Happy Birthday to Harlequin!

Harlequin are giving away books as part of the celebration!

New interview

The lovely and talented Black Lace author Nikki Magennis has interviewed me as part of her Writing that touches series. It's online today and you can read it by clicking HERE.

Exciting news for Juno Books!

Juno Books is now an imprint of New York publishing house Pocket Books! This is tremendous news for fans of the line, with more book availability and a regular new read once a month published by Pocket. Paula Guran, editor of Juno, will still be acquiring, (which is the best news of all because Paula is an amazing editor. I learnt so much from her and I’m very glad she will still be working on the Juno line in its new home!) You can read the official statement about the imprint over at the Juno books blog.

At this point, I have no idea whether the two books I have with Juno will still be available. My books were signed as the line opened and they are fantasy romances. Juno moved towards contemporary paranormal/urban fantasy and the line is best known for the fab contemporary books published. As soon as I know, I’ll post more details.

New publication: COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST

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. With an introduction by NYT Bestselling Author L.A. Banks!

Volumes 1 and 2 feature stories by Bridget Midway, Saskia Walker, Seressia Glass, Aliyah Burke, Alessia Brio and Will Belegon, and many more!

All proceeds from the sale of this special anthology will benefit Amnesty International. Coming Together is erotic altruism at its finest!

Buy the eBook for $6.00 or order the trade print edition for $15.95

Volume one
Volume two


Volume One

Introduction (L.A. Banks)
The Colors of Us (Aurora Black)
At First (Alessia Brio & Will Belegon)
Matilda’s Touch (Saskia Walker)
Changes (Cerise Noire)
Undercover Lovers (RaeLynn Blue & Shara Azod)
Proud Is the Dancer, Pride Is the Dance (Lee Benoit)
Francine’s Kid (Jeremy Edwards)
The Pleasure Healing (Andrea Jackson)
Tattoos (Sergio Ortiz)
If Only You Knew (Zoe Nichols)
Independence Day (Seressia Glass)
Refuge (Lisabet Sarai)
Shot at Love (Yvette Hines)
Love Slave (Jax Cassidy)
About Coming Together (Alessia Brio)

Volume Two

Introduction (L.A. Banks)
A Little White Lie (Steve F. Young)
Love Under the Endless African Sky (Aliyah Burke)
Slice (Ralph Greco)
Around Midnight (Tex Randall)
Island of Fantasies (Jude Mason)
Seafood Cocktail (Sacchi Green)
Instinct (Chloe Waits)
My Secret Beauty (Jolie du Pré)
Unchained Heart (Jae Knight)
Synchronized (Allison Wonderland)
Shorn (Selena Kitt)
She’s No Shrinking Violet (J.M. Jeffries)
Just Be (Andrea Dale)
Send More Japs! (Robert Buckley)
Enough Said (Bridget Midway)
Black and White (Chloe Waits)
About Coming Together (Alessia Brio)

What's happening with me?

Yikes, I haven't posted in a while. January always seems to put me into hibernation mode, no matter how I fight it. Having said that, I had a grand day out with Portia Da Costa last week, braving the cold to meet up and have a good natter. It was a lovely break and did me good. I'm eternally grateful to have an author pal within meeting up distance. The fact that it is the legendary PDC still makes me go all weak at the knees. :o)

Otherwise I'm mostly busy working on INESCAPABLE at the moment, (a novel length contemporary erotic) and it's challenging me in new and unexpected ways, great stuff! That's one of the things I love about writing. Every book is different, and it teaches me new things about life and about people and about writing itself. This story has a heightened sense of tension throughout - erotic tension, and atmospheric tension due to the situation the characters find themselves in – and that’s demanding I rise to the challenge. (Think caged tigers, sensual but sparring. ;)

The majority of the book is set in the landscape of Conwy in North Wales, a place I’m very familiar with, and I must admit it’s like visiting with an old friend as I drip the description in. We’re actually hoping to visit again in May, so I can double check anything I need to then.

I’m now trying to make up for my quiet week with a deluge of communication - I’ll be sending out my newsletter either later today or tomorrow, and an ARC of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST NEW EROTICA goes to one random member of the group.

In other news, COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST is available today! I'll post more details about that in a moment, but I just wanted to say that I'm very excited about the collection. This is a charity anthology and all income will go to Amnesty International. It features a terrific line up of authors, and is available in both print or e-book. My story "Matilda's Touch" is one of my early favourites. I wrote it at a major turning point in my life, a time when it was my friends who opened my eyes and gave me hope for a new beginning after my world fell apart at every turn. The story is about love and life and new hope, and how race and difference can draw us together in the most unexpected ways.

"Matilda's Touch" has previously been selected for HEROTICA 7: Arousal, race and culture (out of print) and for STIRRING UP A STORM. I'm absolutely delighted it was selected to go into COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST as well. More info coming in just a mo!

Coming soon: COMING TOGETHER: AT LAST

You can view the book video by clicking here.

Work in progress

So I'm loving my work in progress, tentatively titled INESCAPABLE. This story has been incredibly vivid in my mind, with a character dynamic that is intense, and very much about seduction and challenges. I outlined and wrote a couple of chapters way back at some point last year, and then it went on hold while I wrote RAMPANT. I was excited to get back to it, but a bit unnerved, too. I had been so engaged with the characters, then had to push them out of my head. Would they come back to me?

I needn't have worried, they are right there again, clamouring for attention. It's all good. :)

The story is a contemporary, just in case anyone is wondering. I'll aim to get a sample up on my site before the end of the month. I'm planning to have the MS completed by the end of March, and for the first time ever I seem to be writing about the season I am in. Most of my longer stories have been set in summer and autumn, but I'd always wanted to write a winter "hideaway" story involving a secret location and danger, lust and log fires. :) Early images of INESCAPABLE proved it was the one!

Got to dash, heaps to do and...Friday is date night - yay!

Calling Mrstcao

You have won a book bundle in the Christmas Giveaway -- plz don't forget to email me your postal address! The link is in the right hand column.

Moving up the gears into 2009

Well, I was very excited to greet 2009, but so far it has pretty much knocked me back, one way or the other. Never fear, I’m pulling myself up by the bootstraps and shoving my way up through the gears into full working mode. ;-}

In book news I'm pleased to announce that the recently published BRITS IN TIME anthology is now available on Fictionwise and it's discounted for the first few days. This one includes my short novella, BRAZEN BEHAVIOUR, a Victorian-set erotic romance.

DOUBLE DARE, my first Berkley novel, is now available as a Kindle book, and as a Mobipocket download.This is great news because it was previously only available in print! I hope it indicates that it will also pop up at Fictionwise and other online retailers, so that international ebook readers have the opportunity to pick it up.

In some positive possible future publication news, a short story of mine has been shortlisted for a prestigious anthology that I’m excited about. Very pleased to make it that far, and have my fingers crossed it makes the final hurdle!

I’ll post more about what I’m working on, once I get all the gears oiled and functioning at speed. I'm getting there. ;-)

For writers - get your work in front of a New York editor!

The Manic Readers Romance Novel contest has now launched. This is your chance to WOW a NY editor! Go here to find out more!

Valentine's contest at Romance Junkies

A new contest has been launched over at Romance Junkies! You'll find lots of author giveaways here, including one from me. You've got until February 16th to enter the contests, and there are prizes in each area. Just click on the graphic to find out more.