Reading: IN TOO DEEP by Portia Da Costa

Well, I’m having a helluva week (month?) here, but I don’t like to dwell on negative stuff, so I’ll tell you about what I’ve been reading instead. Nothing like great fiction to pull you away from your own problems! :)

First up for me was my pal Portia Da Costa’s forthcoming novel IN TOO DEEP, which I was lucky enough to have an ARC of. Rush out and order it! Here’s the cover copy:

YOU'VE GOT MAIL AND IT'LL MAKE YOUR HAIR CURL!

Librarian Gwendolyne Price starts finding indecent proposals and sexy stories in her suggestion box. Shocked that they seem to be tailored specifically to her own deepest sexual fantasies, she begins a tantalising relationship with a man she's never met. But, pretty soon, erotic letters and toe-curlingly sensual emails just aren't enough. She has to meet her mysterious correspondent in the flesh.

I adored this story! Portia’s novels always have a a locked-in kind of romantic eroticism that seduces the reader, and IN TOO DEEP is a particularly good example of this. The story maintains a really tight focus on a developing relationship, which makes it a totally compelling read. Once you start a novel that has that quality, it gets very hard to put it down.

What impresses me whenever I read Portia’s work is that her work is highly erotic throughout the story and at the very same time it’s charting the growth in the relationship. With IN TOO DEEP, this means exploring the relationship from a very raunchy, almost dangerous set up, through desire, need, passion, emotional enrichment to the deep dark point and beyond. It’s her talent of binding it all up together whilst also remaining erotic through out that is (for me) the key to Portia’s talent.

IN TOO DEEP is another first person story and it works well for the storyline, with the mystery male protag expressing himself in letters and online chat. Only a few writers can do 1st person well over a full-length erotic novel, and this one is a great example. IN TOO DEEP is also full of witty descriptions and humorous, often laugh-out-loud moments. Portia has got a great sense of humour and I love that she’s letting it rip! :) Another of her skills is portraying the well-rounded, down to earth and realistic character. Her characters are totally engaging.

IN TOO DEEP is out in the UK in just a couple of days, with publication in the US in November. Treat yourself to this lusty librarians love story and you won’t be disappointed!

Amazon UK
Amazon com

New publication: CAUGHT IN THE ACT, a Spice Brief

CAUGHT IN THE ACT is here! Yay!! This is the first in my trio of linked novellas for Spice Briefs. I'll post a little about the series (my first!) over the weekend. Meanwhle, meet Liam, the first of my three brothers. :)


Caught in the Act
by Saskia Walker

ePrice $2.99
Our Price: $2.69
You save: $0.30 (10%)
Publication date: Sep 01, 2008
On sale date: Sep 01, 2008
eISBN: 9781426822438

There was something about the new IT guy that rubbed Chrissie the wrong way, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She told herself Liam O’Neil had to be the source of the company’s security leak, and that she was observing him to get the goods on him. But gazing at his hard, sexy body all day was getting her seriously hot and bothered.

Then an after hours confrontation gave way to breathtaking seduction. But when Chrissie discovered Liam was not what he seemed, her searing desire turned to humiliation, then fury. Liam had been obsessessed with the fiery little blonde from the first, and was eager for more of what they’d shared. But getting her to listen to his explanation and give him another chance was going to require seduction on a whole other level.

Excerpt:

After the last stragglers had gone and all was quiet, Chrissie stood up, picked up her phone and flicked it to camera mode. If she could just catch him... Her heart raced. If she could prove Liam was the thief, then…then he'd be gone. She paused, hesitant. She both wanted to find him out, and didn’t. It was screwy, she knew it was, but something about the idea of confronting him was intoxicating, and she couldn’t help herself. As she approached the door to her supervisor’s office, she saw him moving behind the desk. Someone who wasn’t in the know would just think he was switching off a PC, or checking it. But she was riddled with suspicion and curiosity. She stood just outside the open door and snapped a photograph of him, then put her phone down on the table outside Theresa’s office, making sure it was hidden out of sight.

Folding her arms across her chest, she stared at him. “Caught in the act,” she said. She couldn’t help being pleased with herself.

Liam glanced up, and then smiled, long and slow. He didn’t seem surprised to see her, his posture both nonchalant and self-assured while he looked at her.

Even if he made a break for it, she had proof he was the thief. Strangely enough, he didn’t look as if he was going anywhere. In fact he glanced at his watch, as if he was checking how much free time he had to chat with her. He had the cheek of the devil himself.

“Caught?” A self-assured smile played around his attractive mouth and it made her want to slap him. “I wasn’t doing anything. Not yet, at any rate.”

Why did he always look as if he was thinking about sex? And, more to the point why am I thinking about sex? “You aren’t supposed to be in here, none of us are. Company rules. No overtime unless it’s agreed in advance.”

“And that’s why you followed me?” His expression was filled with insinuation, and he looked her up and down in a way that left her in no doubt he was making some sort of intimate reference. “You’re sure there wasn’t some other reason why you wanted to be in here with me, alone?”

Her stomach flipped. He’s bluffing.

She forced a dry laugh “Get real. You are the thief, that’s why we’re both here. I’ve been on to you for days.” He didn’t seem surprised, in fact he seemed to be enjoying it. He was sitting back in Theresa’s chair with a lazy self-assured posture that suggested he wasn’t in the least concerned she’d caught him in there. Maybe he wanted her to follow him. The thought made her want to walk away, but for some reason she couldn’t.

“I knew you were on to me, Chrissie. In fact, I was enjoying your attention.”

“The security man will be here in a minute to lock up,” she snapped. Her heartbeat grew erratic. Was this some sort of trap? Just as the thought struck her, the overhead strip lighting throughout the offices went off one by one in a succession of resounding clicks. They were alone. A dim security light was all that lit the room they occupied, the distant streetlights from the business park sending an eerie glow through the slats of the blinds.

He stood up and stepped out from behind the desk. “Am I indeed? Well now, in that case why would I find you a whole lot more interesting than swiping the lot and heading out of here?” He gestured at the PC.

“The PC should be password locked.” Panic was rising. What was she doing here alone with this man?

“Theresa has been naughty, she’s left her files accessible. This place is slack.” He stepped closer. “I’d much rather look at you than a bunch of code. I like the idea of us having some quiet time, just the two of us, alone here.” He lifted his eyebrows. In the half-light, his eyes glittered.

Beyond him, she could see the cars moving on the motorway in the distance. The business park was quiet. Apart from the security guard, who was now late, there wasn’t another soul around. She hadn’t thought beyond the accusation, she hadn’t thought beyond getting him alone. But now they were here, and he was coming onto her.

Despite her suspicions, her body responded wildly to the knowledge that he wanted her, her skin racing, a fluttering sensation in her core making sensible responses seem much harder to muster. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, you’re just trying to distract me.”

“How can you be sure?” The insinuating look in his eyes made him look even more attractive. How was that possible?

He’s aroused, she realized. Not for the first time she found herself involuntarily wondering what he looked like naked. Oh god.

“I can think of much better things to do than stealing computer software code, believe me. Besides, for all I know, you could be the thief, you could be the one who is siphoning off the code at night.”

She forced a laugh. “I've been with this company for five years, I take pride in my loyalty.”

He shrugged. “You might be dissatisfied with your pay, for all I know.” He moved closer still, stepping behind her, circling her. It unnerved her, but she felt rooted to the spot.

“You might have a secret vice, something that needs funding.” He touched her lightly on the shoulder and her head jerked back. His eyes were narrowed in the gloom; he was focused on her reaction. The scent of his cologne was enticing, something woodland but sharp and earthy all at the same time. Underneath it man, sheer, absolute man.

“If that was the case,” she mustered, “why would I be here, now, while you are in here?”

“I don’t know, Chrissie, why are you here, now?” He smiled to himself. It was all one big joke to him. That would be his undoing, she was sure of it. What she wasn’t sure of was why she’d let him get so close, why hadn’t she backed off?

She swallowed. I do want him.

The expression in his eyes grew serious. She could hear her heart pounding, the blood rushing in her ears as if the world were moving faster by the moment, while she was frozen to the spot. Then the reasons why they were here faded away as he closed on her, and put one hand behind her head, his fingers moving into her hair as he tipped her head back. “I know the perfect way to prove to you I’m not in here after the code.”

Part of her guessed what he was about to do, the part of her that identified with it, wanted it. She met his stare directly, stripped of all façade.

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

“I know.” She couldn’t have stopped him even if she wanted to, and she didn't want to. When his lips whispered over hers and his breath mingled with hers, she moaned softly, the last shred of resistance she’d held onto slipping away as he invited her to enjoy. Something pent-up broke free inside her, and she clutched at him with needy hands, the ability to think logically, gone....


Buy from eharlequin
Kindle book from Amazon

Coming Together: At Last, press release

Alesia Brio
Coming Together
alessia@eroticanthology.com
http://www.eroticanthology.com/
and/or
Crystal B. Bright
PHAZE BOOKS
crystal@PHAZE.com
http://www.phaze.com/
August 28, 2008

Celebrate the Diversity of Desire with Coming Together and Phaze Books Cincinnati, OH – The latest in the critically acclaimed Coming Together anthology series,Coming Together: At Last, will debut in January 2009 from Phaze Books.

Due to the overwhelming number and quality of the submissions, it was decided that two volumes of this title would be published simultaneously, both containing the stirring Introduction penned by New York Times bestselling author, L.A. Banks. A complete list of the contents can now be found online at the Coming Together website: www.eroticanthology.com/atlast.htm.

The release of these collections of interracial erotic fiction and poetry will coincide with the celebration of the birth of one of history’s most passionate proponents for human rights and equality, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it is from his famous speech given forty-five years ago on this day that the title words “At Last” are taken. Accordingly, proceeds from sales will benefit Amnesty International.

Having published four of the nine currently available titles in the charitable anthology series, Phaze Books is now poised to release its fifth and sixth. The diverse collections of erotic fiction and poetry feature the work of many well-known authors in addition to fresh new voices in the genre. Previous Phaze titles in the series include Coming Together: For the Cure, Coming Together: Under Fire, Coming Together: Special Hurricane Relief Edition, and Coming Together: With Pride. Each is available in both ebook and print from all major online booksellers.

All proceeds from the sales of Coming Together publications are donated to charity, with the authors and its EPPIE Award-winning editor, Alessia Brio, donating their time and talents. Coming Together anthologies have received many accolades including the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Erotica as well as Top Pick and four star reviews from the romance industry’s premier publication: Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine. In its most recent review, Romantic Times favorably compared the series to Susie Bright’s Best American Erotica series. In addition, the organization was a finalist for the Electronic Published Internet Connection’s 2008 Friend of ePublishing Award for what Ms. Brio has termed “erotic altruism.”

Phaze Books, the erotic imprint of Mundania Press LLC, is one of the fastest growing and most recognizable publishers in an exploding genre. Its unprecedented support for Coming Together, a voluntary nonprofit association, puts Phaze on the cutting edge of philanthropy in the publishing industry, a commitment that will continue with its upcoming releases in the series.

Coming Together: Against the Odds will have a mystery theme and will benefit Autism Speaks, while Coming Together: Into the Light will include stories about the revelation of secrets and will benefit V-Day. Both are currently open for submissions and will see publication in the coming year.

For more information about Coming Together, visit www.EroticAnthology.com or email editor Alessia Brio at alessia@eroticanthology.com. For more information about Phaze Books, visit www.PHAZE.com or contact Promotions Manager Crystal B. Bright at crystal@PHAZE.com.

New sale!

I'm pleased to announce that Total-E-Bound will be publishing a new short novella from me, a historical called BRAZEN BEHAVIOUR. This one was written earlier this year and it's scheduled to appear in the forthcoming BRITS IN TIME anthology.

The story is a Victorian set tale about a heroine who refuses to be chaperoned by the man she wants to bed, and gets her way...on both scores. :} I had such fun with it, partly because of the sparring relationship between the couple, and partly because of the fun research I got to do with the National Railway Museum. More details on the publication date and line up as they come in!

Hero material?

So I'm working on RAMPANT and I suddenly realised that the models I have in mind for my good guy are all bad guys. LOL! Is there anything wrong with that, I wonder... briefly. ;> My good guy is a powerful witch, and - even though he's also an academic - he's far from being a polished, classicly handsome stud. He is good looking (in an alternative way) but he's also rough around the edges when it comes to women. He's wry, intelligent, and he walks the line between light and dark magic when he takes on an age old coven war. Oh yeah, and he knows how to harness the pagan magic intrinsic in sex. Handy that, ay.

Here are some of the piccies I'm..er, enjoying. All in the name of research and character building. :D



Above, Prince Nuada from Hellboy 2.

Below, is it just me or does the slogan on this tickle your naughty bone? It's just me, isn't it...? :>




I've always had a thing for Julian Sands, but if (back when Bros were in the charts) anyone had told me I'd be using Luke Goss as a model for one of my characters in years to come, I'd have laughed. A lot. But, you know, since he's been playing the bad guy in films like Blade and Hellboy he has a certain alluring quality that I rather like...

ALONG FOR THE RIDE book winner

Many thanks to everyone who called by and commented, I had lots of smiles reading your messages. :) Okay, I had the man of the house pick a comment at random. Tetewa is the winner!

4.5 stars for RECKLESS from Manic Readers!

If you enjoy hot, hot, hot love scenes that cause you to tingle where it matters, then pick up this book. Ms. Walker delivers scorching sex scenes—including one which may take readers by surprise. This well-crafted story is what romance readers crave. They will relish Katrina’s evolution from conventional English woman to bold passionate female who falls deeply in love. And the man she chooses is simply irresistible. There are some nifty plot twists, plenty of action and enough luscious lip-locks to keep us lusty ladies happy. The only reason I didn’t give Reckless a higher score is because I knew what would happen from the beginning. But I’m an avid mystery fan and can usually guess whodunnit! MR Reviewer: Rockin' Robin (read full review here)

Woohoo! Nice to come back to such a postive review. In other news, I'll be drawing a winner for my ALONG FOR THE RIDE contest later today, so you still have a few hours to enter if you haven't already.

Book giveaway! Who wants a print copy of ALONG FOR THE RIDE?

Okay folks, I'm away from the desk for a couple of days. When I get back, I'll give away a print copy of ALONG FOR THE RIDE. This short novel has recently gone to print, so I'm celebrating! If you haven't read the ebook and you'd like to give it a try, just leave me a comment on this blog post, and we'll pick a random winner on Sunday.



Here's the book blurb and some review comments:

When Georgina Montgomery gets involved with the Austrian artist Calvin Rolf and his Fleet Street photographer sidekick, Jason Sutherland, she signs herself up for more escapades than she ever could have imagined. Georgie soon discovers that being involved with two gorgeous men is a heady intoxicant and she quickly casts all her inhibitions aside. She's in her element, but their idyll of sexual adventuring in London is interrupted when a paparazzi scandal threatens to be unleashed around them.

They hit the road and when Georgie comes along for the ride she finds herself going further than she ever has before. None of them thought they'd go as far as falling in love, but they do, and who are they each falling for? When the paparazzi hunt results in Georgie's kidnap, danger ups the emotional stakes for everybody involved and territorial claims of the heart are about to be made.


Along for the Ride by Saskia Walker is a delectable exercise in sensual and romantic discovery...Their ménage is terribly hot (in that amazingly awesome way) and beautifully sweet as they each struggle along their separate paths to discovering and accepting love. Ms. Walker has done an outstanding job of creating a sizzling story, with lots of bone-meltingly scorching sex, that still grabs one by the heart and causes one to go all soft inside with romantic notions. The best part is that Ms. Walker has that rare talent of sucking the reader completely into her world and keeping her bound to the pages. I found myself trying to rush for the end and at the same time savor every moment. This is one of those unique books that has me shoving my friends to the store to buy it; because there is not any chance I am letting even my most trusted friends any where near my copy . . . and they just must read this one! 5 stars. -- Keely Skillman, EcataRomance Reviews

The sumptuous erotic story of a ménage between two friends and a vivacious woman is the basis of Along for the Ride. This book is filled with amazing tension and sexual imagery; you will need more than a few moments to recover your senses. The highly erotic scenes display needs of primitive hungering, deep profound emotions of new found love and hidden wants that are gradually realized throughout this well written tale. The ménage between the characters and homoerotic sensuality adds a more profound dimension to not only the past of the characters, but to their depth. The same sensuality between Jason, Calvin and Georgina is played beautifully in showing the slow transition from lust to love. This breathtaking story explores the fragile theme of love but adds the twist of various styles of sensuality and sexuality to set a tale that is enjoyable for any reader. 4 Stars, heat level: Orgasmic -- Mila “Bean” Ramos Just Erotic Romance Reviews

This erotic story will have you hot and bothered right from the beginning, all the way to the end. Along For The Ride explores an alternative relationship between these three characters in a provocative, scorching manner. Georgie just drips with sexuality. She’s a woman who wants to explore and experience all of her sexual desires and fantasies. And Cal is just the man to help her. An alpha male through and through, Cal controls the partners in this relationship with a strong, yet gentle hand, but when his feelings for Georgie become more intense than he’s ever felt, it takes Jason to make him realize it...If you enjoy hot, hot, hot sex in a manner that is definitely not traditional, along with a little suspense you’ll love Along For The Ride. 4 Angels. -- Trang, Fallen Angel Reviews

Oh, a quick disclaimer, one reviewer put a warning on this book. What was it? "Inappropriate use of vegetables." LOL! Just saying.... :D

Have a great week/end!

SWEET HEAT, EROTICA FOR COUPLES now available as an ebook

A little while ago I posted about Violet Blue's latest audio book, SWEET HEAT, EROTICA FOR COUPLES. This one includes my short story, "Trying it for Size." Yay! The collection is now also available in ebook form for only $7 download. Here are the details:

Sweet, hot and irresistibly delicious. Who can resist temptation? Certainly not the thirteen couples that dial in each other’s number-one sexual fantasies and can’t keep their hands off each other in the short stories collected in Sweet Heat: Explicit Erotica For Couples edited by Violet Blue.

Read this $7, 144-page, 13-chapter ebook on any digital device: iPhone, iPod Touch, PDA, laptop… and transfer it between devices with no restrictions.

A bold husband takes his wife to a modern furniture showroom and dares her to try an item for size. A man discovers that coffee is a clothes-tearing aphrodisiac for his new girlfriend over weekend of frenzied sex. A woman blindfolds her boyfriend and he can only guess whose female bodies are teasing him to inevitability. A wife gets caught being naughty and gets her first erotic spanking. Couples cybersex in public, pick up other men and experiment with bisexuality, and everyone has fun loving and sexing in the sweet, sweet heat of pure lust shared by two.

Thirteen stories feature no-holds-barred, sometimes lightly kinky erotica from bestselling erotica authors Alison Tyler, Saskia Walker, Emilie Paris and N.T. Morley, while a bevy of newcomers showcase fine-tuned erotic lit skills. Each story is hand-selected by Violet Blue in easy-to-use, shareable ebook files. Let the witty and provocative editing of Violet Blue, best-selling writer, sex columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and editor of the award-winning Best Women’s Erotica series lead you into some of the hottest, juiciest sexual adventures two lovers can share.


Contents

1 Trying It For Size by Saskia Walker
2 Body Shots by Ethan Oliver
3 Double Espressos To Go by Evan Allison
4 Five Senses by N.T. Morley
5 Fall From Grace by Luke Reilly
6 A Few Good Men by Jasmine Hall
7 Hot Stuff by Adam Weeks
8 Joey’s First Spanking by Paul Cummings
9 Operator 84 by Ryan Tyler
10 High Speed Wireless by Miranda Logan
11 Oral Arguments by Christopher Becker
12 James Dean, $1000 Bucks and a Long Summer Night by Emilie Paris
13 You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Alison Tyler

Availability: Instant Download
DRM-Free File Format: .zip (includes 144 page .pdf; .pdb; .txt)
.Zip File Size: 1000 KB
ISBN: 978-0-9799019-6-6
Price: $7.00 (USD)

Buy “sweet heat: explicit erotica for couples” .zip (all files) now, $7, via PayPal.

Busy week ahead

I’m relieved to report that I finally got back to a normal schedule around midweek last week. Yay! A partial is done and out the door, and I’m now steaming ahead with a short story as well as planning scene by scene for RAMPANT. It’s going to be a busy few months ahead.

Writer pal Portia and I got together on Friday for an official writers meet. Ahem. Maybe that should be: got together to string out our conference experience for as long as possible..? LOL! It was a super day, and we did congratulate ourselves on having coped as well as we did.

The somewhat odd thing is that I find myself having to make a decision about next year’s conference, already. That’s because the Romantic Times convention booking will start soon. If I want to do that one instead of the RWA national conference, I have to decide imminently. If I’m able to do another one, and I hope I am, I’m not quite sure which one to do. I can't afford both, and the RWA national was such a positive experience for me that I’m drawn to doing that one again. I’d like to attend an RT convention, but perhaps it would be best to do that one when I have more books out. Anyway, I shall make that decision soon.

Meanwhile, I came away from my meet with Portia happily clutching a copy of her forthcoming Black Lace novel IN TOO DEEP. This one is due out in the UK in about three weeks, so I’m an advance copy holder! Lucky me!!! In fact I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to read all of Portia’s work in manuscript form for about three years now, but unfortunately I couldn’t read this one at that time, so it's going to be a real treat. We're going away for a couple of days later this week and I'll be taking it with me. I’ll post about it when I get back!

Thank you for posting birthday wishes! We had a lazy Sunday browsing in the bookshops and had lunch out. It even stayed dry, which (at the mo) is a miracle here in England. Our trip away is to Durham, one of our favourite cities in the North of England. We always enjoy our times there and, now that I've bonded with my digital camera, (long story,) I hope to share some photos when I get back. Lots to be done before then, though, so I better crack on or I won’t have earned my break.

Hope you have a great week.

Happy Birthday to me!

I'm even older today! :)

<

I've got a fun day ahead and I hope you do too. I'll play catch up on the blog tomorrow.

Call for subs: On the Far Side Contest

***PERMISSION GRANTED TO FORWARD***

Low on entries for Time Travel, Erotica, and Romantic Elements!

Deadline is August 22nd!! Only one week left to enter! So get your
entries ready and send them in!!

FF&P's On the Far Side contest for unpublished authors is in need of
entries, especially in the romantic elements and erotica categories!
Final round judges are acquiring editors and agents of all genres of
paranormal romance. Take this opportunity to get your best work in
front of:

Time Travel: Margo Lipschultz (Harlequin, Luna)
General Paranormal: Erika Tsang (Avon)
Romantic Elements: Lois Winston (Ashley Grayson)
Futuristic: Stacy Boyd (Harlequin)
Erotic: Caren Johnson (Caren Johnson Lit. Agency)
Fantasy: Deborah Werksman (Sourcebooks)
Young Adult: Scott Eagan (Greyhaus Lit. Agency)

2008 On the Far Side Contest

Got fantasy, futuristic, or paranormal? Then the On the Far Side contest
is for you!!

Welcome dragons, witches, ghosties, vampires, shape shifters, unicorns,
and any creature your imagination can conjure up in a galaxy far far
away, in a time long past, or in your very own backyard.

2007 Contest: 3 manuscripts requested! Two sold so far!

OTFS IS ALL ELECTRONIC!! NO MAILING FEES!

NEW: OPTIONAL synopsis, website banners for finalists/winners

First Round Judges: trained and/or published

Requirements:

*Must not be published in full length fiction (40,000+) for the genre
entering/or not published in genre entering for past 5 years

*Entry fee: $20 members/$30 non-members

*First 20 pages of manuscript

*OPTIONAL synopsis (NEW)

*Entry received by DEADLINE: August 22, 2008

***Prizes***

All finalists receive a certificate and an OTFS finalist website banner
(NEW).

Winners of each category receive a check for $20, a pin, an OTFS winner
website banner (NEW), and a certificate.
2nd Place receives a check for $15 and a certificate
3rd place receives a check for $10 and a certificate

For details and entry forms, go to http://www.romance-ffp.com

12 things I will try to keep in mind about attending an RWA conference

1. Expect startling amounts of noise. Not bad noise, but lots of noise. Hundreds of excited women chattering creates a disorienting din, especially when bouncing off marble walls and floors.

2. It’s much more exhausting than you could ever imagine, there is too much going on, and not enough time to do as much as you would like. You are *not* Wonder woman and you will need a full days rest after travelling around the clock. Face it and be ready!

3. The most delicious meal in the world may not tempt you if your body thinks its 4.30 am.

4. Use the camera more!

5. Allow extra time to get from place to place, (especially if it involves elevators,) and keep in mind that there will be people you want to talk to (or at least say hello to) along the way.

6. Packing plenty of snacks to grab in between times or when a meal is missed is a very good thing!

7. Packing half the medicine cabinet is reassuring and often helpful, but chances are you won’t have that one vital thing you need when the time comes.

8. It’s pointless packing stuff like eyelash curlers. There isn’t enough time for such fripperies.

9. Brainwashing yourself that you will not be able to collect lots of books at the event because of airline weight restrictions is a very good thing.

10. Planning to sleep on an aircraft? Haha. Forget it.

11. If the maids start giggling and look entertained when you answer the door, you should probably be wearing more clothing.

12. It’s hard and it's exhausting, but it's the best mixture of business, social and networking opportunities a romance author could possibly wish to be part of!

If anyone would like to add to the list, please do so!

Update! One more I forgot to include (a baker's dozen!)

13. The RWA conference is not just six days away from the desk. It takes up much more time than that in preparation and getting back to normal. That has to be taken into account on the writing schedule.

4.5 stars for RECKLESS!

Sensual ecataromance have called RECKLESS "a tale of greed and danger, passion and romance" and awarded it 4.5 stars. Woohooo!

"The twists in the plot will keep your interest until the last page. Saskia Walker has penned an intriguing tale with one woman, two men and dangerous conflict, guaranteed to provide the reader excitement!!" Elise Lyn, for Sensual Ecataromance.
Read the full review here.

RWA day five, plus the return to England

Fellow Berkley Heat author, Kathleen Dante, sent me this lovely photo that she took at the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter party (Thursday evening.) I like it so much I might have to make Kathleen my official photographer. :)

I think you can see how happy I was to be there. In fact, anyone following along with my RWA experience must surely know by now that I had a fabulous time! :) It was exhausting, and it took its toll on me, but it was worth every moment. A truly memorable occasion and a major milestone in my life. However, it did take its toll....to wit, Saturday was a complete washout! Not so much news to share today, folks.

Our Saturday timetable was somewhat predetermined for us because we were transferring out to the airport Marriott in the evening. We had to check in for our flight home relatively early on Sunday morning and we’d been warned about the marathon taking place in the city. A quiet night at the hotel close to the airport was appealing, although I did have plans for the day. I don’t want to go into details about what state I was in by Saturday morning, but sadly I didn’t make my daytime meets, and I also had to give my apologies for the Spice Briefs author dinner that evening. It was the right thing to do, and, although I was disappointed, I knew I had achieved enough. It was time to be good to my crotchety old body and rest up.

I spent the last few hours before checking out resting in my gorgeous room, enjoying the view and the surroundings. (It cost an arm and a leg, so I was determined to enjoy it. ;-) I had a double because my critique partner was booked in with me, but couldn’t make it. I felt guilty about all the space I had, but in all honesty it would have been torture for anyone to share with me. The jet lag had me wandering around the room wide-awake at 4 am. Nobody deserves a grumpy British woman at that time in the morning.

I packed while looking at the fog slip away from the city from my 17th floor window, you can just about see the last wisps in front of the hills here. The second photo shows part of the hotel building. I like the design, it was glamorous but practical, and I was astonished at the extensive conference facilities beneath ground level.

After struggling with my lunch, I decided to transfer to the airport hotel as soon as I could check-in, and basically slept until Portia and Madelynne transferred later that evening. The following morning we recaptured our experience over a leisurely breakfast and on the airport transfer bus. We marvelled at how the conference offered so much, and could satisfy the requirements of anyone from writers who are just starting out and wanted to learn about the industry, to published authors and industry pros.

Of course any large organisation will have its flaws and its criticisms, and I’m not saying that everything was perfect. Neither was my experience completely positive. I found myself blanked by a couple of authors who made it obvious they weren’t interested in chatting with me when I approached them, but with 2,000 people in one place, (in an industry that often makes us feel as if we need to compete with each other,) it’s going to happen. That’s life. Not everyone in this world is welcoming and warm hearted, but luckily the majority of the people I met were. My experience was positive. I took away vital knowledge about the industry, my genres, and my writing. I met with women who I’ve had online friendships with for several years, people I consider close friends as well as colleagues, and that was an opportunity I wasn’t always sure I’d have. I’m grateful for it.

Our flight home was full of little niggles and became an endurance test. Luckily no delays on flights, but we were surrounded by inconsiderate people. My armrest had been vandalised so I had nowhere to plug my headset into, no music or movies to watch. There was too much light flooding into the cabin to even watch the screen, and the man behind me thumped the back of my seat to punctuate his every other sentence. (Why?) The airline managed to forget my gluten-free meal request, and the baggage “handlers” managed to “remove” one of the handles on my brand-new suitcase, thanks guys.

We arrived at Heathrow, (Monday morning in England) somewhat delirious with exhaustion and relief. That curious state of mind resulted in several bouts of hysterical laughter while we waited for our connecting flight. We even managed to brainstorm some wacky book ideas, and Madelynne and I are going to hound Portia to write them all up. :o) Our endurance was then further tried by our domestic flight, which was on a teeny weenie plane on a blustery and cloudy day. A nice bumpy ride to finish off with.

Walking through Leeds airport, it was hard to believe that it was only six days since we’d left. It felt so much longer because so much had happened. Reunited with my Real Life Hero, I could barely stand up, but couldn’t have been happier. (Oh, and he hadn’t arrived with a full week’s beard growth and bloodshot eyes from playing computer games all night, as he threatened he would. ;)

Tomorrow I’m going to post a little list of things I learned about attending the RWA conference.

Publication update: RECKLESS is now available in electronic format

While I've been away from the desk RECKLESS has become available as an electronic download through Fictionwise and Amazon Kindle. This is my first Berkley Heat title to be available in eformat!

RWA day 4, more of everything

Before I left home I recognised that my timetable for RWA was unrealistic. I'd already had to make decisions about functions that clashed. I had to miss both a Red Sage dinner and the Outreach Chapter Big Bash. Even though that was hard, I thought I’d been sensible. Pah! By Friday I knew that my timetable was *still* unrealistic, and even though I thought I’d built in gaps to rest, I was exhausted. Jetlag was the major culprit, but even when you think you have an hour or two of downtime it soon evaporates. By the time you get up escalators and into elevators, back to your room, change, shower, prepare, get to the next venue, there isn’t as much actual downtime as you’d envisaged. Friday morning I had to put my sensible head on. Unwillingly I crossed more events off my timetable and concentrated on what was crucial.

That morning I met with my Berkley Heat editor, Kate Seaver. I've been working with Kate for about three years but this was the first time we got to meet in person. We spent an hour together and it flew by! Kate made me feel instantly comfortable. She’s a warm, gentle person. For the first part of the meeting we talked about the conference and my reaction to the signing, travel, the erotic market and so on. Then we talked about my three publications with Berkley and ideas that I have for the future. Meeting face-to-face created a whole different opportunity to discuss work and the author/editor relationship, it was a super meet.

I had just a couple of hours to get ready for the Berkley signing in the afternoon and I was determined to have a bit of a rest. I ordered room service, but then still managed to fill the time with phone calls to my critique partner (who was originally going to come to the event, but couldn’t make it) and then Mark phoned from home with the exciting news that my cover had appeared on a Today show TV feature about the conference, and Nora Roberts. My dear friend Cynthia Eden had e-mailed about the Today show, and Mark was checking for important messages. Even though I couldn’t see it, it sounded very exciting!

As I prepared for the Berkley signing I realised I hadn’t thought about this event much at all, because I’d been concerned with my meetings and with the big literacy signing. Perhaps it was better that I hadn’t thought about it beforehand! It started at 3 and I got myself down there about 10 minutes early. Got to the top of the escalator and was stunned to see this huge line/queue winding round the corridor, readers with trolley suitcases and boxes and bags all waiting to get into the room. I went hot and cold all over. Surely I couldn’t just go over there and walk in? I forced myself to go over to the woman at the front of the queue and asked her if she had seen any authors. Luckily she smiled and said yes some authors had gone in. I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked in.

Nerves hit. The room was small and the names were huge! My table was feet away from tables labelled for Nora Roberts, Rebecca York, Angela Knight and Virginia Kantra. Oh my! I started to feel really shaky with nerves and kind of leapt/collapsed into the seat behind the table with my name on it! LOL! There was a pile of books on my table and more in a box underneath. I foresaw myself begging people to take my books when everyone else had gone. Luckily that wasn’t the case and my books all went inside of forty minutes, but the fear was there.

In the run-up to the event opening there was a lot of buzz in the room. Nora Roberts came in and she walked within two feet my table. I had wanted to see her in person, but hadn’t had the opportunity. Besides, she’s always surrounded by a huge crowd. ;-) She’s an extremely elegant lady and yet there was an understated way about the way she walked into the room and took her place, got to admire that.

Authors ran to each other’s tables and I was delighted when several people came for a copy of RECKLESS. Jo Bourne came by for a copy and to my horror I didn’t even realise that it was *the* Joanna Bourne until after she’d chatted with me about Yorkshire accents. Blush! To say I was completely spaced would be a kind way of putting it. Ahem. I also exchanged books with talented writers Candace Havens (LIKE A CHARM) and Jasmine Haynes (SHOW AND TELL.) Both were warm and friendly and made me welcome. Just before the door opened I could see that Virginia Kantra was now sitting about five feet away from me, and she was signing SEA WITCH. I’d been reading this one before I left home and took the opportunity to go across to Virginia to tell her what a marvellous book I thought it was. (If you love paranormal, you must read this!) She went to sign a book, so I said I already have it and I just wanted to tell her what I thought. She has the most wonderful smile!

Conference staff blew a whistle to get our attention, yes, a whistle! The doors opened and the room was deluged with eager fans. I barely had a chance to whisper to the gods “please make somebody want to come to lil old me,” when miraculously there was someone in front of my table.

Again, several people came because they knew me from the SECRETS anthologies and several readers mentioned DOUBLE DARE. Some readers said they hadn’t read my work yet, but had heard good things about it so I was pleased to encourage them to give me to a try. Several booksellers stopped by to chat, many of whom I recognised from having sent them promo materials. There were booksellers from as far as Australia and New Zealand, and a local San Francisco bookstore owner told me I had a following in her store. To say that I was delighted is an understatement, and I’m pretty sure I had developed a stupid-looking nervy grin by this point.

Author pals came by, as well as Kris Hohls from the German romance magazine LOVE LETTERS. Kris has recently started reading my work, enjoyed DOUBLE DARE and wanted a signed copy of RECKLESS. Yay! Another magical moment was when Wendy Superlibrarian called by. I had hoped to meet her at the conference but wouldn’t have had the nerve to approach her. I must have squeed or done something silly when I saw her name badge because she stared at me and said: “You know who I am?” Too true! Wendy is a talented reviewer, she not only gives readers an idea what to expect, she gives the writer a good sense of where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Personally, I’m all about learning. I learned from Wendy and I was delighted that she had come for a copy of RECKLESS and wanted to read more of my work.

A very special and unexpected aspect of this event was that my editor Kate Seaver came by to support me. She helped me by chatting in between visitors and restocked my table with books from the box. It was a lovely gesture. I felt very much the team that we are when it comes to the end product. I told her about the Today show featuring my cover, and I could tell by her reaction this was very exciting news! ;-)

I had also put bookmarks and business cards on the table. The business cards feature the logo for my new web site design (coming soon!) Several people commented on how much they liked it, which was very promising. Alas no photographic evidence of me signing at this event either. The time went by in a flash and all my books had gone long before the end of the session. I felt relief, and also slightly high, partly I’m sure because of the lack of rest, but also because it had been a great experience.

I got back to my room with about an hour and a half to get ready for the next event, the Berkley cocktail party. I rested, managed to eat something, and got changed out of my smart outfit into something more casual. Although I still had the opportunity to speak with professionals that evening, it seemed like the big business was at an end and I was finally on the wind down.

When I walked into the Berkley reception I was greeted with a glass of champagne, and even though I didn’t feel up to drinking alcohol at that point (truly past it, I was, my friends will be amazed,) I took it, sipped the champagne, and congratulated myself on having made it through this far. There were many times over the last six months (once I’d made the commitment and booked to attend the conference) when I thought I wouldn’t be able to make the most of it. My stamina isn't great because of my disability, and although I used to be a social butterfly I know I am very rusty indeed. I was afraid I would waste my opportunities and I wouldn’t express myself as well as I hoped. Overall I think I did reasonably well, and over the rest of the evening I felt myself winding down and turning into a happy-faced rag doll. You can see that in this photo taken that night, me on the right, with fellow Secrets author Leigh Wyndfield on the left.

At the Berkley party I met with Kate Seaver again, briefly talking about what a positive experience the signing was, and I also touched base with my agent to tell her how my editor meetings had gone. But it wasn’t over. As a newly signed Harlequin author there was another party to go to around the corner at the Four Seasons hotel.
I have to confess that this one especially is a blur. I do remember that it was a super party with delicious food, an exotic bar and party music. I also remember grabbing a moment to chat with good friends, Leigh Court, Leigh Wyndfield, and Jina Bacarr. But once again, I was bound for my bed by 9.30. Shame on me! If I get to do it again, I definitely need an extra day to rest up at the beginning of this event.

Posting this piccie again, taken on the Friday night. Together with my travelling companions Portia Da Costa and Madelynne Ellis.



There isn’t much left of my RWA adventure to report, so I’ll do a windup post for Saturday and Sunday tomorrow.

RWA day 3, meetings and parties galore

PS: sorry there are no piccies to go with my recap today. I was pretty much swept along from one thing to the next and although I often got my camera out, I was far too enthralled to remember to use it.

By Thursday I noticed that there were people I hadn’t crossed paths with at all, as yet. Nalini commented on this too. Some people you see over and again in the lobby and elevators, and other people you never bump into at all. I particularly missed meeting up with Sylvia Day, and didn’t get enough time with those people I did meet up with. There are so many things going on at the same time though, and I soon became aware of the immense scale of the event. Also, by Friday I was so wiped out that I had to pare everything back to my absolutely essential meetings, and that meant I wasn’t out and about as much. Hopefully I’ll have better luck hooking up with everyone next time around.

Back to Thursday! We started the day off by visiting the goodie room, leaving books, bookmarks and cards. We had a look around before heading on. I parted ways with Portia and Madelynne and went for my 9.30 meeting with Theresa Stevens, the editor from Red Sage, and Alexandria Kendall, the publisher. I was very nervous, but also looking forward to this immensely. I’ve been working with Alex since she signed me in 2004, and I’ve been working with Theresa for about a year and a half now. She's a very talented editor and is part of the team behind: http://edittorrent.blogspot.com.

Before the event Theresa had emailed that they wanted to discuss what they could do to help me as an author. This made me smile. When I went in there I told them that they had done quite enough already, thank you. LOL! Seriously, I have learnt so much working with Red Sage and it’s been a hugely positive experience, both personally and professionally. It was great chatting with them about erotic romance, heroes and heroines, and the readers who had approached me because I am a Secrets author. We also bounced around an idea for a novella that I hope to squeeze into the schedule for next year. Theresa and Alex said such encouraging things about my writing, and that helped me feel a bit braver for the rest of my meetings.

Next up was a one-to-one with my agent, Roberta Brown. I met her in the lobby where she was just parting ways with fellow agency author Jina Bacarr. I exchange e-mail with Jina and loved her book NAUGHTY PARIS, so it was great finally meeting her. When we parted ways with Jina, Roberta said, “Right, Saskia, we’re going shopping!” LOL! It was the last thing I expected her to say, but we had such a good time and we got to know each other quickly as we launched ourselves on the local mall. We finished up with a more serious chat on the sofas back at the hotel, and a very productive session it was too. Roberta has been my agent for three years now and it felt as if everything fell into place when I met her in person. She is the warmest, most friendly and encouraging person, and I couldn’t wish to have a better agent.

It was near one pm by the time I got back to my room and my plan was to go out and buy some food, but I ended up getting room service as I prepared for the rest of my day. This turned out to be a great move, and I did the same thing on Friday. As an aside, I have no complaints whatsoever about the hotel, the food and service. I was sorry I couldn’t spend more time in the gorgeous room! I truly felt pampered and that made everything else so much easier. My only difficulty was negotiating the elevators. I kept getting into an elevator that didn’t have a button for my floor and ended up having to endure several stomach-churning rocket flights to the 39th floor for no reason other than my own stupidity. :o)

I met up with Portia and Madelynne at 3.30 and we went to the Red Sage mixer coffee event at 4. The room was full to overflowing, and there was a great atmosphere. I was able to chat with quite a few people, and then we nipped back to the room to pick up the raffle basket we had put together for the Passionate Ink chapter party. Madelynne's creative flair with the contents meant the basket looked great and we were proud of it.

The Passionate Ink party was a swish event with a glamorous bar and gorgeous food. The crowd were friendly and there was a lovely warm ambience in the room. A lot of work had gone into it and I only wish it could have lasted longer! Amongst many others, I got to meet Donna Storey, whose book AMOROUS WOMAN I posted about here on the blog.

So many of my friends from the net were there, and I wanted it to last and last. Roberta had asked me to sit on her table and as I looked around at the other authors I couldn’t believe I was in such prestigious company. The speakers were great and it occurred to me then that I hadn’t heard anything negative throughout the conference about erotic fiction, neither did I hear anything negative about sales. In fact throughout the conference there was an uplifting, positive vibe about the industry.

Straight after the Passionate Ink party I’d been invited to the Harlequin single title reception as a newly signed Spice author. I travelled by taxi with a couple of Spice authors, Jina Bacarr and Victoria Janssen. I loved these two ladies and look forward to chatting with them at future events. This party was held at Gordon Biersche, a venue which is close to the Golden Gate Bridge. It actually felt strange being out of the hotel! At the party I was able to chat with my new editor, Susan Swinwood, and she introduced me to many Harlequin personnel including other editors who had been part of the committee commissioning my title. There were also people there from the contracts division, marketing, and the board.

As a huge added bonus I also got to meet my short fiction editor, Alison Tyler, who I’ve been working with for several years. What an absolute treat this was! When I started submitting fiction to Alison, whose work I admire greatly, I never dreamed we would have the chance to meet in San Francisco at a party we’d both been invited to. It was the best treat. The time we had together was too short, but I appreciated the opportunity to meet with someone who has been such an important part of my life and career. Alison has given me opportunities and challenges that have contributed to my growth as a writer, and I have learned much from her. Alison is petite and vibrant in real life, just as I thought she would be. She has a unique, magnetic quality and we chatted easily. It felt as if we’d been friends forever and it was sad to say goodbye.

I was fading fast by 8.30 (yes, 8.30pm, but that was 4.30 am my time!) I wasn’t feeling good so I said my goodbyes and headed out to get a taxi. I got to share with a couple of other authors, and Mary Theresa Hussey, who edits the Luna line amongst others, and was on the committee who commissioned RAMPANT.

It’s only a few weeks since I was commissioned by Spice and I felt honoured to be included in this event, and to have the opportunity to meet so many Harlequin personnel and my new editor. Doing so at this time in our working relationship was the perfect start for me. I admire Susan Swinwood and Mary Theresa Hussey greatly and I have to say that when they both raved about my “sexy Warlock story” I kept looking over my shoulder to be sure they really meant me. :))

Back at the hotel I was happily about to collapse into bed when Madelynne and Portia arrived in fits of merriment and giggles, wonderfully high after their Romance Divas dinner party. They cajoled me into staying up just a wee tad longer and I joined them for a brief trip down to the Moonlite Madness Bazaar. I felt as I was floating through the venue, vaguely noticing the pretty things and not really feeling attached to the world at that point. Jet lag was really being mean to me. I was thoroughly exhausted, and had another busy day ahead, but the awesome meetings of the day had left me feeling so positive about writing and what I am trying to achieve, that it was well worth it. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Tomorrow I'll post about my Friday experience, more meetings, the Berkley signing, and back-to-back cocktail parties!

RWA day two, San Francisco and the literacy signing

My plan was to get up at 6.00 AM. I was awake at 3.45. After an hour spent trying to get back to sleep, unsuccessfully, I grudgingly got up and prepared for the day. The extra time was good, but more sleep would have been better. ;-) I met with Madelynne and Portia somewhere between 7 and 8 am to visit the librarians and booksellers goodie room, where we left books, bookmarks and postcards, hoping to tempt them to our wares. Conference events were already in full flow! The librarians and booksellers were having breakfast with a speaker as we passed by.

We then joined the queues for registration. The area was thronged with people and I started to feel a little lost. Thankfully a friendly lady called Susan chatted to me in the queue. She was pitching to a British editor for one of the Harlequin lines and we had a chat about England and the atmosphere at the conference, making the time go quicker. I never saw her again during the event, which was a shame because I wanted to thank her for making feel so welcome. Once I had my badge and my official bag of goodies, I started to feel a little bit more a part of everything. All the time it was getting more and more obvious that there were 2,000 writers and industry professionals coming in for the event, corridors and rooms filled with people.

Madelynne then joined a one-day historical themed conference, by all accounts a super event. Meanwhile Portia and I decided to grab the spare three hours we had that morning to see a little bit of San Francisco. Neither of us are able to do much walking, but we didn’t want to go home having seen only the outside of the hotel/mall! So we grabbed breakfast at the food court in the mall, and then got a taxi down to Fishermen’s Wharf.

There we ogled Alcatraz from the shore and raided the souvenir shops, stocking up on all manner of tacky Alcatraz souvenirs (Mark is wearing his “Alcatraz swimteam” hat as I blog :) We decided to take the cable car back up to Union Square, instead of getting a taxi back. One of the best impetuous decisions of all time!

The cable car was a truly memorable experience and much more fun than I had anticipated. Portia impressed me (and all of the occupants of the car!) by regaling us with all the film titles that had been filmed in San Francisco, and who had starred in them! She’s a mine of information! The cable car deposited us at Union Square, where we planned to visit the local Borders. Seeing my books on the shelves was a new experience for me, and I was stunned by it - truly felt I was in a dream. I was able to sign 3 copies of RECKLESS, a copy of KINK, and a copy of SECRETS Vol 12. The assistant was really pleased that we had called by and it was a memorable moment for both of us. Incidentally, I think it might have been the same Borders where they filmed part of the feature for the Today show later that day, not sure though.

We dropped in at the food court again on the way back to the hotel and had a good lunch. I had a huge Greek salad, which set me up well for the day. When I got back to my room I phoned my friend/critique partner in Sonoma again, and we had an hour-long chat, by the end of which I realised I didn’t have much time to rest before the Literacy signing, my first official event! Gulp. It was really happening, and I was really going to be part of it…the nerves set in.

We’d booked to chat with the librarians and booksellers between 4 and 5, and this was a helpful way to warm-up for the signing. All the books we had left in the goodie room had gone, and many of the bookmarks and postcards too. That was a good start! We chatted with booksellers and librarians and several other authors, bumping into people that we knew from Internet that we had never met in person until then. Portia especially had many squeeing moments because so many people know her name and love her books. Much glee and hugging all round.

We then went down another level to the ballroom. There was a huge queue waiting outside and it didn’t quite register with me at first because I figured it was the authors, then I realised we were going in a separate door and that was in fact the queue of excited fans waiting to meet the likes of Nora Roberts and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I was already nervous, and when I walked into the ballroom I was overwhelmed by the size of the event. I had to part ways with Madelynne and Portia, and began to look for my table.

The rush of emotions I felt when I stood in front of this table hit me oddly, and even now as I look at the photo I experience an echo of it. Firstly, I was deeply touched by all the hard work by the volunteers who set everything out and made it look so good. Volunteers also came around with much-needed ice water during the event, for which we were very grateful. A special thank you to the people who help set this event up. You’re very much appreciated! Secondly, I couldn’t quite believe that I was there… that I was part of this prestigious event, that was my name on the table, and those two books with the beautiful covers were stories that I had written and that my publishers had shipped for me to sign. My writer’s journey hasn’t been the easiest, and in the early days I was put down and discouraged by the people closest to me. I’ve come a long way since then and I’m in a much happier place, thankfully, but looking at the table stirred up emotions that I thought were long buried. I actually had to walk away from the table. It seems funny now, but at the time I had to do that in an attempt to settle my emotions. I did a little circuit, then came back to lay out my bookmarks and put my pen on the table. Then I took the photo, and had to wander away again. :)

My nerves were just about getting the better of me when my signing neighbour, Kate Walker (a fellow British author and a huge name with Mills and Boon in England) arrived next to me and settled me down. Kate was the best neighbour I could wish to have, she had attended several of the RWA signings and chatted to me throughout, making me laugh and forget my nerves.

In the run-up to the opening, a voice over the loudspeaker counted down the minutes, asking us to take our seats. Yikes! Then the doors opened and this huge crowd emerged into the room, running in all directions. I stared in awe as a stream of goth girls ran down the centre aisle towards a table behind us, where Sherrilyn Kenyon was sitting. Wow. It was so interesting to observe. The noise level in the room shot up as the place was filled with excited chatter.

The photo here is of Kate Walker and I, and was taken by her lovely husband, just as the event was kicking off – in fact you can see the queue forming for the big-name authors who had tables along the wall behind us.

During the signing itself I was so pleased to have people come by looking for lil old me, because I didn’t know if anyone would! During this and the other signing I did, (the Berkley signing on the Friday afternoon,) I had several visitors who came to me because they had read my stories in the SECRETS collections. “Are you the Saskia from the Secrets stories?” “I couldn’t put your Secrets novella down.” “Is this your novel? I’ve been dying to read it since I read your Secrets stories.” Then they would grab a copy of RECKLESS or UNVEILING THE SORCERESS. It helped me feel more confident about what I do, (part of the reason for me to go to the event) because this is simply the best response an author could wish to have!

Several dear friends who write for Red Sage also came to see me, Leigh Court, Leigh Wyndfield, Rebecca Ferare, and Jane Thompson. Lovely, welcoming ladies, one and all. My agent also stopped by and the time went quickly and left me on a high. This photo with fellow Berkley author, Nalini Singh, was taken at the end of the event, and you can see I look a little bit more relaxed at this point. Nalini is the sweetest person! Readers of my blog will remember me posting about her best selling Psy/changeling series.

Wednesday evening was rounded off with The Gathering, courtesy of the FF&P (fantasy, futuristic and paranormal) chapter, of which I’m a member. Portia came as my guest and we both said it was the perfect way to round off the evening. It was the most scrumptious meal of the conference, and we sat at a table with Jordan Summers (who I’d been looking forward to meeting, I’m a long-time follower of her blog and her writing,) fellow Berkley heat author Julia Templeton, Liz Kreger, and my dear Red Sage pal, Leigh Wyndfield. It was a much appreciated meal, a relaxing chat with a fab group of women, and the best way to end a busy day.

Tomorrow I will post about my Thursday experience - the start of my meetings, as well as the start of the back-to-back parties. Too much in one day, and Friday was more of the same! It is now almost a week since I left, and I'm only just starting to feel normal today. Still tired and still unwell, but not as spaced/wired as I have been for the last week, courtesy of that nasty horrible jet lag. I’m relieved. :)

Publication news

I'm delighted to announce that my short story "Matilda's Touch" will appear in the COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST anthology. This is a charity anthology, it will be published in both ebook and print format early next year, and all funds will go to Amnesty International.

Phaze, in partnership with editor, Alessia Brio, is proud to announce Coming Together: At Last, a collection of interracial erotic fiction which celebrates the diversity of desire.

All proceeds from the sale of this special anthology will benefit Amnesty International.

Coming Together is erotic altruism at its finest!

RWA, day one. Our big adventure begins!

Before I kick-off my overview of my RWA experience, I just want to say that jet lag is a truly horrible thing, and it gets even more horrible as you get older!! We were away from home for a grand total of six days. During that time we had two 24-hour periods where we didn’t sleep at all, due to travel. So we lost two nights there. On the other nights we were trying to stay up to attend evening events, wearily poking up our eyelids, and then waking up at 3 and 4 AM with our bodies thinking we’d overslept. And there was no time for napping to catch up. Argh! If I get to do this again, I know I need an extra day at the outset where I do nothing but catch up on sleep and try to acclimatise.

Our big adventure begins! Tuesday morning and the alarm went off at 3.30 AM. The dead of night, and boy did I feel it. Met with Madelynne and Portia at Leeds airport. It was pitch black,and I had to say goodbye to my Real Life Hero for a whole six days. Waaah! Yup, I'm that bad. I love him far too much for my own good ;o)

Checked in and then breakfasted, ready for our short flight to Heathrow. This was the part I was most worried about, making that vital connection. If we were delayed and missed it, the whole trip would be messed up. Luckily everything went smoothly and we transferred onto the San Francisco flight in good time. My only regret at this point was that I had cancelled my assisted transfer. I have bone disease in my leg and walking isn’t good for me. When I saw both flights were from terminal one, it sounded easy. Ha! The last time I went through terminal one at Heathrow it was tiny. Apparently they cut it in half and shoved a freakin’ shopping mall in there. I live and learn!

The international flight mostly went well, too, and the time passed quickly because we were so excited about what was ahead. We talked a lot about writing and what we hoped to gain from the conference. The three of us all had slightly different hopes and it was interesting recapping at the end and noticing how the RWA experience fulfilled all our aspirations, and more, because there were so much on offer.

As an aside - just before the trip, I’d been bemoaning the fact I couldn’t remember much about my last trip to SF. I remember coming home but I didn’t remember the flight out. Getting old, it does that. ;-) I was grateful that my memory started dredging up details as soon as I got on the plane, proving that it’s all in there somewhere!

Everything was going swimmingly until late on in the flight there was a medical emergency. It’s not nice at all hearing “if there is a medical expert on board please come forward,” in that kind of desperate tone that tells you it’s very serious. Everyone on the plane was willing someone to stand-up, and no one did. It was hard to witness and our hearts went out to the very sick man a few rows behind us, and his family. I was hugely impressed by the way the staff handled it, giving him oxygen and attending to him until we landed. The airport paramedics came on board and took the gentleman off for treatment as soon as we landed. Phew. Fingers crossed he’s well now.

We got through immigration and customs quickly, and were soon queuing for a taxi. The temperature was said to be about the same as it had been in England, but the lack of cloud cover made it feel so much warmer, and the light was marvelous.

We arrived at the hotel. Wow! I have to confess it was overwhelming to find the lobby already jam-packed with women chattering excitedly and watching for their friends to arrive. I wasn’t expecting that, since I knew that many people weren't arriving until the next day. The vibe was exhilerating! We checked in and headed for our rooms.

You’d think getting some sleep at this point would have been a good idea, wouldn’t you? The thing was I knew it would be harder for me if I didn’t break the ice that first evening. I’m very shy when I first meet people and especially so in groups. There was going to be a lot of that. Luckily I had been invited to a function, a jetlag supper held by my wonderful agent, Roberta Brown. After showering and unpacking, I staggered back to the lobby and braved my nerves. I’m so glad I did! I got to meet a bunch of other authors, and Roberta herself. I was so nervous, but Roberta was wonderful, so warm and welcoming. She gave me a big hug and introduced me around. I got to meet so many lovely authors that I know from the internet, Lillian Feisty, Jax Cassidy, Kathleen Dante, Eden Bradley, Larissa Ione, Angela Knight, and many more.

The agency dinner was held at Buca Di Beppo, an Italian themed restaurant. We were in the “Pope” room and it was so much fun. The problem was I was fading fast by this point. I was sitting in between Eden Bradley, who shared a wealth of information about the publishing industry, and the talented agent Kristin Nelson. It was fascinating hearing about how agents relate to each other and how they handle and share industry news. These two ladies and the chatter around the table kept me focused, and Kristin kindly walked me home afterwards. Ahem. Yes, I was that bad. LOL! Apparently I looked very pale. Of course that’s nothing too unusual for me, ;-) but I did feel myself fading in and out as if I wasn’t really there. Surreal!

In the photo you can see Kristin Nelson on the left, moi, Eden Bradley, and Lillian Feisty. I don’t look too bad, considering - you can certainly see how happy I was to be there! I think the photo might have been taken by the lovely Kathleen Dante.

I’d been on the go for something like twenty-eight hours by the time I got to sleep that first night, but even as I got into my (very comfy!)bed, having flown halfway round the world, I was so thrilled to be there! The energy and the vibe in the hotel was simply amazing. I was barely able to sleep, despite my extreme exhaustion, because of my excitement about the meetings I had over the next few days. More on that tomorrow!

New review for RECKLESS from ERWA!

Saskia Walker weaves a rich, classical tapestry of erotic romance, with style and flair, bringing all the images to throbbing life in Reckless. As the story blossoms in a lush, exotic setting, her characters reveal themselves to be, or not to be, as they appear. Ms Walker masterfully builds the pulsing tension to an arousing climax enticing the reader to savour all the erotic thrills of being reckless. Rose B. Thorny

Read the full review here.

Too funny! Too true!

"Kate Duffy says “Get off the Internet and write!!”"

I'm just about caught up, unpacked, and ready to blog. I'll be starting my own personal recap of the RWA experience tomorrow. (and getting off the Internet and writing. lol!)

Trying to get back to normal

Okay, so I'm slow starting my blogging. I'm getting back to normal, but I've been hit by a throat infection, argh! I'm muddling on. Meanwhile you can check out this NBC Today Show feature on the RWA event, Nora Roberts, and romance. If you don't blink, you might even see my book cover! :-)

(Go here if the embed feature doesn't show up.)
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25966976#25966976

Hi honeys, I'm home!

I'm home! I'm a wreck! But I'm happy! :) Much to report, but I'm really wiped out so I'm going to start blogging properly tomorrow. I plan to blog one RWA day each day. Should be fun! Meanwhile, here's a photo of my travelling companions and I.




Portia on the left, moi, Madelynne right, at the RWA conference in San Francisco.