This week at Fictionwise!

Fates Fulfilled [MultiFormat]
by Katrina Strauss



Marissa Blackwell and Devon Eldritch are first cousins, best friends, and heirs to a winery fortune. Before claiming their inheritance, they must survive for two years without their family's money. Street-smart Marissa is up for the challenge. By day, she works in the corporate world while by night, she explores the BDSM lifestyle. Torn between two men--one submissive, the other dominant--she must decide which lover truly fulfills her needs. Meanwhile, rich and spoiled Devon is free to embrace his vampiric tendencies... more info>> (Published: 2007)

Words: 81615 - Reading Time: 233-326 min.
Category: Erotica/Dark Fantasy
Regular: $7.99 $6.79
Club: $6.79 $5.77

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Masquerade, volume 3 [MultiFormat]
Anthology - Various Authors



One day to indulge your most decadent fantasies... Once a year, Arcadia Island hosts the Masquerade Ball. A select few are invited by the Gods to fulfill their wildest dreams! In Unmasked by Kate Sterling, she spins the tale of Morgan, who ran away from the man she loved--the only man to expose her deepest desires--because she was afraid of her feelings. Now, she stands before Aphrodite wishing in her heart to be with Derek again, but has learned he is with someone new, someone who might have ... more info>> (Published: 2007)

Words: 55270 - Reading Time: 157-221 min.
Category: Romance/Erotica
Regular: $6.99 $5.94
Club: $5.94 $5.05

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Love, Lust and the Delta [MultiFormat]
by Ivana Peters



Ivana Peters' What Death Can Not End is the epic tale of a couple fated to live a life of love--yet destined for tragedy again and again. Two Grecian gods choose a pair of mortals for a game of passion that is secretly cursed by the jealous interference of a third. The curse can only be removed by the continual reaffirmation of lovers' undying devotion, lifetime after lifetime. From ancient Greece to the modern age, the two lovers find each other anew as their love burns hot and spirals toward i... more info>> (Published: 2007)

Words: 85419 - Reading Time: 244-341 min.
Category: Romance/Historical Fiction
Regular: $7.99 $6.79
Club: $6.79 $5.77

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Spellbound [MultiFormat]
Anthology - Various Authors



Spellbound: Tales of Mischief and Mayhem brings together six spine-tingling tales by Candice Gilmer, H.S. Kinn, Sabrina Luna, Ivana Peters, AE Rought, Katrina Strauss. Past Midnight, by AE Rought, is an atmospheric, spooky tale of family heritage. Karma comes full circle when an unwitting young woman surrenders to the beckons of the house that has haunted her dreams. Unholy Night, by Candice Gilmer, Marissa Van Dyke doesn't celebrate Halloween anymore. Saturday and a full moon hosts Halloween th... more info>> (Published: 2006)

Words: 35199 - Reading Time: 100-140 min.
Category: Horror/Dark Fantasy
Regular: $5.99 $5.09
Club: $5.09 $4.33

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These titles and more from Aphrodite's Apples, available now at Fictionwise!
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/AphroditesApplesPresseBooks.htm

Sabrina Luna Author News May 2007

Check out my blog for my May happenings at:
http://sabrinaluna.blogspot.com

Thx,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

MINI-ONLINE BOOK TOUR NEXT WEEK!

Reminder! Monday, April 30th through Friday, May 4th, I’ll be touring the blogworld! Check out my blog for more details:
http://sabrinaluna.blogspot.com

Please Join Me for A Week of Fun, Excerpts & More --
Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Oh, Kiss My Tiara!

According to an ABC News report, ‘What’s Wrong with Being A Princess’, “It’s hard to find a girl who hasn't dreamt of donning a ball gown and a pair of glass slippers.”

"I think it's normal for kids to kind of fanaticize roles, to try them on for size," said UCLA child psychiatrist Dr. Mark DeAntonio. "And both boys and girls do this, and it's a very normal thing."

However, Disney has made more than $3 billion on princess paraphernalia last year and some find the marketing a bit ‘troubling’.

Peggy Orenstein, who has written extensively about women's issues, questions whether perfect-looking princesses are good role models for girls. She wants children to live in reality, not fantasy.

Orenstein says, “It's hard for young girls to see past the glitz and glamour of a princess. All they know is that Cinderella is really pretty, and she has a lot of bling.”

Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney consumer products worldwide, believes the characters he creates are good role models. "They are caring, they are loving, they are friendly, they are courteous," he said of his princess creations.

But some experts say kids learn their core values from real people in their lives, not from made-up princesses. In the long run, an affection for all things pink and sparkly may not matter.

"The values that kids really pick up on and incorporate are really more the values they're exposed to with their family, within their community, with people," DeAntonio said.

For the full article & video click here

I grew up on Walt Disney goodies and wanted to be a princess when I grew up too –but Princess Diana beat me to it. IMHO, she was a real life example of a good hearted, humanitarian princess. I see nothing wrong with little girls and boys dressing up and creating wonderful, rich fantasies—include princesses and pirates. Let kids be kids and have some fun!

Just my $1.01—for what it’s worth!
Her Royal Highness,
‘Princess’ Sabrina )O(



+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

"A kiss is just a kiss..."

As much as the U.S. might be perceived as a prudish nation founded by uptight Puritans, in comparison to, oh say, Amsterdam:

"An [Indian] court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on Thursday, saying their kiss at a public function 'transgressed all limits of vulgarity,' media reports said."

Full story here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20070426/117760068000.html


~ Katrina S.
Explore the darker side of love...
http://www.katrinastrauss.com/

CONGRATS & REMINDER ...

Congratulations to Lady Vampire & Ali, who won their choice of CRIMSON HEART or CRIMSON AMBROSIA during last week's giveaway at ReadingIsSoMuchFun's Blogspot! Thx for all the fun &, ladies, enjoy your ebooks!

Reminder! From April 29th-May 4th = Sabrina Luna's Mini-Online Book Tour!
Join Me as I travel the Blogworld to promote HOT PURSUIT all next week--Blogs will Include:
*Eliza Gayle*
*Katrina Strauss*
*Crymsyn R. Hart*
*Dehlia Rose*
*& The Midnight Muses*

Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com
Coming May 5th
HOT PURSUIT
At Mardi Gras Publishing

Congratulations, Alisha!

Aphrodite's Apples' own Alisha Steele is #2 in romance at FictionWise and #4 in over all site sales! Come see what the buzz is about: http://www.aphroditesapples.com/summoner.htm

Congrats, Alisha, you deserve it!

Review for Regency Romp!

What? I'm surprised nobody else has put this down here yet. I'm very eager to though, so I suppose this has worked out very well to my own advantage.

Ahem.

We lovely girls at Aphrodite's Apples received our newest review yesterday, the second we have had so far to the anthology Regency Romp. This is what Jennifer at Kwips and Kritiques had to say about all of us:

I should explain how I usually rate anthologies before I begin this review. I rate each story individually, and then average those scores to determine the overall rating for the entire anthology. Consequently, an anthology that has one not so good story can lower the rating on the book considerably. I had no problems whatsoever rating Aphrodite’s Apples new anthology, Regency Romp Volume One with five Klovers! Each of the stories in this book earned a five, in my honest opinion. I love a book that makes the math easy for me… LOL

I waited impatiently for this anthology from the moment I read the first excerpt and learned who the cast of authors contributing to it would be. I was not disappointed in the least.


For the full review from Jennifer, please click here.

Regency Romp can be bought at the Aphrodite's Apples website, here.

Earth Day - April 22, 2007

The Sun Rising Over The Earth From Space

The Associated Press asked space travelers to recall what it's like to see Earth from above:

"It was the only color we could see in the universe. ... "We're living on a tiny little dust mote in left field on a rather insignificant galaxy. And basically this is it for humans. It strikes me that it's a shame that we're squabbling over oil and borders."

--Bill Anders, Apollo 8, whose photos of Earth became famous.

"It's hard to appreciate the Earth when you're down right upon it because it's so huge.

"It gives you in an instant, just at a position 240,000 miles away from it, (an idea of) how insignificant we are, how fragile we are, and how fortunate we are to have a body that will allow us to enjoy the sky and the trees and the water ... It's something that many people take for granted when they're born and they grow up within the environment. But they don't realize what they have. And I didn't till I left it."

--Jim Lovell, Apollo 8 and 13.

"The sheer beauty of it just brought tears to my eyes.

"If people can see Earth from up here, see it without those borders, see it without any differences in race or religion, they would have a completely different perspective. Because when you see it from that angle, you cannot think of your home or your country. All you can see is one Earth...."

--Anousheh Ansari, Iranian-American space tourist who flew last year to the international space station.

"Up in space when you see a sunset or sunrise, the light is coming to you from the sun through that little shell of the Earth's atmosphere and back out to the spacecraft you're in. The atmosphere acts like a prism. So for a short period of time you see not only the reds, oranges and yellows, the luminous quality like you see on Earth, but you see the whole spectrum red-orange-yellow-blue-green-indigo-violet.

"You come back impressed, once you've been up there, with how thin our little atmosphere is that supports all life here on Earth. So if we foul it up, there's no coming back from something like that."

--John Glenn, first American to orbit the Earth (1962) and former U.S. senator.

"I think you can't go to space and not be changed, in many ways ....

"All of the teachings of the Bible that talk about the creator and his creation take on new meaning when you can view the details of the Earth from that perspective. So it didn't change my faith per se, the content of it, but it just enhanced it, it made it even more real."

--Jeff Williams, spent 6 months on the space station and set a record for most Earth photos taken.

"Earth has gone through great transitions and volcanic impacts and all sorts of traumatic things. But it has survived ... I'm not referring to human conflicts. I'm referring to the physical appearance of the Earth at a great distance. That it generally is mostly very peaceful (when) looked at from a distance."

--Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on the moon.

"I see the deep black of space and this just brilliantly gorgeous blue and white arc of the earth and totally unconsciously, not at all able to help myself, I said, 'Wow, look at that.'"

--Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to spacewalk, recalling what she said when she saw Earth in 1984.

"...From up there, it looks finite and it looks fragile and it really looks like just a tiny little place on which we live in a vast expanse of space. It gave me the feeling of really wanting us all to take care of the Earth. I got more of a sense of Earth as home, a place where we live. And of course you want to take care of your home. You want it clean. You want it safe."

--Winston Scott, two-time shuttle astronaut who wrote a book, "Reflections From Earth Orbit."

"You change because you see your life differently than when you live on the surface everyday. ... We are so involved in our own little lives and our own little concerns and problems. I don't think the average person realizes the global environment that we really live in. I certainly am more aware of how fragile our Earth is, and, frankly, I think that I care more about our Earth because of the experiences I've had traveling in space."

--Eileen Collins, first female space shuttle commander.

"You can see what a small little atmosphere is protecting us.

"You realize there's not much protecting this planet particularly when you see the view from the side. That's something I'd like to share with everybody so people would realize we need to protect it."

--Sunita Williams, who has been living on the international space station since Dec. 11, 2006.

"I left Earth three times. I found no place else to go. Please take care of Spaceship Earth."

--Wally Schirra, who flew around Earth on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions in the 1960s.

Happy Earth Day, Everyone!
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

WTHIT!

Okay, that means 'What the Heck, it's Thursday!' --so, here's a little youtube video to brighten your day:



There's a longer one on youtube, but I like how this one was edited ---Whoooh! :)

Also! My ebook, HOT PURSUIT will be released May 5th, instead of April 28th --so I've decided to postpone my Mini-Online Book Tour til 4/30-5/4 to match my new release date.

Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Tomorrow! More Guest Blogging Madness!

Yes, my vampires are making an appearence over at:
http://readingissomuchfun.blogspot.com

Be sure to drop by, read the excerpts & ask questions during my special guest blogging spot over at Reading Is So Much Fun's blog! Pssst ...there will be 2 giveaways chosen by Linda at the end of the week! So what are you waiting for?!?

Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Just Bloggin'

As much as I seem to love blogging, a post I wrote just went up over at the Raven Guest blog with Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow.

http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog

Feel free to come over there and say a hello! :)

An Introduction

Hi there! My name's Yolanda Sfetsos and I'm one of the Aphrodite's Apples Authors. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself before I start to post about other stuff.

I live in Sydney, Australia and have been writing paranormal/fantasy stories with a dark edge since I was in my teens. I definitely think my fascination with the darker side of fiction is because I've always enjoyed watching horror movies. Then in my teens I was introduced to the movies The Lost Boys and Nightbreed. After that I knew exactly what I wanted to write.

Clive Barker was a huge influence for me. After I watched Nightbreed, I started buying his books and was fascinated with his dark imagination and vivid imagery. He's amazing!

Shortly after that I wrote my first paranormal vampire novel. Well, at the time I was convinced it was a novel, even if it was only 35,000 words. Years later I revised it and my hubby actually read and enjoyed it! I'm happy to say that he reads everything I write, no matter what length.

His encouragement pushed me into my first spurt of real writing. Up until then I'd written a heap of stories but had never let anyone read them. He helped give me enough confidence to realise that part of the writing process involved letting others read them too.

The next spurt came shortly after my daughter was born. During the pregnancy I had the worst writer's block I've ever suffered. I just couldn't write anything, but after her birth I just got so inspired that I started up again. This time though, because I was at home with her I decided to approach it seriously and well... that was over six years ago.

I've come a long way since then, and so has the fiction market.

I now have 5 eBooks available from 3 different publishers, and a bunch more to come. I really hope to continue this for a long time.

Being a part of Aphrodite's Apples is awesome. Not only is everyone wonderful, but the talent is amazing. I got through reading the Masquerade, Volume 3 anthology yesterday - in which one of my stories is included - and wow! I hope to stay with AA for a long time, and actually have several project ideas specifically aimed for AA.

But for now, if you'd like to check out my latest Aphrodite's Apples release, you can go here.

HELLBLAZE was a lot of fun to write and I'm very excited that Blaze and the gang found such a wonderful home. I look forward to writing more stories in her world.

It's great to meet all of you!

Once In A Lifetime Phenomenom!

A friend emailed this to me the other day:

At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07.

This will never happen again! Pretty cool, huh?



Also! Don't forget I'm the Guest Blogger all this week at
http://readingissomuchfun.blogspot.com

Come by and read excerpts, ask questions and have fun!

Thx,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Vagaries of Publishing

I don't comment much on other writers' or publishers' behaviors in my blog, as I think that actions speak louder than words. My esteemed collegue, louise_bohmer recently wrote an excellent post on why we ought to return to civility.

Now, I'm not naive enough to think that just because Louise or I say "play nice kids" that the mean boys and girls will go away, even though Goddess knows there's plenty of room in the sandbox for everyone to play, so I think that instead of naming names or berating anyone, I'm gonna talk about who I love in publishing and why.

Here are a few, in no particular order.

angylinni, our art director at Aphrodite's and my original partner-in-crime. Ang is sharp, funny and her design work is top notch.

sithdreams, aka Kayleigh Jamison, our editor-in-chief. Kay is a fantastic writer, and a great judge of character. I'm also pleased to mention that Miss Kay is now a cross-published author, with works forthcoming from Freya's Bower, Tease and Red Rose Publishing. Congrats, Kay!

katrina_strauss, our media coordinator at Aphrodite's. Kitty is brilliant, and she's got a keen grasp of the business. She too, is cross published now with Freya's Bower. I wish I wrote as well as Kitty. She's who I read in my spare time! ;-)

hlglne, our esteemed editor, whose energy, drive, and general life force are a delight to be around. She truly is a healing line.

louise_bohmer! Louise is a fabulous writer in general, and an all-around class act. I'm proud to be a mod at her boards.

The Sultry Sirens. They are a marvelous, welcoming, supportive group of authors. If I went through them all individually I'd be here all day.

Sabrina Luna is smart, sweet, funny and can always be counted on for great fiction and professionalism. We at Aphrodite's love Sabrina.

I could go on and on about the authors we work with at Aphrodite's - Yolanda Sfetsos, unity_of_hours, aka Nikki Watson, tq_kimber...we have a phenomenal lineup of writers! You guys rock, really.

Review and chat sites...CoffeeTime Romance, The Romance Studio, Fallen Angel Reviews, Love Romances Cafe, TwoLips Reviews ... we love you guys because you give us chat time to meet and talk to our readers, and you generally support us and our books.

The good in our community far outweigh the bad, although I think the bad apples are trying hard sometimes to make us all forget that. May you all stay gold, no matter who tries to tarnish you.

Much love,

--H

xposted to my personal blog

Guest Blogging & Mini-Online Book Tour!

Hi Everyone! I’ll be touring blogworld for the next two weeks!

I’ll be guest blogging from Sunday, April 15th through Friday, April 20th over at Linda’s blog at:
http://readingissomuchfun.blogspot.com

On the 15th, Linda will be posting an interview with me, so stop by and visit! Hot excerpts from my spicy ebooks will be posted all week long too!

And, if you comment in Linda’s blog during my week-long visit, you’ll be entered in a chance to WIN a download of either CRIMSON AMBROSIA or CRIMSON HEART! Linda will be selecting two winners on April 21st –Good Luck!

And, beginning Monday, April 23rd through Friday, April 27th, I’ll be touring a blog a day to chat about my spicy, erotic romance, HOT PURSUIT! This novella will be available at Mardi Gras Publishing on Saturday, April 28th!
HOT PURSUIT Mini-Online Tour Schedule:

Monday, 4/23: Eliza Gayle’s blog
http://www.myspace.com/elizagayle

Tuesday, 4/24: Katrina Strauss’s Live Journal
http://katrina-strauss.livejournal.com/

Wednesday, 4/25: Crymsyn R. Hart’s blog
http://www.myspace.com/ravynhart

Thursday, 4/26: Dehlia Rose’s blog
http://hearttoheartwithdahliarose.blogspot.com/

Friday, 4/27: The Midnight Muses’ blog
http://www.myspace.com/themidnightmuses

Please Join Me for Two Weeks of Fun, Excerpts & More --
Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

How to Write a Novel in a Week

Many of you will have heard of that crazy writing project called NaNoWriMo, the annual writing contest that seems to take over the brains of writers and authors worldwide in November every year. The aim of this project is to write 50,000 unedited words in the space of the 30 day month period. Some people achieve this.

Most people do not. ;)

Last year, I came 2,000 words away from finishing my NaNoWriMo for the first time in the three years that I have been doing it. This wasn't because I didn't have the time, it was because I lost the interest. Problem number one with writing a novel.

It isn't exactly like writer's block, more like the beginning signs of it. I used to set myself around a 2,000 word a day goal, because that was easy to do, and I could do it without feeling the writing stress come over me. When I have more time, or when I am feeling creatively inclined, I find I am able to stretch that limit higher. 2,000 words becomes 10 pages. Some days I'll do less. Some days I'll do more.

In the last week, I've written 40,000 approx words. It's not a long novel by any standards, and it's not the finished novel in this case, but I have read novels of this length, and I probably will again. I haven't always gotten my arse into gear for this story because a scene draws me; sometimes it's because the need drives me to finish this story, or because I know that if I stop now, I'm not going to get started again. A light of desperation fills me, and I do go on.

Sometimes it's hard and not as fun, but that's like any other job. I think the most important thing about writing is to keep doing it.

RIP

When I was 5-years-old, my father invited me to sit down and watch a movie with him on TV. It was Slaughterhouse-Five, which had run in theatres a few years before in '72. I was fascinated with the random montage of the storyline. My father was impressed that I grasped it and didn't ask for any plot clarification. Looking back, I believe that to be the defining moment that destined me to a lifetime of leaning toward the odd and the different, of seeking out the intelligent and the messenger, whether in movies, literature, or music.

Enter adolescence. Being both a bookworm and the "weird girl", I naturally went on a Vonnegut run at the library at some point. I selected Slaughterhouse-Five from the shelf, thinking "Hmm, this sounds familiar." Just as I had at age 5, I fell into the story all over again, albeit with a higher level of understanding. I was amazed by Vonnegut's brilliance, how he took what might have been the typical "retrospective look at one man's life as representative of his entire generation", and turned it into something like you'd never read before.

As is often the case with genius, Mr. Vonnegut suffered from depression, and had attempted suicide in recent years. I hope he has found peace, and I hope he left knowing that he's left his immortal stamp on the face of 20th century literature. I just wonder...is Mr. Vonnegut really gone? Or did he get whisked off by his friends, the Tralfamadorians?

Rest in peace, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

CHARADE Now Available at Fictionwise!

Yes, my D/s Erotica Fantasy is now over at Fictionwise, so be sure to check it out!

Blurb: Through a mutual agreement, Dixie becomes the protégé of Mitchell Wilcox, a gentle, but firm benefactor. Under his loving guidance, Dixie explores the boundaries of her sexual fantasies and her most intimate desires.

eBook Publisher: Aphrodite's Apples Press, Published: 2007
Fictionwise Release Date: April 2007

CLICK HERE to order from Fictionwise

And here's what is being said about CHARADE!

"The plot and premise of Charade is an excellent one ... Charade will push your buttons completely. However, being a fan of the BDSM genre, I thought it well written and the ending magnificent."--Talia Ricci, joyfullyreviewed.com

“Not only are Sabrina’s love scenes sizzlin’ hot, touching on some dark, taboo fantasies many of us secretly have, but she weaves her prose beautifully, very reminiscent of Anais Nin.” –Katrina Strauss, Dark Romance Author


Many Thx & Happy Reading,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

New this week at Fictionwise!

The Summoner [MultiFormat]
by Alisha Steele



A High Prince of Hell ... Mortals--God's perfect playthings--this fallen angel hates them all. But when Kasdeya finds himself facing a thousand-year prison sentence, he has no choice but to call on the one woman who can set him free...The Summoner. The plan is simple: Seduce the little wench and convince her to summon him to Earth. No problem. If only she wasn't so argumentative, so intelligent? if only she wasn't so damned sexy. Ever since she was a child, Alex has heard voices calling to her i... more info>> (Published: 2007)

Words: 78256 - Reading Time: 223-313 min.
Category: Romance/Dark Fantasy
Regular: $6.99 $5.94
Club: $5.94 $5.05

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Charade [MultiFormat]
by Sabrina Luna



Through a mutual agreement, Dixie becomes the protege of Mitchell Wilcox, a gentle, but firm benefactor. Under his loving guidance, Dixie explores the boundaries of her sexual fantasies and her most intimate desires. (Published: 2007)

Words: 42222 - Reading Time: 120-168 min.
Category: Erotica/Dark Fantasy
Regular: $6.99 $5.94
Club: $5.94 $5.05

---

Solar Sensations [MultiFormat]
by LA Taylor



The galaxy's most beautiful and famous woman, Marie Flechette, is devastated by her fiance's unbridled infidelity. Furious, she leaves her home planet to recover at her aunt's home. But Marie never reaches her destination. A surprise attack on her luxury space cruiser by a band of pirates changes Marie's life. Out of nowhere, she is accused of involvement in arms trafficking, treason, and murder. Marie knows that she is innocent of these crimes but she must now convince her captor, the handsome ... more info>> (Published: 2007)

Words: 156031 - Reading Time: 445-624 min.
Category: Science Fiction/Romance
Regular: $7.99 $6.79
Club: $6.79 $5.77

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Spiral [MultiFormat]
Nikki Watson



When Elena loses her first love, it breaks a part of her, and changes her for a time. She begins to use all those who had been close to her, all those she loved, and suddenly turns away from them, bringing herself into a kind of downward spiral. (Published: 2007)

Words: 50075 - Reading Time: 143-200 min.
Category: Romance/Contemporary Fiction
Regular: $6.99 $5.94
Club: $5.94 $5.05

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These titles and more from Aphrodite's Apples, available now at Fictionwise!
http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/AphroditesApplesPresseBooks.htm

Sex sells...and it shapes our culture...

Porn could be the key to next-generation DVD war

Quote of the year:

"If the porn industry wanted to break the logjam of HD-DVD and Blu-ray, it could," McQuivey said. "If they said 'We are going to go with HD-DVD' you would see a few million homes immediately go out and buy HD-DVD players. They have that power."

A Marketing and Promotion Workshop

Aphrodite's Apples Press is sponsoring a Marketing and Promotion Workshop, open to all who wish to attend!

Stella and Audra Price are a powerhouse sister team who write dark fantasy erotic romance. They have books published with Mardi Gras Publishing, PHAZE, and Forbidden Publications, and upcoming releases with Tease Publishing and more. They've got 8 books out now, and will have 10 by May. All of their books explore the Eververse - their self-constructed, gritty world with creatures from humans to demons, weresnakes to vampires, unicorns to fallen angels. Sugar & Sin: A Tale of the Eververse was LRC's Best Erotica of the Year and Best Book of the Year for 2006. Personally, I've read everything they've put out and love it all.

The sisters are also highly successful at promotion. When I purchased their most recent release, Fire in His Eyes, they sent me a promo packet, which contained magnets, book marks, book thongs, business cards, buttons, stickers (which say "I do it demon style"! i now have that clipped to my laptop bag and i cart it around law school) and more. Not only does Stella know what works and what doesn't, she knows where to get materials for her promo, and where to get it cheap, if not free. You do not have to spend a thousand dollars to promote yourself.

Stella has agreed to come and talk to us about how to promote effectively. Mark your calendars for Saturday May 5th on our Yahoo! Chat Group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aphroditesapples_chat/

Feel free to invite other authors you are friends with, and come ready to ask away.

-Kayleigh

The Stefan Eldritch Estrogen Brigade

Take one part Lord Byron:


Make him look suspiciously like Shane Brolly:


Add a dash of Henry Miller:


Throw in a pinch of Han Solo charm for good measure:


And you have the inspiration behind my rogue poet Stefan Eldritch, the lead male of my dark Regency, Lessons Learned. In most traditional Regencies, the dark, brooding rake with the perpetually loose cravat is the secondary male, but in mine, he was the lead. And in most traditional Regencies, if the use of absinthe or laudanum is even mentioned, it's always by the villainous drug fiend skulking in the shadows, not the romantic lead. True, Stefan will sit around and share witty discourse over tea and crumpets with the best of his snotty Regency peers...it's just that he's likely to sneak a dash of brandy in your cup when you aren't looking. ;)

Of any character I've created, Stefan is the one I've never truly been able to shake, to the point where he is turning up in other stories. And judging by reader response, he is proving to be the most popular Eldritch boy of the bunch. So, I've started a forum thread at the Katrina Strauss MySpace Fan Group for the steadily growing Stefan Eldritch Estrogen Brigade. If you are one of Master Stefan's fan girls, please feel free to stoke his ego and join in the convo. If you aren't already a member of the fan group, let me know so that moderator Tonja or I can send you an invite via MySpace. ;)

~ Katrina S.
http://www.katrinastrauss.com

a little nibble of licorice...

The great Klauss von Alstyne stretched his arms before him, cracked his knuckles with a loud pop, and raised his hands high, the lace train of his sleeves fluttering below. With exaggerated flair, he swooped down upon the ivory keys, banged out a dramatic opening chord, and then…

Nothing.

His fellow party guests sighed in disappointment and returned to their idle drunken chatter, gradually drowning out the broken notes that echoed and dimmed through the drawing room.

"Good god," cursed Klauss under his breath, pressing his useless musician's hands against his weary face and running them back through his chin-length hair, pale as corn silk, damned near as white as the powdered wigs that had been in style two decades before.

The distant strains of a new composition had teased at the back of his mind for the past fortnight; yet when he sat down to play, he produced a discordant cacophony at best. He did not wish to offend his own delicate sensibilities, much less those of an avid audience who had come to expect nothing less than perfection from the great von Alstyne. The toast of the Empire at age twenty-four, Klauss was beginning to worry that his career had been prematurely snuffed like a candle dipped with too short a wick.

Shoulders slumped in defeat, he simply sat and studied the recently purchased piano with the same wistful ache as a man longing after an unattainable virgin. His gray eyes followed elegant curves of mahogany, smoothed to a fine polished sheen and still bearing the scent of the woodlands. The leather hammers, stiff from disuse, begged to be broken in; the strings, taut and untouched, cried for a good loosening. Absently, Klauss pushed and released the damper pedal with the toe of his right foot, the light thud the most pleasant sound he'd gotten out of the piano yet.

Languidly, he stretched his arm and stroked one fingertip against the ivory-plated spruce keys farthest from his left. The instrument utilized the latest innovation—an extended clavier to reach a sixth octave, lending the strings a wider range of tones, currently unexplored by Klauss' rival composers.

Three extra keys, he mused, and they're going to waste.

Of course, the never-ending soiree at his best mate's manor didn't help. Sighing, Klauss reached for the heavy, short-stemmed glass on the end of the piano. He sipped the half-finished absinthe — his third serving that night — in hope the wormwood would take hold and work its usual magic. The problem was, he'd consumed so much since discovering the potent green beverage a few months earlier that he'd begun to build a tolerance for it.

********

Yes, my story Of Licorice and Decadence was inspired by a bad case of writer's block, of all things. Needless to say, I got over it. ;) If you want to see how Klauss overcame his musician's block, check out Of Licorice and Decadence in Regency Romp, which is the topselling Aphrodite's Apples title this week at FictionWise! More here at: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook44770.htm?cached

********

~ Katrina S.
http://www.katrinastrauss.com/

You are invited!

The authors of Aphrodite's Apples will be participating in a live 3-D chat at The Romance Galleria on April 30th at 9PM EST. This is a new venue, and it's kind of like chatting on WoW or Evercrack. *laugh* We are announcing this chat a few weeks ahead of time, because participants will need to download the site's special interface software in advance! You will need to visit the site in advance at http://www.theromancegalleria.com/download.html for the download link and instructions. Once it's downloaded, you will be taken to a registration screen to choose your chat handle and create your 3-D avatar.

If you plan/hope to attend, please RSVP to our chat coordinator at kstrauss AT aphroditesapples DOT com and we will send you a reminder around the 27th. The more, the merrier! :)

CHARADE Joyfully Reviewed!

“CHARADE will push your buttons completely,” says Talia Ricci of JoyfullyReviewed.com.

Ms. Ricci also said that the plot and premise of Charade is an excellent one and “…being a fan of the BDSM genre, I thought it well written and the ending magnificent.”

For the full review CLICK HERE

Thanks, Ms. Ricci, for your review!

If you haven’t read CHARADE yet, then order your copy HERE


Thx,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

A BRAND NEW SPRING CONTEST FOR APRIL

In honor of my newest release,

and the upcoming wonderful springtime, I have put together a contest to celebrate the beauty of new life.

I have gathered together a wonderful basket of spring items. Inside will be all kinds of flower seeds, (Moonflower included, of course) Gardening decorations, jewelry, note cards, chocolate roses, and many other beautiful springtime goodies.

To win this basket, valued at $25.00, go on a little scavenger hunt at my website. Go to http://cjengland.com and click on the Contest button for all the details.

Good luck to all!!!!!

CJ England

Check out my newest release at

http://cjengland.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Hug Me, Touch Me!

Dr. Robin Milhausen, host of the Canadian TV talk show Sex, Toys and Chocolate, is also a professor of human sexuality. Lately, her hot topic is the power of touch.

Milhausen says, “"Touch is one of our most basic needs, from the time that you're an infant. …When life gets too hectic, a person can go days without touching or connecting with their partner”, says Milhausen, so we need to be purposeful when it comes to touch.

Touch, we may forget, is inherently interactive and social, says Trish Dryden, director of applied research for health science at Centennial College in Toronto, and a massage therapist of 26 years.

There's a reason, in our touch-phobic (yet, ironically, overly sexualized) society, that massage therapy is a burgeoning health profession, she adds. "There's a sense of alienation and people feel the need to have physical contact, to leave their computer terminals and become grounded in their bodies again."

"Knowing how to maintain and respect one's own sense of space and another's can paradoxically help deepen intimacy." Milhausen agrees, adding that experimenting with touch and massage are good ways to spice things up in the bedroom.

Touching someone we love releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps to enhance the pair bond in both sexual and non-sexual contexts. Oxytocin also has an effect on memory, scientists say. It dulls the pain of childbirth and experts recommend a big hug after a fight because it will help you to reconnect and let go of hurt feelings.

For the full article, click here

So, have you hugged someone you love today? Go ahead –reach out and touch someone! You’ll be glad you did!

Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com
Dark Erotica, Fantasy & Romance