Anya Bast

I have always been the kind of person who lives in her head. At school I was the type who doodled in her notebook, stared out the window, occasionally fell asleep (usually only in aviation class), and got bad grades. Aimless until graduation, I was advised by my high school counselor to consider beauty school, but that path didn’t call to me. No one really knew what I was going to do with my life.

Of course, I knew. I’d always wanted to be a writer. I was going to do THAT. I was going to take all those worlds I had in my head and give them to other people to enjoy. Which, eventually, is exactly what I did.

Academically, I pulled it together after high school and went on to finish college and eventually got into graduate school. I was sensibly aiming for a career that would put food on my table if the writing thing didn’t pan out. But the writing thing did pan out and here I am living my dream, a thing I’m thankful for every day. Hey! Maybe all those bad grades through school weren’t such a bad thing after all.

These days people pay me to daydream. The world I’m daydreaming about today, right now, for this new series I’m doing for Berkley, is probably one of the more complex worlds I’ve ever written.

Imagine the fae. Imagine the fae are real. Imagine there is another race called the Phaendir, who have been known through the ages as druids. Imagine, for reasons they perceive to be righteous and noble, the Phaendir believe the fae are dangerous and should be kept away from the rest of the world.

Imagine a city called Piefferburg that takes up a large portion of the states we know as North Carolina and Virginia. This is where the fae have been imprisoned since the time America became America. Within its borders is every type of fae known to the world–the Seelie and Unseelie Courts that are filled with the shining and the nightmarish alike, goblins, hobgoblins, the Birch Ladies, waterhorses, kelpies…the list goes on.

Now imagine it is the present day and they all want out.

This is beautiful cover is for The Phantom Queen Awakes, a dark fantasy anthology releasing from Morrigan Books on October 31st, 2009. All the stories feature the Morrigan (Celtic triple goddess) as a central character.

Here’s the table of contents:

Rising Tide: Ruth Shelton
Kiss of the Morrígan: Anya Bast
I Guard Your Death: Lynne Lumsden Green
Gifts of the Morrígan: Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
Cairn Dancer: C. E. Murphy
Washerwoman: Jennifer Lawrence
The Raven’s Curse: Sharon Kae Reamer
Ravens: Mari Ness
The Lass from Far Away: Katharine Kerr
The Trinket: Peter Bell
The Dying Gaul: Michael Bailey
The Children of Badb Catha: James Lecky
Plain of Pillars: L. J. Hayward
The Silver Branch: Linda Donahue
The Good and Faithful Servant: Martyn Taylor
White Heifer: T. A. Moore
She Who is Becoming: Elaine Cunningham

Hoooooly hotness. I want this guy for Christmas. My husband wouldn’t mind, right?

This is the cover for the late September, 2009 release of Hot for the Holidays. My story is titled Sweet Enchantment and will kick off (though will be a stand alone) a new series I’m writing for Berkley Sensation.

As soon as I get Wicked Enchantment sent in to my editor (I’m soooooo close), I’ll talk a little more about this new series. Right now I feel like I’d be jinxing myself. Who, me? Superstitious? Yeah, a little bit.

Also…it’s almost May, which means it’s almost time for the release of this book. I have an idea brewing in my head for a BIG contest, something along the lines of the month long affair that I did for The Chosen Sin. My idea is still unformed at the moment, but I need to form it quick ’cause time’s a-wasting.

Tell me, please. What sort of contests do you like best? What kind of prizes do you like the best? Books, of course, I’m sure. How about GCs? To bookstores or another type of store? An iPod Touch? An ebook reader? I dunno…give me a place to start. I think my brain is deadline-fried at the moment.

Hoooooly hotness. I want this guy for Christmas. My husband wouldn’t mind, right?

This is the cover for the late September, 2009 release of Hot for the Holidays. My story is titled Sweet Enchantment and will kick off (though will be a stand alone) a new series I’m writing for Berkley Sensation.

As soon as I get Wicked Enchantment sent in to my editor (I’m soooooo close), I’ll talk a little more about this new series. Right now I feel like I’d be jinxing myself. Who, me? Superstitious? Yeah, a little bit.

Also…it’s almost May, which means it’s almost time for the release of this book. I have an idea brewing in my head for a BIG contest, something along the lines of the month long affair that I did for The Chosen Sin. My idea is still unformed at the moment, but I need to form it quick ’cause time’s a-wasting.

Tell me, please. What sort of contests do you like best? What kind of prizes do you like the best? Books, of course, I’m sure. How about GCs? To bookstores or another type of store? An iPod Touch? An ebook reader? I dunno…give me a place to start. I think my brain is deadline-fried at the moment.

Cross-posted from The Bradford Bunch.

Things that suck your brain = things that are frivolous and a time suck. Stuff you just can’t look away from.

Twitter sucks my brain pretty frequently these days. You know how some social networking apps you take to and others you really just don’t? I have taken to Twitter. At least, for now. Myspace and Facebook are not sites I took to easily, although I interact on both because I have readers who communicate with me through them.

For personal use, I like Twitter and Livejournal the best. I spend a lot of time on each.

I think I know why. Unlike Myspace and Facebook, Twitter and Livejournal allow me to talk to others the easiest and the best. People post ideas or anecdotes and I can respond to them as well as post my own. It’s very interactive that way. You can do that on Myspace and Facebook too, but it requires a bit more effort. Myspace and Facebook are more a static type of application. Myspace more so than Facebook. People have to make a point to go to your page to talk to you, or you have to make a point to go to theirs. With Twitter and Livejournal it’s all right there, all the time, no special effort required.

What social networking apps do you like the best and why?

Other things that suck my brain these days….The Celebrity Apprentice. I know, I know. *hangs head in shame* I love watching the train wreck that is this show. I mean, it’s irresistible. Get a bunch of B list celebrities together, separate them into teams and make them compete in tasks that require things like teamwork and a suppression of their egos. It’s like crack.

And Survivor. I probably shouldn’t admit that I’m a Survivor fan from waaaay back. In fact, I’ve never missed a season. I think it appeals to the psychologist-I-would’ve-been if I hadn’t pursued writing. I love watching all those personalities interact. It’s fascinating. Knowing, of course, the show has been edited in a way to slant things for ratings. Still, I love it.

Other shows that suck my brain are Dancing with the Stars and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If either of these are on, I’m snagged and my eyeballs are glued to the TV. It’s really very sad.

So, tell me, what sucks your brain?

Cross-posted from The Bradford Bunch.

Things that suck your brain = things that are frivolous and a time suck. Stuff you just can’t look away from.

Twitter sucks my brain pretty frequently these days. You know how some social networking apps you take to and others you really just don’t? I have taken to Twitter. At least, for now. Myspace and Facebook are not sites I took to easily, although I interact on both because I have readers who communicate with me through them.

For personal use, I like Twitter and Livejournal the best. I spend a lot of time on each.

I think I know why. Unlike Myspace and Facebook, Twitter and Livejournal allow me to talk to others the easiest and the best. People post ideas or anecdotes and I can respond to them as well as post my own. It’s very interactive that way. You can do that on Myspace and Facebook too, but it requires a bit more effort. Myspace and Facebook are more a static type of application. Myspace more so than Facebook. People have to make a point to go to your page to talk to you, or you have to make a point to go to theirs. With Twitter and Livejournal it’s all right there, all the time, no special effort required.

What social networking apps do you like the best and why?

Other things that suck my brain these days….The Celebrity Apprentice. I know, I know. *hangs head in shame* I love watching the train wreck that is this show. I mean, it’s irresistible. Get a bunch of B list celebrities together, separate them into teams and make them compete in tasks that require things like teamwork and a suppression of their egos. It’s like crack.

And Survivor. I probably shouldn’t admit that I’m a Survivor fan from waaaay back. In fact, I’ve never missed a season. I think it appeals to the psychologist-I-would’ve-been if I hadn’t pursued writing. I love watching all those personalities interact. It’s fascinating. Knowing, of course, the show has been edited in a way to slant things for ratings. Still, I love it.

Other shows that suck my brain are Dancing with the Stars and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If either of these are on, I’m snagged and my eyeballs are glued to the TV. It’s really very sad.

So, tell me, what sucks your brain?

Hi all — Are any of you in the Lexington, Kentucky area? If so, you might be interested in this, a booksigning and day of workshops coming up soon. Here’s the official web site, but I pasted the details below. 🙂

AUTHOR SIGNING

Date: Friday, March 27, 2009, 6:00-8:00 PM:
Location: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1932 Pavilion Way, Lexington, KY (I-75 & Man O’War)

AUTHORS ATTENDING
Jan Scarbrough
Maddie James
Magdalena Scott
Sheryl Brennan
Sloan Seymour
Teresa Reasor
Tracy Preston
Sophia Danu
Anya Bast
Tia Fanning
Renee Vincent

Dinner afterwards at Malones beginning at 8:30 p.m.
1920 Pleasant Ridge Drive, Lexington, KY (I-75 & Man O War)
Informal Discussion on craft issues

Spring into Writing Kentucky Romance Writers Workshops

Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009, 9:00 AM – 5:00
LOCATION: Hyatt Place
Cost $20 for Members / $30 for non-members

9:00-1:00 PM
RITA winner and editor ALICIA RASLEY
Channeling Your Characters for a Dramatic Plot with the Story Journey

Break

1:45 – 2: 30
TERESA REASOR on Story Boarding: A story board is an aid used to help the writer visualize the different elements of their plot. It can be used to insure the character arcs are realized, the turning points in character development are reached, and can also be used to maintain forward momentum of the plot. With the use of brainstorming, post-it notes, and colored markers, you can plot an entire novel and tie up all your loose ends and insure your plot doesn’t falter.

2:30-3:15
MADDIE JAMES on Writing Dialogue: Dialogue
That Fits. One good piece of advice about writing dialogue is to write like you talk. That’s great if the character is you, but how often is the character in your book YOU? Maddie takes some of our favorite dialogue exchanges from books, movies and life, and analyzes for tips for your own writing.

Break

3:30-4:15
ANYA BAST on Moving from E-Pub to Print: National bestselling author Anya Bast discusses moving from epublishing to mass market print publishing and the differences and the similarities between the two.

4:15-5:00

LEIGH COLLETT Owner of Resplendence Publishing:
Brief overview of the e-industry (i.e. how it differs from NY in print practices/and e-sales) as well as, market trends and the “do’s and don’ts” of submissions and queries. Leigh will be available for pitches. Contact Kathy Logan (859) 229-9737 or
klogan@insightbb.com to schedule an appointment.

HOST HOTEL: Hyatt Place, 2001 Bryant Road, Lexington, KY
I-75 & Man O War
(859) 296-0091 – call for reservations and mention the KYRW Workshop Rate if you want to spend Friday night

It’s all her fault.

Holy Snapping Duck Do! I just had a cup of tea and realised I have not updated this since Hammertime was in the charts… You would not believe that I’d been abducted by aliens. Apologies to my regular readers! Even the little blue ones!.

I am so busy with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, homeschooling five children, just generally being a biatch to the servants, my day is full to bursting from the second I am woken by murderous Teletubbies to 11pm at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am not complaining though. it will be fun fun fun till they take my TBird away.

I make a solemn vow I will make more of an effort to blog more often. What? I mean it!.

Made with The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator.

It’s all her fault.

Holy Snapping Duck Do! I just had a cup of tea and realised I have not updated this since Hammertime was in the charts… You would not believe that I’d been abducted by aliens. Apologies to my regular readers! Even the little blue ones!.

I am so busy with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, homeschooling five children, just generally being a biatch to the servants, my day is full to bursting from the second I am woken by murderous Teletubbies to 11pm at which point I fall asleep on the couch. I am not complaining though. it will be fun fun fun till they take my TBird away.

I make a solemn vow I will make more of an effort to blog more often. What? I mean it!.

Made with The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator.

Yep, I’m still quiet. I’ve been busy working toward the deadline for Wicked Enchantment at the end of the month. Also? I’ve been busy being sick. *lip curl* In the last two and a half weeks I’ve gone from sick to almost okay to okay (for a day) to SIIIIIIICK. Now I’m on the mend again, but I’m day two of almost no voice. An event that’s probably making my husband pretty happy. 😉

So here is a clearing house blog post of sorts of a couple interesting things around the net and some reviews. I have nothing interesting to say on my behalf unless you want me to either cough in your face or walk around in a zombie-like daze of deadline brain in front of you. It ain’t pretty, guys, it just ain’t.

Or I could tell you all about the super weirdo cold med induced dreams I’ve been having… nah. Let’s hear about some contests and stuff.

Hie thee to Bitten by Books for a contest they are doing on author team Moira Roger’s behalf to a win an iPod Touch. (too cool)

Don’t forget to check out Barbara Vey’s second birthday bash at Beyond Her Book. They’ll be giving away prizes all week, I think.

And here are a few reviews I’ve received lately, too.

For Witch Heart:

Lyda at Bitten by Books says, “Anya Bast uses words like Monet used paint. It‘s vibrant. It’s alive. Readers will be able to see the story come to life as it just leaps out of the pages.”

Anthonette Dotson at Romance Reviews Today says “Ms. Bast has done a fine job of delivering an equal mixture of action and love that will quench even the most selective reader’s thirsts. I highly recommend WITCH HEART to paranormal romance lovers everywhere.”

For Taken (still in the top five at My Bookstore and More over a month after release!):

Mickey at You Gotta Read says, “Ms. Bast is at her best writing erotic fiction, combining her gift for penning steamy love scenes with crisp and snappy dialogue. The book is interesting and engaging, only Anya Bast could and would envision an alien kidnapping and somehow make it thrilling, exciting and sensuous all at the same time.”

Chrissy at Romance Junkies says, “Anya Bast’s TAKEN delivers on all those ‘out of this world’ fantasies woman possess… I was expecting a fun read when I selected this story but in no way did I anticipate the emotional impact it’d have. Caleb, Van and Anne are a trio that truly capture the imagination and leave you salivating for more.”