Fabulous new cover!

Series: Stargazers

Title: Wayward

ISBN (13): 978-1-60521-182-4

Genres:  Futuristic, Paranormal, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi

Themes: Magic and Mayhem

Release Date:  November 13, 2009

Publisher URL  Changeling Press – Erotic Fiction

 

 

BLURB:

Katarina and Abbie are twin Stargazers, and their mother, fearful of the pirates that run rampant in this part of the galaxy, has been hiding their abilities for years. But when Abbie is kidnapped, Kat boldly offers her services to a very sexy pirate captain in return for his help.

Tore is fascinated by the sexy young Stargazer, but how far is she willing to go to save her sister?

 

 

EXCERPT:

Kat perched atop the bar stool and took small sips of her cocktail, assessing the other drinkers in the popular portside bar. She needed to find a man. The door made a whooshing sound as it slid open, and she turned her head.

 

The man strode through the doorway like a conquering Viking, and she studied him with interest. Well over six feet tall, his wavy blond hair hung loose to his shoulder blades, held in place by a thick strip of leather around his forehead. His eyes were like chips of ice-blue rock, sharp and hard. He walked with the loose, easy gait of someone who spent more time off planet than on. Thick ropes of muscle covered his arms, with more outlined beneath the tight material of his heavy uni-suit. He slid onto a barstool at the far end of the Last Chance, and the bartender immediately bustled down to take his order. No waiting for someone like him.

 

When the bartender had served the Viking look-alike his drink, she motioned him over. “Who is he?” She tilted her head toward the newcomer.

 

A smirk lit his dark features while he gave her a quick once-over. “That’s Tore, captain of the Sun Runner. Usually stops in here when the ship’s in for maintenance. Rumor has it he’s a pirate, but I’m not stupid enough to ask him if it’s true. He generally doesn’t pick up any female companions here, but for a class act like you, he might make an exception. You want an introduction?”

 

Kat grimaced at his suggestive tone. She did, but not for the reason he had in mind. “No, thank you. I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself.”

 

The bartender shrugged and drifted over to group of miners playing cards. Kat waited a few seconds, gathering her courage. This Tore fellow looked like he might be just what she needed. Now all she had to do was convince him to help her. She wasn’t sure the credits she’d accumulated would be enough to buy the loyalty of a pirate. She took a deep breath and slid gracefully off her stool.

 

She almost made it to his side before the huge stranger turned his head. She felt a dart of pure lust lance through her as his gaze swept her from head to toe. Up close, she could see the rows of scars on his arms and face, evenly spaced so you knew they weren’t inflicted in a fight, or by accident. Those kind of marks bespoke deliberate torture. She shuddered. It was the kind of torture the Intergalactic Council liked to call rehabilitation.

 

“How much?” His deep voice reverberated through every nerve, causing moisture to gather deep inside her pussy.

 

She knew exactly what he meant. He thought she was one of the whores who frequented the bar looking to pick up new clients. She should be insulted, but the smoldering passion deep in those gorgeous blue eyes made her consider, just for a second, taking up the ancient profession. A man like this would generate so much power. And so much passion. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time right now to slake her thirst for sex.

 

She let her regret show briefly in the smile she flashed him. “I’m not a whore. I’m looking to hire a ship, one that’s fast and able to fight.” She paused, realizing she should be careful about how much information she divulged. She knew nothing about him or his connections.

 

He lifted one eyebrow, a spark of interest lighting his eyes. “Really? And what would you need a ship like that for?”

 

Kat held out her hand. “My name is Katarina. My friends call me Kat, and I have my reasons. Are you available?”

 

He stood, towering over her, and Kat found herself tilting her head to keep eye contact. A cynical smile hovered on his lips as he reached out and took her hand, holding it just a fraction of a nano-second longer than necessary. She wondered if he knew what he did to her pulse rate.

 

“Name’s Tore. Perhaps we should get a private booth if we’re going to discuss business.” He glanced over at the bartender who nodded toward the back of the bar.

 

Kat licked her suddenly dry lips, feeling unexpectedly nervous. Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. “Certainly.”

 

 

 

31 Days of Dark Delights!

Come check out the 48 fabulous contests and prizes at Bitten By Books over this spooky weekend.

I’ve put up a $10 Changeling Gift Certificate, open to readers worldwide. Just think of all the delightful books you could get with that! And just a hint, if you win use the coupon code Treat09 to get 5% off your whole order! So click on the banner above and get your entries in before the contes ends on October 31st!

Come play with me! And have some spooky fun!

 Changeling Halloween Special

Check out the Changeling Chat Loop on the 30th and 31st for lots of ghosts, goblins and Halloween mayhem. I’m in charge of the mayhem on Saturday morning from Noon until One pm EST, and I’ll be giving away an e-book from my backlist to one lucky chatter, so come on over and delurk. !

the URL is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChangelingPress/

Stargazers 4: Wayward release date moved up!

Hey everyone, I’m so excited! The release date for Wayward has been moved up by almost a month! Instead of December 13th it will now be out in only 3 weeks!

Thats right. The new release date is November 13th! I don’t have the cover art yet, but when I do I’ll post it right here so come back and check it out. I’ll probably run a contest too. Not sure what the prize will be so be sure to check back here for details.

Win the cutest deck of Halloween cards ever!

I  found the cutest deck of Halloween cards last week, and just couldn’t resist buying them.  I took the picture beside a coffee mug so you could tell the size.

 

 

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, so I’m having a contest to say thank -you to all the readers out there. To enter to win the cards, and some other neat promo items, all you have to do is e-mail me at anne_kane.author@… with CONTEST in the subject line. Easy – peasy! I’ll draw a winner Monday evening, and announce it on the Changeling Yahoo group, as well as e-mailing them. GoodLuck all!

Anne

Welcome J.A. Saare

Everyone, help me welcome J.A. Saare, a fellow author with several books out. She has graciously allowed me to interview her.

Hey Anne, thanks for having me on your blog!  I appreciate your very generous time and hospitality! 

Can you tell us a little bit about a favorite memory from your childhood?

 

In a word, football.  My parents were (and still are) huge Alabama fans.  I remember being plopped on the floor with my Dad, cheering and hollering even though I had no earthly idea what was taking place.  Seeing him smile when they scored an all important touchdown made the entire world seem brighter.  When the fall arrives, my first thought isn’t about Halloween or Thanksgiving (though I love them!).  The drop in temperature and falling leaves signify one thing – the return of the Crimson Tide.

 

LOL. Well, that certainly is different from my childhood. I’m still a little hazy about what all those guys in tights are doing on the field. Tell us about your writing, where it started and where you’d like to go with it. 

 

In college, I started and consequently abandoned several stories.  At that time, my mind couldn’t conform to one idea or theme.  I’ve actually happened across several of the “lon lost works” and grimace at how terrible they are! Then last year I started Crimson Moon (contracted with The Wild Rose Press).  I finished it eight weeks or so later.  It was such a wonderful escape, and soon after I began working on the next story in my brain (and then the next, and the next).  My goal is to continue on the journey of creating new worlds while sharing characters people can relate to.  I also want to keep branching out and writing in multiple genres.

 

I know this is corny, but I love asking it anyway. If you were granted three wishes by a genie, what would they be?

 

That my family remains healthy and happy, as they are quite literally my world.  That poverty across the world is eradicated.  We live in a time that is too rich and advanced for anyone to go to bed without a roof over their head or with food in their bellies. And that the cure for childhood neuroblastoma is discovered.

 

Very impressive wishes. I’m betting there’s a reason for that last wish.  So, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

 

I would love to go visit my husband’s family in Italy.  It’s such a beautiful place and the culture is so family oriented.  I often joke that I married my husband for his relatives.

 

 

If you could have dinner tomorrow with anyone you choose, famous or family, who would it be and why?

 

My husband, because with four kiddos, we never have time alone! 

 

LOL! I have a feeling my son and his wife would say the same thing. If you could choose one person to spend one week on a desert island, who would it be and why? 

 

The hubs, of course!  A week away, are you kidding?  We’d never come back!  Just thinking about a clean beach, the salty wind, and grainy warm sand – what more could you ask for? I can envision us now – me in a coconut bra and hoola skirt with wild flowers tossed in my hair, and him in with his tanned skin, dressed in a…Err, yeah. 

 Okay, changing the subject before we find out more than we actually want to know, what word or phrase do you think is sexier than any other?

I love the word “delicious”. 

 

If you had one day to spoil yourself, what would you do? 

 

Hit up the bookstore with my coffee cup and ipod.  That’s my mini-version of heaven.

 

Do you believe in magic?

 

Absolutely.  There are so many things that cannot be explained in the world around us.  There has to be a reason for that.  Why not magic?

 

What’s the sexiest thing a man has ever done for you? 

 

On my birthdays my husband takes me to dinner, and as soon as we return home prepares a nice hot bubble bath.  He goes all out by lighting my favorite vanilla scented candles and making sure the lights are turned off when climb inside the Jacuzzi. The massage afterward is nice, but the bath itself isn’t shabby!

 

Oh, wow. He sounds like an angel.  Where can we go to find out more about you and your writing? 

 

 You can visit me on my webpage www.jasaare.com or my blog www.jasaare.blogspot.com. Or you can just email me directly at jasaare@gmail.com.  I should warn you, though.  I’m a gabber, and love to talk! 

Check out the Contests page.

There’s lots of cool Halloween contests running this moth. Check out the contest page for more info. I’ll be adding to it later in the month, so make sure to check back before Halloween!

What I’ve been up to this month…

As you may have noticed, I haven’t been doing a whole lot of blogging this month. And the reason for that is time – I could use alot more of it. In a moment of sheer insanity (possibly more than one) I managed to contract three stories, all due to the editors by the end of September. As of tonight, they are all in and one is even through edits. The second, I just recieved the edits on and the third I just sent in. So, I have a release in a Charity Anthology releasing November 27th, a Christmas short that will be out on December 5th, and the fourth book in the Stargazeres Series which will be released on December 11th.  I have made a note in very large letters on my journal, never to do this again. **sigh** But, I probably will. These all sounded like such good ideas at the time, and to be honest I enjoyed every single moment I spent with my laptop.

Happy Reading!

Anne kane

Sex (yawn) by Anida Adler

Please help me welcome Anida Adler, who is very excited about her first release from Loose-Id. The Ancient is a hot paranormal Celtic Romance that I’m sure you don’t want to miss. In keeping with the Irish theme of her story, Anida will be giving away a Shannon O’Shamrock bear to one randomly drawn commenter from the tour, so don’t be shy. Leave a comment and hope for the luck of the Irish to win you the bear! I think he’s hiding somewhere further on down the page.

Happy Reading!

Anne Kane

 

Sex (Yawn) – The Challenge of Keeping it Fresh 

Erotica writer.  Hmmm.  The image that sprang to my mind when I thought of these esoteric beings years ago was something like Barbara Cartland, but sexy.  Someone mysterious, who wafted pheromones like cheap perfume wherever she went.  I pictured men falling for her magic like bowling pins, poster boys for gym advertisements with the brains of rocket scientists turning to mush when she appeared.  She’d open her front door every night, perhaps settle a manicured, red-nailed finger on her cherry lips as she perused the crowd of slavering devotees.  Then she’d pick one to warm her bed and bid the others farewell. 

When the acceptance of a few short stories by romance markets came like a heavy hand tapping on my shoulder, pointing out the obvious, I balked.  Romance?  Me?  Good lord, I live in jeans and tee shirts.  I owned three pairs of shoes at the time: hiking boots for when it was cold, sandals for when it was hot, and slippers for when I was in my pink flannel sheep-print pyjamas.  I like to keep my nails really short, and I don’t wear make-up.  Romance writer?  Nah.  Forget it.   

Yet when I read articles about what romance writers are, I felt a kick of recognition.  As author, I am fascinated with the interaction between people, and that’s essentially what romance is: a study of the development of a relationship.  Reluctantly, I went to the library and sidled to the groaning shelf of pink books.  Laden with a stack of Mills & Boon contemporary romances, red-faced, I did what needed to be done at the counter and scuttled home.   

Six hours later, I was a changed woman.  Not only were there damn well written books in my pile, I enjoyed them immensely.  And hey, I had to admit that sweet romance didn’t really do it for me.  I wanted sex.  Lots of it.  Over the next few months I devoured piles and piles of the pink books, but one day, I reached saturation point with shocking abruptness.  I wanted something different.   

About a month after opening my first romance, I had started writing in the genre as well.  The words poured from me in a gushing stream, I couldn’t type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts.  I turned to e-books and discovered a fantastic world of romance there, different from Mills & Boon books.  While they vehemently deny that there is a formula their authors have to stick to, to me it seems there is indeed a certain sameness to novels sold by probably the most prolific publisher in the world.   

My mind opened so wide my brain almost fell out.  Threesomes, gay love scenes, BDSM: there was something fascinating about all of it, and as reader, I couldn’t get enough.  I read and read and read… and then a point came where something new in the sex department wasn’t enough to redeem a flawed book any more.  I became more and more difficult to please, until now I think I’ve become quite ruthless in reviews.  Books – all of them – have to be well written to have any chance of keeping my interest. 

As author, the challenge of writing sex scenes came as a shock.  It’s really, really difficult to write erotica.  Because when you come down to it, sex is…well, it’s just sex.  There’s only so much you can do with two (or three, or four) bodies, only so many positions and kinks you can indulge in.  The wonderful openness we have achieved as a society means that little is left unexplored.   

What are we to do, then?  What would I say is the thing that keeps me reading when I open a book?   

To answer this question, I need to explain a theory I have.  I read an old romance once, and it was so incredibly bad I couldn’t get through more than three chapters.  The poor reputation romance novels had – and still have in some circles – did not happen arbitrarily.  If that novel was anything to go by, these books sucked so much they could form their own black hole.   

But society changed.  People became less embarrassed about their choices.  The image of the average romance reader was shown not to be a frustrated housewife but an educated, successful, happy woman.  And with a more sophisticated readership came demand for a better quality erotica.  Yes, we want sex, as kinky as you can get without being disgusting.  And we want lots of it.  But now the average erotic novel needs to be as well written, as riveting in terms of plot development and character description as any other book.   

Sex is indeed just sex.  But if it’s an act of passion taking place between characters written with enough skill to make them as real as your next breath, in a story that has you by the throat, on the edge of your seat, unable to put it down… that’s when sex becomes more than sex.  That’s when it becomes something special. 

And that, my friends, is what every erotica writer should aspire to deliver. 

 

Blurb:

 

What would you do if you fell in love with the goddess of death?

 

June 1945 – Tadhg Daniels sees a woman clad in strange clothes and a feathered cloak, but she’s invisible to everyone else.  He’s convinced his mind has been unhinged by the horrors of the D-day landings four days before, but when she appears to him again, the woman proves she is real.  She is Morrigan, goddess of death, come to warn him his life is about to end.

 

Morrigan is disturbed by the man she meets.  He looks in her eyes unflinching, while all others avoid her gaze.  She’s never found such a strong will to survive in any of her charges before.  He refuses to accept he’s going to die. 

 

There is a way for Tadhg to cheat death, a secret Morrigan has guarded for millennia.  Morrigan can save him if she takes him as her lover, but sex with the goddess of death will change him.  He needs time to decide if he’s prepared to give up his humanity in order to be with her forever. 

 

But Tadhg is not the only one who knows Morrigan’s secret.  Someone else wants to take by force the gift she can bestow.  And he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

 

Excerpt 2:

 

“Look above you.” He searched the ceiling. “No, I mean at the bedstead.”

 

Tadhg shuffled his elbow under him and studied the ornate wrought-iron metalwork. For a moment, he didn’t know what she meant, then he saw the chains and blanched. He turned to Morrigán. “No. The shackles in that poem were a metaphor, Morrigán. I don’t do that sort of thing.” Except in his fantasies, but he’d die if she discovered that.

 

“I’m not asking you to. The shackles are not to bring pleasure to either of us, it is for my protection.”

 

He frowned and sat up. “Your protection? What the hell kind of man do you think I am?”

 

“I’m sure you’re very honourable. I told you, the change you’ll go through will be difficult. Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean I can’t hurt and bleed.”

 

Tadhg felt cold dread trickle from his scalp down his neck and over his shoulders. What was he letting himself in for? He remembered the panicked feeling of his lungs filling with blood, the horror of his airway blocked. He lay back, stretched out his arms. Then he closed his eyes and slipped his wrists into the old-fashioned shackles hanging from chains on the bedstead. Every muscle in his body was tense as a bowstring.

 

He heard the rustle of fabric as she came closer, felt the dip of the mattress as she knelt beside him, making the sheet slide over his skin with a tantalising brush. For a moment, he wanted to snatch his arms from the shackles, but he forced himself to keep still as Morrigán closed first one, then the other bond, slipping the pins that held them fast.

 

The sound sent a rush of blood to his cock.

 

Welcome back fantasy author, Sandy Lender!

Love is Lovelier the Second Time Around

By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender

http://www.authorsandylender.com

 

Anne asked if I had different “feelings” with the release of my second novel, CHOICES MEANT FOR KINGS, than I did with the first, Choices Meant for Gods. You know…for a while…I did. Sure, I was excited, but the level of excitement differed at first. I was pleased with the cover. I was pleased with the editing. I was pleased with the reviews coming in. I wasn’t going to have a shipment of the books in time for a conference where I was speaking so my publisher arranged for me to have the proof copy to take with me to show folks. On my way to pick up that proof copy, I got this strange, topsy-turvy feeling in my stomach like the feeling I got when I saw the boxes on my front porch when Choices Meant for Gods first arrived back in the spring of 2007. Yes, there was that truly excited feeling…

 

I think I went into the CHOICES MEANT FOR KINGS release knowing more about the energy, time, and money required for promotion and marketing, so the excitement was there…but so was that “wisdom.” The release of a novel means tons o’ work for an author, if you want to see that novel do well and hear the publisher ask for another. I felt a little overwhelmed, wondering if I was ready for the whirlwind.

 

The whirlwind o’ promotion is here and I’m lovin’ it. I may be tired (a lot) but these characters and their stories are worth every ounce of it. So the feelings…I think the feelings are lovelier the second time around!

 

“Some days, you just want the dragon to win.”

 

BLURB:

Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

 

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

EXCERPT:

A Tense Little Excerpt From Choices Meant for Kings

By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender

http://www.authorsandylender.com

You won’t find this excerpt anywhere except Sandy’s current online book tour…

 

As the soldier stepped toward him, Nigel reached out his arm and caught him by the neck. He slammed the captain against the far wall. He pinned him there with his body, leaning against the man as if he could crush the wind from him with his presence.

 

He brought his face close to the soldier’s ear and spoke lowly, fiercely, so that no one could have overheard him. The menace and intent behind the words was as surprising to the captain as the words themselves.

 

“I asked you to accompany [Chariss] on this journey tomorrow because I have faith in your sword, and until this moment I trusted you to keep your distance from her. Now, I find her down here at your side with a look upon your face that suggests more than you realize. So help me, Naegling, the only thing that stays my hand is how displeased she would be if she learned that I sliced you open.”

 

“The look you see is merely my concern for her honor. Nothing more.”

 

“I’m not a fool. And I’ll use every last piece of Arcana’s treasury to pay the prophets to justify my reasons for marrying that woman, so you can unconcern yourself with her honor.”

 

Hrazon stepped off the staircase then and saw Nigel pressed against his guard.

 

“I still believe you’re one of the best soldiers Arcana’s ever seen,” Nigel continued, “and I want you at her side for this journey, but, so help me, Naegling, she comes back alive and well and not confused in the least about her affections for me, or I will string you up from a tree in the orchard and attach your intestines to your horse’s saddle before I send it—”

 

Hrazon cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Is there an issue here I should address?”