been a crazy couple of weeks...

My life, it has been a little....squirrely for the last bit, hence I haven't been around much. But lo and behold, the Purolator lady came with another box of books for me--for my May print release and sole foray into hot guy on guy on girl action, The Chancellor's Bride. I'd post a pic like usual, but I can't find my camera. At the moment, I can't put my hands on my toothbrush. I THINK I might know where it is, but we'll see...

Anyhow, if any of you would like to leave a comment here, I'll have my 7 y/o random number generator, Blammo, choose one lucky person to win a free copy.

And if you can come up with any suggestions as to where I might find my toothbrush (I've already looked in the deep freezer, heh), I'd be much obliged. And if you lead me to that elusive instrument of dental hygiene, you get a free copy, too!

Winnah, winnah, chicken dinnah!

Actually, we're having pork roast tonight, but whatever.

I asked my random number generator--otherwise known as Blammo, my third-born--to pick a number between 1 and 7. Fully embracing the role, he beeped, rattled, hummed, started emitting smoke, and then hollered "5!"

Which means flchen1, you get a platter of bland, rubbery veal, served up inside the thrilling plot of my first published book, Crossing Swords. I have your email, and will send ASAP (as soon as plausible, which means tonight, if I don't have a maternal lobotomy moment). Congratulations!

Contest at the Cafe!

I'm doing an impromptu contest over at Samhaincafe today, but any of you regular readers want to enter, go ahead and leave a comment here. Winner gets a digital copy of their choice of one of my four Samhain books. :)

ETA: Contest open until Sunday, 8:00 pm Pacific.

Winnahz!!

Okay, I've been trying to hold out for more entries (which, as it happens, allows me to indulge my own laziness, which is one of those indulgences I hate to deny myself), but methinks it's time to announce the winners of the two contests I've been ignoring for the last month or more.

Sigh. I am so bad.

So without further ado, the winner of my Bound by Steel poetry contest is:

M.A.

and, because I only had two entries, and I couldn't decide which I liked more,

Tarsilla gets one too!

And the winner of my Chancellor's Bride cheesy pick-up line contest is:

jenniferleeland

for her stunningly succinct entry, "Wanna fuck?"

As usual, if you could email me at kirstensaell(AT)yahoo(DOT)com with your info, I'll send your books as quickly as possible. Thanks for entering, and hope you enjoy them. And as always, feel free to let me know what you think, even if you think I suck rotten lemons or something. Feedback--even negative--is a good thing. :)

First review's in

The Chancellor's Bride scored with Katie Seely at ParaNormal Romance. Though reviews on that site tend to be brief, I'm damn happy with this bit:

"A scorching hot love triangle!"

And this bit:

"I highly recommend this book, but please remember to keep a fan handy. You're going to need it."

Heck, if that isn't enough to tempt a couple of people to enter my poor, neglected, past-its-prime pick-up line contest, I don't know what will. :D

Today's the day...

Bound by Steel releases in print! Yay!

To celebrate, I decree a contest! I'm giving away a copy or two, signed by moi and shipped (knowing my tendencies to procrastinate and forget stuff) within a month of announcing winners.

For this contest, I want you all to compose a haiku, limerick or free form poem based on the following blurb:

A night of brutality destroyed her innocence…can the love of two people heal her wounded spirit?

“I’ve been thinking about Kaela…”

There they are—the words that lead Gil to suspect his wife Lianon is falling in love with Kaela, the beautiful, traumatized young woman they rescued from certain death six months ago. Gil has no idea how to compete with a woman for his wife’s affections, and part of him ceases to care as Kaela begins to work her way under his skin.

Kaela’s sweet innocence fills a chasm in Lianon’s soul she hadn’t even realized was there. As she gently helps Kaela rebuild her shattered confidence, Lianon begins to believe healing the young woman’s wounded spirit could be the key to wholeness for all three of them. If Gil agrees to follow her lead and help Kaela discover her own feminine power.

But even as they all succumb to their growing desire, Gil and Lianon are drawn against their will back into the intrigues and vendettas of Belthalas’ elite. With Lianon’s life at stake, Gil must weave a dangerous path between one adversary’s ambition and another’s lust for vengeance.
Success will save Lianon…but could cost them Kaela.

Product Warnings
This title includes explicit sex, including f/f, m/m, m/f/f, anal sex; bad language; questionable politics; violence; stringy, overcooked lamb; a dog with a major drool problem; and one seriously well-deserved comeuppance.

Haiku example:

Help! What do I do?
Wife's hot for the housekeeper.
What the heck--I'm in.

Limerick example:

A couple named Gil and Lianon
Adored one another, until anon
Kaela watched their lovemaking
And after partaking
Required a bigger bed to slumber on.

All right, pretty lame, but I'm sure you all can do better. Do your best, do your worst, gimme lolcatspeak if you like. It's all good. Winner gets a signed copy.

I'm not going to post a deadline just yet, but I expect to announce a winner within a week or two, depending on how many entries I get.

:)

ETA: CONTEST CLOSED, WINNER ANNOUNCED

if it doesn't rain...

I'm currently on the road on an emergency trip to help a friend, and won't be around until late tonight. And it's release day. Oy.

As far as The Chancellor's Bride goes, how about you all think up some goofy pick-up lines two men would use to woo a reluctant woman into their bed? Make them funny. Make them lolcat. Whatever. Leave as many as you like in the comments. Winner gets a copy.

No time for more--gotta check out and hit the ground running. Next stop, Canadian border. In four hours...

Oy.

ETA: I'm home, got in late last night. Will be around off and on today because I have to work. Oh, and I already got an email from a reader telling me how much they loved the book--how's that for fast? I'm pretty stoked. Hugs. :)

ETA: CONTEST CLOSED, WINNER ANNOUNCED

News, all good

Thing one: This morning around 6 AM, I woke from a disturbing dream and wasn't able to get back to sleep right away. I relish moments like that, moments when I have nothing to do but let my mind wander where it will, turning over rocks to see what kinds of things it will find underneath.

Well, this morning it found the resolution to Lianon and Rhianna's second black moment. The story's been stalled for a while (which was okay, since it gave me time to work on Vessel), because once the two heroines had come to realize they were in love with each other and wanted to be together, I just wasn't sure how to get them from declaration to the HEA. Theirs is a complicated story and there are just so many obstacles between them and any kind of happy future, I was stymied by the problem of removing them all.

But as I lay there this morning, a scene just came to me--not a scene between Lianon and Rhianna. One between Lianon and the Kurgan, Samulo. A sweet, sad, wrenching scene that lays Lianon's heart bare and shows her Kurgan mentor/lover for the unbearably honorable, unutterably generous man he is. It shows just how deeply and perfectly two people can love each other, even when things between them are at their ending. I cried and cried, and I'm getting a little teary even now as I write this.

So. I've revised the wordcount on my word-meter, got 1.5k written, and I know where I'm going, so finishing this thing is only a matter of getting the time to do it.

Thing two: I received my final books for Chancellor's Bride from Samhain today. That means contests which means free books for a few lucky readers. The official release is Tuesday next, and I'm starting to get really excited. So keep your eyes open in the next day or two or three for a contest post.

:)

Another Contest!

I'm over at the SamhainCafe today, posting some excerpts for my print release, Healer's Touch, and decided to run another contest. Because I'm just that magnanimous. :) This is a special, extra contest in honor of SamhainCafe's print promo day, but anyone can enter.

Same prize--a signed copy of Healer's Touch.

Same rules--come up with a caption for the cover (extra points for translating it into lolcatspeak), the funnier the better. And this time, just for fun, I'm going to pick the most lewd, sexually groan-worthy one of the bunch. So do your worst--and dirtiest. Enter as often as you like.

Here's the blurb once more for inspiration:

She’s determined to break his eight centuries of celibacy—at any cost!

Darjhian healer Aru has been in exile for eight hundred years, barred from the Deathless Land and parted from his wife. Now fallen from grace and no longer immortal, he can never return to her.

Yet he cleaves to his marriage vow and holds himself apart from everyone—especially Viera, the former prostitute whose sexual energy provides the power needed for his healing work. She presents a temptation he must constantly hold at bay if he’s to keep to his vow.

Viera isn’t interested in fighting temptation. She wants Aru. He wants her. What could be simpler? After three frustrating months working with him, her need for him has reached the breaking point. He claims he can never touch a woman again, but Viera isn’t the type to take no for an answer.

Over four glorious nights, she shows Aru everything he’s denied himself for eight centuries. But a shadow hangs over their passion. Aru is keeping secrets about the nature of his mortality. And now he faces a terrible choice…

Break Viera’s heart, or risk destroying her with the knowledge of what he truly is.

Product Warnings

This title contains: graphic sex, including anal sex, f/f and m/f/f; bad language; inappropriate use of a kitchen work surface; flagrant tickling of ivory; and a wagon-load of good, old-fashioned voyeurism.

All right, already!

Okay, okay, you all can stop nagging. Oh, wait, my mistake. That was my conscience nagging, telling me I've been a lazy, unorganized, neglectful lump.

I promised a winner, and a winner you shall have, even if it kills me--which it might, and won't you all feel horrible then.

And, contrary to what some of you will have expected, it was one of the clean entries that tickled my funny bone the most. Yeah, I'm in an odd mood these days, so sue me.

So the winner of the lolcat contest thingie and proud owner of a copy of Healer's Touch embellished with my John Hancock (hehe, I said "cock", hey, I haven't changed that much), is Tarl, for this G-rated yet apt caption:

Yew got Lytning bug in yer hairs. I gets it for yu!

I'm sorry, but it was too cute, and too perfect. And I know what you guys are thinking--all those orifices and penis jokes, and this is the one I pick? Next thing you know, I'll start writing Young Adult or Sweet Romance, and when that happens, the men in white coats can't be far behind.

Congrats, Tarl! Well played! If you'd send along your mailing info to kirstensaell(at)yahoo(dot)com, I'll have your book dispatched forthwith. :)

I promised a contest...

...and a contest ye shall have.

In honor of the print release of my second book, Healer's Touch (40% sex/volume), I am asking, nay, demanding you all come up with some brilliant diamonds of lolcatesque wit in my "Caption that Cover" contest. And no, I did not steal this idea from the Smart Bitches' post of yesterday--allow me to direct your attention to exhibit A, my comment timestamped 9:26 AM, May 27. Hah! In their faces! In fact, I bet those Bitches have been lurking around here and stole the idea from me! But I'll get them, don't you worry. And when I do--

*ahem*

As I was saying, I want lolcatspeak, and I want funny. And I know you all can deliver it. Enter as many captions as you like, and the winner will get a signed copy of the title in question.

Here's the blurb, for your edification:

She’s determined to break his eight centuries of celibacy—at any cost!

Darjhian healer Aru has been in exile for eight hundred years, barred from the Deathless Land and parted from his wife. Now fallen from grace and no longer immortal, he can never return to her.

Yet he cleaves to his marriage vow and holds himself apart from everyone—especially Viera, the former prostitute whose sexual energy provides the power needed for his healing work. She presents a temptation he must constantly hold at bay if he’s to keep to his vow.

Viera isn’t interested in fighting temptation. She wants Aru. He wants her. What could be simpler? After three frustrating months working with him, her need for him has reached the breaking point. He claims he can never touch a woman again, but Viera isn’t the type to take no for an answer.

Over four glorious nights, she shows Aru everything he’s denied himself for eight centuries. But a shadow hangs over their passion. Aru is keeping secrets about the nature of his mortality. And now he faces a terrible choice…

Break Viera’s heart, or risk destroying her with the knowledge of what he truly is.

Product Warnings

This title contains: graphic sex, including anal sex, f/f and m/f/f; bad language; inappropriate use of a kitchen work surface; flagrant tickling of ivory; and a wagon-load of good, old-fashioned voyeurism.

Deadline for entries is Wednesday the 10th at 11:59 PM.

Read an Ebook Week

More than a day late, and a few bucks short, I'm here to remind you folks that it's Read an Ebook Week. Now, for me, pretty much every week is Read an Ebook Week, but for some of y'all, not so much (which is why I picked a publisher who also does print).

I'm not going to bore you all by sermonizing on why ebooks are totally blammo. If you're here, even if you're the type who swears you'll give up print books when someone pries them from your cold, dead fingers, you can probably list many of the benefits of digital books. What I am going to do is tell you to head over to ShannonC's website and check out her author interviews here, here and here. Being the glutton for punishment *ahem*, I mean dedicated ebook fan and supportive buddy that she is, she asked me to participate, as well, and my interview will be up tomorrow. For any of you who haven't yet given my books a go, she'll be giving away one of mine to one lucky commentor, yay!

You might also note that she mentions Crossing Swords in her romance book meme, as one book she wished she had written. I don't think I could find a better compliment anywere. Thanks, babe. :)

Cheers.

ETA: My interview is up. :)


There. I blogged. Happy now, Seeley? :P

Winnah!!!

All right, I applied the most random and scientific method available to me (asking my 6 y/o to pick a number between 1 and 23).

He said 12. Well, first he said 50, then he said 12.

And that means the lucky recipient of a signed copy of this baby right here----------->

is Tiah!!!

Tiah, if you'd be so kind as to email me with your info, I will shoot your copy off to you ASAP (as soon as plausible, which for me, could be a week or two). My addie is kirstensaell(AT)yahoo(DOT)com.

Thanks to everyone for commenting and sharing their thoughts on a little down-home, wholesome, old-fashioned revenging.

Hugs and smooches. *mwah!*

It's the big day!!! (and a contest, too)

...and I've been doing pretty much nothing.

Okay, not true. I finished a short story I started last night--a 3000 word contemp erotica written in the present tense and first/second person POV. Totally not my thing, but I was... inspired. *ahem* I'll post it later in the week once I've polished it up.

I've also been wracking my brain for contest ideas. I so wanted to come up with something silly for you all to do to qualify, but then this post at Dear Author got me thinking about revenge and whether it's a trope that's attractive on a woman. I mean, revenge--like a crisp, white dress shirt--almost always looks good on a man. Considering some of the themes in Crossing Swords, I kinda thought the discussion was applicable.

So here's what you all have to do for your big chance to win a signed copy of my very first published book: Just tell me in the comments what you love/hate about revenge plots in romance. It can be a simple as"ZOMG, I love them!" or "I hate them because men are jerks," (and frankly you won't get much argument from me on the second one, these days, heh), or a detailed analysis of what kinds of plots work for you and which don't. Just gimme something. Anything.

Deadline is Friday, Jan 30, winner announced by Monday.

Just do it. You know you want to.

Just a couple of things...

Today is your last chance to get in on Amy's contest over at Romance Book Wyrm and have a chance to win one of these babies.


And believe me, they're even more gawgeous in person than they are on a screen.

Tomorrow is the big day for Crossing Swords. Out of the nest it goes to either fly or plummet. I'll be at SamhainCafe on the 28th, posting excerpts and generally making a pest of myself (yeah, what else is new?), although I'll also be working, so if anyone sees my boss coming, the signal is the call of a screech owl, followed by hollering "tippy-toe" three times. I'm thinking I'll probably do a bit of a contest myself, although I'll have to think up some fun and embarrassing things to make you all do to qualify. Hmmm....


Also, I've finished proofing my galley copy of Healer's Touch (only two real errors that I could find, and just a few other things to change. Yes, my editor and I are just that good. LOL). It's scheduled to release in print the third week of June, woot! AND, just Wednesday (the day I wrestled my dryer into submission and made it my bitch, I ROCK!!), I opened my email and found the galley for Bound by Steel. It's scheduled to hit print in August. So it's gonna be one happy summer for me, yay!


Also, FYI, the word-meter down aways and to the right-------> is a lying liar, and I'm too lazy to beat the truth out of it, so I'll just update you all here. Chancellor's Bride is currently sitting at 56 500 words, and I've rejiggered the estimated word count when complete to about 65k. So it's nearly 85% done. Perhaps it will even be finished in time to get under contract before my galley for BbS is due, so it can make it onto the Coming Soon page. Although, as I've discovered with this book in particular, holding my breath is kind of bad for my health.


So that's it for now. I'll see you all back here tomorrow, when I will hopefully hear the delightful flutter of little, baby wings, rather than the whistle-thud-kaboom of a falling bomb. :D

Hot Pimping Action at AmyC's

AmyC, the best pimp a working girl *ahem*, I mean author, could ask for, is holding a contest at her blog, Romance Book Wyrm, and she's giving away a print copy of Crossing Swords.

If you want to win that bad boy, head on over there and leave a comment.

Do it. You know you want to. :)

Guest Author at LVLM

Dudes! Author and fellow Samhellion Anne Rainey is over at Loving Venus- Loving Mars, talking about her new Samhain release, Burn.

It's all about the hot girl-on-girl-on-guy action, plus there's a $10 Amazon GC up for grabs, too! Head on over and leave a comment for a chance to win.

Just do it. Doooooo eeeeet!!!11!

Dudes, I'm up for grabs...

...or rather, my first loverly book is, over at Ciar Cullen's blog.

Apparently Ciar is not a Scrooge. Far from it, she is amply imbued with Yultide cheer. She is overflowing with generosity and love for her fellow reader. She's got Christmas spirit out the ying-yang, and is looking to spread it around. If there are any of you all who have still not bought, begged, stolen, won, absconded with or otherwise procured a copy of my debut, Crossing Swords, now you have the chance to rectify the situation.

Just mosey on over to Ciar's, leave a comment telling her how desperately you're jonesing for my book, and in the New Year you could be the proud owner of your own shiny new digital copy.

Or, if you've already experienced the sheer bliss that is my timeless prose, check out the other titles she's promoting through her contest. A few of them are from fellow Samhellions and I betcha there's at least one up there that you'd enjoy. Who knows? You could discover an author you adore.

Do it. You know you want to...

Release Day!!! And a Contest!!

Well, today's the big day--Bound by Steel is now available. Unfortunately, the Canadian federal election and the tryptophan in last night's turkey have conspired to steal all my verve. Even if I hadn't overindulged in the ubiquitous bird and all its assorted accompaniments, I'm pretty sure the notion of braving the weather today so I can exercise my democratic responsibilities would have me equally nauseous. Bluh.

Methinks perhaps when I am done eenie-meenie-miney-moeing at the polls, I will bundle up with a blankie and some flavored coffee and partake in my usual release day tradition: read the book, surf yon webs, post an excerpt and give away a book or two.

I expect that y'all will be acquiring this beauty before doing anything as unimportant as voting for whichever political tool you hate marginally less than the others. (And I hear the economy is bouncing back, so you all got no excuse now to not buy it.) Heck, at least with a book, there's a chance you won't feel like you've wasted your time, right? I mean, if I want to participate in a giant wank-job, well, I'll pick one that isn't political, and has a hope in hell of getting me excited. :D

For all of you who still fear impending economic disaster and are looking to save yourself five bucks and change, you can head on over to Loving Venus- Loving Mars for a chance to win a copy for nothing. And even if you aren't the contest type, you can still pop in and read the hot girl on girl excerpt.

Now, to vote. One potato, two potato...

Hey, lookee here!!

All right, after a frantic week of collaboration, my like-minded buddy Leah and I have got it up and running: Loving Venus, Loving Mars, a blog dedicated women who enjoy romance featuring the hot (or sweet) girl-on-girl action.

Our mission statement:

This blog aims to provide a venue for all women who appreciate sensual fiction that celebrates female/female love and sexuality--whether within the scope of a heterosexual romance, a lesbian love story, or a full-on polyamorous relationship.

Discussion on industry and reader blogs has brought to light a small but vocal group of us who enjoy this type of story, but feel it is underrepresented in female-targeted romance and erotica--especially in ebooks.

We hope to maintain a safe environment for women to gather and discuss f/f and f/f/m erotic/romantic fiction written with a female readership in mind. If you're an author or reader of these kinds of books, and would like to guest blog, promote or review a book, offer industry info or even write a story to post on the blog, feel free to contact us.

So if you all are part of this poor, neglected demographic of romance readers, head on over and leave a comment on one (or both) of the first two posts. You could win one of my ebooks!