Anya Bast

Waaaaahooooooooo!!!!!!

I put the finishing touches on Witch Blood this morning and it is out the door. Whew!! Witch Blood clocks in over 10k longer than Witch Fire, so we’ll see what my editor has to say about that.

*does Dance of Joy*

That’s going to get me some weird Google hits.

My husband pointed out this morning that you can always tell where I’ve been working on my laptop during the day because there is at least one bra and one pair of shoes discarded there. I really hate bras. I’m not much of a shoe fan, either. So whenever I sit down, the first thing I do is shed both. So if one wants to see where I’ve been spending the most time in my house, just look for the bra.

I’m still deep in edits. My deadline is looming. This third revision is taking me longer than I initially thought it would. Plus, I’ve rewritten the end three times, but it looks like it needs one more go. One day, long after the book has run its course, I’ll post them all my web site, like the alternate endings to a movie on DVD. Heh.

My internal monologue goes a little like this, these days…

“Oh my god, why did she just say that?” *delete, rewrite*

“Hmm…this paragraph should go up here, not down there.” *moves para*

“What the hell was I thinking!?!” *delete, rewrite*

“Uhm, yeah, I used the word ‘silk’ in some variation fifteen times on this page.” *delete, gets out Thesaurus*

“That, that…that…what is this love affair I have with the word ‘that’?” *delete, rewrite*

“This sex scene needs more spice.” *delete, rewrite*

And so it goes.

Back to the depths of my revision.

The ever lovely Milady Insanity posted an interview with me yesterday. She also has a review of Witch Fire up. There’s a chance to win a copy, so stop on over and take a peek!

I’m still very deeply buried in revisions for Witch Blood, however I just wanted to pass this along quickly. I caught sight of this over on It’s Not Chick Porn and on a couple other blogs.

Nothing But Red. Please, if you have a moment or two, click on the link and read that.

On April 7, 2007, Du’a Khalil Aswad, a 17 year old Iraqi Yazidi girl, was stoned to death in an honor killing. Her crime is believed to have been consorting with a Muslim, a man she may have intended to marry. A group of onlookers got the whole murder on video, but never bothered to intervene.

Nothing but Red is an anthology being published by lulu.com. It will be released on the anniversary of Du’a Khalil Aswad’s murder. The proceeds will go to Equality Now. For many more details, go to the link above and read.

Check out my post on the Bradford Bunch blog. I talk about finding the right agent…and magic. (You’ll just have to go over there to see what I mean.) There’s a contest too!

It has been ten days since Witch Fire’s release. I have no real idea how the book has done, but if the fact the novel is placing pretty high on Bookscan is a good thing, (I think it’s a good thing. *frowns*), and if the flood of emails I’ve received from readers are any measure, I think the book has been doing well. All of you who sent me emails or pinged me through MySpace to say you enjoyed Witch Fire, thank you so much. You ease this neurotic author’s mind. 🙂

I am technically finished with the sequel, Witch Blood. Now I’m polishing and revising. I’ll keep the book right up to the deadline to pick at it, ’cause that’s what I do. Once my editor has given the book the okay, I’ll start teasing you guys about it. Because teasing is fun.

Now…..hie thee to bookmark The Pretty!

Some of literary agent Laura Bradford’s clients have banded together to create a fun new blog called The Bradford Bunch. Participants are: Ann Aguirre, Anya Bast, Cynthia Eden, Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Marissa Scott and Vonna Harper

Ann will kick off the blog on Sunday. We’ll be going in the order above, which means I’ll be blogging on Mondays. There will be prizes this first week of Bradford Blogging Deliciousness and I might (just might) be giving away a signed copy of Witch Fire. You never know.

So, GO! Go, now! Go, bookmark, and then come visit us starting Sunday.

…

Fades back into the depths of Deadline Hell.

I finally saw Pan’s Labyrinth last.

What. A. Good. Movie.

It made me cry. There are only a handful of movies that can make me do that. In fact, What Dreams May Come and Love Actually are the only two that come to mind. Ugh. I cried almost from beginning to end when I saw What Dreams May Come in the theater. How embarrassing.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen Pan’s Labyrinth and you enjoy dark fantasy, NETFLIX IT NOW, or obtain it in whatever way you obtain your movies.

Now, back to Isabelle and Thomas. Their date with Berkley looms.

I haven’t been blogging because I’m under deadline for Witch Blood and I have no Thursday Thirteen offering for you this week. Instead, I thought I’d give you…dross. Not literally. Actually dross is one of my favorite words. I’m not sure why, exactly.

Here are a few more of my favorite words:

Venezuela

Door

Open (I especially love the combination open door)

Cabbage

Raven

Entice

Elaborate

Ribbon

What are some of your favorite words?

Chats….

June 10th….

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Sunday, June 10th at 9 PM ET to chat with me at Writerspace. I’ll be discussing Witch Fire.

June 14th….

Maverick Authors Chat!! Join Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Anya Bast in the Maverick Author’s chat room at 8pm eastern for chat, prizes, fun and hijinks.

June 14th….

Join the Berkley Jove Authors at Writerspace, 9 pm eastern. Authors beside myself who have been invited to chat include, Angela Knight, Yasmine Galenorn, Meljean Brook, Anne Bishop (OMG! Fan girl moment! Yiieeee! Ahem, sorry…moving on), P.C. Cast, Susan Sizemore and many more.

June 25th….

Join the AfterMidnight Authors at Writerspace (seeing a trend here?) at 9pm eastern. Besides myself, attending authors include Sylvia Day, Shiloh Walker, Cheyenne McCray, Deliah Devlin and Patrice Michelle.

Book Signings….

June 23rd….

On June 23 from 3:30 to 5:00 (est), I’ll be signing along with authors Toni Blake and LuAnn McLane at…

The Bookstore
301 W Lincoln Trail Blvd
Radcliff, KY 40160

A To Be Read Pile Thursday Thirteen.

Photographic evidence…

Actually, this is misleading because some of these books I’ve already read/are reading.

So, really this Thursday Thirteen should be entitled Two Books Read, One Book Am Reading, Ten Eleven Books in To Be Read Pile. It’s a Thursday Fourteen.

Or we could just call it Anya’s Reading Addiction Thursday Thirteen.

~*~

1. Ascension, by Lauren Dane — Which is an ebook, hence it is not in the picture, it is in my Reb 1100. I also cannot provide a buy link, since I have an ARC. Nyah. Nyah. So here’s the blurb and excerpt on her site. Ascension releases TOMORROW at Ellora’s Cave.

Okay, here’s a pic of the cover. I think it’s very pretty:

2. Magic Bites, by Ilona Andrews — In my already DEVOURED IN ONE SITTING read category. If you like Patricia Briggs, I certainly do, you will love Ilona Andrews. This is urban fantasy at its finest, with juuuust a touch of horror. I loved this book.

3. Hell’s Belles, by Jackie Kessler — Also in my already read category. I loved this one too. The concept was very interesting.

4. For a Few Demons More, Kim Harrison — In my currently reading category. It’s Kim Harrison. Need I say more?

Now here are the other books I have yet to read….

5. Rises the Night, Colleen Gleason

6. Stray, Rachel Vincent (Okay I actually kinda started this one already.)

7. Under a Wild Sky, Sasha Lord

8. When I Fall in Love, Lynn Kurland

9. Giving Chase, Lauren Dane (I already read this once. Now I’m going to read it again in paperback format)

10. Bad Girl Bridesmaids, Susanna Carr — Not my normal kind of book at all since they’re contemporary, non-paranormal short stories, but it looks good!

11. Hunters: Heart & Soul, Shiloh Walker

12. Master of Dragons, Angela Knight (I still have to buy)

13. The Sharing Knife, Lois McMaster Bujold (Still have to buy)

And one to grow on… Demon Moon, Meljean Brook. (Still have to buy)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Sara Thacker

2. Christieo

3. N.J. Walters

4. Paige Tyler

5. Marissa

6. Rhonda Stapleton

7. Susan Helene Gottfried

8. Rhian

9. Seeley deBorn

10. Jaci Burton

11. Debbie Mumford

12. Ann(ie)

13. Sparky Duck

14. R.G. Alexander

15. Stella Price

16. BARB

17. BARB (I don’t think she has a TT up, but you can visit anyway. *g*)

18. Robin L. Rotham

19. Jennifer Shirk

20. Heather

21. Lauren Dane

22. Tempest Knight

23. Kate Scott

24. Rene Lyons

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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