April 2013 – Anna Kristell Romance

Welcome, Angelica Dawson, Erotica Author

Published on April 26, 2013April 27, 2013 by Anna Kristell Romance2 Comments

I am so excited to welcome Angelica Dawson to Anna’s World today!! Angelica interviewed me on her blog the day of my very first book release and I’ll be eternally grateful to her for the wonderful interview and the many, many shares and retweets of that infamous interview. I get to return the favor today as we celebrate Angelica’s newest release, Blue Moon House-Kitten, from Naughty Nights Press. Although Angelica and I write in a different genre, she writes erotica and I write mainstream romance, we both love to write. I’ve asked Angelica some questions about her writing, so settle back with your cup of coffee or tea and let’s see what she has to say.

Anna: What inspired you to choose your genre (genres)?

I was just thinking about this. Specifically, I was asking myself why my novellas are erotica when my short stories (for anthologies) are erotic romance? The answer, I think, is that a romance doesn’t hold my attention long enough. In my erotica, I use the sex to drive the story, to discover the characters, to develop and change them. In romance, the arc isn’t driven by the sex, but the romance. In Blue Moon House, specifically, there isn’t one couple. There are seven vampires (six in Kitten) that have their own polyamorus relationship and then each has a Dom/sub relationship with their clients. It isn’t romantic, even when it’s pairs. There is always a purpose to the sex, something to be discovered, shared, changed. Why did I choose erotica? Because sex is an integral part of who we are. We are sexual beings. I think how we approach it can tell a lot about us. (It might mean I’m a bit of freak…didn’t think of that part.)

Anna: Sounds interesting, Angelica.

Now, let me ask you something that all authors deal with. We all have issues with balancing our time between writing, editing, promoting, along with other obligations and personal time. What works best for you?

My life includes a part-time day job as an environmental consultant, being mother to a six-year old and fitting my husband of twelve years in there alongside the writing/editing/promoting. Thank goodness for part-time, seasonal work. I work part time in the winter, with two days a week to spend on all things writing, and full time most of the summer. However, the nature of my work (a lot of driving) lends itself to writing as well (but not editing or promoting). I’ve been watching more and more of those two writing days getting sucked into promotion. I’m trying to fight that trend. While I know I need to keep my blog (http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com/) updated and put in my updates on Facebook and twitter, I also need to build up my back list and garner a reputation as a good author before people are going to notice me. It’s a difficult balance and I’m trying to err on the side of writing.

Anna: It is very difficult but sounds like you have a good system. Promoting is important, but if you don’t have time to write, there won’t be a need to promote in the future.

Now, to the good stuff; tell us about your characters. What type of hero do you normally choose? What type of heroine?

All of my characters are flawed. The vampires aren’t flawed physically, but they all come from differing backgrounds with pa:s and trials in them. They are far from perfect. They are, however, compassionate. It is hardest to see in Will. He’s the one who takes charge of Jocelyn after her initiation into Blue Moon House. He has a very rough demeanor, choosing clients or submissives who enjoy pain as well degradation. His bark is as bad as his bite. Although Jocelyn isn’t his usual fare, he does understand where she comes from and how to help her move on.

Anna: Who are some of your favorite authors? Did they inspire you to write?

I’ve been a fantasy kind of girl. I like Tamora Pierce and Robert Jordan, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey. When it comes to erotica and romance, my taste is quite specific. I dislike anything that is less than honest. If something would hurt, I want them to show that. If something isn’t what they agreed to, they should stop the encounter. I find a lot of BDSM and erotic romance I read doesn’t meet this condition of mine. Tessa Wanton is one who does.

Anna: I’ve read quite a few BDSM books and I agree with you.

Next, we’re going to talk about difficulties you’ve encountered. Tell me, what has been the most difficult aspect of your writing career?

Promotion. I’m terrible at promoting myself. I’m very happy to host other authors, though, and in return they host me. Sometimes it seems like I only talk to authors and not readers, though. That is still where I’m struggling.

Anna: I think we all feel that way at times. I know I do and I’m sure many other authors do as well.

This is the tough question.I’m going to ask you to give us a little dirt about yourself. Tell us something fun. What’s your favorite guilty indulgence?

Well, I’m a sucker for chocolate and flowers. My husband isn’t one to remember and give them often, so when he does, it is always special and makes my day. I usually keep a bar for myself in the fridge. Don’t tell anyone.

Anna: Oh, I’ll never tell… I’m a chocoholic myself.

Now what we’ve all been waiting for, Angelica. Tell us about your newest book.

Well, I have a little already, but I can go on. Blue Moon House is set in present day and all the vampires have been with the house for a century or more. A little of their history is teased at in that book that it seemed obvious to give each one their own book. This one is focusing on the next youngest vampire, Jocelyn. She is the curious kitten that keeps getting herself in trouble. Despite the problems it brings her, she finds most often her curiosity gets her what she really wants. When it leads her to Blue Moon House, it really pays off.

Jocelyn has a ghost in her past that comes up pretty quickly in Blue Moon House. She was gang raped by her cousin and his friends. That encounter has soured her to certain types of sexual encounters. Rather than heed those barriers, the vampires seek to break them down, knowing that only when she takes control back from her rapists will she truly be free of them.

Buy Links for Blue Moon House-Kitten:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bluemoonhousekitten-1169759-139.html

http://naughtynightspress.com/nnpstore2/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=87

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CJJO20Y/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_hZ-Erb1Z4Y7HF

Where you can find Angelica:

My Links: Blog – http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com

Facebook – http://facebook.com/authorangelicadawson

Twitter – Http://twitter.com/angelicadawson

Thanks so much, Angelica, for stopping by. I’ve enjoyed our chat. Best of luck with your new release. There’s nothing more exciting than release day!!!!

I’ll have more exciting people stopping by in the next few weeks in Anna’s World. Until then, keep reading, have fun, and stay safe.

Love,

Anna 🙂

Save A Tree…Read An E-Book…Or Two…Or…

Published on April 21, 2013April 21, 2013 by Anna Kristell Romance9 Comments

Welcome to Anna’s World once again. I’m pleased to be a part of Rebel Ink Press’s Earth Day Blog Hop this year, along with several other Rebel authors. Since it’s Earth Day, what better way to get your green on than to read an e-book? Since I became involved in the world of e-books this year, many people have asked why are my books e-books, what’s the big thing with e-readers etc… I’ll have to admit, I was a paperback/hardback reader myself, like a lot of my readers. Since discovering my kindle, though, I rarely pick up anything else. Amazingly, many of my family and friends bought Nooks and Kindles solely for the purpose of downloading MY books and have told me they love them and don’t know why they waited so long to make the purchase. I always tell people that are still hesitant to use the free kindle app, before purchasing one. and most of them find they love it. Of course, there will always be those who actually want the feel of a “book” in their hands when they read, and that’s fine, but think of all the paper being saved, and think of all the stories you can carry around with you on your e-reader when you travel. Think about how many “books” you’d have to carry in its place…now I’ll bet you never thought of that, did you?

I have a couple of suggestions for that Nook or Kindle of yours. Rebel Ink Press has released two of my romances so far this year with a few more coming later in the year. Let’s talk about the two already out. One or both of them may be just the kind of read you’re looking for. I write contemporary romance, a sweeter sexy read, not erotica. Don’t let that stop you, though, because I’ve had readers who only normally read paranormal, or DD, or mystery, or Sci-Fi, tell me they read one of my books as a favor to me or out of curiosity, or for something different. Guess what-yep-you guessed it…they were pleasantly surprised to find it was a refreshing change of pace for them. I’ve had erotica readers tell me they loved my stories, they’re sweet, sexy, romantic, hot, real old-fashioned romance. One reader said after reading Sunny’s Love, “Vanilla will never be the same.” So no matter what your normal style of reading may be, step out of the norm, go green, read an e-book with a little different flavor than what you’re used to. You might find you like it!

UNLIKELY LOVERS

When Army Major Jessica Walsh meets local factory worker, Cody Jones, she finds herself staring straight into the eyes of the man who’s been haunting her dreams for the past few nights. Fresh from a breakup with her cheating ex, Jessica sets out to seduce the sexy brown-eyed man in the hopes of a brief rebound affair. Getting more than she bargained for, she falls in love with him, but has kept a secret about who she really is.

On the night she plans to tell him the truth, Cody plans to propose. But before either of those things can take place, they run into Jessica’s ex, who cruelly spills the beans. Angry and heartbroken, Cody ends the relationship, turning to a bottle for comfort. Jessica’s hurt, she accepts his decision. While they find they can’t stay away from each other, they can’t seem to work out their differences, either. Will the unlikely lovers be able to overcome the obstacles in their lives and find their happy ever after?

***Author Note: Yes, Jessica and Cody soon find out that half-truths and deceit are the quickest way to end a relationship, no matter how strong the attraction…follow their journey as they attempt to rebuild their lives after sweet, passionate love and devastating heartbreak. Will they do it apart…or together… or will they destroy each other in the process? Walks around the lake, enjoying the beautiful, green scenery, the trees, water, and mountains are a favorite with these two, by the way.

Buy Links for Unlikely Lovers:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Lovers-ebook/dp/B00BA4RF44

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unlikely-lovers-anna-kristell/1114292647?ean=2940015990409

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/pro

SUNNY’S LOVE

And my latest Rebel release and one that I’ve had a lot of readers tell me they absolutely LOVED…is…Sunny’s Love. I know if you’ve been following my blog, I’ve posted quite a few times about this book, but as more and more readers contact me personally and tell me how much they liked it, I feel others need to be given the opportunity to know a little about it…so I’ve posted a few excerpts…in last week’s post and one a few weeks before that. Feel free to check those out. Here’s the Blurb for SUNNY’S LOVE.

Sunny Drake has had a few bad years. First she lost her beloved father. Then her long time boyfriend married someone else. Now the doctor she works for is retiring. When Sunny meets widowed, restaurant mogul Chase Dupont, who is suddenly in need of a nanny, she agrees to take the job, never dreaming the journey it will lead her on.

To save his business from being taken over by another company, Chase asks Sunny to marry him. It will be a marriage of convenience but it will be for life. She agrees since she’s already in love with him. But can she make him love her, too?

When Sunny suffers a fall and lies unconscious for days, Chase realizes all he’s ever wanted is Sunny’s Love. But a mystery begins to unravel as they realize Sunny’s fall wasn’t an accident. Someone is trying to murder her. Will Sunny and Chase get the chance to admit their true feelings to each other? Or is it too late?

***Author Note: Sunny and Chase, ah…not your ordinary couple, but the heat between the two of them is undeniable. From walks on a sunny Florida beach to Sunny’s solitary walks in the woods behind their Des Moines home, they know how to enjoy the beauty of nature. Find out why readers of many other genres are loving this book. A little bit sweet, a little bit sexy, and a little bit of mystery thrown in.

Buy Links for Sunny’s Love:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Sunnys-Love-ebook/dp/B00C5UM8S0

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunnys-love-anna-kristell/1046377408?ean=2940016601915

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sunny039slove-1150429-148.html

Don’t forget to check out all my fellow Rebel authors on the rest of the hop. And did I hear something about Giveaways? Why yes, I think I did. For starters, I’m giving away an e-book copy of Sunny’s Love. All you have to do is comment on this post. At the end of the week, I’ll choose a winner. Leave your email address in the comment so I can get in touch with you if you’re the lucky winner.

There’s also some fabulous swag and a kindle paperwhite to be given away.

Visit http://www.rebelinkpress.com/RebelReasoning/ for a list of all the blogs to visit and click on the Rafflecopter link to enter the drawing for the swag and kindle. That’s all there is to it!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

As always, thanks for stopping by. Come back to Anna’s world anytime where I’m usually talking about my crazy life as a writer, or telling you about one of my books. Every once in awhile, someone stops by to chat and I’ll have a few guests in the next few weeks so you’re not going to want to miss that!!

Until then,

Love, Anna 🙂

Sunny’s Love…A Little Bit Sweet…A Little Bit Sexy

Published on April 17, 2013April 17, 2013 by Anna Kristell RomanceLeave a comment

Sunny’s Love has been out for two weeks now…and I’ve gotten such good feedback from it, I felt I had to give you another excerpt from it just in case you haven’t had a chance to read it yet…

Some of the comments I’ve gotten from readers:

“Vanilla will never be the same.”

“A sweet, yet hot read.”

“Not my normal read, I’m into paranormal and DD but I really liked this one.”

“Sexy and Sweet”

“I wish my love life was as sweet and romantic as this book.”

“Old-fashioned romance.”

“Romantic”

Here’s the Blurb:

And here’s a teaser:

“Sunny, I don’t know how to begin…” He looked her square in the eyes, took another sip of wine, and went on. “I told you a large chain is trying to take over my company, but I didn’t tell you everything. The company is owned by a man and his daughter, Lindy. Lindy has been trying to get me in her bed since before Brittney died. My guess is she plans to convince me to marry her. After she gets her claws in my company, she’ll divorce me, leaving me with nothing.”

“That’s horrible, are you sure that’s what she’s up to? Maybe she genuinely wants you.”

“There’s nothing genuine about Lindy, believe me. But being the sweet person that you are, you probably wouldn’t understand that. I’ve been on to her for a long time, hopefully she doesn’t realize that.”

“I see. Is there more? Where do I fit into this bizarre scene?”

“Ah…here comes the part I’m unsure of. I’m not unsure of the plan, or of my part in it. I’m just unsure of how to best present it to you. I don’t know how you’ll react to what I’m about to ask you.”

“I’m listening,” she said, gently urging him to continue.

“I need to get married.”

“I see,” Sunny said, shock not quite a strong enough word to describe her feelings.

“Sunny, did you think about what I’d asked you to? Did you think about what you wanted to do in your future?”

“Yes, I did, and I came up with nothing. The past few years were tough. I lost my dad, Scott broke up with me, he married someone else, and Dr. Rose retired. I was lost as to what to do next, when you showed up out of the blue and offered me a dream job. I accepted on the spot and have not regretted it for one minute. I love taking care of your children and I had no plans to move on anytime soon, but if you’re planning to get married, I guess I need to start thinking about what comes next.”

“Sunny, I don’t think you understand.” Chase set down his glass and took her hands in his.

“I want to marry you.”

“What?”

“It would be a marriage-of-convenience, so to speak, a business arrangement. I trust you, Sunny. I trust you with my children, with my business, and with my life. I can’t think of anyone more suited. Your name would immediately be added to the business, no one could get it away from you, should something ever happen to me. You and the children would be protected. I’ve drawn up all the paperwork and added you to my will, that’s what I was doing in Des Moines this week. You would want for nothing, Sunny. You would enjoy all the privileges of being Mrs. Chase Dupont. All the privileges you want, of course, I’m not expecting you to jump in my bed the first night. Over time, who knows? You would be protected and well taken care of for the rest of your life. But that’s the catch. It would be for the rest of your life, Sunny. I won’t put my children through a divorce after they’ve lost their natural mother. You’d have to agree to stay with me. You would be my wife and their mother. And in the eyes of the world, no matter what goes on behind closed doors, we would be the perfect newlywed couple, madly in love with each other. I will be faithful to you, no matter what and I would expect the same from you.”

“Wow…I never imagined this was the plan. How will this save your company?”

“For starters, Lindy won’t be able to continue with her plan. She’ll have to come up with a new one. And with your name on the company and with you on the Board of Directors, she and her father won’t only be fighting me, they’ll be fighting both of us. I want to share it all with you, Sunny. Do you think there’s any way you can consider it? I know I’m asking a lot, but I think we could make it work. I respect you, Sunny, and we get along well. The children love you. I’ll give you time to think about it, of course, but time is of the essence.” He looked into her eyes, once more, his gaze deeply penetrating.

“I don’t need to think about it. I’ll do it. I’ll marry you, Chase.” Her eyes met his and she smiled. If he only knew how much I wish this was a real proposal. At least I won’t have to worry about his ever being with another woman. He said he’d be faithful. And the pretending to the rest of the world certainly won’t be hard for me to do.

“Are you absolutely certain this is what you want? You do understand you’re making a lifelong commitment to me, Sunny.”

“I understand, Chase.”

“In that case, I picked up something for you in Des Moines before I left today. I hope you like it.” He took a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing an exquisite diamond engagement ring. It was set in white-gold. The center diamond was large, with two smaller diamonds on either side of it. He removed it, took her left hand, and slipped it on her third finger. He got down on one knee and said, “Sunny Drake, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you consent to be mine for the rest of your life?”

“I will, Chase.” Am I dreaming?

He kissed her, a short kiss, but still a kiss to seal the deal. It was better than a handshake anyway.

“We need to make plans, Sunny. I want to announce our engagement as soon as possible. We’ll need to tell the children, our mothers, and the staff first, of course. Then we need to talk about the ceremony. It needs to be small and soon.”

“That’s all fine, but one thing I will insist on, if I may.”

“What’s that, Sunny?”

“I don’t want to be married at City Hall. I want to be married in a church, with a minister officiating. Even if this isn’t a traditional marriage, I want that.”

There you go! Even if a sweet mainstream isn’t your normal read, this has a little bit of heat, along with a little attempted murder mystery to go along with it. Why not give it a try? The sweet nanny and the hot boss…could make for a lot of heat along the way…as long as someone doesn’t get in the way…and end it all.

Buy Links for Sunny’s Love:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sunny039slove-1150429-148.html

http://www.amazon.com/Sunnys-Love-ebook/dp/B00C5UM8S0

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunnys-love-anna-kristell/1046377408?ean=2940016601915

Don’t forget The Way To The Heart is now available! Rebel authors sharing their favorite recipes with a portion of the proceeds going to Heifer International!

And next week, Angelica Dawson will be here chatting about her new release! You won’t want to miss that! Until then…Love, Anna 🙂

And The Craziness Continues…

Published on April 6, 2013 by Anna Kristell RomanceLeave a comment

Welcome back to another glimpse into Anna’s world. It’s been a crazy week, that’s for sure…

Last weekend, we offered Crossroad to Love as a free download for a few days and the response was great! The book, the first in my Fab Five series from LazyDay Publishing, is followed by The Road To Her Heart, which was released on March 20. The third book in the series, The Road To His Soul, will be available on May 22. There are several more books planned for the series before it ends…so stay tuned.

During the month of May, I’ll be talking more about The Road To His Soul, and giving you some teasers along the way, as well as interviewing Kurt Liebetrau, who is the marketing manager for country singer, John Adam Murph. Kurt’s going to give us all some pointers on marketing. He’s helped me along this journey of mine.

John Adam Murph, a friend, and up and coming new country artist, graciously allowed me to use his name and one of his songs, Don’t Forget Me, in The Road To His Soul. I’ll be featuring him on this blog in May, as well.

Kurt and I are planning a big Facebook release event for the book…so keep your ears open…there have been rumblings about some giveaways…

And if that isn’t exciting enough, Rebel Ink Press released Sunny’s Love on April 3rd. This is one of my books that isn’t part of the series. I talked about it last week…if you haven’t picked up your copy yet, go grab it now…it’s already getting some good reviews!! It’s also one of the featured books in the All Romance newsletter this week!

Speaking of Sunny’s Love, I had an interesting discussion with an author friend of mine tonight. She writes about domestic discipline, and normally only reads paranormal or DD books. She’s reading Sunny’s Love right now and is loving it. We discussed how it’s a refreshing change sometimes to go out of your normal genre when choosing a book to read. In the past, I’ve had Sci-Fi fans who never read romance tell me they’ve read my books and loved them, as well as guys who normally wouldn’t be caught dead reading a romance novel, tell me they’re hooked on my books. So there must be something to be said for going out of your usual genre once in awhile. I normally only read romance or erotic romance. But I’ve been known, on occasion, to read another genre and have been pleasantly surprised when I liked the book. Food for thought the next time you’re choosing a book to read.

I got the cover for The Road To His Soul this week and I love it…it is sooooooo Colt and Kendyl, the couple in the book.

So you see, it really has been a crazy week…add the day job, out of town guests, and hubby starting on new meds to the mix, and you’ll understand why I’ve taken a break from writing this weekend, a rare occasion for me. But never fear, I’ll be back at it this week, working on something for Rebel, and also on Book #6 for the series for LazyDay. Never a dull moment in Anna’s life, that’s for sure! With nine contracts signed, I’m not ready to stop anytime soon…oh yeah, heard that edits are headed my way again any day now…

Stop back by next week…you never know who will be here…

Love, Anna 🙂

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