Anya Bast

I can’t believe it’s almost here, the final book of the Elemental Witches series. Witch Fury will release on June 2nd, just three weeks from today.

If you’ve been reading the series, you’re familiar with Theodosius Winters from a short appearance in Witch Blood and a secondary role in Witch Heart. As readers know, Theo is very much in need of love. He’s the kind of hero I love to write–dark, brooding, a bit dangerous, and just a little bit damaged. It’s the kind of damage that only true love can heal.

His childhood was rocky and, then, when he was teen Theo was kidnapped by the Duskoff, along with someone very important to him. Coveting his powerful earth magick, the Duskoff tried to break Theo to their will, but failed. In the process Theo had to watch the murder of the one person in the world he loved. That’s bound to push just about anyone into a world of darkness, huh? As an adult, Theo works for the Chicago Coven and his favorite job is making the Duskoff pay every chance he gets.

Enter Sarafina Connell. Outgoing, vivacious, and with a million friends, Sarafina is Theo’s opposite in just about every way. She’s also had trauma in her life, but with the support of those who love her, she’s weathered the storm much more successfully than loner Theo.

Unfortunately, when she comes home one day to find Stefan Faucheux in her living room, she’s in for a whole new trauma. Stefan nabs her and forces her accept a truth she wants no part of–she’s a fire witch. World turned on end and reality a jumbled mess, the Chicago Coven raids the house where she’s being kept and Theo assumes she’s a warlock–his least favorite thing in the world.

So, you see, they have a few things to overcome.

And the barriers to their relationship are only part of the problem. The Duskoff is back and deadlier than ever. This time they intend to use every resource they have to take down the Chicago Coven for once and for all.

I’m a bit sad to see the end of the Elemental Witches series, but also excited about things to come. I have a new series starting, which will be launched with the novella, Sweet Enchantment, in the Hot for the Holidays anthology that comes out in late September, which also features novellas by Lora Leigh, Angela Knight and Allyson James. Then the first full length novel of the series, Wicked Enchantment, will release in January, 2010. It’s a whole new world and new characters for me to discover and I love that. I hope you will too!

If you want to read the first chapter of Witch Fury, or see the book video, they’re right here.

I said many a moon ago that I would write a review of the Sony PRS-505. Here it is, long overdue.

This review won’t debate the merits or disadvantages of this eBook reader over the Kindle because I don’t have a Kindle. Once upon a time I had a Gemstar Reb 1200 (no longer manufactured) and I loved it with the red hot love of 20 billion suns. In my opinion, the Sony PRS-505 does not beat the Reb, but there’s still a whole lot of nice about the Sony PRS-505.

I can’t tell you tons about the filing system because–as anyone who knows me will tell you–I’m not much for organizing stuff (unless it comes to my writing, then I’m very organized). I just buy the book I want to read, read it, and it remains on my bookshelf. I don’t filter them all out into different categories or folders, ect.

What I like:

1.) The readability of the text on the screen. Easier on the eyes than paper.

2.) The eBook library software is intuitive and useful.

3.) Free eBooks. I buy most my eBooks from the Sony site. I have been told you can easier buy ebooks from many different sources (this was the primary reason I bought the Sony instead of the Kindle), I just haven’t had a need to do so yet. The Sony site has had good prices on the ebooks I’ve wanted since I bought the device, and I’ve also taken frequent advantage of their free and almost free offerings.

4.) The ability to increase the font size at will.

5.) It’s thin and easily transportable in my laptop case (this is also a disadvantage. See below. Just can’t please me, I guess.)

6.) I have the red one and it’s a beautiful, elegant looking device.

What I dislike:

1.) The trend is to make personal electronics slimmer and smaller. The Reb I used to have was bulkier than the Sony PRS-505, but it was also contoured to fit in my hand. The Sony PRS-505 doesn’t curve to smoothly fit in my palm; it’s flat, hard and thin.

2.) There’s no backlight. Again, to compare to the Reb, the Reb had a very nice backlight that I could dim or make brighter. The overwhelming majority of the time I spend reading it right before I go to sleep. I’m usually on my back or my side in a darkened room with my husband sleeping beside me. Because there’s no backlight, I must still use the clip on booklight that I used to use with my paperbacks. I really don’t mind this, it clips on well, and I knew I’d have to use a booklight with it when I bought the Sony PRS-505. However, I find the booklight will glare on the screen and there’s no way to position the light to prevent that glare. Also, the damn booklight scoots to the side when I lie at an angle, causing me to constantly readjust.

3.) The buttons to turn the page (there are two) are not in (what seems to me, anyway) a very ergonomically sound place on the reader. Maybe it’s because, again, I’m laying in bed on my side. In any case, I’d love to have the button I push the most (to turn a page) in a place that’s a bit easier.

Overall, I have to say I’m very happy with the Sony PRS-505. I have no regrets I bought it.

Thank you all for participating in the second super duper ginormous contest I’ve conducted on my blog. Let me tell you, it WAS ginormous. This contest received far more comments and hits than the first one I did, and I didn’t think a blog contest could be any bigger than that one.

So, THANKS to all of you who played along and answered the questions. It was a blast reading the responses. And THANKS to everyone who spread the word about the contest by posting about it on their blogs, web sites, social networking sites and who told their friends about it. You all ROCK!

I only wish I had something for everyone. Unfortunately, these things are all about the luck of the draw. So, with no further ado, here are the winners I need to announce:

Winner of yesterday’s book of the day, Making Mischief, by Leila Brown, is…. Ilona, who said. “I am an army brat who has travelled a lot but my most interesting trip was a short one. It was a five day trip from Cardiff to St. Andrews and was to see my eldest son be the first of my children to graduate from University.”

Runner up prize of a $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect) is… celeber.

Runner up prize of a $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect) is…Caitlin Crowlet

The grand prize winner of a $100 GC to Amazon.com is….Erika Lynn!!!

Congrats to you all!!!! Please contact me at anyabast (at) gmail.com (or via the contact form on my site). I’ll give you until May 20th (two weeks from today) to collect your prize.

I’m sure I’ll be doing another ginormous contest in the future. I’d do one for the June 2nd release of Witch Fury, but I’m pooped! But as long as I have your eyeballs right now, I will announce that I’ll be signing WITCH FURY at Uncle Hugo’s bookstore in Minneapolis, MN on Sat, June 6, from 1-2 pm. Mary Janice Davidson will also be there signing her latest release! If you live in the area, please stop on by. I would love to meet you.

Have an awesome day, you all! Hope you had fun!

…Terry W! She wrote, “I’m currently listening to 80’s music (Def Leppard, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Human League, etc.)”

Congrats, Terry! I’ll give you until May 12th to contact me either at anyabast (at) gmail.com or use the contact form on my site. Good luck in today’s contests for MAKING MISCHIEF and WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS…AFTER DARK!

Tomorrow I’ll announce the winners of the main contest.

Web Site

Author Bio: Leila has been an avid reader since the fifth grade. As she got older she read everything she could get her hands on, from horror to mystery and finally stopping in romance. Currently, she works a normal 9 to 5 in the IT world. She writes during her lunch hour and at home after nine pm when everyone in her house is asleep. Is it easy? Yes and no. Coming up with the stories is easy. Getting the words out of her head and onto paper is hard! But she couldn’t live without it. To see what she’s up to, visit her website at http://www.leilabrown.com or http://leilabrown.blogspot.com/

Interview Questions:

1.) How did you get started in writing and how long have you been doing it? I read so much that my husband challenged me. He said that I should write and so I started. My first attempts were horrible but as I learned and practiced I got better. I started writing in 2001, and I sold my first book in 2007. And I am still learning how to do this.

2.) What genres/subgenres are your favorites to write within and do you have any aspirations to write outside your current genres/subgenres. Try something new? I love my erotic paranormal romances. Throw in a little BDSM or ménage…hey I’ll even take both and I am in heaven. As far as writing outside my comfort zone goes I have come up with a YA idea that may go places. I will have to see how it comes together. Until then I am all about the erotic paranormal, sci-fi fantasies.

3.) What are you working on now and what releases do you have coming up? Well, I just released Super Sex 4: Dominating Domino with Changeling Press. Coming in the next few months I will release The Pearl Heartstone, a sequel to The Diamond Heartstone, a Fictionwise Bestseller.

4.) Anything else you’d like to share? I love to hear from readers so contact me with your thoughts.

…is Mari! She said, “I like cleaning if it involves my swiffer and swiffer duster. I also enjoy deep cleaning my house. For some reason I get a perverse sense of satisfaction from getting dirt out of cracks and crevices that most people miss. I blame this on my Virgo Moon….”

Me too, Mari! Okay, please email me at anyabast (at) gmail.com or use the contact form on my site. You have until May 11th to collect your prize, a week from today.

Tomorrow is the last day for the Book-of-the-day contests. I will announce the winners of the main contest on WEDNESDAY! Good luck in today’s contest for Relentless, all!

I had another book scheduled for today, but I realized this weekend that Lauren Dane’s Relentless releases TOMORROW. I had to fit this book. I’ve read it, loved it, and think you will too. So tomorrow, the last day of the book-a-day contests, there will be a double contest with a chance to win two different books.

Want a shot at Relentless? Since I posted my playlist for the Elemental Witches series, I want to know what’s on yours. What are you listening to these days? Comment to be entered! If you win and you live in the U.S., this book will ship to you from an online retailer. If you’re out of the U.S., I’ll buy it and ship to you. Contest open to all.

Ready, set, go!

…Eshani! Eshani said, “Great Prize!! I loved “What happens in Vegas”. Great authors, unique stories, and a fantastic setting. I’m even more excited for the sequel simply because of the extra special paranormal ingredient.”

Drop me an email at anyabast (at) gmail.com or via the contact form on my site by May 5th (it’s coming up!) to collect your prize.

Good luck in today’s contest for ANTICIPATION AND SEDUCTION, all!

Here are the Q & As from yesterday:

Tez asks: Were the Vegas anthologies sold in a two-book deal, or separately? Did you authors write your first contributions whilst knowing your second would be paranormal? You know all the lingo, Tez! The books were not sold in a two-book deal, but were sold separately. The possibility of a paranormal follow-up had been discussed at the time we were writing the first (non-paranormal) installment, but we weren’t sure at the time if it would ever happen.

Cinnamon asks: Is this a book that I should dare to read in public? Also, how much fun was it for you to write The Promise? To the first question, well, that’s up to you. 😉 The book is pretty steamy. I really enjoyed writing The Promise because I liked telling Damian’s story. In The Deal (the novella in the first anthology) Damian comes off like a real prick, having dumped his fiancee at the altar. This was my chance to tell his side of the story and explain why he did it. He had a pretty good reason.

Susan asks: Do you have a scene in your mind that you haven’t been able to fit into one of your stories yet? If so can you give us a hint what it is about? Hmmm….I usually write all the scenes that pop into my mind because they’re popping in there as a result of thinking about the current plot/characters I’m working on. I do have a couple scenes stuck in my head right now that will eventually go into my current work-in-progress, as soon as I can get back to writing it (I’m editing another project right now). One of the scenes is a super hot sex scene that takes place in an alley–a very furtive, desperate scene. 😉

Tina b wrote: i did read the first vegas book, and am looking forward to this one, my question is do you think there will be a third vegas book? and if so do you see yourself brining any characters we might know back in another story? I’m pretty sure this will be the last Vegas book. 🙂 As for bringing characters back, I think I got all mine in.

Mel K wrote: Have you seen the movie WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS w/Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher? Yep! I thought I wouldn’t like it and ended up really enjoying it. Funny story about that movie…because it came out at about the same time I posted the book trailer for our anthology on Youtube, our book trailer ended up getting over 50,0000 views. LOL. Thanks, Hollywood!

Diane S asks: A question: any clues you can give us about your next series? It will be called the Dark Magick series and the worldbuilding is drawn from fae myth and legend. If you want to know more, I babble on about it in the video blog I posted yesterday. 🙂 Just scroll down.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

ANTICIPATION AND SEDUCTION
Some romances are meant to be…

Web Site

Author Bio:

Born and raised in the Southeast, award-winning author Patrice Michelle gave up her financial calculator for a keyboard and never looked back. Thanks to an open-minded family who taught her that life isn’t as black and white as we’re conditioned to believe, she pens her novels with the belief that various shades of gray are a lot more interesting. She’s a natural with a point-and-shoot camera, likes to fiddle with graphic design and, to the relief of her family, strums her guitar to an audience of one.

As for becoming a writer…I wasn’t one of those writers scribbling stories as soon as I could write, but I was a voracious reader. At the age of fifteen, I told my mom after I’d finished reading a book, “One day, I want to be the one who writes the kind of books readers think about long after they’ve closed it.

Interview Questions:

1.) How did you get started in writing and how long have you been doing it? I was an avid reader from my elementary years, but around fifteen my love of reading turned into the desire to tell the kind of stories that stayed with readers long after they finished the book! I’ve been writing on and off since I was fifteen, but it wasn’t until 2003 that I got serious about getting published. I published my first novel nine months later and I’ve been creating stories ever since.

2.) What genres/subgenres are your favorites to write within and do you have any aspirations to write outside your current genres/subgenres. Try something new? I love writing in both the contemporary genre (cowboys!  ) and in the paranormal genre (vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters). Most of my most recent novels have been paranormal. As for stories I’ve wanted to write…YES, I’ve wanted to write a young adult book for several years now. I’d also love to write an urban fantasy and a paranormal thriller type story one day, too.

3.) What are you working on now ? Currently I’m working on a paranormal romance as well as a paranormal young adult.

Anything else you’d like to share? Thank you, Anya, for hosting this cool event on your blog!

Patrice says: LOL! None! But if I had to pick one, I’d say Swiffering the floor, mainly because it’s mindless, which allows me to think about plot lines, character arcs and ways to fix an issue in a story.

ZOMG! It’s May 1st! And if it’s May 1st that means June 1st isn’t far behind! And you know what that means….. Okay, so maybe you don’t. That means WITCH FURY’S release date is not far behind, the last of the Elemental Witch books!

Here’s a video blog wherein I blather on about Witch Fury’s upcoming release, the end of the Elemental Witches series, and talk a bit about my new Dark Magick series.

Click To Play

My playlist for the Elemental Witches series, as promised in the vid blog. Songs in no particular order. This is muchly what I listened to while writing the Elemental Witches series. If you listen to something you like, g’wan and buy it, please, and support the artist. It’ll give you good karma.

Caught in the Rain – Revis
Temptation – The Tea Party
Stop a Bullet – Black Light Burns
Cohkka – Apocalyptica
Simple Lies – Endo
Psychopomp – The Tea Party
Cruel Melody – Black Light Burns
Beyond Time – Apocalyptica
Gideon – My Morning Jacket
Summer Skin – Death Cab for Cutie
Disenchanted — My Chemical Romance
Remedy – Seether
A Case of You — Joni Mitchell
Won’t Back Down – Fuel
Use It — The New Pornographers
Bleed American – Jimmy Eat World
High Wire Escape Artist – Boysetsfire
Lie — Black Light Burns
No Sunlight — Death Cab For Cutie
It can’t rain all the time – Jane Siberry
Sad Exchange — Finger Eleven
Lie to Me — 12 Stones
Blue Monday – Orgy
The Crane Wife 3 — The Decemberists