

FAIRY TALE LUST is due out early next year and it’s already had some mentions in the press. Check out this recent article: Rise of the fantasy and fairy tale.

2010 is definitely my year for fairy tales and paranormal writing! I’ll have shorts in both FAIRY TALE LUST and ALISON’S WONDERLAND (a collection by Alison Tyler for Spice) and my paranormal novel RAMPANT comes out in April.

There’s more! My fantasy novel UNVEILING THE SORCERESS (previously published by Juno Books) has been contracted by Total-E-Bound and a revised, extended version will be published midyear. With this lovely magical slant developing on the horizon, can I hope for a magical year…? :) I hope so, cos 2009 has been a bit of a b*gger! Lol!

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Inspiration and erotic films

I'm over at the eXcessica blog today, chatting about erotic films. Why not call by and add your favourites?

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Monday, November 02, 2009

What I'm working on now, and some good news!

I can’t believe that we are in November. Having said that...2009 has been a bumpy year on the home front with lots of illness and chaos in the family. We're more than ready to wave it goodbye and look to a better year in 2010.

Even as I acknowledge that, I realise I’ve done more writing than ever this year. It’s often that way with me. If it’s tough going, writing is my sanctuary. It could be worse, I do believe there is nothing healthier than turning to writing. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :)

So what am I working as we head towards deep winter? The plan was to get stuck in to the writing on THE HARLOT, my second Harlequin Spice novel. That’s bubbling away and my notes grow longer by the day, but I’ve also got another story that’s busting to be written, so I'm going to devote a few weeks to it first. The deadline for THE HARLOT isn’t until September, so there is room to shuffle things around.

The new (busting to be written) novel has yet to be named, but the heroine is called Monica, so for now it’s Monica’s novel. This one is set in contemporary London and it has a slight and rather unusual (hopefully!) paranormal slant. It’s looking to come out at about 60,000 words -- a short novel, in other words, but I’ll see how it goes. More details on that story as it splurges across my computer screen.

Meanwhile, a couple of bits of publication news. If you are a UK reader and you are interested in reading my Spice Briefs, the first two are now available on this side of the pond through the Harlequin Mills and Boon site, (wahay!) with the third to follow next month.

In more good news, UNLEASHED has had its first review and I’m thrilled to announce a “reviewer top pick” from Night Owl Romance!

This collection of shorts give a great tantalizing peek into what Saskia Walker has to offer and the many different kinds of situations and plots are sure to please...After reading this collection, I'll definitely be picking up Saskia Walker's books in the future. Go here to read the full review.


I’m delighted! I’d hoped this collection would function as an intro to my work for new readers, so I couldn't be happier with the review.



UNLEASHED is also now available in print from Amazon.com. Alas it won’t come through on Amazon UK, but they will ship overseas. It’s costly, so if you are interested in picking it up I recommend getting an e-book version, especially if you’re outside of the US.

Right folks, its back to work on Monica's story for me. I hope this week brings lots of good things your way!

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Need some free Halloween reading?

Ooh, I haven’t posted here in ages. Oops. Sorry folks, I had a couple of crazy weeks where everything had to be done all at once, and it was tedious household and personal stuff. I'm coming out of the woods now and back to writing (and blogging about writing) soon.

Meanwhile, it’s almost Halloween so I wanted to remind anyone who hasn’t read THE STRANGELING that it’s now available as a free PDF. This short fantasy romance novel is set around Samhain, so if you’re in the mood for a seasonal read, hop on over to my site and download it!

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Update on UNLEASHED

Now also available at Fictionwise. (with a 15% discount)

Update: Also available at Omnilit (thanks, Portia!)

For Kindle readers in the US, the book is at a bargain price of $3.99!

Another update: Now in print from Amazon.com

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Published today: UNLEASHED!

Hi folks!

It's a very exciting day here (yes, if you hear any manic squeeing, that's likely to be me!) because UNLEASHED is published today.

I'm always excited on publication days, but this one is particularly important to me. As many of my blog readers know I started out as a short story writer, and I still love to write short stories in between times. Mark (my darlin' loverboy) kept suggesting I try for a collection of my previously published work, but I wasn't sure anyone would be interested. It also didn't quite sink in how long I'd been doing this and how many stories I'd had published. When it did sink in, I began to consider it.

Earlier this year I chatted to various pals about the idea and they encouraged me to look into it. I'm particularly grateful to Alison Tyler, who has supported my work from the beginning and encouraged me to put my work together this way, and to Sommer Marsden, who cheered me on and showed me the ropes.

It was an amazing experience going back through 15 years of work (gulp!) to select 20 of my favourite stories. Many of the stories are no longer easily available, and that made it all the more fun.

And so today UNLEASHED is out! (squee!) This collection is made possible by the amazing Selena Kitt and the collaborative at eXcessica publishing.

Please note, these are pure erotica. I write both erotic romance and erotica, so I need to wave a red flag there. ;-) Several of the stories feature committed couples (a particular love of mine when writing short erotica) but (be warned...) these stories represent the most explicit and boldest of my erotic writing.

Here is the cover and the official copy:

UNLEASHED contains twenty of the hottest erotic short stories from award-winning British author Saskia Walker. Known for her combination of solid storytelling and arousing content, Saskia’s erotica has appeared in over fifty international anthologies including BEST WOMEN’S EROTICA and THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW EROTICA.

Gathered together for the first time this collection contains some of Saskia’s favorite short stories - tales that run the gamut of erotic exploration from BDSM to voyeurists and exhibitionists, from fetishists to threesomes - this is provocative, no holds barred adult fiction that lingers in the memory as well as the libido.

Warnings: This title contains graphic language and sex, BDSM, public sex, anal sex, threesomes, f/f, m/m, pansexual characters and fetishists.


Available now in ebook from:
Excessica
Kindle
Mobipocket
Smashwords
All Romance Ebooks
Coming soon from Fictionwise and in print from Amazon.com


Here's the contents list:

Room with a View
Watching Lois Perform
Sign Your Name
Richard’s Secret
Hungry for Love
The Lunch Break
The Importance of Good Networking
In Perfect Time
The Woman in His Room
A Hook and a Twist
The Upper Hand
Counting the Days
The Inner Vixen
Live Tonight
The Things That go on at Siesta Time
It’s Just not Cricket
Harvest Time
Rapt
Caught Watching
Winter Heat

If you pick up a copy, I hope you enjoy the read!

(Squeeeeee! :o)

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Away from the desk

Hey folks, I'm off line until Friday. Have a great week!

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New Publication: THE RIGHT MEN FOR THE JOB

THE RIGHT MEN FOR THE JOB, a short novella, is now available at Total-E-Bound!

SUMMARY: They both want to service her every need...

Car mechanics, Deacon and Vico, have been lusting after sultry Astrid Jacobs who works in a nearby office. When Astrid walks into their workshop they've already got a friendly rivalry going on about who will be asking her out.

Astrid quickly loses her nerve about dealing with mechanics because these guys are so charming, gorgeous, and full-on. When they offer to drop her at her next appointment, she agrees. She needs a confidence boost, because she's on her way to her best friend's engagement party and her best friend is getting married to Astrid's ex. The confidence boost she needs is right here in Deacon and Vico.

After confessing her situation, the guys offer to come with her and show the ex what he's missing. It's the perfect excuse for the three of them to flirt outrageously. But the flirting doesn't stop at the party, and they are soon engaged in a torrid ménage a trois affair. Astrid is about to discover that if you need something doing properly, you get the right men for the job.

Reader Advisory: This book contains group sex and m/m interaction.


EXCERPT:

Vico scanned the crowd and knocked back the glass of champagne Deacon had put in his hand. “You know all these people?”

Astrid shook her head. She sipped from her flute of champagne in an almost compulsive manner, as if she was nervous. “Some of them. A third, maybe. The ones I know are old friends that I haven’t been in touch with for a while.” She nodded across the room at a man who Vico had already tabbed as the biggest schmoozer in the place. “That one, he’s my ex boyfriend, that’s why this is so awkward for me. This is his engagement party.”

Deacon nearly choked on his spicy-chicken-on-a-stick. “Seriously?”

Astrid nodded, and then took a bigger swig of her champagne. She was seriously uneasy. Vico perched alongside her where she rested up against a window sill, and slid his arm around her. He let her feel his reassurance in a gentle embrace, his hand tightening around her waist, before he glanced back at the schmoozer. Oddly enough he could picture them together but it would have been far too perfect, and he didn’t approve of that. Life never approved of it, so why should he? A sophisticated woman like Astrid needed a bit of rough to set her off and let her glow. Two bits of rough, maybe? Vico’s thoughts ran in a direction that his fantasies often secretly did. What did Deacon think, he wondered?

Deacon was frowning as he looked across at the ex. “Wait a minute, you’re telling us that bloke there,” he gesticulated with his half-eaten canapé, “left you, for the woman you were talking to at the door?”

He was still frowning heavily as he asked the question. He was right to frown. The friend was pretty, but Astrid was a goddess. Their goddess. Vico was already thinking of her that way. He wondered if he could convince Deacon to give it a go. He’d shared a woman with another man before, but his instinct was that Deacon had not.

“No,” Astrid said, “he didn’t leave me for Lucia.”

Vico noticed that she tensed when she talked about it. She still wasn’t over it. He knew a good remedy for that.

“Although I did introduce them. He left me for another woman, a different one. In fact there’ve been a few others before he settled down with my best friend.”

“Ouch,” Deacon said, and turned to kiss her gently on the cheek.

Vico knew it was an instinctive gesture. Deacon was a big softie underneath his gruff exterior, but he wasn’t going to be left out when it came to Astrid, and he delivered his next comment with conviction. “That man is crazy. He’s the biggest loser here.”

When she turned her face up to his, Deacon looked at her with a kind of hypnotised stare and then kissed her full on the mouth. She jumped, startled, and then quickly melted, her lips parting as she returned his kiss. Watching them made Vico hard, and his mind raced. He glanced away, and saw that her ex had noticed what was going on. Vico lifted his glass in the lucky man’s direction. The ex glowered and stomped off.

Deacon and Astrid were oblivious. Deacon was kissing her neck. She gave a breathless laugh. “You two are very good for my ego.”

“Ego? Is that what they call it these days?” Vico said, leaning in, his hand tightening on her waist as he whispered in her ear.

“Don’t mind Vico,” Deacon said. “He always attempts to get the woman I want.”

Vico watched her reaction to that comment.

Her soft lips parted and her eyes flashed, then she tilted back her head and chuckled, and the sound of it was deeply sexy. He wondered for a moment if it was just about getting back at the ex boyfriend, but she wasn’t even looking beyond the pair of them anymore.

“Hey now, you two are winding me up,” she said.

Vico recognised his window of opportunity. He wanted to open her up. She deserved to be adored and loved. “Not at all. We both want you, simple as that.”

“Stop it,” she whispered, blushing.

He shrugged. “They say success is the best form of revenge, why not show him you can have two men if you want?”

“I wouldn’t want you to fake anything just to help me out.” She glanced from one of them to the other. She really didn’t believe it.

“Fake it?” Deacon shook his head. “No way. I’ve known Vico for three years, and I know he wants you. As for me,” he lifted her chin by one finger, turning her to face him fully, “no faking required.” Closing the gap between them, he kissed her full on the mouth again.

Vico watched, fascinated. Deacon wasn’t usually so blatant, not ever. Party guests were looking their way, but apparently Deacon didn’t care. Astrid had lost touch with her surroundings as well. Her hands were latched over Deacon’s shoulders as he kissed her. Vico was pleased Deacon had made the move. His British friend was picking up tips from him, perhaps. Either that or he wanted her so much he didn’t know what he was doing.

When they came up for air, Deacon gently stroked her hair back from her face. Astrid was even more beautiful when aroused, her eyes dark, her skin flushed. Watching them together was too good. Vico pictured them locked in a kiss the way they had been, but naked, with Deacon in action between her legs. His cock hardened in response to the image. He’d give anything to see Deacon in action.

I might even share the goddess to get a ringside seat for that show.


“So, what do you think,” he ventured. When she locked eyes with him, her soft lips parted, he decided to push it forward. “Do you want to get out of here, go somewhere else, spend some time with us?”

She nodded, her eyes bright and oddly luminous.

“Ever had two men before?” he added.

She shook her head, but she wasn’t shocked. She was fascinated. Beside her, Deacon’s eyes burned with anticipation, and he was looking to Vico to urge it on. Swallowing the rest of his champagne, Vico abandoned the glass. “Come on, let’s go.”

Click here to download the story!

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Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Check out the cover for RAMPANT!



Happy sigh.. I love it, and it's so perfect for the book.

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