Friends' Books Wednesday: Ann Aguirre!

Hello my darlings! I'm crazy busy on deadline for THE CURSE, the first of my League of the Black Swan series, so I haven't been around much. But I can't possibly miss Friends' Books Wednesday!

(And yes - ALEJANDRO'S SORCERESS is in the process of posting, so it should be available by the weekend!)

So, with no further ado, let's meet the fabulous Ann Aguirre!

Ann is a talented and prolific author of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, in both adult and teen genres! Her newest book, OUTPOST, catapulted Ann onto the USA Today bestseller list & she's now on tour for the book, hopefully somewhere near you!

SALVATION ISN’T AS SAFE AS IT SEEMS.


Deuce’s whole world has changed. Now living topside in a community called Salvation, she has a whole new set of problems. Down below, she was considered an adult, and she contributed to the whole. Now, topside, the people of Salvation think she’s a brat in need of training. She hates school, and she doesn’t fit in with the other girls. They’ve spent their lives learning to cook and sew–suitable woman’s work. Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, Fade keeps her at a distance, and the band of four has broken into fragments.

Stalker presses for a closer relationship, but Deuce sees him as a training partner, and she’s busy trying to find her place in Salvation. She refuses to accept that she’s wrong for being who she is, but tensions rise as she struggles against the status quo. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Once she’s free from school for the year, Deuce pursues a chance to serve in the summer patrols–those responsible for making sure the growers and planters can work the fields without danger of Freak attack. It should have been routine, little fighting, but things have been changing on surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks are smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning.

The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it will take a girl like Deuce to turn the tide.

So, go forth immediately and try the sample chapters! And try Enclave, too (the first book in the trilogy, although Enclave does stand alone), because they're both terrific!

Without further ado, the Frivolous Five:

Q: You just added a baby dachshund puppy to your family. Do you intend to eventually have a herd of Dachshunds, like my all-time favoritecommercial? 

AA: I do not. We already have one other dog; she's half basset, half beagle. Since we have two cats and they do really well together, it occurred to us that our dog might be happier if we got her a friend, too. Since we're moving into much bigger house, one tiny dachshund won't take up much space. I hear they can be a challenge to deal with, though. Here's hoping I'm up to it. 

Q: You are currently writing 79 books per year.  Is your goal world domination or simply the need to have enough author copies to build furniture for your new house?

AA: World domination has always been my goal. Always! Mwahahaha! But I have down shifted from 79 books to three. Next year I'm writing one steampunk with my husband (so that actually only counts as half), an adult SF title, and one YA. So that's 2.5, really. Of course, with all that free time, I might write 65 books for fun. You never know. 

Q: Is it true you time-traveled here from the future, and that’s why you know so much about spaceships and post-apocalyptic reality?

AA: If I told you, I would wreck the space-time continuum and therefore the world as we know it. Is that what you want? IS IT? I didn't think so. Besides, the alpacas will destroy us soon enough. 

Q: If you could cast actors for a movie of Outpost, will you invite me to the premiere?  Oh. And who would play Deuce & Fade?

AA: I will totally invite you to the premiere. For Fade, I'd pick Jake Rose. Nobody will know who that is, but he played a younger version of John Cusack in Hot Tub Time Machine. Maybe the internet can help you find a picture of him. Maybe. As for Deuce, I'd love to see Saoirse Ronan tackle the role. 

Q: I will buy the popcorn. Peanut butter M&Ms or Twizzlers?

AA: Why do I have to choose one kind of candy? I promise I won't hurl. Okay, fine. Peanut butter M&Ms. 

Clearly you can see why I love her! For a chance to win a copy of OUTPOST, please answer the following question: If you could travel through time, where would you go? And when? One lucky winner will be drawn randomly from comments. Thanks!

hugs, 

Alyssa

When Mom’s on Deadline

My daughter has graciously stepped in to blog for me today.  I'm wincing a little bit as I realize I totally resemble these remarks! But the final paragraph makes up for all.
hugs,
Alyssa (on deadline)

When Mom’s on Deadline
By “Princess” (PS I drew this author photo of Mom a few years ago, when I was much younger)

When my mom is on deadline, usually the first sign is,

“I’m going to the store to buy some chocolate, kids, need anything?”

Chocolate is, it seems, the only thing stopping writers from being caught and crushed by the deadline monster. But the real signal that my mom is on deadline is when you get within five feet of her office. When my brother or I even walk in the front room, she puts her hand up and says-

“No. Deadline.”

Being a mom can be difficult (especially with kids like me! :D) but deadlines make the stress levels go through the roof. Deadline time is, as my brother and I know, be-quiet-and-do-what-mom-says time.

So, if you know someone who’s on deadline, my advice would be to give some Hersheys and act like they aren’t writing a book at all, because trust me, asking “how is your book going?” is not something to ask a writer on deadline!

Of course, one of the GOOD things about having a writer mom on deadline is, when the book is super stressful or isn’t going as planned, mom decides it’s “cuddle all the dogs and kids time!!” Which is nice! Also, just having an author mom is cool, because when I tell people my mom’s an author, they’re like “Woahhhhhh! That’s so cool!” Which is pretty awesome in my opinion.

So all in all, having a mother who’s an author has its ups and downs, but in the end I wouldn’t want anybody else for the job.

 -Lauren

 

Friends' Books Wednesday! Victoria Dahl!

After an exciting debut last week, you told me that Friday was the worst day for you to check in on blogs.  End of the week activities, kids, and life keep you away from the computer a lot, so I've decided to change FBF to FBW!

First, though, I have exciting release news!! Alejandro's Sorceress, an e-book exclusive (yes, it will be in print eventually, I promise!) will be out 9/20!  Wild Hearts in Atlantis , an e-special of my novella from Wild Thing, will be out 10/2!  Shifter's Lady, an e-special of my novella from Shifter, will be out 11/6!  And HEART OF ATLANTIS, Alaric's book, will be out 12/4!!!

And there's an excerpt!!  Of Alaric!!!  Go see!! 

Now, drumroll please!!  Hilariously funny and sizzlingly sexy Victoria Dahl is my guest today!  CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH is yet another installment of Victoria's trademarked brand of wicked, racy fun.  Her books catch you off guard with their wonderfully emotional poignancy--just when you're laughing out loud, you'll catch yourself sighing with satisfaction. 

Here's a preview:

Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West?

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting....

 Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay-and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

For a special sneak-peek, check out an excerpt here!

And, finally, for the Frivolous Five!  Learn more about Victorial and, for a chance to win a copy of CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH, answer this question in the comments:  If you, like Victoria, live in the frozen tundra, or, like me, live in the equatorial rain forest, (or anywhere else), tell us 1) what state or country, and 2) what is the average hottest day in summer and coldest day in winter where you live?  Good luck! - Alyssa

Q: Before Twitter, how did you share The Naughty with the world?

 Before Twitter, I really only shared The Naughty via my books! Honestly, I was very tame…as far as most people knew. The only people I got honest with were my closest girlfriends. But I find that the older I get, the more I want to be myself. And the great thing is that the Internet makes that easy. Like is drawn to like, or maybe just naughty to naughty.

Q: Are you a better at: pool, darts, or quarters?

V: Hmm. I'd have to say pool, because my grandparents had a pool table in their basement, and I didn't take up quarters until college. 

Q:  So, you live at the North Pole.  Have you ever been reindeer hunting?

V: LMAO! Park City is not that cold, Alyssa! It's a dry cold. Crisp and cool! And no, no reindeer, though I do see elk, moose, and regular old deer.

Q: Favorite Girl Scout cookie flavor? If not Thin Mints, what the heck is wrong with you?

V:  Nothing is wrong with me, because it is OBVIOUSLY Thin Mints. God, I'm naughty, but I'm not perverted. Runner up: Tagalongs. Great…now I'm fantasizing about them.

Q: Complete this quote: “My worst day writing is better than my best day __________.”

"My worst day writing is better than my best day CLEANING." Ugh. So Sisyphean. I find nothing about it rewarding. Nothing. And no one sends me any lovely fan mail about it either.

Movie Monday!

I am on deadline with 2 different books, so I didn't make it out to any movies! Please let me know what I missed! What did you see that was good?  What are you looking forward to? For me, it's the Hobbit, hands down! Hobbits! Second breakfasts! My Precious!!!

And, just because, a picture of my deadline buddies, Rescue Dog Riley (Golden Retriever crossed with moose, from what we can tell) and Daisy the Baconator, er, pug:

A little teaser from Alejandro's Sorceress

He’s a warrior hardened by years of protecting his town from vampire attack.

She’s a garden witch who sees the world in shades of sunshine and delight.

Opposites don’t only attract, they go supernova in this sizzling tale of magic and mayhem.

Alejandro shoved the idea of Rose, in her bed, all that glorious hair streaming across the pillows, out of his mind and watched as she crossed the room to a window seat, where an oddly arched statue of a cat stood.

“Alejandro, meet Bob,” Rose said, and he quickly looked around the room, only to confirm that nobody was there.

“Bob? Who is Bob?”

“Bob is my cat,” she said, that quicksilver grin again crossing her face and then vanishing. “The basilisks got him just after I rescued Ninja.”

“The basilisk attacked your cat after you rescued a ninja?” he repeated slowly, realizing he’d been right. There was no way a woman this beautiful could have a personality to match her looks.

She was nuts.

- Alejandro's Sorceress, by Alyssa Day, coming (finally!) Sept. 20

Winners! And football! And crazy work!

Thanks so much, my darlings! Though there were nearly 500 page views yesterday, even on a slow traffic Friday, your odds were good with only 30 posts! And, ta da! The WINNERS! The random number generator chose our two winners!!  Will Ren and Michel Reinhard please email me your mailing address at authoralyssaday@gmail.com. Thanks!

Saturday means college football! I'm off to do some plotting while I watch my beloved Buckeyes in another pre-season throw-away game.  Navy Guy is watching, too, of course (we're both Buckeyes), up in Rhode Island, so we're texting each other with random comments. Yes, it's a weird way to run a marriage, but I know the military spouses out there understand. : )

I'm crazy busy working on final preparation for Alejandro's Sorcerss, The Cursed, and The Curse of the Black Swan, so I'll be offline for the weekend, but stay tuned for Movie Monday. Also, the updated website with new excerpts will be up the beginning of the week (I know, I know, I'm so behind. Ack.)

Don't forget to sign up for my NEWSLETTER  for all the scoop! I have 4 books releasing between now and December 4, so you won't want to miss out. Thanks!
hugs,
Alyssa

Welcome! Friends' Books Friday debut!

Welcome to the jump-start of my new blog and the inauguration of Friend’s Books Fridays. If you know me at all, you know that I am woefully bad at keeping up at blogging because, frankly, I hate talking about myself. J  But one thing I love talking about with a shiny purple passion is books. And I have many, many writer friends who write WONDERFUL books.

So, the idea for Friend’s Books Fridays was born.  Each Friday (unless I have a deadline crisis or a cloud of were-grasshoppers swarms my house), I’ll be introducing you to a friend of mine via 5 frivolous questions and a description of her or his new book.  Plus—of course!—there will be a chance to win a copy of that book!

With no further blather, let me tell you about Dangerously Talented & Glowingly Red-haired Meljean Brook!  She writes amazing books about angels in The Guardian series and iron warriors in The Iron Seas novels. You can reach her at her website, or at Twitter, or Facebook.   Her latest is RIVETED, which is taking the steampunk world by storm!

The New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Duke and Heart of Steel returns to the Iron Seas with a riveting new adventure of steamy romance.

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland’s inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magical—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.

Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on an airship, searching for her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when scientific expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard, looking to expose Annika’s secrets. Then disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, with their very survival depending on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam…

In her own words:

Q: Meljean, your obvious super power is your ability to hypnotize people with your gorgeous red hair. If you were an On The Job superhero, what color spandex would your suit be? And the big question: Capes or No Capes?

My spandex suit would be orange and green -- to match my hair and eyes, of course! I find that color coordination is the most important part of crime-fighting. When I show up in the middle of a dark alley, I need criminals to be awed by my magnificent appearance and overwhelmed by my sartorial excellence! If they are incapacitated by laughter when they get a look at my thighs in spandex, even better. Then I don't have to dirty my orange gloves by walloping them!

And every real superhero has to wear a cape! It would be green and orange checkerboard, and big enough to use as a parachute if I ever fall off of a skyscraper ... and long enough to wrap the entire world in, so that I can warm the hearts of mankind with the force of my love!

Q: If you were to have an unexpected day off from your crazy writing schedule, which would it be: Aquarium, Planetarium, or Zoo?

Zoo! I always like to visit my family and to remember my humble origins.

Q: Confess!  What’s your favorite go-to snack food during deadline crunches?

Oh, it's Chex Mix! I love that stuff like crazy, and I'm so, so glad that it comes in packages now instead of being forced to actually make it. (The effort of melting butter -- OMG, the horror!) Now and again I enjoy something sweet, but salty reels me back every single time.

Q: Writing to music: Yes or No?  If yes, rock, Bach, indie, country, or jazz?

I do love to make soundtracks that fit certain books or series, but those are for the car or when I'm exercising. While I'm writing, I simply can't listen to any music with lyrics. Sometimes I'll choose classical, but movie soundtracks are also great background music. My latest favorite is the soundtrack to Transformers 3 -- I didn't think much of the movie, but I liked the music.

Q: Best movie you’ve seen lately AND which actor would you love to see cast in an Iron Seas movie?

Best movie: The Dark Knight Rises! I loved it! I thought it was a fabulous end to the trilogy. As for an Iron Seas movie, I'd cast Henry Cavill (the future Superman!) I have absolutely no idea which role he'd play and I wouldn't really care if it was a speaking part, either, as long as he was onscreen a lot. I would just sit there and watch his pretty, pretty, pretty face. I think a role that left him shirtless as often as possible would be best, don't you?
THANKS to Meljean Brook! I’ve known and stalked adored her since we were in the WILD THING anthology together. For a chance to win a copy of RIVETED, please tell me in the comments how you would survive in a steampunk world and which Jeremy Renner actor you’d love to take with you! Two random commenters (yes, can be international) will win!