Archive for July, 2009

Blog for Selena ? Australian Heat Week!

When Selena invited me to blog about Australia, she suggested I write about how Australia? inspires my writing. I thought about this for a while, and finally decided pretty much everything about Australia inspires me to write.

Let?s take Sydney for example. Wow. What a beautiful city. I live near the coast and every time I walk my dog along the seaside path, I find inspiration for another scene in a book. There?s one particular path on the cliffs above Coogee Beach that haunted me until I put it into a manuscript:

She had to keep walking, had to outpace her guilt. Outwalk her desire. Onward she plowed, almost heedless of the stark beauty of the ragged cliffs that plummeted to the ocean. One foot in front of the other. One breath of air at a time.

Perhaps it was intentional, or perhaps her subconscious directed her there. Whatever the case, Katie found herself heading towards her secret spot. Before her, a well-trodden path led to a panoramic view of the sea. She bypassed it, choosing instead to continue thirty meters on and then slip through a concealed track in the bushes. A minute later Katie stood at the edge of one of the cliffs, hidden from the busy trail, staring down at the waves crashing relentlessly against the rocks below.

On and on the waves moved. Forward and backward, hurtling with a furious strength towards the rock face, smashing over the base of the cliff and then ebbing back to sea. Over and over, never stopping.

Katie sat, wedged herself against a boulder and watched the waves from a safe distance.

Taken from Only Tyler (Circle of Friends, Book One).

http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/only-tyler

Then there are the better known sites of Sydney:

A panoramic view through two enormous corner windows almost bowled Lexi over. It was uninterrupted across the city, over the bridge and onto the North Shore. From where she stood, she could see the ferries gliding past the Opera House and into Circular Quay.

Taken from Ask Adam.

http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/ask-adam

How about traveling through Australia? The first holiday I took when I arrived here was to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. The instant the plane landed, I knew there was a story waiting to develop:

?I have never seen anything this exquisite.?? Beth?s eyes were full of wonder as she took in the extraordinary beach.? This early in the morning, Whitehaven Beach was deserted.? None of the tourist boats had arrived yet.

Joe agreed.? Although he wasn?t thinking about the dazzling-white sand and crystal-clear water.? His sole focus was on the woman.? Up until last night he?d contemplated going slow, seducing her over time.? Now that he knew she was as hot for him as he was for her, he could not wait a single minute longer.

Temporary relief was all he?d found when he returned to his room the night before.? His hand could never be an adequate substitute for what he?d witnessed.? The only thing that could ease the constant pain in his groin now was Beth.

She knelt down and dug her hand in the sand, watching as the fine grains drizzled through her fingers.? Joe cursed silently.? The next time she dropped to her knees in front of him, it would not be for the purpose of tunneling into sand.

?It?s like powder,? she said in awe, oblivious to his torment.

From this angle he had an incredible view of her cleavage.? The black bikini top covered more than it revealed, but it made her full breasts appear more voluptuous.

Christ, he was horny.? If Beth lifted her head now, she?d come face-to-face with his raging erection.? He twisted his shorts slightly to the left.

?This has to be the most beautiful place on earth.?

Taken from Visiting Paradise in the Boys Down Under Anthology.

http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/new-releases/boys-down-under/prod_189.html

And then there?s the Aussie dialect. Lord, you have to love it. Do you have any idea how many times my editor has highlighted words and sentences in my edits and said, ?What on earth is that??

When my heroines? knees turn to jelly, I really mean they turn to jello, not to the fruit spread we put on toast in the morning.

And the doona on the bed? Bet you?re all wondering what the heck that is? It?s the duvet, or the quilt.

Ah, and then there?s my favorite term of all: Mate. I use at least a hundred times in every book. But darn, it is so descriptive, and so indicative of Australia.

And yes, when five Australian authors got together to write the Boys Down Under Anthology we had a good chuckle over the? words and expressions we chose to use. We even slipped a glossary in the back of the book so everyone would understand them. Turns out I was the only one of the five who?d used the word, ?Crikey.? But I had to use it. Steve Irwin had just died, and I felt I owed to him to immortalize him in a word. J

To end of this blog, I?m happy to show off my most recent book covers (for the Circle of Friends series.) I love them because they are a perfect blend of romance, sensuality, and Australia.

Selena, thank you once again for inviting to blog over at your place.

Hugs

Jess

http://www.jessdee.com

http://jessdee.wordpress.com

To Australia or Not?

By Lexxie Couper

I’m a proud Aussie. Anyone familiar with me has probably worked that out by now. The words “fair dinkum”, “crikey”, “struth”, “bloody hell” and “by jingoes” regularly pepper my conversations. There are some Australians who suffer what is known Down Under as the “cultural cringe” – a distinct distaste for the more Aussie elements of our heritage. I’m not one of them. I grew up in the outback and love who I am. What better way to say someone is not pleasant to look at than to say “Jeez, they’re as ugly as a hat full of a*se-holes!”

Okay, maybe there are better ways, but the Aussie way seems, to me at least, to have more visual kick and really, what is language for than to plant images in the minds of those we talk to, no matter the medium?

Having said that, I find myself in a conundrum. When does my love-affair with my own country become too much for my readers? My last two books have Australian heroes. They say “fair dinkum” often. I’ve written three books set in Australia (well, four, actually, but one is still looking for a home) and have another three planned. Each time I write a story set Down Under I research the location in great detail, visiting it often if I can, spending hours on the net if I can’t (contrary to belief, Australia is a bloody big place. I can not drive to the Outback or the Great Barrier Reef in a day). Every time I begin to write, I fall in love all over again with my home country and want my readers to do so as well.

But should I?

Judging by the lukewarm reception to Baz Luhrman’s “Australia” (which is a beautiful, wonderful film, btw) anything Aussie isn’t necessarily warmly welcomed in the rest of the world. What does this mean for me? Does this mean I should transplant my heroes and heroines to far off distant shores and planets? Should I return to my sci-fi roots?

My latest release, Savage Retribution, sees an Irish werewolf fighting for his life in Sydney, Australia. I had lots of fun writing this book. I wanted to show what Australia and Australians are like from a non-Aussie’s point of view. The heroine, Regan, is an animal rights activist who rescues a wolf from a notorious science lab only to discover the wolf is really a man…well, a werewolf. Suffice to say, she’s a little surprised. More so when said man forces her to join him on a mad dash that takes them from Bondi Beach to the opulent suburbs on Sydney’s North Shore, in an attempt to escape the scientist/werewolf hellbent on destroying them both. There’s lots of Sydney locations, lots of Aussie characters and lots and lots of “bloody hells”, “fair dinkums” and the odd “crikey”.

Next month, Death, The Vamp and his Brother is being released by Samhain. Another tale set in Sydney, this one has the head lifeguard of Bondi Beach as the hero. You can?t really get a more Aussie bloke than that ? Bondi Beach, one of the most Aussie icons in the country plus a man who spends his days on that beach watching over the lives of thousands of tourists and locals alike. The story for Death, The Vamp and his Brother sees the Apocalypse about to destroy mankind, and guess where that horrific event is going to take place? Yep, Bondi Beach J

There are two sequels to Savage Retribution, both set in Australia (one in the Outback, one in the lush rain forest state of Tasmania) and two planned for Death, The Vamp and His Brother (both set in Sydney) but should I set them somewhere else?

Or should I say, to hell with it all? They say writers should write what they love, and I love Australia, I really do. So, I guess that answers my problem, doesn’t it.

To Australia or not? Well, in the immortal words of Men At Work…I come from the land Down Under… and I’m proud of it *grin*

Death, The Vamp and His Brother

When it comes down to love or duty, pick a side?and pray your heart survives.

Death exists for one purpose and one purpose only: to sever the life-threads of the living. She does her job with pride and an unwavering commitment. Nothing ruffles her. Until she encounters Patrick Watkins. The Australian lifeguard pushes all her buttons?and makes her tailbone itch like crazy. And when her tailbone itches, it means trouble is brewing. Big trouble.

Ven?s gut tells him that Death is taking aim at his kid brother. He should know?he died and was turned vampire while trying to prevent another failed murder-attempt eighteen years ago. Patrick is meant to do something important in the world, and Ven will do anything to keep him safe. Even take on Death herself. In more ways than one.

As far as Patrick?s concerned, the whole thing is a load of bull. But what if everything Death tells him turns out to be true? How is he expected to save mankind from the worst fate of all?the Apocalypse? Especially when all he can think about is how quickly he?s falling in love with the most feared Horseman of them all?

Warning: This book contains enough heresy to shame the Devil, more scorching sex than one person can handle, Oh, and lots of Australian colloquialism. A bloody lot of Australian colloquialism.

You can find out more about the mad Aussie woman, Lexxie Couper at her website While you’re there, take a look at her book trailers

Hi, this is Mikala Ash writing from Port Stephens which is a lovely part of the world on the New South Wales coast, an hour north of Newcastle, and three hours north of Sydney, Australia.

It is winter down here right at the minute, so cold mornings and a bit of rain are the norm, though generally winter in my part of the world is mild and easily survivable compared to other places. I live a stone throw from the Pacific Ocean and so I enjoy the sun, surf and sand like the typical Aussie (when I say winter, I’m still having a morning dip? water temp is a few degrees above air temp, so it is the getting out of the surf that poses the challenge, not getting in!).

Trying to figure out how being an Aussie impacts on my writing is a difficult task. I could say the stereotypical Aussie traits of mateship, a fair go, a healthy skepticism and cynicism about politicians and just about anyone else in charge, a laconic sense of humor, etc etc all play a part. I grew up with those stereotypes so it would be strange if they didn’t leak into my characters as well. If you’ve watched Crocodile Dundee then you have a good template of the stereotype and Hugh Jackman is as good an ambassador as you’d find anywhere (I think my good friend Lexxie Couper has a crush on him, but don’t say you heard it from me).

The landscape has had quite an impact on me, though other places in the world have higher mountains, deeper canyons, greener forests etc, there is something unique about the Aussie environment. The striking thing about the landscape, from my early experiences driving around the continent, is that it is huge, empty, and quiet – very, very quiet. I’ve driven six hours along a highway without seeing a town, or even other vehicles, except the massive road trains which are simply humungous! Hurtling along at over a hundred and twenty klicks these behemoths will blow you off the road with the amount of air they displace.

Of a host of memories that come to mind as I write some include trying not to collect kangaroos nibbling the grass shoots on the roadside – they have a tendency to leap out in front of you for no reason at all and avoiding crocodiles in Kakadu – which is a challenge because they will hunt you down if you are not watchful!

Dangers aside, the outback is a truly magical place. The soil in places is a deep rich red and you can easily imagine yourself standing on Mars. I’ve read a map by starlight (no light pollution out there) and I imagine the first colonists on a new world experiencing the same hollow emptiness in the chest as they stand in the middle of the vast expanse of their new home with nothing but the star dusted heavens above.

I’ve managed to set a few Changeling Press stories in the Australian setting ? my political trilogy Lupus Populus and my post apocalyptic RainCatcher ? which helped because I felt I knew the environment my characters were inhabiting. The writing was easier, as opposed to figuring out what the landscape on one of Saturn’s moons would be like as I did in The Pleasure Dome of Titan.

Sydney has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and for Whiskey Creek Press I set my vampire stories there and for Whispers Press I placed a werewolf there as well – what can I say? The nightlife in Sydney can be rather exotic.

I write erotica and I can’t say that being an Australian gives me any unique advantage in that regard except my male characters tend to be Hugh Jackman (sorry Lexxie), Pat Cash and Errol Flynn all rolled up in one! I think you can probably picture my ideal hero as Maxim, Holly Barberossa’s lover in my Spaceport stories for Changeling.

My soon to be released sci-fi BDSM novel (with the working title, ‘Operation Strappado’ – you know how difficult titles can be) with Pink Flamingo Press has, as one of its locations, a military camp somewhere in Australia.

Trying to tease out the influence that my culture has on my character and those of my creations is really, really hard. My sisters have traced our family history and we have a whole cohort of lusty convicts in our blood, First Fleet and all. These were men and women transported against their will from England to an alien land where they fought tooth and nail against a hostile environment to survive. I think this knowledge of my roots, above all else, bestows on me an affinity with my poor characters who, at the whim of their creator, are transported, convict like, to alien worlds where they face powerful foes and must conquer their greatest fears while surrendering to their deepest desires.

Cheers from down under

Mikala Ash

The Cannis Affair from Changeling Press

Operation Strappado (coming soon from Pink Flamingo Press)

The Adana Affair (coming soon from Changeling Press)

Australian Heat Week

We?ve had miserable rain and low temperature for a while now, but there?s one thing that continues to keep me warm. My writing! There?s nothing like a bit of spicy, erotic romance to warm you up on a cold winter?s day.

I love setting my stories in Australia, particularly in the outback. There?s something about that macho property owner and the heat of the outback that fires my blood. I grew up in the outback so this is something I know well. Life on the land, with all its trials and tribulations. Yes, it?s hard at time, particularly when there?s a drought, when the stock is dying through lack of water, or when the bushfires come through. Total devastation. But there?s also something special about living in this part of the world. I love the much more laid-back lifestyle. The surf, sun and sand, and the fact we can swim for a goodly portion of the year because the summer temperatures are so hot. There?s something about all that heat that lends itself to a good erotic romance.

In fact, my novella, Sink or Swim, published by Total-e-Bound Publishing in the UK, was set against the backdrop of Magnetic Island in the tropic north of Australia. The setting was as much a character as the surf lifesaver hero.

Your browser may not support display of this image.

Link : http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=132

And speaking of the outback lifestyle, I have a new release this month that?s set in the outback. Or rather, it?s the re-release of an old book. Outback Meltdown has been re-edited and given a sexy new cover, and is now out at Ellora?s Cave.

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Link:

http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-7368-138-outback-meltdown.aspx

Blurb:

A sexy cowboy and a lady cop with a handcuff fetish?

When Jason Lawrence purchases a potty-mouth parrot as a gag wedding gift for his best mate, the last thing he expects is to be arrested by sexy policewoman Merindah Byrnes in a case of mistaken identity. Nor does he count on being handcuffed and ravaged by the same policewoman, but how could he resist when she puts on a strip show just for him?

Throw in a parrot that gives great advice on sex and it?s not long before the tension between them explodes into meltdown heat.

Publisher?s Note: Previously published elsewhere, Outback Meltdown has been edited and revised for Ellora?s Cave. While Outback Meltdown is a stand-alone, we do recommend reading the books in order for greatest enjoyment.

Outback Meltdown is the sequel to Outback Sizzle which came out at Ellora?s Cave on 6th May.

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Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7232-454-outback-sizzle.aspx

Blurb:

Wild Australian nights, a sexy woman and a cowboy too hot to handle?

After drooling over sizzling Aussie cowboy Chase O?Connor?s photo for the last four years, American Cassie Mitchell jumps at the chance to head to his outback property, even if it means plotting with his mother and masquerading as his paid companion. If that?s the only way she can satisfy the lust that eats at her soul, so be it. She will happily sacrifice herself to the cause.

When Chase finds out about the plot, he decides to play Cassie and his mother at their own game. That means following Cassie?s every move, even if they are hot, erotic encounters and steam-inducing massages. A guy just has to grin and bare it!

Publisher?s Note: Previously published elsewhere, Outback Sizzle has been edited and revised for Ellora?s Cave.

I grew up in the type of settings that are featured in both Outback Sizzle and Outback Meltdown. Sad to say I was too young at the time to catch the attentions of one of those hunky sun-bronzed heroes. I could go on and on about growing up out in the bush, but I guess I?d better finish or, being the wordy broad I am, I?ll end up writing a short story for you all and Selena will come along and kick me off. Lol

But before I go, I want to tell you about a little contest I?m a part of. Heck, forget little! It?s a big contest with some fantastic prizes. July 1st marked the release of a book called Heart & Craft, published by Allen & Unwin in Australia. The publisher has tagged it as the ultimate ‘how-to’ book on romance writing, written by ten Australian and New Zealand romance writers and edited by multi-published author, Valerie Parv. I was thrilled to pieces to be asked to write the chapter on Erotic Romance.

To celebrate the release of Heart & Craft, the authors involved in the book are running a Scavenger Hunt. And have we got some fantastic prizes. Check it out!

9 Carat Gold Genuine Natural Diamond & Sapphire Heart Pendant

Pearl, crystal and silver heart charm bracelet

Two silver heart charm bracelets

Gold heart drop necklace

3 pairs of heart-shaped cubic zirconia stud earrings

That?s eight prizes to give away. Check out my Contest page on my website to see how you can be in the running to win one of these fab prizes. http://www.alexisfleming.net

The Heart & Craft Scavenger Hunt begins 1st July and closes 30th July so you still have plenty of time to enter. The winners will be announced early August.

That?s me for the moment, but I?ll be popping in during Australian Heat Week to play, so come on out and leave a comment. Y?all take care now.

Alexis

Alexis Fleming

http://www.alexisfleming.net

Answer these two questions in the comment section to be entered in a contest for a chance to win an ebook:

Questions:

1) If you could pre-order a book would you be more likely to buy it?

2) Do you use wish lists to shop for your ebooks?

Thank You!

Se

P.S. If you can’t comment in the comment section send your answers to selenaillyria DOT contests AT gmail DOT com.