Hey there! I’m completely excited–Temptation of Asphodel, the third book in my epic fantasy series The Asphodel Cycle, has been released today by Aspen Mountain Press. I was pretty flabbergasted to find this blog entry about Tempation’s release today –http://jpscribble.blogspot.com/
”…I should tell you that I am not, generally speaking, a fan of epic fantasy. Summers’ offering, however, is just head and shoulders above the other books I’ve read in the genre. Her characters are complex, fully-realized people (or gods, as the case may be), rather than coming across as something a fanboy might have worked up on a D&D character sheet first …”
Dang. I love blushing first thing in the morning.
I’ll be hanging around on Facebook all day for a book release event. Feel free to drop by my Temptation of Asphodel Release Party and leave a note on my wall there–I’ll be giving away copies of Asphodel books all day! I’ve got an excerpt up and live on my blog and my website in case you want to check those out.
Hope you American folks had a great Thanksgiving.
The Temptation of Asphodel
Author: Celina Summers Artist: Renee George
ISBN:
1-60168-160-7
Genre:
Fantasy
Publisher:
Aspen Mountain Press
Publication Date:
11/28/2008
Sexual Content:
None
Tamsen has learned to sacrifice everything as she plays the game of the gods but as she nears the end of her quest, everything changes again. The hunter becomes the hunted, the ally becomes the foe and behind it all lies the hand of a third, unknown god who tries to lure her from her destiny. Can she hold firm against the temptations that are thrown in her path, or will she fall into failure as generations of Elves have done before her? As the rumbling memory of an ancient war settles over the realm of Ansienne, Tamsen’s faith falters. When she is drawn into conflict with immortal enemies, she discovers that the line between obedience and temptation is much narrower than she thought. Temptation can be dangerous, but obedience can kill.
Lost in the Austrian Alps, psychologist Lonnie Copley is forced to accept help from a Hell’s Angel wannabe. She never expected to be trapped with the Aryan god in deserted Castle Flophouse.
Disgusted with cleaning up his client’s dirty lives, attorney Wolfe Deider is in major career throes. He doesn’t need some insolent woman mucking up his mind, even if she does have a mouth made for kissing.
EXCERPT:
“What the…” Wolfe ducked as slush spewed against the back of his helmet and ice slithered beneath his collar, along his neck. He had pulled onto the wide shoulder, to rest after the long day’s drive, staring across the Alps in deep thought, when an approaching vehicle broke the silence he craved. The crunch of ice and screeching tires ricocheted in his ears.
“ScheiBe.” Shit. The car seemed to be spinning out of control as it slid closer to the edge of the mountain. No one drove at that kind of speed in heavy, wet snow. The guy drove like a Dummkopf and whatever happened was just what he deserved.
Then the world moved in slow motion, all the action exaggerated. The car swung left then right, in what seemed to take an hour. The brakes screeched, metal grinding against metal, before the dilapidated sedan glided across the shoulder. It coughed, like an old man who smoked too much, and died, its nose too close to the rim.
“Hey, Kamerad.” He pushed off the old tree trunk, waving his arms to catch the driver’s attention, and fell with all his weight onto one knee. The sharp pain clouded his mind for only a second before he regained his footing.
He waved and hollered again, hoping the man would look up. Then he did; only it was a she, with fear pasted on her face.
He stumbled again then slid closer to the door handle and yanked.
Locked.
“Open it.” The cold air poured into his lungs. “Open the door,” he yelled again. If the previous time passed in slow motion, her action was like a movie in rewind. She mouthed a few words. With a shake of his head, he tapped on the glass and pointed to the lock. This was getting them no where.
He jerked on the handle, careful not to rock the car any more than necessary. She seemed to finally get her senses back and edged her hand to the armrest controls.
The lock clicked and in a quick movement he flung the door open, flipped the key off, then grabbed her. He yanked with all his strength, but she would not budge. Damn, she still had on the harness.
He leaned across to release the seatbelt. She fought him, flailing, and the car shifted.
“Hey, Fraulein, do not move.” She inhaled deep and briefly nodded her head. “We have to get you out of the car and keep it on the shoulder. The cows below won’t produce good milk tonight if you squash them.” Obviously humor was not working, because when she glanced up, her eyes were filled with tears.
He grabbed her arm and pulled. Ripping cloth and cracking ice echoed in his head. He hooked his hands under both of her armpits and tugged until he thought he would get a hernia. The damned steering wheel trapped her knees. With a grunt and a vigorous yank, she flew out of the car, knocking the wind out of him as he landed ass to frozen ground.
I remember laughing whenever I heard an author complain that they had been asked “Where do you get your ideas?” I was still laughing…until it happened to me. The truth is there is no simple answer to this. Writers get their ideas from anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes something so simple as a phrase or a title can do it. Perhaps that’s why the Del Fantasma series available at Aspen Mountain Press has proved so inspiring. Set around a bar run by a vampire called Cody Warren, the inspiration for each story comes from the title of a drink. The authors currently working with AMP have produced some fabulous stories using just a couple of words as a springboard for their muses. These stories are part of a series but can be equally read individually, although they should perhaps all come with a warning on the cover as they are highly addictive. Read one and I almost guarantee you will want to read another!
“Virgin Special” released last week and is my latest offering for the series. It’s also my first m/m/f novel for AMP as well as my first vampire paranormal. So where does one come up with the idea for a very special kind of virgin?
While holidaying in the Caribbean many years ago, I came across a little cocktail book that I still possess to this day. Wanting to write another book for the ‘Del’ line, I flicked through the pages seeking inspiration, and it definitely found me. Then, as many authors do, I started playing the old ‘what if’ game. What IF my main character was not only heartbroken but a virgin? What IF Cody set him up with two vampires equally heartbroken? In that moment Virgin Special came into being.
I’m afraid that aside from reading my novel, the only Virgin Special I can invite you to try is the cocktail. Here’s the recipe. I have to admit I’ve not tried it and I’m trying to imagine how it tastes, but the book describes it as: “A very pleasant and refreshing summer drink.” If it’s like most things I drank in the Caribbean it’ll taste deceptively fruity or watery, and then it will suddenly knock your socks off!
Virgin Special Cocktail
Take a glassful of fresh raspberries, bruise them a little and pour upon them:
2 glasses of Old Brigand Rum
2 glasses of Brandy
1 glass Redcurrant juice and half glass sweetened lime juice.
Let steep for half an hour, then add 1 glass sherry and some ice.
Shake and serve in 6 cocktail glasses.
Decorate with a cherry.
Ever Fallen for a Virgin?
Fall for one now at Aspen Mountain Press.
Sharon Maria Bidwell
aonia - where the muses live
http://www.sharonbidwell.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/aonia
Verbs are a vital part of the writer’s arsenal. In fact, you can’t tell a story without them. Todlers learning to talk have a natural affinity for verbs. If you listen to a two or three year old speak, you will hear simple sentences containing an identifiable subject and a verb. Those verbs, I might add, are quite active. Think about the child who is telling you about something traumatic in their world. “Doggie bite!” There is no doubt what that little one is communicating.
As we get older, our sentence constructions get more complex and we add in those words to help sentences make better sense, especially to our ear. Instead of hearing something like above, we may hear something along the lines of, “The black labrador has a problem with strangers. He tried to bite my foot.”
Those additions, though, may seduce us into thinking we have an active verb driven story. The above example isn’t very engaging. As writers you should look to tighten your work, engage your reader, and remove passive writing. Frequently, one of the ways to make your sentence more action driven is to substitute the linking verb used with a verb depicting action. Now the sentence might read, “The big, black lab ravaged my foot.” (Remember, these are off-the-cuff!)
How many linking verbs can you replace in a work to make your writing more vivid? Plenty. Take this tiny example. She was depressed. Was is a linking verb. It shows depressed is related to she. How can you replace was? The blues hit her hard. Now was has been converted into a verb of action and makes for a more interesting sentence.
Common linking verbs include: is, are, was, were, am, be, been, have, had, seem, felt, and a host more. You can find lists in middle school, English grammar text books.
There are sentences you need to convey that must have a linking verb or a verb phrase to express the idea you want to get across. Just beware, there may be a better way of saying writing the same idea that will be of more interest to your reader and will set your writing apart from the scores of others who haven’t conquered a passive voice.
Sorry I’ve been out of circulation for a while, but I’m up to my ears in writing projects and recovering from a small medical procedure. Nothing to worry about: I’m fine. Just busy and disinclined to get off the couch.
As proof of how out of it I am, I discovered something today completely by accident. The Reckoning of Asphodel was named the Winter 2008 staff pick in Fantasy from Love Romances & More! How silly am I? I should have been shouting out about this a couple of weeks ago. You can check it — and the other Staff Picks– out here.
Secondly, I selected a winner on my blog contest on February 14th. Although I mentioned it on my blog, I quite stupidly forgot to tell you guys about it here. So….CAITLIN HOY congratulations! You won a copy of The Reckoning of Asphodel as well as first dibs on a free copy of Gift of Redemption when it is released in June! Email me at kaantira@hotmail.com so I can mail you your copy and I really hope you enjoy it.
Have a great day, and I hope you are all experiencing better weather than the standard Ohio roller coaster of late winter. Seventy degrees yesterday, three inches of snow last night, and ice today…no wonder everyone’s sick. Take care!
Last night Studs and I went for a bite to eat at our favorite haunt. Sitting at the end of the bar were the same two old men who never miss a night or a drink when it’s offered. The pair reminds me of the ancient geezers on Sesame Street. Better yet, they’re like the men from the Simon and Garfunkel song. Rarely do theses wizened birds speak with anyone. Too intent on whatever sports show happens to be on TV, but last night was different.
Bob, the least grizzly of the two, decided to open up for the first time in three years. He told me of his wife and how he had to divorce her years ago when their son was a tiny tot. Her constant cheating and lying was more than Bob could deal with.
Yesterday would have been their sixtieth wedding anniversary, he said as his eyes clouded over. He spoke of the dreams and plans they’d had for their life together and the savings account he thought would provide them. He turned away then dragged a calloused hand across one eye before he continued to explain what all he’d lost. Bob wasn’t looking for sympathy. He just needed someone to hear about his loneliness and painful past.
There’s not much a person can say in answer when an acquaintance pours out their heart, including someone who makes their living writing romance novels. I held his hand and nodded, the whole time thinking how fortunate I am to have Studs in my life.
To all of you I wish a beautiful life with a person you can trust and honor. May you never feel the pain so many people in the world are forced to experience.
Join the blazingly hot writers from Aspen Mountain Press in the Realms of Love Chat Castle Monday November 26 at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST. There will be give-aways galore so come on down and spend an hour with some interesting writers of your favorite romantic fiction genres.
Jeanne Barrack, Maura Anderson, Michelle Hasker, and JM Snyder from Aspen Mountain Press chat with YOU Monday. Jeanne will chat about the upcoming anthology Babes in Toyland II, Maura will share with us tidbits about Del Fantasma: Texas Tea, Michelle will chat about her Plain Brown Wrapper release, Kate’s Muse and J.M. will chat about the storm of new releases she’s had and will have at AMP!
Jeanne Barrack says: I’m a native New Yorker, born and bred in Brooklyn, married for thirty-odd years (and they have been odd) to my high school sweetheart. Is it any wonder I became a romance novelist? I now live on a mountain top in rural Pennsylvania.
Although we haven’t been blessed with children, we’ve had the pitter-patter of little Tibetan Terriers paws throughout our married life. Tibetan Terriers are called the “good luck” dog and they have been for us.
I play guitar and studied voice privately with a coach from Juilliard. I sing everything from folk music to Grand Opera - in ten languages including Gaelic and Hebrew.
My day job involves music therapy for seniors. Over the course of many years I have been inspired and astonished by the wealth of knowledge and experience of the elderly. Imagine meeting a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic and someone who actually knew Tyrone Power!
Maura Anderson says: As the oldest child in a family of hugely prolific readers, I was hooked early on the wonders of worlds unknown and information at my fingertips. When I discovered Johanna Lyndsey in my teen years, I was hooked on romances.
Though there have always been stories winding their way through my thoughts with the constant refrain of “what if…”, a few bad experiences with school creative writing classes caused me to never give them voice beyond my own daydreams for many many years.
My profession is software testing. I’m actually what’s called an SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) for a major software company which pays my bills nicely and provides a lot of challenge and technical work, even if it does eat into time I might like to spend writing.
I have a lot of hobbies - my geeky day job seems to demand a creative craft outlet to balance it and it’s often joked by my family (at least I think it’s a joke) that I need to found a 12 Step program for craft-a-holics. I knit, bead, make chainmail and beaded jewelry, quilt, make stained glass, and cross stitch. This is only what I currently do!
In 2004, after I had sold a non-fiction book (on software testing, fancy that!), I decided to actually try my hand at romance and erotic romance writing. So now my spare time is filled more with writing projects than with crafts, but I’ve sold my first erotic romance to Aspen Mountain Press and am working away on more.
I live in a wonderful rural community outside of Seattle, Washington with my amazing husband, Chuck, and our son Morgan. I also have an adult son, Jonathan, who is in college and not living at home (but is thankfully close enough to visit). We share our home with 7 indoor cats and an African Grey parrot as well as our backyard with a feral cat colony that we care for.
Adding to my rather diverse background, I am also a Wiccan High Priestess, an elder in my spiritual community (Mohsian Trad, for those who are curious).
Even with all the draws on my time, I still manage to read about a book every day to two days. I believe reading is my lifelong addiction!
Michelle Hasker says: Michelle Hasker has been writing for three years. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA.
She loves vampires and things that go bump in the night, so it’s no wonder her creations are truly paranormal. While most people only dream of finding love, Michelle’s characters find it, but in the most unexpected places.
Michelle lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, four children, assorted animals, and overactive imagination.
Michelle’s favorite quote: So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable. Christopher Reeve
JM Snyder
says: I’m a writer. More specifically, I’m a self-published and e-published author whose interest lies in gay erotic fiction. Why? Why not? I write what’s in my head and I guess that’s just how my mind works. You’ll find that my stories run from contemporary to science fiction, because I like a variety of different genres, but the characters are all gay men. They’re just who I like to write about, and who I’ve found my fans like to read about. And I don’t shy away from the sex, either (though some people say I don’t write enough). Gay erotic romance, you could call it. Works for me.Currently I live in Richmond, Virginia, and hold down a full-time job as an office manager for a consulting firm. I have two very spoiled cats named Jelly and Jono. On those rare occasions when I’m not writing or editing or marketing my books, I like reading (mostly fantasy, sci-fi, and non-fiction, though Stephen King is my favorite author), visiting Civil War historical sites, watching TV (movies, old shows such as The A-Team or The Dukes of Hazzard or M*A*S*H, the History Channel, and American Idol), writing letters, and playing video games (I’m a Legend of Zelda fanatic).I graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. While there, I was the Fantasy Editor of The Fractal, our campus sci-fi/fantasy journal. After graduation I started my own speculative fiction webzine, Disenchanted, published quarterly for almost two years. Though it was mostly fantasy, I began to explore gay fiction in the last few issues. At some point I stumbled upon slash fan fiction and, as they say, I never looked back.
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Jeanne Barrack says: I’m a native New Yorker, born and bred in Brooklyn, married for thirty-odd years (and they have been odd) to my high school sweetheart. Is it any wonder I became a romance novelist? I now live on a mountain top in rural Pennsylvania.
Maura Anderson says: As the oldest child in a family of hugely prolific readers, I was hooked early on the wonders of worlds unknown and information at my fingertips. When I discovered Johanna Lyndsey in my teen years, I was hooked on romances.
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