Help a pal out -- blogging research

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Contest winner

Many, many thanks to everyone who called by and left me comments for the contest! Deborah Chan is the winner of the copy of KINK. Deborah, send me your postal address to saskiawalker @ gmail.com (no gaps) and I’ll get the book off to you soon.

I enjoyed your messages, thank you all for helping me celebrate the publication! Don’t forget to call by Sasha White’s site. The KINK anthology was Sasha's idea for us both and her red-hot story WATCH ME features in the book. She’s also got a contest running. Click HERE to find out more!

Read an excerpt from SEX, LIES AND BONDAGE TAPE
Read an excerpt from WATCH ME by Sasha White
Order from Amazon
Order from Amazon UK

KINK to go -- contest!

Surprise surprise, my author copies of KINK arrived today, the duet anthology Sasha White and I have coming out in just a few days. I guess it will be shipping soon. It was a wonderful surprise, because I wasn’t expecting them just yet. The book looks gorgeous! To celebrate, I’m going to run a quick contest. To enter, just leave me a message in the comments and I’ll draw a random entry on Sunday evening at 6pm GMT.


"For two different, highly enjoyable stories sure to satisfy any fan of erotic romance, look no further than KINK. Ms. White and Ms. Walker take a common theme and make it their own, with delightful results. 4.5 ribbons." Bella Marie, Romance Junkies

Read an excerpt from SEX, LIES AND BONDAGE TAPE
Read an excerpt from WATCH ME by Sasha White
Order from Amazon
Order from Amazon UK

Mmmm, beautiful art prints

Anyone who calls by here regularly will know how taken I was with Timothy Lantz’s artwork for my forthcoming Juno Fantasy novels. I ordered some prints of the cover art, for contests to celebrate the publications, and one of each to frame for my office. They arrived today and the art looks even more gorgeous in print form! The colours seem richer and even more vibrant. Timothy kindly signed his work, so these will make lovely keepsakes for Fantasy fans.

I’ll be running the first contest, to win one of two signed copies of “Nymph,” the artwork that was used for my novel THE STRANGELING, when the book starts shipping in a couple of weeks time.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying multiple copies of the images around me to brighten these overcast January days. ;)

Let there be light

I’m thinking of investing in a light box, and was wondering if anyone who calls by here has one? I’ve noticed over the last couple of winters working at home how little light I’m getting. I’m an optimistic, upbeat type, and it’s easy to spot when I’m down. A few years ago I had a spell of depression so I can spot the signs. I was referred for counselling at the time and we went down all the obvious avenues, active person coming to terms with being disabled, etc etc, and the counsellor came to the conclusion that I had accepted my lot in a more positive way than most people he saw. He was stumped. I self diagnosed shortly after – the depression was a side effect of a medication I was on.

Now, I get a lot of allergies, but we hadn’t tied depression to anything I was taking! Long story short, came off tablets, counsellor took one look at me outside his office, I grinned, and he said, “you look different, so what has changed?” I was discharged same day. The experience means I can spot the signs. That was also when I first read about light boxes. They’ve become more common since then and they've also come down in price. It just makes sense to me. What little light we are getting in the north of England right now I’m not getting much of at all because I work in my home office. I suppose it’s a preventative measure than anything, but I think it might be worth the investment. Anyone have any thoughts?

And can I write it off as a necessary tax deduction LOL (she says, for the first time being anywhere near having to pay any tax, a miracle in itself ;))

Taking stock, and saying thank you

Phew. I’m just done proofing galleys for my next Red Sage novella, coming out in July. Proofing is a task I love, because it’s the first time we get to see our words in print, just as they’ll be in the book. At the same time I often find it hard, because I keep engaging with the story and the characters and find myself zipping along without visually interrogating words on the page as I should! It’s so easy to miss typos when you know what it should say. If I find myself moving too fast over the words I force myself to go back, and I was doing that a lot with this one. The hero, Cullen, had all my attention at some points in the reading ;)

I can't quite believe this will be my third Red Sage novella. Being signed by Red Sage was a huge turning point for me, the point where I broke out from being a short story writer. It was such an important motivational moment for me. My first novella for them was a very simple tale, a holiday romance, but once I knew I was on the right track, I started to get more ambitious in length and story complexity. My writing career has built-up slowly, with building blocks of length and genre. That worked for me because I’ve been on a huge learning curve and each time I took on a bigger project, it challenged me in new and exciting ways, ways that I learned from. As I look back over it, I can see how each step played its part in terms of me learning, and in terms of how the publishing world perceived me. My background in writing short stories for labels like Black Lace and novellas for Red Sage was crucial when my proposal hit the desk at Berkley.

What’s interested me about the reviews I’ve had for Double Dare is that a couple of the reviewers have talked about my grounding at Black Lace in the context of reviewing the book. It’s awed me that they have taken the time and cared to even notice that. BL is a big part of me, even though I've now had more shorts published with Cleis Press. There was one reviewer who remarked on it a while back. I blogged about it here, and this newer one, by Wendy Crutcher, also reflects on my background.

Perhaps the most refreshing aspect about the recent erotica boom is that many good authors, previously published by small presses, are cracking into the more mainstream, American marketplace. Such is the case with Saskia Walker, whose first full-length novel debuts under the Berkley Heat umbrella. While a little thin on conflict, it’s easy to see that this is an author who has earned her stripes writing for respected erotica publishers like Virgin Books’ Black Lace line.

I was really pleased and flattered to be reviewed by Wendy, whose columns I enjoy at Romancing the Blog. To have her read my first novel and take the time to look at where I began, as well as her closing words, lifted me up no end.

Walker’s previously published erotica consists of several novellas, and her ability in the craft of writing spicy sex shows. Having waded through some less than desirable offerings from the recent erotica boom, this is one of the better novels to land in my lap. It was a pleasant diversion indeed and a good start to Walker’s full-length novel career.

That makes me so happy, as you might imagine! :) I’ve taken Wendy’s comments about conflict on board -- I’m always interested in informed, well-intended feedback. Double Dare was my first full-length novel, and it was a big jump. I was still learning and finding my feet with that story. What’s wonderful is how many of you have written and told me that you enjoyed the story and want to read more. I also wanted to say thank you to all of you who call by here, for your support and interest in what I am doing, even over the last couple of months when I haven’t been able to post here as much. You are very much appreciated!

Editor's pet peeves

This helpful link came via Cynthia Eden's blog. Click through to read some editor's pet peeves.

Juno Fantasy Books

Anyone who is interested in the new Juno Fantasy line -- check out the updated website! The site is still being tweaked, but the line is in full swing now, with the third and fourth books reaching outlets about now. The line up is looking great! You can read excerpts on the site, and there’s an art gallery for you to check out the cover art. The webmistress has also set up a forum, and I hope anyone who has questions or comments about the novels or the line will post there.

Coincidentally, this morning I received my first review for THE STRANGELING, my first fantasy romance novel with Juno, due out very soon. I have to admit it’s getting a bit chaotic here, with so many things coming out soon. I'm still receiving new reviews for DOUBLE DARE, and reviews for KINK and STRANGELING are starting to come in. It's a bit like buses, nothing for ages and then... I wrote the stories over a number of months/years but they have all come out in the space of a few months. This can happen. The first half of this year is very busy for me, but the second half is looking quieter. Phew!

The even better news is that THE STRANGELING has received 5 Klovers from CK2s Kwips and Kritiques! Debbie, the reviewer, had some wonderful things to say:

THE STRANGELING is a hauntingly beautiful tale of good versus evil. An eerie atmosphere permeates the story as Saskia Walker brings her carefully crafted world to vivid life. The lush descriptions of the scenery are stunning as Ms. Walker depicts the stark, almost ghostly reality of THE STRANGELING. The images evoked by the demons will send shivers down the spine of the reader of this compelling tale.

The character development of Maerose, Bron, and Veldor is superb. Maerose demonstrates great strength of character and her purity of heart shines through. She is a phenomenal female lead in this fantasy and her character truly makes this story work. Bron is the perfect male complement for Maerose as he seeks only to do what is right. Veldor provides a stunning contrast as his malevolence is powerfully written.

THE STRANGELING is the sort of story that haunts the reader long after the last page is turned. Saskia Walker has a true gem with this superb fantasy novel coupled with all the elements to make a great paranormal romance as well. This reviewer will definitely be keeping an eye out for further fantasy novels from this fabulous author! Read full review.

Woohoo! I hope anyone who picks up this novel enjoys it as much as Debbie did! :)

Somewhere over the rainbow..

The stormy weather we've been having abated for a couple of hours this morning, so we made the most of it and had a drive out on the moors. It's just as well we did it right away, because it was back to rolling angry skies and hailstones by the time we got home. Up on the moor, though, it was just amazing, with that brilliant light you get after the storm. The photos show nearby Ilkley Moor, and the Cow and Calf rocks. The photo with the rainbow showing faintly in the background was taken today with a mobile phone camera, the one further down is a much better shot of the same location from the web, but it gives some idea what it was like. At one point we had two rainbows standing next to each other, seemingly close enough to touch.

It was good. I badly needed to get out of the house for a few hours, partly because this weird weather has me in danger of getting cabin fever, LOL, but also because yesterday I took delivery of my new car. Yay! Oh, don't get too excited...I changed a black Ford Focus for a new black Ford Focus. But I needed to get out for a bit of a test drive. There's something very special about driving a car with only 30 miles on the clock.

Because I'm disabled, with bone disease in my right leg, I drive a specially adapted vehicle. This time the adaptations were slightly different, so I had various upgrades to familiarise myself with. I was very happy with it! The sun was shining, and we doubled the number of miles on the clock. ;) We saw a lot of fallen trees, but the sheep were happily out and about roving the moor, which was a good sign. Even though it didn't last the whole day through, it was just brilliant.



I hope you've been having a good weekend too.

Awwww...

The worst storms to hit the UK in 17 years! More amazing pictures here at the BBC.

Bring me sunshine

I don’t like posting grim news on the blog, (that’s why it has been quiet here) but I have to report that it’s grim up North. We’re being battered by gale force winds, floods, sleet and rain, and extremely overcast skies. The cat has taken up permanent residence on the landing (centre of the house, away from any windows) where she sits over the spot the central heating pipes meet, sucking in the heat. We’ve got fence and roof repairs to do, and even the simplest tasks -- such as posting a letter or shopping -- are downright hazardous. Mark saw a roof being ripped off a petrol station when he was on his way to work yesterday! Add into the mix I am still suffering sinus headaches and you can see things are far from ideal in Saskialand. We’ve taken to watching a lot of comedy. :)

I’m not completely bereft of smiles, however. I got up to a wonderful surprise this morning. The Strangeling was at number 2,013 on Amazon UK, and at No 15 in the fantasy romance bestseller list.



To say that I am pleased and amazed would be an understatement. The book isn’t even out yet. I’ve been doing a fair bit of promo for this one along with my other February releases, and I think it’s also helped that Amazon have teamed it up as a pair with Emma Holly’s new fantasy romance, Prince of Ice. What’s even better news is that there will be a nice surprise in store for those who have placed advance orders. The price currently on display is incorrect. The book will be going out at USD 9.99, so when that filters through the system it should also be a bit cheaper for UK customers too.

I hope you’re having better weather wherever you are! Stay warm.

Sale - for US readers

Cleis Press, who have published around a dozen of my short stories, have got a super deal running for readers in the US:

NEW YEAR’S SALE!
BUY ANY 3 BOOKS, GET 1 BOOK FREE!
Warm up your winter with this great deal on books from Cleis Press.

Click HERE for more details.

4.5 blue ribbons for KINK from Romance Junkies!

Bella Marie, one of the reviewers at Romance Junkies, has given KINK 4.5 blue ribbons! Not only that, but her review tickled me to bits. Here's a snippet of what she had to say about my novella, SEX, LIES, AND BONDAGE TAPE:

The second story in KINK delivers just what the title promises—and much, much more! Ms. Walker is undoubtedly one of the queens of erotic romance. She writes steamy, sensual scenes with enough passion and uniqueness to scorch the pages. Her characters are multi-dimensional, with real fears, wants and needs. Ms. Walker does a great job of blending the theme of this two-story anthology with real genuine emotion and a fulfilling plot. The dialogue rings true, and as the story progresses, Kelly and Tommy become even more likeable as they discover things about one another and about themselves that they never expected. From the very first page, the story captivates, bringing readers fully into the rock concert setting and imbuing the atmosphere with that same level of sensual energy that lasts until the very end....For two different, highly enjoyable stories sure to satisfy any fan of erotic romance, look no further than KINK. Ms. White and Ms. Walker take a common theme and make it their own, with delightful results. ...READ THE WHOLE REVIEW HERE

I expect you all are dazzled by my grin! LOL This was just the medicine I needed. KINK will be out in just three weeks.

Read an excerpt from SEX, LIES AND BONDAGE TAPE
Read an excerpt from WATCH ME by Sasha White
Order from Amazon
Order from Amazon UK

Full cover for THE STRANGELING!

Here it is, the full layout of my gorgeous cover for THE STRANGELING, my first fantasy novel due out in a couple of weeks with Juno Books.



I adore it! Really thrilled with how it’s turned out. Both the cover art (by Timothy Lantz) and the cover layout (by Stephan Segal,) work brilliantly for the story, and I’m so pleased with the final version.

THE STRANGELING is my first fantasy novel, a FANTASY novel that will be labelled FANTASY and will be shelved in FANTASY. NOT Romance NOR Paranormal Romance. ;) Anyone who has been following the big brouhaha over at Dear Author will understand my emphasis.

For those who aren’t following the brouhaha, the topic was about authors being harmed by publishers mislabelling their books. Juno, who publish “Fantasy with a focus on the female,” was lumped together with other publishers labelling their books “Paranormal Romance.” However, the “romance” word only appears on a Juno anthology, not the novels. Maybe because the Juno editor made an appearance in the discussion, the target increasingly became Juno books – books that are being shelved in Fantasy. Bizarre. Nobody listened when I tried to point that out. The other publishers/authors mentioned in the discussion must have loved it, because the spotlight was taken off them.

I hesitated even to comment here on my own blog, lest a load of them follow and starting beating me with sticks here. It was upsetting, yes. The funny thing about all this is that my first Juno novel, THE STRANGELING, ticks all the boxes for romance readers, it’s a Romance with a HEA (darn, I spoiled the ending for you readers!) Yet I’m very happy to have it labelled and shelved in Fantasy (where’d you say it was being shelved? Yes Fantasy shelves, NOT Romance) because that’s the predominant genre of this book. It also has a powerful romance and paranormal aspects, but it’s an otherworldly fantasy. A bit like The Simpsons is a cartoon, but it’s also a sitcom, soap opera, and family drama. I don’t feel harmed by my publishers labelling at all. Whilst the HEA/romance aspect might not be found in all the Juno fantasy books, it is in mine, this is probably why the brouhaha hit me so hard.

As a fantasy lover AND a romance lover, I was so pleased when lines like Luna and Juno came long. My second book with Juno, UNVEILING THE SORCERESS, was a project I started several years ago. I subbed it to a fantasy publisher I really wanted to be published by. They wanted the full, but the editor told me she wanted me to tone down the romance and the sensuality, make it more of a straight fantasy. Gods, I really wanted to be published by them, and it was before I was signed by Berkley, so I had little direction and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to say yes, but I couldn’t. It would be like ripping the heart out of my work. I had to withdraw my sub. It hurt, really bad. At the time I was being rejected for writing romance that was too erotic, erotica that was too romantic, fantasy that was too romantic, erotica that wasn’t contemporary enough, and so on. Self-doubt riddled me, what if I had turned away from the break I was meant to follow? Ultimately I couldn't do it. I put the book away, thinking it may only ever be written for me (and my CP who loved it too:)

Then.... things began to change, for erotica/erotic romance, and for fantasy. I had a book taken by Loose id, an epublisher that encourage cross genre experimentation. Luna was up and running, and then Juno came long. Juno bought print rights to THE STRANGELING (which was previously an ebook novella with Loose Id). Working with Paula Guran on expanding that project was a terrific experience. After a while I got UNVEILING down from the shelf and thought.. I wonder if…..?

I subbed it, and Juno signed it. Can you imagine how I'd have felt if I had gutted the beloved book, just to get it published, and then realised what I’d done? Juno is the right home for it. I’m proud to be a Juno author, to have Paula Guran's magical touch on my work, to be encouraged to write “Fantasy with a focus on the female,” and to be shelved in Fantasy. It was one of my many writerly ambitions.

Anyone still not sure where Juno novels are being shelved? :)

Weekend already?!

This week has gone by in a brain-fuzzed blur. The Real life hero has been ill, and I never shook what's ailing me, alas! I did what my doc suggested and rested up. My voice came back and I felt a little better, for a day or so… Wasn't enough to stop it going to my sinuses. Ach! So it has been a bit quiet on the blogging front.

Things are still moving on, at a slower pace. No actual writing, but I'm very pleased to announce I've found a new epublisher for my futuristic novella AGAINST THE GRAIN. This novella was previously published as part of the Erotic Authors Association Signature Series, and when that venture closed I had to find somewhere open to a futuristic lesbian/bi experimental erotic/romance tale set in a strict society where females aren't supposed to desire men, but two of them rebel when they do. Hmm. I seem to have a knack of writing things that are not easily pigeonholed. LOL Anyway, more news on that when it’s signed and sealed.

I hope everyone had a great week!

New review for KINK

This fabulous new review for KINK put a huge smile on my face this morning. Trang, the reviewer, loved both mine and Sasha's story in KINK, and gave us five stars over at ecataromance. Here's a bit of what she had to say about my novella, SEX, LIES AND BONDAGE TAPE:

This is one laugh out loud, shake your head and fan yourself story. Kelly and Tommy start off with an attraction that neither can or want to deny. In addition though, there are a few misconceptions between them. Their sexual encounter involves a little kink, a little sizzle and a little laughter and once it’s over, both have regrets about how it ends. What’s hilarious are the lengths they both go to in order to contact each other again. I enjoyed that Kelly was a strong, outspoken woman who affected those around her in a positive way, leaving a warm feeling to accompany the meltdown from their game of kiss chase…but I won’t give that away, read this keeper!

Click HERE to read the full review.

Thank you!!

Many thanks to all of you who sent me get well messages and comments. I'm being good, and I am starting to feel better. I've been doing lots of reading, and sleeping. :) Your messages helped heaps! I'm hoping to get back to the normal routine tomorrow.

I also had a real treat today when I saw THE STRANGELING was at number 25 in the Amazon UK fantasy romance bestseller list. Oh my! That really lifted my spirits. Thank you to all of you who are placing advance orders for my pagan sexmagick extravaganza! :D I can't wait to see it in print! February is going to be an exciting month.

Hmmmmm..

KINK is due out in just a few weeks. That's the good news :)

Now.. it hasn't even arrived back from the printers into the publishers office in NY as yet, but some guy on Amazon.co.uk is advertising that he has it available for immediate dispatch in the UK. Er, not possible..! Half of his feedback says he takes your money and doesn't deliver. Talk about a chancer! Oh, and he's charging more than Amazon. Pah! Anyways, I noticed it earlier and thought I'd say something just to warn others. Please, always check feedback for resellers.

On being a sick author

Maybe I should have said "ill," but it was more fun that way ;) I've had this sore throat for 3 weeks, and it was getting worse again instead of better. So I went to the docs yesterday and she said I wasn't getting myself enough rest to recover. She asked me if I could take a couple of days off, and get more sleep. I just stared at her. The voice in my head was saying "Nooooo!" LOL She knows what I do, so she gave me one of those looks, and pointed out she’d just had to have two weeks off herself with the same thing! The weird thing is I know she’s right because I feel better in the mornings but by evening I can barely speak. In my head, though, I believe sitting pootling on a laptop isn’t strenuous, but we all know (or should do,) that mental work is just as hard on the body, especially if you’re trying to heal yourself. So yesterday afternoon I took off to bed with Stephen King’s On Writing, and rested up. The read was excellent, I got extra sleep, and I do feel a lot better today. I wonder if I can manage it again?

In general, it’s been one of those weeks… Isn’t it funny how life conspires to throw multiple cr@p at you when you’re feeling icky? The local council recently made our street resident parking only. We’d been campaigning for this for years, because a local business use the area as their car park during the week. So they put the signs up, the business cars disappeared and we all cheered. It was looking good, except we haven’t received the parking permits as yet, and a bunch of us went out to parking tickets on our cars yesterday. Ironic, or what? The best (worst?) part is that because of my wonky leg I’m registered disabled and I have an official disabled badge on my vehicle. It takes a special kind of traffic warden to slap a ticket on a disabled person’s vehicle outside their own home, rather than knocking on the door to give a warning first, eh?! The Real Life hero will be giving them hell on Monday.

And did I mention the hole in the roof after the recent storms? LOL Yes it truly has been one of those weeks. The good thing is I’m not hugely under pressure with multiple deadlines this month, so I am resting up a bit and my voice is coming back. Generally my spirits are high. I’m still buzzing from the new year, hitching up with friends I’d lost touch with via My space, and having my agent tell me the partial I wrote in December was “a truly amazing proposal.” I’m smiling away! I just hope the editor likes it as much as my agent did. Fingers crossed!!!

Red Sage SECRETS news!

Some good news from my publisher at Red Sage, for those fans of the SECRETS novellas, here is the listing for volume 19, due out in July.

VOLUME 19 – Timeless Passions

R. ELLEN FERARE - Toy in the Attic - Paranormal
KATHLEEN SCOTT - Falling Star - Futuristic / Sci-fi
ELISA ADAMS - Affliction - Paranormal
SASKIA WALKER - What You Wish For - Historical -Time Travel/Paranormal

I'm so excited about this. What You Wish For was a lot of fun for me to write. There's an excerpt on my website (adults only content!) Click HERE if you would like to check it out.

Author meetz

What a lovely way to open the new writing year. I spent a good portion of today with the legendary Queen of S&M, Portia Da Costa! I don't know what I'd do without these uplifting sessions wth my good pal. My only complaint is that time speeds up whenever we get together, it must do... Usually we manage 3 rounds of coffee and refreshments, today I was just about to get the third round in and I realised my three hour parking time was up! Yikes, I’m sure time plays tricks on us. It goes by in a flash. I'm sure we could talk forever about the writing business.

It was a good day to do this, because we always take stock of what we’ve got out there and what’s happened in between. We're both waiting to hear back on stuff (that's pretty much as per usual) but with the dawn of a new year and things opening up again at the publishing companies we got a tad excited and hopeful. Let's hope that feeling lasts and speeds our work!

During the course of the conversation it transpired that our blog hits had both shot up after we got our Scarlet Magazine awards. Portia got “best lesbian sex scene” and I got “best anal sex scene” After we announced these awards our visitor count shot up. Hmm. I wonder why. Ha! I guess we should make a public service announcement. For those of you who arrived here after googling “anal sex” or “lesbian sex” -- you’ll find those things in our books! :)

Contest winners

Many thanks to everyone who mailed me about the Christmas contests I ran for readers here, and on my newsletter. I enjoyed all your messages! Last night I had my real life hero pick out an entry for each of the four prizes. Here are the winners:

Debbie Ellison wins a copy of SEX AND SHOPPING
Callie wins a copy of NAUGHTY SPANKING STORIES 2
Dave Spencer wins a copy of CAUGHT LOOKING
Lisa Williams wins a copy of EROTIC INTERLUDES 4

Please email me your postal addresses to saskiawalker @ gmail . com (no gaps) and I’ll send your prizes!!

My space

I finally made it onto MySpace. I still have a few sections to sort out, but it's live and kicking. Check me out. The photo I've put up shows this naughty lady on the prowl at a gothic weekend. >:) I'm also still learning how to do everything, but I think I've figured out the most important part, ie how to "make friends." :) Now, where to start.. heheheeee