THE NAUGHTY LADY FROM SHADY LANE

Busy bee

2008-07-24T19:06:00.006+01:00

Wow, it’s been a busy time here in the run-up to leaving for the RWA conference. I mostly feel quite levelheaded about the whole event, until I look at my timetable.... Ha! I'm on top of preparations though, and I’m now concentrating on what to say when I meet with my agent and all my editors. Gulp. Wish me luck, I'm very nervous.

In other news, ALONG FOR THE RIDE is now available in print! Amazon.com is shipping and so is Amazon UK although the information has not yet updated there. This book has been available as an ebook for around three years and it’s lovely to see it in print. The print copies are gorgeous, too, a smart and compact format with a lovely feel to them. Here’s the blurb:

When Georgina Montgomery gets involved with the Austrian artist Calvin Rolf and his Fleet Street photographer sidekick, Jason Sutherland, she signs herself up for more escapades than she ever could have imagined. Georgie soon discovers that being involved with two gorgeous men is a heady intoxicant and she quickly casts all her inhibitions aside. She's in her element, but their idyll of sexual adventuring in London is interrupted when a paparazzi scandal threatens to be unleashed around them.

They hit the road and when Georgie comes along for the ride she finds herself going further than she ever has before. None of them thought they'd go as far as falling in love, but they do, and who are they each falling for? When the paparazzi hunt results in Georgie's kidnap, danger ups the emotional stakes for everybody involved and territorial claims of the heart are about to be made.

Amazon com
Amazon UK

Good comments continue to come in about RECKLESS. Check out what my anthology buddy Sasha White had to say about the book and my writing here. I was delighted with her kind words! RECKLESS was also featured in the German romance magazine Love Letters, with a lovely review. Love letters is a super magazine, the German version of the Romantic Times, if you will. I wish we had something like it in England.

Ooh, there will be another freebie copy of RECKLESS up for grabs over at Alison Kent’s blog on Saturday. I’ll try to remember to post about this again, but my brain is a bit overloaded right now. ;-)

Woohooo! 4.5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies!

2008-07-17T17:49:00.002+01:00

RECKLESS is unique and unlike any romance I have ever read. Fully expecting champagne and roses and instances of erotic naughtiness, I was pleasantly surprised to become immersed in a dark, compelling read teeming with sibling rivalry. Sergio is the brother in control and his desire to possess Katrina borders on obsessive. He needs her for his agenda. Nicolas' desire for Katrina, however, is not agenda driven. What starts out as a way to get back at his older brother turns into so much more as each love scene with Katrina unfolds. Saskia Walker is a genius; the turn of events in RECKLESS shocked me completely.

Arousing, enigmatic and gripping, RECKLESS is on my ‘highly recommended' list. If a dark romance with many suspenseful, surprising, and erotic moments is what you crave, then RECKLESS is the book for you!

I'm sooooo happy right now... :)

Reviews for RECKLESS!

2008-07-16T19:03:00.004+01:00

I've had a hectic (and rough) couple of days, but things seem to chillin' out a bit now, thank goodness. A couple of lovely new reviews for RECKLESS really helped (big grin!) Loved what these two ladies posted about the book.

First up, Shellie at Queue My Review had this to say:

Erotic romances are one of my favorite genres to read. When you add some really good suspense, well-written characters and some hot romance it just doesn’t get much better than that. In Reckless, Saskia Walker delivered everything I love in a good erotic romance and more. I literally sat down and read this book in one sitting. Ms. Walker knows how to please a reader with her strong, sexy heroes and her fast-paced storylines.Read full review.

and my dear pal Wendy aka *the* Portia Da Costa had this to say:

Reckless is a page turning romantic suspense story, but also sublimely erotic, with toe curlingly sensual love scenes that sizzle on the page and make you wish you were right there in the Catalan moonlight with a mysterious, darkly passionate stranger making desperate love to you! Phoooarrggh! Read full review

Woohoo!

Book recommendation: WICKED by Sasha White

2008-07-13T18:43:00.008+01:00

I stole time to read WICKED by Sasha White this past couple days and I enjoyed it immensely, so I thought I’d share some thoughts.

If you don’t know Sasha’s work, you’ve been under a rock. LOL! In a short space of time Sasha White has carved herself out a dedicated readership by writing stories that explore the sexual and emotional dynamics in a relationship, and she’s gained multiple contracts these last three years as a result.

What appeals to me most about Sasha’s work is her voice, how natural it sounds and how it draws me into the story. She has a distinctive writing style and yet it’s accessible, and we all know what that means. Easy reading is hard writing! She delivers hot erotica with an emotional punch; her characters have to overcome obstacles to be together, to learn about themselves, and to address their own issues. This is how she builds solid realism in her characters. I found WICKED an especially good example of this.

Hero Karl Dawson is a masterful dominant. He’s experienced, self-assured, and he has a wry attitude to relationships. Heroine Lara Fox is also confident, sassy too, and this is where it gets interesting. Sasha sets up the D/s relationship in such a way that it’s sparking on the page and rife with challenge, making this a dynamic and compelling read. When Lara begins to address her true wants we discover along with her what that means; the gift of trust, the pleasure, the rewards. Along the way she and Karl have to face both physical and emotional barriers, and the read is hugely satisfying because of what they learn about themselves, as well as each other.

This is my favourite by Sasha to date, and, like her novella SEX AS A WEAPON (in THE COP antho, my previous fave) we’ve got both the hero and heroine PoV, which is my personal preference as a reader. Sasha is good with first person voice, and that takes skill, but I love to get inside a man's mind – especially a man like Karl. :) He really is a complex, attractive man and that makes it all the more enjoyable a read. ;) Pick him up, err… I mean pick it up, the book :) and find out for yourself.

Next up on my reading list is Megan Hart’s BROKEN, which I’ve been anticipating for a long while, the story premise really caught my attention. What are you reading at the moment?

Musing about conference preparation, and some thoughts about being professional

2008-07-10T13:24:00.007+01:00

Okay, so we’re down to just under three weeks until conference time. It's a big deal for me, professionally, and personally. In one sense I feel my preparations are well in hand. Mostly it’s my head I need to organise. :) My timetable (which I’m seeing as my anchor,) is almost all done, but it’s busting at the seams. It's making me feel dizzy just looking at it! It's not quite a finished work, either. I’m waiting for the last couple of editor appointments to slot in and then I need to find time to squeeze in meetings with pals and with local friends who aren’t coming to the conference itself. I might need a crowbar for that.

At first I could keep it in my head, what I'd be doing during those 4/5 days of conference time. Then I had to start writing it down. After a while I realised I needed to put things onto a timetable. That helped me put it into perspective, even if I did feel a schoolgirl again. :) It was fine. And then…well, it seems to have exploded in all directions this past week. It now looks like some sort of speed dating schedule. And I have a big, (major, as in regrettable,) clash. Wah! I want to go to both parties. :o{

It also feels pretty alien. My usual schedule is writing, real life stuff, and occasional social engagements. I’m exchanging that for five days of continuous social engagements and business meetings. Will she survive, you ask yourself? Well, I used to do mad Goth and fetish weekends, lots of gigs and rock festivals, but not so much recently. Ah, well. I’ll give it my best shot, and I'll report back.

Meanwhile, I’m slowly getting used to the idea that I'm going to be a Spice author. Ha. I hadn’t really got used to being a Spice Briefs author! ;) It’s going to take the rest of this year for me to take it all in, tbh. I've spent so much time learning, striving, and keeping goals on the horizon, that when some of it actually happens for me I simply can’t take it in.

One thing I do when I have some big career news is to contact and thank the people who’ve been important to me along the way. Those friends who have encouraged me, the editors and publishers who have published my work and enabled me to take a step up and strive for longer projects and gain new contracts. When I share the good news, I’m so often touched by the things they say, the good wishes, and especially when they add that I am so easy to work, and that is serving me well.

Easy to work with? Yes, it is something I strive for, but that's because I believe it’s a fundamental tenet of being a professional, no matter what industry a person is working in. I’m always amazed when I hear tales of authors being unprofessional, or cases where ego gets the better of good judgment. It’s just as important to be polite and easy to work with in this industry as in any other.

Huh. Incredibly, while I was writing this post, yet another RWA event was flagged up that I really want to be at. This one isn’t quite so much of a clash, but it does demand a big reshuffle of plans and arrangements. My head hurts! :o)

Yay! Best of the worst covers :)

2008-07-08T15:54:00.007+01:00

It tickles me to bits, really. I suppose because it's one aspect (or one of several aspects...) of a book we can't control, so I can be objective and enjoy, and because it's so interesting to learn what readers think about these things. KINK has come off as the best of the worst, ie the least people voted for it to win the wost cover of 2007 award. See all the covers and read the hilarious comments here.

Night Owl Romance

2008-07-08T13:34:00.002+01:00

If you join the Night Owl Romance chat loop this month, you'll find they have a couple of books to give away :) Just click on the graphic to join.

Guest blogging with the Bradford Bunch

2008-07-05T13:45:00.000+01:00

I'm guest blogging with the Bradford Bunch today. I'm chatting about a sense of place, or setting as character, and I'm giving away a copy of RECKLESS to one commenter. Click on the banner to visit.

Cover chat, and a day out with Portia Da Costa

2008-07-05T08:11:00.007+01:00

I'm still squeeeeing over my author copies. I know! I promise I'll shut about it soon. :) I just wanted to post briefly about how different it looks to me in real life (a bit like I was saying about seeing art work "in the flesh" rather than reproductions, in my recent Klimt post.) There were a couple of things I hadn’t noticed on the jpg.

On the jpegs the cover had looked Mediterranean blue, but when I held a copy in my hand I was delighted to discover it also has a purple hue to it that's a bit gorgeous. (Says she, confessed purple addict.) Also, behind the title, I hadn't noticed quite what was going on where the guy is lifting the woman’s leg against his. Mark said he spotted this. I could say "men," tut, and roll my eyes, but in all honesty it’s me. I have limited vision in my right eye and my contrast is knacked. All of this means it was another delightful surprise for me when I opened the box and got a good look at the genuine article. Yes, I am like a kid in a sweet shop over stuff like this.

I'm giving another copy away later today, when I'll be guest blogging elsewhere. More on that when it goes live!

In other news, had a fab day out with Wendy/Portia yesterday. I had to stare at her boobies the whole time (simply had to) cos she was sporting Johnny Depp on her chest. We spent a good 3 hours discussing handbags, make up, knickers, and various other things that we feel quite at liberty to discuss in great detail at the mo, because we are now packing for the RWA conference. Yikes, three weeks on Tuesday we'll be on our way!!! And I've got... (glances at list).. SO much to do. Better get a shift on.

Happy birthday to Total-E-Bound, grab yourself a birthday prezzie!

2008-07-02T22:08:00.001+01:00

Celebrate with Total-E-Bound this month and join in the fun. Total-E-Bound is having a birthday prezzie hunt! Find all of the birthday pictures to win stacks of books!

1ST PRIZE: 1 year Supply of eBooks

2ND PRIZE: 6 month's supply of eBooks

Here's what to do: Follow the links below to the 21 authors' websites. Find the picture of the birthday present and collect the letter underneath it. When you have collected all 21 (in order!), email Competitions@total-e-bound.com with the sentence. Put "Prezzie Contest" in the header. This contest runs from July 1st to July 29th. Winners will be picked on 30th of July and announced on the TEB competitions page.

Search these authors' websites (in order):

Dakota Rebel - http://www.dakotarebel.com/
Kay Wilde - www.kaywilde.com/
Cindy Spencer Pape - http://www.cindyspencerpape.com/
Ann Cory - http://www.anncory.com/
Jamie Hill - www.jamiehill.biz/
Victoria Blisse - http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/
Ellen Ashe - http://www.ellenashe.net/
Barbara Huffert - http://www.barbarahuffert.com/
Sage Burnett - http://www.patriciaparkinson.com/
Donna Grant - http://www.donnagrant.com/
Ericka Scott - http://www.erickascott.com/
Bobbie Russell - authorbobbierussell.tripod.com
Aurora Rose Lynn - http://www.auroraroselynn.net/
Lisabet Sarai - http://www.lisabetsarai.com/
Saskia Walker - http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/
Marie Harte - http://www.marieharte.com/
Desiree Holt - http://www.desireeholt.com/
J.P. Bowie - http://www.jpbowie.com/
Brynn Paulin - http://www.brynnpaulin.blogspot.com/
Marie Haynes - www.freewebs.com/mariehaynes
Bronwyn Green - http://www.bronwyngreen.com/

Have fun!

Contest winner!

2008-07-02T21:34:00.003+01:00

Many thanks for your entries to the 24 hour contest! The winner is Selena Illyria. Selena, email me your address (there's an email link on the right) and it'll be on its way!

Another fun contest coming right up - this one a website hunt to celebrate the first year of Total-E-Bound.

It's publication day for RECKLESS!

2008-07-01T14:57:00.006+01:00

RECKLESS is published today! And by lucky chance my author copies arrived, giving me lots to celebrate.

Who’d like to win a copy? Leave me a message in the comments and I’ll pick a winner 24 hours from now. If you comment on the excerpt and reviews below, that’ll be even more fun for me. :)

Cover copy:

Buttoned-up collars. Comfortable routine. This is Katrina Hammond's career at a London auction house—until she's whisked off to Spain to evaluate the private collection of dark and sexy Sergio Teodoro. He's dominant, commanding, totally in control…and he sees another work of art in the exquisite Katrina—one definitely worth admiring. And
possessing…

But another surprise awaits Katrina in the shadows of the impressive Teodoro villa. It's Sergio's younger brother Nicolas, a disinherited and passionate artist whom Katrina finds equally irresistible. And she's more than willing to risk a little sibling rivalry. But there may be more to Sergio and Nicolas's erotic games than Katrina imagined. Something dark, dangerous, and reckless.

Excerpt:

The moon barely struggled through the clouds, and as Katrina looked at the grounds below the window they were was so dense with foliage that all she could make out at first was inky darkness. Tentatively, she opened the window. She struggled to see, but as her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, she saw a figure moving below. Moonlight brushed the side his body, making him seem ethereal and ghostlike. A hand lifted.

Anticipation rippled through her, and she returned the wave. When she did, the figure moved quickly to the wall beneath her. For a moment he disappeared from view, and she realized he was climbing onto the ground level window ledge below, where a storage room below housed cleaning equipment.

Leaning out of the window, she felt like Juliet looking for her Romeo. That tale had ended badly, and the mental connection made her shiver. She knew this was wrong. She was supposed to be working for her hosts, her clients, the people who had commissioned her on behalf of Pocklington's to undertake this job. Instead she was colluding with the disinherited son, a man she had been warned about, a man who was lurking around the building like a thief in the night.

What the hell am I thinking of?

Then she remembered the way Nicolas had looked that morning when he had connected with her, and she felt torn. He had his motives. She was attracted to the man, but was he just using her? It did matter to her. Over the course of the day while she'd been anticipating seeing him again, she'd thought it didn't matter, but deep down it did. When you are attracted to someone, you want them to be attracted to you for the right reasons, the same reasons. Either way, he was on his way up here, scaling the wall by moving up the jutting plinths and ledges, and he was about to climb into the gallery.

I'll confront him before he touches me. Yes, find out what he really
wants from me.

Stepping back, she watched as he came through the window, awed at the easy way he moved, every limber flex suggesting fitness and vitality. He grinned at her as he landed on the floor and then straightened up.

Oh, but he was gorgeous.

"You can't use the door like a normal person?" she said, a soft laugh escaping her.

"I have the security code, but every time it's used, it is logged by the system. I don't want to use it at night unless absolutely necessary."

She recalled Elaine hitting a panel to one side of the front door as they left the house that morning. Presumably the doors could only be opened from the outside if you had the code.

He closed the window behind him and glanced around.

She noticed fondness in his eyes as he looked across at the collection on display. That struck her oddly. Did he want it? Was that what this was all about and, if so, had he taken the missing pieces?

"The dining room window was open the other night," he added.

For the first time, she noticed that he spoke simply, as if he was still learning English and sometimes had to reach to find the appropriate word. Sergio was fluent. Then she noticed something new, a scar, a thin red line on his cheekbone. "What happened to your face?"

"The argument continued after you had gone." He shrugged it off. "It is nothing."

Nothing? They were fighting verbally and physically. God, she was a fool to let him in. "You shouldn't have risked coming here again."

"I had to come." He eyed her up and down, slowly and deliberately.

The weight of his stare made her feel weak. How was it that he affected her so easily? Did he represent desire, or rebellion? Or do I understand just enough about psychology to cripple myself with it?

She backed away.

His smile faded.

"What is it that you want from me?" she demanded.

His eyelids dropped, and he stepped away from her, moving between the cabinets, looking in at the contents. "Please don't be afraid, that is not my intention."

Slowly, she turned on the spot, keeping her eyes on him, watching him as he moved through the gallery space.

He paused, ran one finger along the top of a glass display case, and then glanced back at her. "Last night, you said you wanted me."

Swallowing, she forced herself to lift her chin, to face him. "I did... But I'm working for Sergio. I shouldn't even be talking to you."

A slow smile passed over his face, and he returned his attention to the cabinet.

Was this leading her into big trouble? "I hardly know you," she whispered, "and I don't understand what is happening here."

"You don't understand the desire?" He flashed her a teasing glance as he continued his circuit of the gallery.

Oh God, the look in his eyes right then made her melt. "That part I understand completely." She folded her arms, attempting to give herself a backbone. Apparently one look at him had made it melt away into nothing. "I mean...I'm not sure about everything else."

"I understand that." He leaned his head to one side to observe a set of small plaster figurines, early models of the larger ones that stood on pedestals, before he continued.

"Katrina, when I originally made contact with you, it was to talk about all of this, not risk my neck for the sake of another kiss." He gestured around the gallery with one hand. His mouth lifted on one side. Then he moved on, strolling in and out of the cabinets. "I needed to know what my brother was doing with the family collection, and I..." He glanced around the gallery. "I wanted to see the collection one last time."

He looked back at her. "But now that I am here, I find it is you that I want to see, more than any of it."

Her pulse raced, anticipation crackling in the air between them.

"I think perhaps it was the lure of an amante that has brought me here, as much as the art." Brooding, hungry eyes fixed her on the spot.

"Amante?"

"Lover."

A delicious shiver ran up her spine. Oh, how that made her want him, and how hard it made it do anything other than respond in kind, her body craving his.

He was closer now, having circuited the display cases, a mere four paces away. Her pulse raced, her body hot and alert with anticipation. Her resistance was melting, but unease still wrestled with the desire increasing inside her. "I'm concerned. Sergio was acting crazy this morning. You've been injured. This doesn't feel right. It's dangerous. Wrong."

"I had to come, to see you." His voice, deep and suggestive, claimed her. "I've been thinking about you all day. This morning...I wanted to take you out of here myself."

Take me away, away from the job, so that Sergio can't sell the art?

And then his hands on her body took away every last shred of rational thought, any ability to question his motives.

He cupped her cheek in one warm hand and kissed her, brushing his lips over hers and barely making contact. The gentle caress was powerfully seductive, nonetheless. "I want you," he whispered against her mouth.

The possessive edge to his words brought about a rush of heat, a liquid density inside her that had responded to his secret and forbidden presence.

Her head dropped back, and she stared into his eyes. Their bodies were touching, and she swayed under his spell. Her lips parted, yearning for more, her legs felt weak.

His hand was grasping her around the waist, squeezing her closer, so that she could feel how hard he was. "This desire between us, you want to know more of it, don't you, just as I do?"

There was still time to end this, to do the right thing, the professional thing. This was her telling moment.

Yes, or no?

She ached for him, an undeniable sense of wanting that he had stirred in her, a nagging need that had to be fulfilled. Her heart raced, her blood on fire for him. There was no turning back, not now. At her core, her body silently throbbed its response.

Yes, oh yes!

What the reviewers say:

"Reckless is a thrilling read that keeps the reader engaged. Katrina,
Nicolas, and Sergio heat the pages like a match burning every page. The world that the three share is fascinating. I loved the setting and atmosphere especially when Katrina gets to the country home. Saskia Walker creates passionate characters that almost grab the reader and pulls them inside the pages. With a great plot, she weaves a tale that is hard to put down. The way she molds the characters into the storyline is cleverly done and the secondary characters add great finesse to the theme of the story, making it a superb read." Cherokee, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance

"Then the mystery started unfolding, the plot thickened, our heroine blossomed, and the confusion over which brother was the hero and which was the villain made the story exquisitely interesting. The book was enjoyable, the tension high, and I found myself really caring about the characters, including and especially Katrina. The
sex is tortuously tender and the hero very in control of making certain the heroine enjoyed every second, which made reading the scenes a steamy experience." Karen Haas, for JERR

"This was a really intriguing mystery. I had clues as to what was going on, but certainly didn't expect what the author revealed at the end. The relationship developed at a steady pace, and the sex was steamy. Definitely a good read to invest your time in." Reviewed by Chris for Night Owl Romance.

"Reckless is an erotic, suspenseful novel that leaves the reader on edge. The lush, descriptive detail moves the story at a nice even pace, with each question the reader might have neatly cleared up by the author. Each of the main characters are intensely believable and the secondary ones help to put the story lines into perspective. The dialog flowed, the emotions either intense or light and flirty as
needed. Each love scene is charged with a sense of danger, tension, and erotic heat. With a climactic ending and a blossoming love, Ms. Walker leaves the reader clamoring for more Reckless." Shannon, for The Romance Studio

Out now! Find it in bookstores, or at the following online stores.

Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble
Amazon UK

Romance Junkies summer contest

2008-07-01T07:37:00.004+01:00

Go here to find out more.

You'll find a contest from me hidden on this postcard, along with many more great prizes!

North Wales, tree sculpture, and Gustav Klimt

2008-06-29T21:12:00.011+01:00

After the flurry of exciting sales news, I’m going to travel back in time to last week. Well, not literally, but I promised a couple of friends I would post about the Klimt exhibition and our trip to North Wales. So, here you are, a couple of photos to begin with.

This is me in Conwy on the north coastline of Wales. I was looking across the harbour when Mark snapped me. He said I look as if I’m thinking “I have conquered Conwy, onward, to Llandudno,” which, come to think of it, is kind of what we were thinking at that point.:)

I love North Wales, its mixture of pretty coastline and villages, and majestic Snowdonia. It’s a beautiful place to visit and we’re so lucky that we can get there inside two hours. It’s the perfect place for a 3-day break for us. Conwy and Llandudno are must-visit spots every time. Conwy is a harbour town with a castle built on the hillside. Very steep streets, but flat by the harbour itself. Llandudno, on the other hand, is on a sweeping bay and is a promenade town. It’s well suited to people who have mobility issues. We had good weather and although we stayed at a basic lodge, (like a motel, for my US readers) I was delighted to discover our room overlooked a paddock, and we had horses (and bunnies galore!) romping around outside. It was a bit like nature watch every time we were in our room. :o)

The second picture is of a tree carving that we discovered in the gardens of Plassey craft centre. Isn’t it amazing? I fell in love with her. She made me think about my pagan heroine in The Strangeling, Maerose. Honestly, I wanted to take her home with me. The artist is Simon O'Rourke. and his website has lots more examples of his fab work.

We’d booked tickets to attend the Liverpool Gustav Klimt exhibition on our return journey. We had hoped to do it on the way down but it was completely booked up! As with any major ex in the UK the exhibition is getting a huge attendance. There was a diverse range of people there, and many had travelled long distances to attend.

The exhibition was amazing, just as I had expected. It opened with a recreation of the Beethoven frieze. It was stunning! As an art history student (long time ago now) we were nagged how important it is to see the art works in the flesh. Reproductions on paper/books can't truly convey the space or size, and that is so crucial to our experience of the work and the artist’s intentions. I didn't have to be nagged, I always loved visiting galleries. In fact I think I got my place on the art history course of my choice because I was able to talk about exhibitions I’d been to before I applied. I was reminded of this fundamental lesson as I stood looking at the recreation of the frieze. The space, movement, and lightness of spirit was incredible. The details here and here give only a very faint idea of what it is like in real life. Suffice it to say I could certainly live with it.:)

As the exhibition continued upstairs there was a room of smaller Klimt works, followed by works from other Vienna Seccession artists and designers. In fact I was just wondering how much more Klimt there was going to be, when I discovered there was much more to come. Lots of exhibits spanning his career.

As Klimt fans will know, he was influenced by the intellectual atmosphere of Vienna at the time. Sigmund Freud’s theories on female sexuality were out and creating a stir--- shock horror, women might actually enjoy sex! Oh yes, and Klimt was fascinated by it. It’s amazing (and sad) to think that a hundred years later we still seem to have to convince some people that women enjoy sex and that’s a GOOD thing. However, I digress…

The final room housed “adult” art works. These were mostly sketches of women masturbating, beautifully done and deliciously arousing to observe, as I’m sure Klimt intended. I walked around the room with a little smile on my face because they’d provided a way to sidestep the room for under 18 or anyone of a sensitive disposition, :o) but the art works themselves had incongruous titles like “semi nude with right leg raised.” Believe me, not many people were looking at her right leg. It tickled me. Just saying.

To sum up, if you like Klimt and you can make it to the exhibition -- don’t even think twice! Go! Read more about it here.

Okay folks, I have a short story that needs finishing. Tomorrow is publication date for RECKLESS and I’ll be giving away a couple of copies to celebrate, so come back tomorrow and help me party!:)

My kitty

2008-06-29T20:46:00.004+01:00

This basket was on its way out to the shed when the cat caught sight of it. She quickly decided it was just what she had always wanted and that she could squeeze herself into it (boy, do I know that feeling! :) She put up a valiant struggle, trying to wedge herself in, then decided to give up on it and walked away in a huff. I have a pair of nubuck jeans that I feel exactly the same way about.

Are you an unpublished fantasy/futuristic/paranormal writer?

2008-06-29T11:50:00.004+01:00

Check out this opportunity.

2008 On the Far Side Contest

Got fantasy, futuristic, or paranormal? Then the On the Far Side contest is for you!!

Welcome dragons, witches, ghosties, vampires, shape shifters, unicorns, and any creature your imagination can conjure up in a galaxy far far away, in a time long past, or in your very own backyard.

2007 Contest: 3 manuscripts requested! Two sold so far!

More details here.

Publishers Marketplace

2008-06-28T11:47:00.001+01:00

So exciting to see this!

June 27, 2008
Fiction:
Women's/Romance

Saskia Walker's RAMPANT, a contemporary paranormal seduces with occult magic, sexual power, and a battle between two ancient covens, to Susan Swinwood at Harlequin Spice, in a two-book deal, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency.

Lots of exciting news about sales!!!

2008-06-27T17:32:00.002+01:00

Wow, I don't know where to start. I came back to so much good news in my mailbox that I've spent the last 24 hours thinking I must be dreaming!

I think I'll work up to the big one, that way it might finally sink in for me. :)

First up, I heard that a short story of mine was selected to appear in the next Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica. I'm delighted, and honoured! The story is THE INNER VIXEN and it originally appeared in the SHE'S ON TOP anthology, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel.

Next up, I made a new short story sale to the wonderful and prolific Violet Blue. More news on when and where that one will appear soon.

And finally... my lovely agent had news of a two book paranormal erotica deal with Harlequin Spice!! Oh my god! Gulp. I'm overawed! I've been so impressed by the Spice books, I'm absolutely bowled over by the news that I'm going to be part of that line, as well as Spice Briefs.

My first book will be RAMPANT. There's a short excerpt on my site HERE. The second book is to be decided. I'll be getting together to chat about it with Spice editor Susan Swinwood at the RWA conference. So exciting!!! RAMPANT draws together so many of my interests: paranormal and fantasy, Scotland and history, romance and erotica. I couldn't be more excited about working on it. I have a couple of short projects I have to finish up, then it's straight back into it. Yay!

Well now, anyone who visits here regularly knows what is coming next. Parteeeeeeeeeeeeee!! :)

Hi honeys, I'm home!

2008-06-26T19:57:00.003+01:00

Back home after a much enjoyed break! I have lots of news, including a report of the amazing Klimt exhibition at the Liverpool Tate, all of which will be posted over the next couple of days. I'm still wading through email so if I owe you a reply it will be coming soon. I just wanted to post quickly that THE STRANGELING is now available as an ebook at Fictionwise and is on discount for the first few days, so if you want to read it get in there now! :-)

Away from the desk for a few days

2008-06-21T14:24:00.002+01:00

Okay folks, we're off to North Wales for a short break first thing tomorrow morning. Really looking forward to it!! We've also booked to attend the Klimt exhibition at the Liverpool Tate on the way home, and I'm beyond ecstatic about it!! I adore Klimt and (as it happens) two small Klimt paintings get a starring role in RECKLESS. :)

So for the next few days we will be enjoying lovely things like this:

Have fun! See you late Thursday or Friday.

New publication: Sweet Heat, an audio erotica collection from Violet Blue

2008-06-21T12:12:00.009+01:00

I'm delighted to announce an exciting new publication, a special erotica project from Violet Blue which features my short story "Trying it for Size." I'm so excited to be part of this! Here are the details of the mp3 version (ebook version to follow):

Sweet, hot and irresistibly delicious. Who can resist temptation? Certainly not the thirteen couples that dial in each other’s number-one sexual fantasies and then can’t keep their hands off each other in the short stories collected in Sweet Heat: Explicit Erotica For Couples edited by Violet Blue.

A bold husband takes his wife to a modern furniture showroom and dares her to try an item for size. A man discovers that coffee is a clothes-tearing aphrodisiac for his new girlfriend over weekend of frenzied sex. A woman blindfolds her boyfriend and he can only guess whose female bodies are teasing him to inevitability. A wife gets caught being naughty and gets her first erotic spanking. Couples cybersex in public, pick up other men and experiment with bisexuality, and everyone has fun loving and sexing in the sweet, sweet heat of pure lust shared by two.

Thirteen stories feature no-holds-barred, sometimes lightly kinky erotica from bestselling erotica authors Alison Tyler, Saskia Walker, Emilie Paris and N.T. Morley, while a bevy of newcomers showcase fine-tuned erotic lit skills. each chapter is hand-selected and read by Violet Blue in easy-to-use, transferrable MP3 files. Let the witty and provocative voice of Violet Blue, best-selling writer, sex columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and host of the popular podcast Open Source Sex, lead you into some of the hottest, juiciest sexual adventures two lovers can share.

Contents

1 Trying It For Size by Saskia Walker
2 Body Shots by Ethan Oliver
3 Double Espressos To Go by Evan Allison
4 Five Senses by N.T. Morley
5 Fall From Grace by Luke Reilly
6 A Few Good Men by Jasmine Hall
7 Hot Stuff by Adam Weeks
8 Joey’s First Spanking by Paul Cummings
9 Operator 84 by Ryan Tyler
10 High Speed Wireless by Miranda Logan
11 Oral Arguments by Christopher Becker
12 James Dean, $1000 Bucks and a Long Summer Night by Emilie Paris
13 You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Alison Tyler

Availability: Instant Download
DRM-Free File Format: 14 DRM-free MP3’s, over 2 1/2 hours of erotica
.Zip File Size: 138.7 MB
ISBN: 978-0-9799019-6-6-MP3
Price: $7.00 (USD)

Buy “sweet heat: explicit erotica for couples” .zip (all files) now, $7, via PayPal.

Happy Summer Solstice!

2008-06-20T15:22:00.001+01:00

New publication - OPEN FOR BUSINESS: Tales of Office Sex

2008-06-17T17:15:00.001+01:00

What is it I always seem to end up saying...my publications are like buses. Nothing for ages, and then a whole bunch at once!

OPEN FOR BUSINESS - Tales of Office Sex, is now shipping, and it's a couple of weeks early.

We’ve all heard the saying "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Luckily, for Jack, this collection offers more than 20 stories filled with the art of sexual play at work to make even Jack more lively. Here the most mundane 9-to-5 job can lead to a rowdy romp that’s sure to leave people talking by the water coolers. From special offices where naughty secretaries are firmly spanked, to cold callers who hook up with Dominatrixes, to temps finding the men of their dreams washing more than their windows, the restrictions on employee dating are wantonly and willfully broken. Featuring some of the best erotic writers around today including Radclyffe, N.T. Morley, Saskia Walker, Xavier Acton and Savannah Stephens Smith.

This collection is published by Cleis Press and edited by the amazingly prolific and talented Alison Tyler. It has a very unusual and intriguing structure. Alison says this about it:

"My goal was to take readers through a whole work week, starting with Monday Morning and ending with a commute. In between are trysts and romps in offices, on desks, over three martini lunches, and more. As the back cover says: Filled with "furtive trysts, voyeurism, and spanking—these 22 steamy stories give new meaning to mixing business with pleasure.""

My story previously appeared in the HIDE AND SEEK collection, so some readers may have seen it already. (It's commonly known as the window cleaner story around here ;-) I'm delighted it was selected to be in this anthology, not only because the idea of the week long erotic office scenarios appealed to me immensely, but because it's one of my favourites. If you'd like to read a juicy excerpt, go HERE.

Amazon.com
Amazon UK

New short story publication, find it in Scarlet magazine

2008-06-16T18:16:00.005+01:00

A new short story from moi will be available shortly in the saucy UK women's magazine Scarlet. I'm so excited! I just received my copy and here's a quick pic. The fiction section is illustrated by talented graphic designer Dunni Mustapha. I just love her image for my naughty Paris romp! Check it out.

Several of the Total-E-Bound authors have their fiction featured in this issue and you'll get stories from Alexis Fleming, Dakota Rebel, and Barbara Huffert, as well as from me. We're in great company in this issue with other writers including Alison Tyler and Mathilde Madden. If you're a UK reader you can check it all out in the July issue. It's the one with Jordan looking rather elegant on the cover. Grin.

More shipping news -- Amazon UK!

2008-06-16T15:34:00.002+01:00

Availability: Usually dispatched within 12 to 14 days. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :)