Never have I had a story come to me, fully fledged, so I knew what would happen every step of the way. Seven Days came as pure inspiration. Usually stuff flips or evolves, but I had this, day by day from the jump.

I layered a lot of myths together, but I think it works. Here's what happened... I started thinking about Judao-Christian mythos, then as I was in my downstairs bathroom, I started thinking it looked like a nun's cell. It's very plain, bare plaster, nothing on the walls...

From there I leapt to the beginning of Seven Days. I adore this story. And heres a secret...I'm a soft-hearted sap, and I bawled so hard when I wrote certain bits. You'll know them when you come to them.

Anyway, in this post we'll be hearing from readers who've enjoyed a sneak peek of this story and/or anthology for various reasons. Don't take my word for it. Here's what four different readers had to say:

Lainey:

WOW...AWESOME...F'N GREAT. Really unique concept. I sat to give it just a glance this morning and wound up still in my jammies an hour later. I don't generally think of those type stories as my cuppa, but you meshed the real with the unreal so cleverly and penned her temptation so well, I couldn't pull myself out of the story. Terrific, and way more depth than your average 'short'. I felt as though I was in Dev's POV by times, his actions and dialogue were so poignant. Again: WOW.

Ella / L:

I didn't know what quite to expect from Boundless when I started reading it. I mean, I knew the cover was awesome, but I didn't let my hopes get too high. Anthologies always seem to leave me a bit disappointed. I have worked out so many crack-pot theories on why, but it doesn't lessen the blows to my long-suffering reader's soul.

Anthologies, they terrify me. Many brilliant authors I love seem to think nothing of just publishing awful drivel in an anthology.

Who reads them? they ask in chortling tones.

And alone in the dark, one voice cries out, "I do! For ten bucks a pop I do, you bet your sorry ass! May all the gods of literary finances show mercy and refrain from smiting."

But lo, look! There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Didn't take me long to say, "Screw it" and devour the whole thing in an afternoon's worth of time.

Did I have to do some eye-brow raising while reading Boundless?

Yes, on account of the things I learned about nuns. I did a lot more laughing and sympathizing and cheering on behalf of the characters, and it's on my keeper shelf.

Erm, on my...internet keeper folder.

It's somewhere important, that's what I'm saying.

Boundless features three women yearning for change, any change, that might make their lives more full than empty. And each got her change all right, though, in ways they most certainly were not expecting.

This is a sentiment I related to easily, and I saw pieces of myself in each heroine.

Teresa, who yearns for something more and pure to put the past behind her; Marie, who wants the tide of loneliness to recede and find companionship in another; and Kitty, who takes a wild ride to find out what it feels like to be someone else.

That's not to say that the men don't shine. From Dev, tortured and endearingly sweet (for being an incubus); to Sam, Marie's dream man come true (and mine); to Jack, a worldly cynic (a man after my own heart) who gets a whole new view on possibilities.

Though each tale held its own drawbacks, these characters, both the normal and...not-so-much, have found themselves chained down by something intangible and unable to be more than they can be until fate it seems steps in, and helps them out by letting them find each other and a little faith in miracles.

Boundless, I think, is a solid buy to introduce readers(who are like me, always the last to know about stuff like this) to three great writers who will hopefully keep churning out more books. Some of these ladies have frightfully small backlists, I know, but maybe plots will multiply like bunnies and they won't hear a thing about it from me. Maybe.

No, not really.

Joan:

I was really excited when Ann asked me if I wanted an ARC of Boundless if I would read it before the release and give her my reaction. I don't even know where to start. The stories are erotic, but it's a subtle sensuality sometimes, and they're underpinned with the most delicious intensity. The ladies have imbued their heroes and heroines with so much yearning, but at the same time, like in Waking Kitty, there is a sense of displacement and of longing for home. The writing is just beautiful. Bonnie Dee has such a gift for imagery, she brings fall to life for me. And Sam is just so... I don't know what to say. I wanted him for myself. I think you should buy it. This is the best anthology I've seen all year. Usually there's a weak story, but I liked all of these.

Kelly:

Ok, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this because I don't like paranormal stuff. I know that makes me weird, but I hate vampires and werewolves, and I can't stand stuff where there's a lot of magic and foofy crap. I didn't even really want to read this tbh but it was a free book, so I said what the hell. And the first story has a freakin' heroine who is about to turn into a nun. But she got me, I'm not sure how. The descriptions were really vivid and moving, and pretty soon she was getting naked and teasing him. Dev was great, he seemed so desperate to be human and yet...not. He just wasn't. I don't know exactly how she did that fine line, but it was there. And I didn't even mind it.

Once I started liking that one, the rest of them were just good. I mean, the second one had magic in it and I still liked it. Bonnie Dee writes a hell of a sex scene. The last story was the weirdest one yet, but it was so funny, omg. And Jack was just grungy enough to make me think I'd date him. You guys should get this, even if you don't like these kinds of stories. They're magical but in a good way.

And there you have it. Boundless is bound to please. Buy a copy. And then tell everyone you know about it. There's just something special about these stories. I couldn't be prouder to be part of it, and I can't wait until I can sign copies of this for people, show off the gorgeous cover that April designed, and say:

"Hey, look, I have a story in this book, along with two of the best writers I know. How cool is that?"

Labels: boundless

13 reasons you gotta buy this book 1. It has stories written by Bonnie Dee, Dionne Galace, and me. 2. They're hot. 3. Exhibit A from Waking Kitty by Dionne Galace "Damn it, Kitty. What did I say?" She crossed her arms across her ample chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, I know you didn't just use that tone with me, Jack." Jack gritted his teeth and buried both hands in his hair. Goddamn disobedient maddeningly sexy female. "Kitty, I'm trying very, very hard to be a gentleman to you here, okay? You've had a rough day and I didn't want to add to it by attacking you like a ravening wolf. But you're making it very, very hard for me to be nice to you." The corners of her lips quirked up in a saucy smile. "Is it very, very hard, Jack?" 4. Exhibit B from The Straw Man by Bonnie Dee He stood on her porch, broad-shouldered and raw-boned, looking at her with those exotic, soulful eyes. "You only asked for one night." She felt her resistance melting. It was his dark chocolate eyes that did it. Between one breath and the next she suddenly and completely believed he was what she thought he was. The magic must be working on her, too, breaking down her logic and allowing her to believe. There was no other rational explanation for what she did next. As he moved a tentative foot toward the door, she swung it open and stepped back to let him inside. A rain-scented wind blew in with him, bringing a scattering of dried leaves into the front hall. Moving slowly, as if in a dream, she closed the door behind him. 5. Exhibit C from Seven Days by ...well, me "Kiss me, Tess." Oh, diabolical. By putting the power in her hands it became entirely her choice how they touched, if they did. Her heart galloped. She wanted his mouth. If she trusted herself to sample that and nothing more-- "I don't know how," she whispered. "Put your mouth on mine. I'll show you." Her lashes fluttered shut and she leaned in blind, seeking by heat and instinct until her lips glanced off his chin. He tilted his head, compensated, and his mouth felt like pressed silk beneath hers, warm and smooth. She knew nothing of what to expect but he didn't take her in his arms. That was proscribed. His mouth plucked at hers, their only point of contact, not ravaging but seducing. The nutmeg and clove scent intensified as he coaxed her lips apart. Light, delicate, Dev nuzzled her top lip until it tingled. When he repeated the tease on her lower lip, heat blossomed in response, flaring to tiny, dazzling currents. 6. There are no secret babies. 7. Three delicious, exotic heroes. You won't believe how much so until you read it. 8. One truly unique heroine. 9. Writing so yummy it makes your toes curl. No, not mine. Although if your toes curl over my story, I'd love to know about it. Put My Toes Curled! in the subject line and I'll squee like a pretty, pretty princess. 10. A cover so sensual and decadent you could stare at it for days. Don't mind if I do... 11. Stories that are erotic without being full of improbable unsexy sex. No tab A, slot B stuff in here. 12. There's no what-what in the butt, where the heroine screams like a cat in heat and acts as if she's riding the Orgasmatron. 13. The baby bunny really wants you to buy Boundless. Can you say no to this face? You can get your copy Sept 3.

Labels: Thursday 13

Yesterday I had a great telephone conversation with Eileen Wilks, wherein we made some good progress in planning our workshop for RWA 2008.

One thing we touched on (and I think is worthy of its own blog post because we're not covering it as part of our panel) is how writers can sometimes fixate on process. So-and-so does this, and she sells a bazillion books a year, therefore I should do it too.

Personally, I think that's bollocks.

Truly I think each author needs to find his or her own method and go with it. Same with subject matter, same with stories. I don't think it's possible to maximize your own potential if you're emulating someone else. This is a helpful tool to learn how to write, but after a while, it becomes imperative to develop your own style.

That goes for process, routine, and voice. I've attended seminars where the speaker talked as if her method was the only one and if you don't follow her steps, then you're doing it wrong. That drives me crazy because it's so patently not true. Don't panic if you don't outline. Don't panic if you do.

Some writers use outlines, character cards, storyboards, and a whole lot of tools that seem impossibly complicated to me. I have a friend who was flabbergasted to find out I don't plot anything.

She said, "Do you not outline ahead of time? Are you one of them lucky folks who can just sit down and write? Not me. I need the whole thing, chapter by chapter outlined and plotted. Otherwise, mermaids and shit start popping up all over the place and it's a straight contemporary."

Shit, sometimes I don't even have character names, basic story, nothing. It just comes while I write. I know the important components of a story and how they are constructed (exposition, rising action, etc), but I don't break it down or deconstruct what I'm doing to see how my work fits the four act dramatic structure. I just write.

For other people, that would not work at all. They would find it impossible to keep track of various plot threads without having it all diagrammed. I would suppose that's because they're more visual than I am, and they need to see their scenes laid out to get a feeling for the flow of the book. Both ways are good. Both ways work.

So don't let anyone convince you that they've worked out a foolproof way of doing this or that. Your system is fine. Don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. There's no one right way to do this job. Paraphrasing Nora Roberts, whose Q&A was the best I attended at RWA this year: whatever way works for you is the best way.

Labels: writing, wwnd

From a novel point of view...

Turn down the contrast, turn down the sound
Turn down the TV in the background
Sit here with me, bring me to life
Just listen close -- and don't plagiarize, don't plagiarize me

(Chorus) But I can't make you plot me if you won't
You can't make your brain do something it don't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will not mention deadlines or the fact you don't shower
But you don't, no, you don't
And I can't make you plot me, if you won't

I'm just a promise, not even words on a screen
But when you thought me up, you were jacked on morphine
Morning will come and you will be fucked
When your editor calls you are shit out of luck.
Yeah, you are shit out of luck.

(Chorus) But I can't make you plot me if you won't
You can't make your brain do something it don't
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will not mention deadlines or the fact you don't shower
But you don't, no, you don't
And I can't make you plot me, if you won't...
(slow fade)

Today is my birthday. Woohoo! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I'm home alone, at least until the maid gets here at 10. Anybody who has kids (or even roommates) can appreciate the lovely feeling of being left to your own devices.

We had a big family party on Saturday, where I ate an awesome burger, danced, drank some Chivas and listened to some really funny stories. The celebration went on for some six hours, so I'm okay to chill this fine Monday. We'll probably go out to dinner somewhere tonight, but otherwise it's business as usual for me today.

I'm on page 255 out of 283 in my Good Touch revisions, but it's the last bit here that needs the most work. However, I think I've just about figured out how to fix the rough parts. I'm nearly done with the accompanying proposal as well. It would be a grand birthday present to myself if I managed to get the project back out the door to my agent today, but we'll see.

Anyway, contest news: I have a new one running over on the Bradford Bunch, one you won't want to miss. The prize is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Go check it out.

We have a contest winner over here too! L has won an e-ARC of Boundless. Blam! Her first time commenting on my blog, and she racks up a win. Email me, and I'll hook you up.

Finally, I have a contest running on my loop, but I can't talk about it here. If you were a member of my inner circle, you'd already know what it was all about, and you'd probably have entered by now. But don't despair. If you hate feeling left out, just put your email in the box up in the sidebar, and you can still enter. It closes on Aug 29, midnight. I hope you'll join us.

And for those of you who, like me, could never get enough of Mr. Hut from Life on a Stick, I bring you this very special Happy Birthday Dance. The look on your face is thanks enough.

Labels: about me, birthday

I worked so hard on that post yesterday that I'm just gonna coast today. Slice up some silliness from my life and serve up with a side of, "Gosh, I really am a dork, but I'm here to amuse y'all."

Do your eyes ever play tricks on you? I glanced at my inbox and saw I had four new messages. My brain translated the senders as:

Loowis the Loose Bowel (*snickers* It was three Loose Id promo emails.)

and

Wolverine (Don't I wish! For all of 15 seconds, I was like, Woohoo! Was actually Weaveraine, which is how Raine Weaver's name appears in Gmail for some reason. It was cool to hear from her, but she ain't Hugh Jackman.)

This is my office, where I do all my work. The fookin' cats fight over my chair. I get up to go to the bathroom right next door, come back, and they're sprawled on it like, "What? You left, dude. We got dibs now." I then relocate them to the yellow armchair. You can see part of the chair (and one lazy cat) in the first shot.

From this very office, I often send my husband IMs in the middle of the day. I offer a sample of onesuch where we're talking about Good Touch for your enjoyment:

me: What do you think about books 5 and 6?

Andres: What about books 5 and 6?

me: I'm not sure she has archenemies. I mean, just people who have a grudge against her. Normal type grudges. They'd like to see her dead, but in a direct way.

Andres: Yes, no Lex Luthor for her.

me: Not in a behind the scenes I AM MANDARK way.
(Five minutes later) Sorry, google went loopy on me.

Andres: 's okay.

me: what do you think about a confrontation with a father she hasn't seen since she was seven for book six?

Andres: That could work.

me: that's the final loose end anyway. the only thing i can think of. so... anyway, laura told me that synopses are more selling points than promises. so this is all just my best guess, and they won't care if the story comes out different, as long as it's still GOOD and in the same vein as I sold to them.

Andres: Right.

me: i mean, i can't suddenly decide to make her a sumo wrestler

Andres: No sudden changes with her being the chosen one from outer space. Heh heh.

me: Or that. :D

Andres: As long as she does not suddenly become an expert martial artist that can shoot two guns while doing a backflip, you're good.

me: Yep. She'll never go there. I thought it was pretty funny to have Corine pitch grenades because she used to play softball, and she can't be trusted with a gun. Btw, Laura sent out my contracts. YAY!

Andres: Very nice, honey.

me: I know!! Now I can fax it to SFWA to make my membership official.

Andres: Yep yep.

me: *dances* When I'm famous, you can be my armcandy. I'll buy you some tight pants.
With a salsa ruffled flare on the bottom.

Andres: Heh.

me: Hehe. *grins* And you must wear your white shirt. The very fancy one.

Andres: You just like the frills.

me: Duh. My trophy husband must personify the stereotype of the hot Latin lover. *smirk*

Andres: *snorts*

me: But you would look pretty sexy in a pair of stretchy black tight pants with flared bottoms. *grins*

Andres: Yes, yes I would.

me: You're so cute.

There you have it. If you see us at cons, I'll be the one with the tight-pants wearing flamenco dancer on my arm. Have a great weekend, y'all.

13 ways to score free books Got your attention, didn't I? As an author, you'd think I would be against free books on principle, but nope, no way. I'm all for anything that gets people reading. See, once you get 'em started, it becomes a habit. They want more, and then I'm perfectly placed to hook them up. I'm watch you call a threshold literary pusher. Yeah, you got that right. I'm your friendly neighborhood book-crack dealer. Why do you think it says on the excerpt pages of my website: "Your first taste is free"? I aim to make y'all story junkies, who can't get enough of what I got. But in the meantime, I'll help you find some free reads. 1. Shareware eBooks They don't have a huge selection, but the most important part is... free! You might be surprised at the books in the romance section. I found Pleasure for Pleasure here, which I understand is awesome. And their reader is gorgeous; it looks like an actual book on your computer screen with turning pages and everything. They also have the complete works of Andrew Lang, which is quite wonderful. 2. Paperback Swap All you pay is postage. You send books; you get books back. This is a beautiful system, and you can request certain ones, I believe. 3. Title Trader This site works like Paperback Swap, but you can also trade movies and games as well. 4. SF-Books Another swap site, but this one specializes in SF and Fantasy with some horror as well. Joining is free, and you earn credits for each book you send out. That allows you to ask for any book you want on the site. 5. Enter contests. You should enter every contest you can. Why? Because the prize is usually a free book, or sometimes a gift certificate that will allow you to pick out books for free. Yay! 6. Join the staff of a review site. You'll get your pick of new releases. 7. Project Gutenberg Over 20,000 free books just waiting for you to download and stash on your PDA. I snagged the complete works of Cory Doctorow on there and took them on vacation with me. There's a lot of classics on here, but there are other hidden gems as well. For instance, did you know that A.A. Milne wrote a detective novel in 1922? It's called The Red House Mystery. You can find it here. He wrote this dedication: TO JOHN VINE MILNE MY DEAR FATHER, Like all really nice people, you have a weakness for detective stories, and feel that there are not enough of them. So, after all that you have done for me, the least that I can do for you is to write you one. Here it is: with more gratitude and affection than I can well put down here. You can see the gentle good humor that he imbued to his much beloved Winnie the Pooh stories. It's worth a look. 8. Become a beta reader. This means befriending an author and eventually saying ever-so-casually, "I wouldn't mind beta-reading for you." This doesn't mean critique. A beta reader is unaffiliated with publishing, and is only required to give a reaction to the book. Say what worked or didn't work. Why. Sometimes beta readers notice things that writers / editors don't. Common sense type things, like if a faerie character is allergic to iron, but has no problem riding in cars. 9. Internet Public Library This has some interesting stuff on it. I'm partial to the Cowboy Poets and the translated works of female authors writing before 1700. Lots of obscure treasures to be uncovered. 10. Check author websites for a "free reads" page. Many of us offer free stories just to reward readers for visiting. 11. Baen Free Library Anyone who wishes can read these titles online -- no conditions, no strings attached. (Later we may ask for an extremely simple, name and email only, registration. ) Or, if you prefer, you can download the books in one of several formats. Again, with no conditions or strings attached. And it's just that simple. 12. ManyBooks Over 17,000 free books, including The Rainbow and Women in Love by DH Lawrence. I like the Banned Books section. It's amusing to see what knobheads have objected to. What in the world is wrong with The Call of the Wild? I read that in grade school. They also have a large, yummy Pulp section, so if you love Robert E. Howard and his contemporaries, you can find lots of goodies here. 13. Bookins Another swap site. Can you ever have too many? They offer flat-rate shipping. Hope you've learned something and get a good free read shortly.

Labels: Thursday 13

This post is going to be a mishmash of stuff I need to mention, but which aren't worthy of a whole post. Therefore, expect this to be more disjointed than usual.

First, I am in no danger from the hurricane. I am touched and heartened by the outpouring of concern via email, but Cozumel is a good long way from Mexico City. Think Ohio to Florida. However, I feel all Sally Field about it. "You like me! You really like me!" Well, maybe some of you hope I'll get swept out to sea, but it ain't happenin' this week.

Second, I added a bunch of new links to my blogroll, people whose blogs I visit regularly, and who stop by here often as well. If you haven't been added yet, it's not because I don't love you. Just email me, and I'll make it happen. I don't have any of that mystic backlink magic other people possess. If you read my blog quietly, decide it's becoming a favorite, and add me to your sidebar and/or blogroll, I won't know unless you tell me. I don't have any inclination to track that and have five red lights go off in my inbox each time Google does something with my name.

Third, Deena has added a couple of new pages (FAQ and Appearances) to my Ann Aguirre site. Check it out, especially the FAQ page. If something isn't covered, ask in comments, and I'll make sure my answers are incorporated in the new batch of updates.

Fourth, I got my RWR for August this afternoon (like a month behind everyone else), but I got it. Yay! I love getting this. I think I'm gonna buy an ad for Grimspace on the front inside cover, full color. Just because. And I'll beg April to design it. Anyway, inside this issue, there's something called "Calling All Workshop Presenters", so I read it. And they're taking applications for workshops / panels in SF next year. The deadline is November 1. Part of me says, "Oh no. Not just no, hell no." But another part of me says, "You know, it would be good experience. You should put something together."

Well, this is not a completely asinine idea. I was President of Thespians, for goodness sake. I was on the debate team. So I'm not a novice at public speaking, although it's been years. I'm also doing panels at OmegaCon in March, so I'll have gotten my feet wet once before RWA. Whether that's good or bad, I have no idea.

So do you guys think? Should I do it? Never mind the fact that I need to have a 6 book series proposal done by Sept 15, along with requested revisions on the first book. And never mind that I have a novel contracted that needs to be finished by Dec 1. And surely let's don't mention all the marketing and publicity stuff, or the stuff my kids keep expecting me to do. Like feed them. Hehe.

No, really. I'm a master of getting shit done, so I'm positive I can put together a panel before November 1. But should I? Part of my hesitation is that I'm not sure who to invite to participate in it alongside me. But ok, if someone else has something already cooking and you need another author, email me! I'd totally love to hitch a ride on your presentation. Er, I mean collaborate with you on whatever you like. Cos I'm easy like that. Well. Y'know.

To recap, post questions in comments that you'd like to see answered on my website. Asking anonymously is fine. And get back to me on the SF RWA panel thing. I need guidance. I am a little lamb lost in the wide...yeah, whatever. You get it.

Whew. I think that's enough for one day. If there's more, it'll keep.

PS -- a random commenter will win an e-ARC of Boundless. You'll get it on my birthday, August 27, a full week before anyone else can read those yummy stories. How nice am I? I'm fixin' to give someone else a present on my big day. Get commenting!

Labels: contest, random

Not reviews, per se, but a review of my vacation books, a roller coaster ride of reading fun. I won't go into detail, just my basic reactions.

I think you may be surprised by what I devoured in one short week. Ready? This'll go fast. You sure you're set? K, hang on tight, here we go!

Ebooks

By Bonnie Dee
The Warrior's Gift Meh.

Moon Over Bourbon Street Fun. Gabriel Knight in book form. Recommend.

Home Bound Crazy-hot. And kinda wrong. But hot. Recommend.

Blackberry Pie Holy crap, was this hot. Too short. Wanted a whole damn book. So hot I got a sunburn. And so beautifully written it brought tears to my eyes. BUY THIS.

By Charlene Teglia
The Gripping Beast Good writing. Fun way to kill a few hours. Plus...VIKINGS. Minus points for weird title that made me think it had hentai in it.

By Lauren Dane
Giving Chase Fresh baked bread, wholesome. Great heroine. Minus points for making me fall in love with one brother, and then turning him into a dick. Kinda suffered from dual hero syndrome. But worth reading.

Taking Chase Great! But it wasn't a keeper because Shane was such an ass in book 1 that I couldn't forgive him too readily. If you read these back to back as I did you may have the same problem. Cassie's issues were written beautifully. Warm chocolate chip cookies feeling from reading it and a happy sigh at the end. Even if I was still kinda mad at Shane.

Chased Not as powerful as book 2. Worth reading, though.

By Pepper Espinoza
Mad World Crap on a cracker, this is the shit. But dark, terrible, ugly, and dysfunctional. Hero is a corrupt cop just this side of insane vigilante and the heroine is a sociopathic hooker. KEEPER! Not for the faint of heart.

Rayne of Love Meh. Good idea, shaky execution. Writing was engaging, needed tighter editing.

New Frontier Hello, genuine frontier story. Outlaw, pioneer woman, Old West, hot sex? What could be better? I liked.

By Dee Tenorio
Betting Hearts Rocked me. SEP, look out. Fuckin' loved this. Buy this one!

Paperbacks

Still Waters
Tami Hoag
Tired, dated. Everybody smoked. The only interesting character, well, I won't spoil you. But meh. Yawn.

Moonshine
Rob Thurman
Better than the first one. Didn't make me sing out in awed delight like Patricia Briggs, but readable.

The Scent of Shadows
Vicki Pettersson
Gack.

Private Arrangements
Sherry Thomas
A very pretty, artfully written historical romance. Clever. It was a sugar cookie, a Quinn, not a Kinsale. PS -- haha! I have it and you don't.

You Belong to Me
Patricia Sargeant
Good writing. Great hero. Romantic suspense, and I'm not prone to love those. But I enjoyed it.

Forever Odd
Dean Koontz
Love the characters, love his writing and sense of humor. Hated the plot/story. I won't give up on Odd Thomas, but the first book was the best to date.

Got questions? You can ask in comments or email me. Feel free to disagree. As always, this is only my opinion, which doesn't matter for shit.

Labels: books, impressions, quickie, reviews

Well, I'm back from vacation, and I've been catching up on email since Saturday night. I've gotten a lot done, and I'm feeling good about said diligence.

Today I have to shop for groceries, pay bills, buy school supplies and new uniforms (because the kids go back to school tomorrow), and pick the animals up at the vet where they're boarding, recuperating from their spay and/or or neuter surgeries. We're talking one female dog and two male cats. So I have a full day planned, and it's a good thing I spent the day working yesterday, as I won't get much else accomplished this fine Monday.

Yesterday I wrapped up three contests and named winners, as promised. My author loop currently has 69 members. I know, right? I swear I didn't plan it that way, but it's oddly apropos.

I'll be starting another contest shortly. It has to do with the amazing release Boundless, coming out Sept 3. With Bonnie Dee and Dionne Galace in it with me, you won't want to miss this paranormal treat, trust me. And how hot is this cover?

Later this week, I have some great posts planned, such as where you can get free books.

For now, I'll leave y'all with this. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, this will tell you everything you need to know about my week in Cozumel.

Yes, I took these pictures.

I'm still in Cozumel, and I have a bunch of email to catch up on when I get home. But this is too good to keep to myself. I couldn't wait. Official cover -- it's been approved and Deena is in the process of plastering it all over my website. Isn't it awesome? I've been gazing at it with awed admiration for the last two weeks, and the wonder still hasn't worn off. That's my book. Seriously, right? Grimspace releases on Feb 26, 2008.

And here's what people are saying about it:

"A tightly written, edge of your seat read with intense characterization - plus one pounding, hot SF plot."
--Linnea Sinclair, RITA Award Winning Author of GABRIEL'S GHOST and GAMES OF COMMAND


"An irresistible blend of action and attitude. Sirantha Jax doesn't just leap off the page -- she storms out, kicking, cursing, and mouthing off. No wonder her pilot falls in love with her; readers will too."
--Sharon Shinn, William L.Crawford Award Winning Author of ARCHANGEL and READER AND RAELYNX


"A terrific first novel full of page-turning action, delightful characters and a wry twist of humor. Romance may be in the air. Bullets, ugly beasties, and really nasty bad guys definitely are. Skip lunch - buy this book!"
--Mike Shepherd, national bestselling author of the Kris Longknife series


"Grimspace is an exciting, evocative and suspenseful science fiction romance, reminding me of Firefly and Serenity. Characters and a world you'll think about long after the book is done. Fascinating!"
--Robin D. Owens, award-winning author of HeartMate


"An unflinching tale of survival, redemption, and serious ass-kicking. Jax's brutal eloquence will twist your heart when you least expect it."
--Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of EYES OF CROW

Don't you wish you could run out and buy it right now?

Labels: cover goodness, the squee heard round the world, writing

Well, my dear readers, the time has come. My bags are packed, all the arrangements made, and I'm leaving Saturday morning for Cozumel. My PDA is burgeoning with books by Bonnie Dee, Charlene Teglia, Pepper Espinoza, Dee Tenorio, Emma Wayne Porter, and Lauren Dane, so I'll have lots of company for my beach lounging. Expect blog squeeing if I love the books.

When I get back, I'll take care of the contests I'm running. If you haven't already signed up for my newsletter it's not too late. You could win an awesome prize. I'll also have some delicious photos of our trip. I'll be back around the 20th. Try not to miss me too much.

Until then... let this tide you over.

Labels: vacation

13 places I want to visit that you've probably never heard of 1. Yap 2. Vis 3. Fakarava 4. Saba 5. Calvi 6. Mahansar 7. Inami 8. Ko Similan 9. Korcula 10. Niue 11. Ikaria 12. Sovalye 13. Siwa

Labels: Thursday 13

I just saw your MySpace -- what's this about an urban fantasy/paranormal series?! I thought you were doing contemporaries as Annie Dean and Sci-Fi as Ann Aguirre?

I answered via email, and then it occurred to me that other readers might be curious as well. So here's the scoop.

I write hot, quirky contemps as Annie Dean. They may include paranormal elements like the novella I have coming out in a Liquid Silver anthology alongside Dionne Galace and Bonnie Dee. But these books will be more sexually explicit, and the love story is pretty much the whole impetus of the plot.

As Ann Aguirre, I write dark, edgy stories. They might have sex / sexual content, but it won't be graphic, and the gettin' down scene count won't be as high. These titles focus on action and ass-kicking. The relationship arc will still be present, but it won't comprise the whole book.

Like I've said before, I stomp all over genre boundaries, especially in my Ann Aguirre titles. The Touch series is another idea that defies easy pigeonholing. I'd call it urban fantasy myself, but my agent intends to shop it as paranormal mystery. That's cool; it has some elements in common with Charlaine Harris's Grave series.

My series features a cool heroine with a limited power, doing the best she can not to be killed by all the Very Bad Things out there. And there are three possible love interests -- the romance arc will develop slowly (but as always) by the end of book six, I will deliver a happy ending. I also intend to listen to reader feedback and see which hero readers like best. Talk about revolutionary!

Anyway, here's some more information.

Corine Solomon isn't looking for adventure. She's happy with her junky little pawnshop, happy living as an expat where nobody knows who she is or what she can do. Nobody brings her soiled mittens from missing children or tiny earrings from dead babies anymore. She wants to forget the gift she never asked for and to stop thinking about the terrible night that changed her life forever. But things never go the way she wants them to and she can't escape the man with the devil's own luck. Chance doesn't intend to let her go, and what's more, he needs her for the first time in his life. If they can survive, things just might be different this time...

The first chapter is available here. Proposed titles follow:

GOOD TOUCH
TOUCH AND GO
DON'T TOUCH
THE MIDAS TOUCH
TOUCH WOOD
KEEP IN TOUCH

Possible heroes:

Chance
Corine's ex. He's half-Korean, half-who knows? His mother isn't talking, but he has the devil's own luck. When he turns his gift to a situation, he can nearly always swing it in his favor. Coincidences become astonishingly fortuitous. He's slim and well-groomed, urbane: think Russell Wong. He's always been completely cool and in control, but after Corine left him, that facade started to crack. Who knows what passions lurk beneath his smooth exterior?

Jesse
Latino cowboy type. He's a cop, and oh, did I mention he's long, tall and gorgeous? Deep amber brown eyes, tan skin, sun-streaked hair. He's also an empath, so he knows what a woman wants.

There's also a darkhorse that I won't talk about here. Sound like fun? But don't worry; this series doesn't suffer from a lack of strong female secondary characters, and every male Corine meets doesn't immediately want to shag her. Here's a little excerpt to seal the deal.

Maybe it was cruel, but as my final act in preparing for bed, I touched up the frangipani on my throat.

I found him sitting on the edge of my bed, wearing striped boxers, a white t-shirt, and yes, his socks. The sight made me smile, though not as much as seeing him in my boudoir. What a wonderful word. My room definitely rose to the challenge, done in rose, lavender, and handmade lace. It bordered on brothel burlesque, especially with the balcony overlooking the street where I might show my bosoms to prospective clients.

"All set?"

Nodding, I threw some clothes in a bag while fighting off the memory of other occasions where I'd done exactly that. Chance told me we were leaving and I began to pack, no questions asked. Right up until the last, I would have followed him through fire. In the end, I did that too -- and that was why I had to leave him.

Is that love? It seems like a pale word, too easily tossed about by people who don't know the meaning of it, who twist it for their own ends. I'm afraid of it now, right up there with clowns, close spaces and open flames. On our second date, I had a panic attack when Chance ordered Cherries Jubilee. After that, I felt sure I'd never see him again.

Shows what I know.

As I came around the bed, he shivered visibly. Oh, I knew he was scent-sensitive. More than most people, an aroma carries him back in time, makes him relive the associated memories, feel the emotion of that moment. The way it affects him, I'd call it a weakness, but how could I pass up the opportunity to torment him a little? How heady that I still have the power; I wouldn't have guessed that he was the steadfast sort.

I mean, just look at him. I noticed the glances we attracted when we were together. Someone generous would call me an endomorph, but I'm well-aware I'm round and squat, not sleek and long-limbed like Chance. If I try to wear crop pants, I grow cankles, and there's always a bit of kitsch about me, no matter how hard I try.

In the last year and a half, I gave up on elegance and worked on developing my own style. It generally involves flowered hats, gypsy skirts that show off my rather cute feet and peasant blouses. Luckily these things are readily available here.

He inhaled deeply as I got in bed, his eyes fixed on the decolletage of my undeniably demure gown. Swear I felt the heat of his look tracing the satin trim along my breasts. "You grew a mean streak, Corine."

I recognized his tone. The perfume had been a bad idea, because we were both remembering the last time we'd been together. Christ, the sex was good that night. Looking at his mouth, I began to forget all the reasons why I shouldn't get naked and roll around with him. Determined not to give in, I lay down and pulled the sheet up to my chin.

As if he knew, Chance touched my hair where it spread on the pillow beside him. "Red looks good on you."

"Thanks."

I'd never been a redhead while we were together, and for him, my changing hair acted as a quiet kink. He said it was like making love to a different woman every time. And why was I thinking about that now? Rolling onto my side, I killed the lamp and the room gained the soft luminance of distant streetlights. City noises came to us, cars and too-loud conversation.

"Giving me your back?"

"I'm not giving you anything," I said, glancing over my shoulder. Mistake. In the half light, he looked as sad as I've ever seen him.

"Not anymore," he agreed softly.

"Christ. What do you want from me?"

Propped up against the headboard, he smiled then and I saw the silver glimmer of his coin, rolling along his knuckles. "Only what I always wanted. Everything."

Ideally, I'll be writing two series simultaneously. At least, that's the plan. Good thing I'm fast, right? I hope that cleared things up about what I write, as whom, and what's coming down the pike.

PS - the first book has zombies in it. What more could you ask, really?

Labels: QnA

Two more questions rolled in yesterday, and because I'm working on Grimspace edits, I love not having to think of a blog topic. So I'm making it official: this is ASK ANNIE week. Whatever you've wanted to know, email me it to me at ann.aguirre@gmail.com.

"This might seem dumb, but what do you prefer people to call you? I never know if I should use Ann, Annie, or what."

That's a good one, not dumb at all. To be perfectly honest, nobody but Linnea Sinclair has ever called me Annie. She started doing it years ago as an affectionate thing, so when it came time for me to pick a pseudonym, that was an obvious choice for the first name. I needed something simple and something I could remember easily.

But for the most part, people don't call me Annie in real life. Except Linnea, my friends call me Ann. So that's fine. But it doesn't bother me if you call me Annie either. I'm used to it now.

Making matters more complicated, family and close friends here in Mexico call me Anita (Ah-nee-tah). It's an endearment, as folks here often put "ita" or "ito" on a word or name. For example, my mother in law calls my niece "mamita." The name Ann is Anglo, and before I became Anita, people called me Ana (Ah-nah) because Ann just isn't a name they're used to.

In conclusion, I will answer to Ann, Annie, Anita, or Ana. Ann is fine, though, as that's my name. People are always saying, "Oh, I didn't know you write as Ann Aguirre!" Well, that's my name, actually.

Final thought -- if in doubt, call me Ann. If you call me Anita, you'd better know when my birthday is and pony up a present 'cos that's for people who are close to me. Annie falls somewhere in between.

I'll answer another question tomorrow, and boy, is it a good one!

Labels: QnA

Since I asked for questions, I'm actually starting to get some. Most of them I've put on the FAQ that Deena is putting together. The rest I'll answer on here when I have time and inclination. Anyway, someone asked "Why do you call your blog 'Try some, it's good'"?

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... I used to be really reluctant to try new things. What if I don't like it? If it looks gross or scary or whatever, you wouldn't catch me taking the risk, no sir.

Well, then someone persuaded me to give mushroom saag a try. If you've never seen it, here's a picture to give you an idea. It looks pretty gross. I ordered it at a restaurant in Indianapolis called India Palace, and when it arrived I almost chickened out. I mean look at it. It's all green and gloppy. It looks like something you scrape out of a badly maintained pool.

But I remembered my promise, so I tried a bite. To my amazement I loved it. And then I felt like a superficial jackass. Because for all my talk about not judging by appearances, I certainly did that to mushroom saag. Maybe I'd even discriminated against other ugly foods over the years.

So the blog title is a reminder to myself. If we stay in our comfort zones, sure, we won't be exposed to things we don't like (or think we don't like) but we'll never grow as human beings either. I don't want to stagnate in my tastes, whether it's books, food, music, films, or whatever. I want to keep expanding my horizons, even when it surprises me. Sometimes it does.

Ever heard someone say, "I didn't think I'd like that, but..."? That's a great feeling, realizing you're still open-minded enough to add something unexpected to your repertoire of favorites. For instance, I just added a band to my list. Ever heard of The Enemy? Take a listen. Pretty nice, huh?

And that's why I invite you to "try some, it's good."

Labels: QnA

I'm happy to report that I wrote my short story yesterday for Nothing But Red. Shorts are not really my thing, but this one is pretty good. It's chock full of symbolism and feminine empowerment. Not bad for 3K, right? I also managed to work in a short love scene, but I didn't make it too graphic for fear of shocking somebody who buys the anthology just to be charitable.

Just got word that Grimspace edits are wending their way toward me on the wings of FedEx. I need to knock them out ASAP because we're leaving on August 11 to spend a glorious week at a villa in Cozumel.

Isn't it gorgeous? I'm so excited to be staying right on the beach. Walk out the door and lounge in the sun or have a morning swim in the ocean. That would be the perfect life for me.
I'll be gone for that week, which actually impacts my newsletter contest. When I come back on the 18th, I'll look at how many people have subscribed, and draw the winner of the grand prize.

Coming up this weekend -- Saturday we're making a roadtrip to Santa Fe to see the Simpsons movie and Sunday we're attending my niece's christening. I'm not sure what that entails, but I suspect there's a party afterward. Yay, parties! Have a great weekend, y'all.

PS - I got preliminary art for Grimspace, and it is HOT. I can't show it to you yet because it's not final, lots of author blurbs to incorporate. But I love the cover. You'll want to read the book just from looking at it.

13 things I don't do anymore 1. Eat raw cookie dough. 2. Argue with crazy people. 3. Waste time on the Internet. 4. Resent spending time with my kids when I need to be writing. 5. Take things for granted. 6. Have multiple piercings. 7. Dye my hair on a whim. 8. Key someone's car in the parking lot if they've pissed me off. 9. Wear socks. 10. Spend hours and hours browsing in bookstores. 11. Feel intimidated by people I perceive as more successful. I'll get there, just give me time. 12. Regret anything. Life is too short. Sure, we've all made bad calls, taken the stupid road, but I'm happy where I am. 13. Try to change the world. I can't do it by myself, so I'll do what I can to make a difference. Speaking of which, I need to get cracking on my Nothing But Red submission.

Labels: Thursday 13

My husband called on the way home from work. "I got off early. Do you need anything?"

I said, "No, I'm fine. Just come home! We baked chocolate chip cookies today, and I saved the biggest one for you."

He brought me these. I guess through the stomach really is the way to a man's heart.