[info]aerought


At first blush

My writing is structured...daily thougts, not always.


OMG it's been forever!!
[info]aerought
Well, since last I posted (which was AGES AGO), I've rewritten DRENCHED, and it's out on submission. The number of editors with it boggles my mind, so I try hard NOT to think about it. Lost in Boggleville is no good for productivity.

In other news, I've whipped up a couple new WIP ideas. Anyone who knows me knows I do not need anymore. I'm a confessed WIPaholic. But this latest one... OMG. A creepy, heart-wrenching, romantic reimagining of a horror classic. I'm calling it NewToy, or Candy. So it you see me mention on Twitter of FaceBook, you'll know I'm in love with it! ALSO, I sold a Savannah Jordan naughty short story to Samhain. So, lots of revising to do there. Which I should be doing instead of playing with my NewToy...

(Bad, Ann. Bad!)

THAT'S YAMORE BLOGFEST
[info]aerought
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My Oasis for YA sisters and I are throwing a Valentine's weekend swoonfest! So, for your That's YAmore reading pleasure, I give you a bit of a longer first kiss scene, because like my friend Heather says, it's all about the build up...

My pulse quickens when she steps from the bathroom. The light halos her curves as she stands barefoot in this grungy motel room looking like a goddess in nothing but scrapes, bruises and my spare T-shirt. Suddenly, I want to crush her to me and cover her up. She’s too damn pretty to be in this place, with a guy as tainted as me.

“Come here, Zain.” She curls a finger and I stand, kind of numb, wanting to follow her and thinking I don’t deserve it. With a sigh, Zoe steps to my side and takes my hand. “You’re bleeding again. Let me clean you up.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I shift a glance from my shoulder gash to her temple. “You are too.”

“No big deal. It’s just a scrape—” She shoves me onto the bathroom counter and stands between my knees. “Your cut’s worse, and I don’t want you bleeding on my only shirt when you kiss me.”

Your only shirt?” I can’t stop myself from tugging on the hemline and brushing her skin. I pull her closer, just a few inches of air between us. My heart rate ratchets up a notch. Kiss her? That’s the stuff of dreams, not dirty no-tell motels. Still, the temptation…her curves, her lips… “Who says I’m going to kiss you?”

“Me.”

Smiling and peeking at me through her eyelashes, Zoe crouches to fish through the cabinet beneath my butt for the first aid kit. Tingles follow her fingers over my knee when she puts the case on the counter. Her hip, and the cotton of my shirt, brush the inside of my thigh when she turns back to me. God, sitting here and not pulling her to me is going to stop my heart—again.

“This is going to sting,” she says, and pats an alcohol soaked pad over the cut on my shoulder. I suck in a sharp breath, but that’s all.

“So…” I look into her eyes and fight the magnetic pull between us. “You wouldn’t feed me in the hospital when I was broken and bandaged, but you’ll play in my blood?”

“Zain?” Her eyelids dip, giving her a dreamy expression, but her voice is alive with fire.

“Yeah?”

She presses the gauze pad to my cut, and I can’t help but wince.

“Shut up.”

I snap my lips closed. We’re inches apart and I want her too bad to touch her. Zoe’s free hand rides up my thigh to the hem of my boxers, then skims the fabric and slides up my stomach and chest to my cheek. She’s so close all I see are her eyes, and her breath warms on my lips. The distance, this closeness, is too much and not enough. I lift one hand from its tight grip on the countertop, and rest it on the curve of her waist, pulling gently with my last two fingers touching her bare skin.

Her eyelids close in a slow fall. The tension in her hand increases as she pulls my face to her.

The first gentle brush of her lips is a feather-light electric shock. The T-shirt rides up her back when I cinch her to me and deepen the kiss. She inhales through her nose and abandons my cheek to bury her fingers in my hair. Sliding my hand up her back, and my butt off the counter, I stand and we’re a tangle of arms, legs and hands that don’t know where to rest in a dingy bathroom. The moment couldn’t be more glorious. I’m kissing Zoe Morgan!

The gauze falls to the floor when Zoe throws her other arm around me. The soft press of her chest against mine is enough to make me want to hold my breath, and Zoe to me forever.

Then, all too soon it’s over. We break apart at the same moment, both of us breathing hard. I twist a finger in the hem of my T-shirt


WHEW
[info]aerought

Wow! What a week. It's only Wednesday and my mind is feeling squishy.

Most everyone here knows I'm writing YA romance and that my agent has submissions out. What y'all might not know is I also occasionally write erotica under a pseudonym for Samhain Publishing. Well, that penname has a release this May, a dark, gritty urban fantasy, and I just finished the first round of edits for the novel. Three character POVs, all werecreatures and all in past tense, very adult language.

VERY different from the YA I've been working on.

And today I wrote a scene out of sequence for The Oasis for YA's That's YAmore! blogfest starting this Friday. This scene was a major departure from adult romance, and the regular YA...this was a kissing scene from a teen guy's POV! Teen guy, check. Kissing, check. Present tense, checkity check check.

From a murderous werewolf, an uncertain werecat, a kickass hybrid in past tense to a romantic teen guy in present tense. All in one day! Drop brain in blender and hit frappe. >_<

Looks like a movie night. My mind needs to unwind and reboot to single teen POV.

(no subject)
[info]aerought
Right now, I'm LOVING January. RESONANCE is in the hands of editors, a few of them at dream publishers (squee!) and there's movement on the FORESIGHT front in a way I never dreamed possible. Okay, scratch that. Yes, I did--kinda. Those who've read my writing now I'm a vivid image writer, I like to make readers SEE... I'm not talking the "big screen" kind of SEE with this, though. And, nothing's certain. And, I'm sure there's a crapton of stiff competition. But um... WOW. Just to think FORESIGHT is where it is, being considered for what it is is fricking AWESOME!

Man I can ramble, can't I? I really should be writing. Dystopian? Boys' POV para? hmmm Time for the WIP Roulette! 

*spins imaginary dial* Alrighty, peeps, time to be productive.

Vacation and whatnot
[info]aerought



Since finishing Vengeance Moon I've been struggling with Post Write 'em depression--y'know, when you finally finish the book and wonder, 'what next?' I know what I should be doing, I should be writing a sequel, but currently no story is singing. *sigh* Today is pretty much a wash, I'm tired and the arthritis is flared up and making my upper arm muscles achey'; tomorrow, I kick my own ass, fire up the coffee pot early and get cracking.

Last weekend we visited a cottage in Shamrock, Wisconsin; a little piece of Heaven hidden in the woods. To say I love it at Polly Falls is a massive understatement. The long cottage is situated yards from a small waterfall, and a cluster of rapids. We slept to the lullaby of dancing waters, read and played on the little beach during the day, drank good wine and ate great food in the evenings. The last day, my hubby took me by the hand and walked me right up to the falls (he is such a romantic!). Thousands of gallons of water pouring on my feet, kinetic energy charging the air, earth's energy flooding me...absolutely amazing feeling. It's a sensation I wish I could share.

I've been tinkering with a few different WIPs: a 'space opera', a western sequel, a horror romance with zombies *gasp*, Vengeance Eclipsed the sequel to Vengeance Moon, even a realm-to-realm fantasy with a tattooed magician.

Still waiting on word from The Knight Agency. Cross what you've got for me!


Coming out of hiding
[info]aerought
Yes, I've been MIA for quite a while. I'm worried I'm going to turn into a soft, squishy version of John Rambo, go crazy, blow up a town and then cry about it. *snort* In the time I've been off the blogs I have completed the werewolf novel (and it kicks ass. Seriously). I've also rounded up some pictures to represent my characters, worked up to different blurbs, a three-sentence pitch, and brain stormed the sequel. So, here's a little taste of what I've been up to:
 

Werewolf packs have a hierarchy: lap dogs, guard dogs, top dogs. I’m nothing like them, a werewolf hybrid and hell-bent on taking out Xander, the pack alpha and sadistic son of a bitch who made me. Regardless of my werecat distraction, or Xander’s guard dog, I will rip out his throat and spit it back in his face because revenge is a bitch, and so am I.




Xander Waithorn, (Christian Bale) alpha of the werewolf pack. He's a pompous sadistic playboy with a penchant for busty blonds -- he takes what he wants and leaves someone else to clean up the mess. After nearly a century as pack alpha, and with a loyal sergeant-at-arms, Xander thinks his seat of power is secure. Sins pile up. Karma eventually grows teeth. After a life of arrogancy and self-gratification, he has more than one creature gunning for him.







Agro Johnson, (Matt Damon) the enforcer of the werewolf pack. Agro was hired and turned werewolf for his brawn, not his brains. A dog who's been kicked too many times, Agro's turned on his maker, and set a plot in motion to bring about Xander's downfall and his ascenion to pack alpha. Agro's biggest mistake is discounting the bonds of loyalty formed between his enemies in and out of the pack.





Sariah DuShayne (Jessica Biel) She foolishly thought she could share herself with two men, two breeds of Were and not pay a price. When a full moon threesome goes awry, Sariah's lover is killed and she becomes a hybrid. Decades later, when her tolerance for Xander has grown thin and a friend is attacked and left for dead, the time for revenge has finally come. Sariah will risk last life and limb to punish the male Weres for their crimes, to her and the other girls left behind in Xander's quest for gratification.





Stephan Colinford (Ryan Reynolds) He's a natural born werecat with no control over his powers. A rogue lion, he fled the lion Pride in Europe looking for a life in the world of cage combat and Mixed Martial Arts. His dreams for normalcy are dashed the night he first sees Sariah in her hybrid Were form. Drawn like a moth to her flame Stephan shadows her full moon raids, yearning to touch her, taste her, plumb the depths of the connection he feels to her. In falling for Sariah, Stephan embarks on the path to claim his blood heritage, taking control of the lion within.




Shaynie Dawson (Michelle Tractenberg) Orphan and sister to a deceased member of Sariah's den. Hungry for the life her sister led, Shaynie skims the edge of the werewolf world, unaware of the hell she will go through when Xander drags her by his teeth into it's dark abyss. Raped, mauled and left for dead, Shaynie awakes in Sariah's arms. She is destined for a pivitol role in the simmering feud between Sariah and the male werewolves, a role where she will come into her own strength, a role where her heart and soul will be tested.






Jaxon Black (Jared Lehto) is the cousin of Creston Black, local grunge singer and Xander's favorite pet. Jaxon is also Stephan's main competition in the local MMA gym. Jax's dreams of pack inclusion happen on the same new moon that his cousin is killed while Xander hides behind his bodyguard. Blood is thick in the Black clan, and his cousin's death is the turning point in Jax's immortality. He runs both sides of the fence, keeping himself close to the one who let Creston die, while he wins his way into the murder's den and into the heart of her newest addition. To avenge his cousin's death, he will side with the killer, and join the war to take down Xander, the Were that let Creston die.

And my favorite blurb:

Some dogs should be put down. Xander Waithorn is one of them. In Victorian England, he killed my lover and turned me Were. Little did he know, when he bit me, he gave me the power to one day get revenge.

For decades I struggled to harness the gift of my new moon hybrid powers. I regret most of the blood I shed over those years--it is illegal to kill humans, after all. A century later, in a Michigan port town, I found Xander entrenched behind a mercenary bodyguard and an entire pack of werewolves. Xander hadn’t changed--he was still the sick sadistic son of a bitch he’d been when he attacked me. I’ve changed, taken control of my powers, and taken the string of female victims he left behind into the safety of my den.

Only Stephan Colinford, a sexy as hell MMA fighter with a hidden secret has distracted me from my growing vendetta. After Xander attacked a close friend, I waged war on the monster, stealing his territory block by block. And, one night, after I’ve taken his friends, and undermined his authority as Alpha male, I’ll rip his throat out and spit it back in his face, because... Revenge is a bitch, and so am I.


Okay, back to spiffing up the outline. *groan* Well, maybe brew a pot of coffee first, THEN I'll work on the outline. Yep! That's a plan. Honestly, I'll have the brainstorming page for the sequel open, too...probably at least one other story as well... (I should have been a Gemini...)


GOODY BASKET GIVE AWAY!!
[info]aerought


It's time to unveil the Goody Basket contest for Slade and Kally!! I've been holding this one back until the ARe interview, so I could announce it on air. ^_^

Basket Contents:
  • TWO baskets, one handwoven by me
  • crystal soap, scented with my custom blended New Moon perfume oil
  • bottle of New Moon perfume oil, a light airy mix of jasmine and lavender
  • Western wear inspired green turquoise bracelet beaded by me
  • AND a bevy of items donated by the gals of the Midnight Moon Cafe! MMC items include:
  1. silver and amethyst ring donated by Cassandra Curtis
  2. pouch of lavender buds also from Cassandra
  3. leather pouch from Cassandra
  4. a pile of goodies, note cards, pens, etc from the MMC girls!
So, what do you do to be put in the running for the goody basket?
Here's the rules:

  1. Read the EXCERPT posted on Samhain's website, and answer this question: What was the last thing Kally felt?
  2. Go the the Midnight Moon Cafe BLOG and answer this question: What are the titles of the three free reads in the left hand column, and their respective authors?
  3. Email you answers to AERought@gmail.com with the subject line SLADE AND KALLY GOODY BASKET (only emails with this subject line will be counted.)
  4. Include your email address for later contact.
  5. Contest will be open until March 1st.
Good luck, and Bright Blessings!
AE

Going to be on Blog Talk Radio tonight!
[info]aerought
Thank god they allow introverts to talk inside their shells! I'm all wiggly in my guts about being on live on the radio tonight. Interested in listening in? 9:30 pm EST go HERE Just don't laugh when you hear the quavering in my voice.

Vengeance Moon :: teaser
[info]aerought

 

Some dogs should be put down. Xander Waithorn is one of them. In Victorian England, he killed my lover and turned me Were. Little did he know, when he bit me, he gave me the power to one day get revenge.

For decades I struggled to harness the gift of my new moon hybrid powers. I regret most of the blood I shed over those years--it is illegal to kill humans, after all. A century later, in a Michigan port town, I found Xander entrenched behind a mercenary bodyguard and an entire pack of werewolves. Xander hadn’t changed--he was still the sick sadistic son-of-a-bitch he’d been when he attacked me. I’ve changed, taken control of my powers, and taken the string of female victims he left behind into the safety of my den.

Only Stephan Colinford, a sexy as hell MMA fighter with a hidden secret has distracted me from my growing vendetta. After Xander attacked a close friend, I waged war on the monster, stealing his territory block by block. And, one night, after I’ve taken his friends, and undermined his authority as Alpha male, I’ll rip his throat out and spit it back in his face, because... Revenge is a bitch, and so am I.



The Host :: my thoughts
[info]aerought


::WARNING: I am opinionated, though I'm trying to be nice here...::
Well, I've read it twice now. Read ALL of Stephenie's books twice, and for what it's worth, I like The Host far and above the Twilight saga. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a Fanpire, I love the angst, wolves and vampires in the Twilight saga--hell, I went out and bought Alice's choker with my royalty money--but there is something bewitching about The Host.

As an author, I feel The Host is a better written book--Stephenie echoes that opinion in a video about the book on Amazon (check out video HERE). In my Twilight related discussions with others, I've not held back my disappointment--nay, disgust--at the repetitive words in the Twilight saga. At points, I felt brain bludgeoned by: icy, marble, stone, bronze, Edward Edward Edward... Not to mention Bella's internal whining, like a sink that won't stop dripping through the saga, "I'm not good enough for him", "I'm not good enough for him"...

Granted, there are a couple of words that carried over from the series to The Host that must be Meyer's favorites, like 'crouch'. But for the most part, the repetitious writing isn't there.

The unique plot concept pulled me in. Okay, there are myriad books out there about 'after the fall of human society', but at least for me, this was an entirely new angle. I loved the female lead's duality of character; which, in turn, puts a hell of a spin on the romantic entanglements that arise because of it.

Yes. There is a similar essence in the Twilight saga and The Host. There is a huge HUGE 'threesome' thing throughout the Twilight saga--a plot vehicle that seems like one of Stephenie's favorite horses to beat--but it works better in this one. It is not the same, lacks the neediness, and unbalanced aspect that is prevalent in Twilight. Even though there is an alien entity involved, it seems more human, more realistic in The Host.

Is everything different? No. It's obviously a Meyer's work, but IMHO, this is a better brand, a higher quality of Meyer's work.

After I let a friend borrow it, I'll probably drag it around and read my favorite bits. Again.

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