Saskia Walker's Blog, page 147
July 8, 2011
July 5, 2011
Lovely new review for HOLLY'S INTUITION
Delighted to see this new review for HOLLY'S INTUITION from Lucy Felthouse at Erotica For All and Blog Critics. HOLLY'S INTUITION is the second in a series of three, and it's always a worry that the books stand up against each other. In the reader comments at Good Reads, many readers are stating which their favourite (of the first two) was and why, which is always *really* useful feedback for an author. Anyway, here's a snippet from Lucy Felthouse:
Woot!
Wow — this is one hot book! Holly's Intuition is the perfect mix of sexiness, character development and plot. I loved all three main characters and enjoyed how the story progressed. Sadly, it had to end, but I'm definitely living in hope that Ms. Walker will revisit these three at some point in the future! A brilliant read and one I'd recommend to erotica fans, particularly if you like m/m/f threesome tales. Read more
Woot!
July 4, 2011
A new read from Portia Da Costa
Congratulations to my pal, Portia Da Costa, on a new publication today! This one is a very special erotic paranormal novella entitled A TOUCH OF HEAVEN. It's a superb novella-length read, so go treat yourself! Here's the summary:
Pleasure with a perfect stranger can be divineGo here for an excerpt and buy links.
When Miranda Clay first sets eyes on her neighbors' temporary house-sitter she gets a delicious, erotic treat that she hadn't bargained for - mysterious Patrick likes to sunbathe without his clothes on! Mesmerizing and golden, her new friend is more than just a handsome face and a perfect male body though, and his healing hands and his uncanny natural empathy quickly dispel Miranda's aches and pains and her fears of growing older. But as the pair are drawn ever closer, and their physical intimacy becomes transcendent, a stunning revelation and an agonizing choice threaten to part them even while a lasting love blossoms.
June 30, 2011
A Passionate Plume award for RAMPANT!
I'm so thrilled to be able to share this news! I got up this morning to discover that my first Harlequin Books novel, RAMPANT, has won the 2010 Passionate Plume award, paranormal/time travel category. SO exciting! There were so many great books in the line up and it's a tremendous honour for RAMPANT to receive the award.
A big thank you to everyone involved in running the contest and the Passionate Ink chapter, and to all the judges. You can read the full line up here.
You know what this means.. yes! Parteeeeeee time! :D
The moment she arrives at her rented vacation cottage nestled in Scotland, Zoe Daniels feels it--an arousal so powerful she's compelled to surrender to the unusually forceful carnal desires...with nearly anyone who crosses her path. Crawford Logan, the boat builder with the wayward grin. The devilish restaurateur Cain Davot, who seems to know more about Zoe than he lets on. And even her sexy neighbor Grayson Murdoch, whose eyes delve deep into her soul as he explores every inch of her body.
Yet there's something unsettling about the way the locals watch her, something eerie about these overwhelming encounters. Zoe knows she's not quite in control of herself and begins to wonder if there's any truth to the legend of Annabel McGraw, a powerful, promiscuous eighteenth-century witch who once owned the cottage, and whose spirit is rumored to affect anyone who stays there. Zoe doesn't believe in anything that even hints at the occult, but now strange visions are turning frightening...and only one man's touch can bring her back to earth.
June 29, 2011
A date with Total-E-Bound publishing
Click on the graphic for more info.
June 28, 2011
June 23, 2011
Can you learn from my mistakes?
Building a career in publishing can be a really tough job, and often it's a long haul too. I'm in a good position now, contracted for a couple of years, (which is the most security a writer can ever bank on) and I work with some terrific people in the industry.
Being where I'm at enables me to look back at my journey. I recently shared some of my thoughts over at the Genreality blog and I'm reposting it here in case it's useful to anyone who calls by. If you want to ask any questions, please do!
---
Hi folks, it's wonderful to be here at Genreality to share some of my writing journey. Can anyone learn from it, I wonder? Hmm. Well, I'm pretty sure someone can learn from my mistakes. ;-)
My first paid work was contracted almost fifteen years ago, and it was a short story for the UK Black Lace line. Since then I've had short fiction published in over eighty anthologies. I've published ten novels, four of which were trade paper books with New York publishing houses. Most recently I received a new two book contract, this time with the mass-market publishing line HQN. It's been a winding road, and it's been quite a journey. I'm now a full time author and I work with some terrific people. I really couldn't wish for better, but as I look back I confess I take a deep breath and shudder, because I can see the missteps and blundering errors I made along the way, things that took me two steps back after one step forward. For a while there it was quite a catalogue of disasters. How on earth did I manage to stagger through this far?!
Hard work and the love of writing kept me at it, basically. I love to learn and I was constantly learning and honing my craft. I adore the storytelling. I also had tenacity on my side, and…a huge great dollop of luck. Yes, luck. Lucky breaks happen when we submit at the right time for that editor, and we can't know when that is going to be. I'm hesitant to give aspiring authors advice as a result of my mixed fortunes, but I figured I can share some of the advice I read that worked for me, and some that didn't.
The first thing I quickly learned was that some of the things you read about publishing may never apply to your individual path. There's no one way to do this, even though some people might seem to suggest there is. (Their way being the best way, of course ;-) Here are some bits of advice I read that made me fret: "follow the market," "brand yourself," and "write the book of your heart." I heard these things over and over around the time I started to submit novels for consideration. Follow the market — okay, we need to know what editors are buying, but it was actually luck that I was writing the right sub genre when it was required. And yes, the best thing we can do is write the book of our heart because it'll be the best piece of writing we can do. If we're enjoying the writing the reader will enjoy it too. If we're not enjoying it, it shows. That makes sense. But what if the book of my heart doesn't fit the market, and how could I brand myself when I was writing lots of different subgenres?
Other writers out there had these great slogans about their work but I couldn't find anything that represented mine. The best thing I could do was to pick out the most consistent theme in my work and offer that as a brand. My work is characterised by eroticism and strong storytelling. That's the closest I ever got to a brand because I've written erotic fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary erotica, historical romance, even a bit of futuristic. I write a lot of cross genre stories too. My next publication, for example, is a historical paranormal erotic romance set in Scotland. (The Harlot) I've written different lengths for different markets in different countries. I've sold to the biggest romance publisher in the world and I've also had my work published in Penthouse and Bust. Branding what I was doing wasn't ever going to be easy. Bottom line is I just want to write good stories that readers enjoy. The good news is I got through anyway.
Another piece of advice I read was to make a five-year plan. What, like a five-year dream, I wondered to myself. ;o) I mean, come on..! This isn't like a regular job where we can study for qualifications and move forward as a matter of course. I was working in an area where things change all the time, not only markets but the whole face of publishing is forever changing. I'm a realistic type and I knew I might never be contracted by a big house. The whole concept of a five-year plan seemed alien to me. The important thing here is to aim high but to keep one foot on the ground, because if we get carried away with the dream the rejections hit very hard (and yes I have a box full of them, it's been a big learning curve,) and that eats away at our motivation to write. We can make a five-year plan but we need to consider it a guiding star rather than a goal because we need to be flexible and ready to change when the industry changes.
One of the best pieces of advice I read (and I really do want to reiterate this one) is to investigate a publisher as much as you can before you submit, and be wary of new publishers with no history. Yeah, I could really understand that. Trouble is, it's so tempting. New publishers are eager to fill their slots and things move so much quicker. Very tempting for a new author, and I confess I fell for it. Several times over. Hence the missteps and errors I mentioned earlier. Let me explain.
The first time I erred I'd read the warnings but I figured this one was reasonably safe because it was an established publisher who was opening a new erotic line. My first novel was contracted and I celebrated….and then waited. And waited, and waited. My work was totally locked in, and a year later the line was cancelled having never opened. I didn't even hear this devastating news directly from the publisher or editor. I heard it from another author. I was never officially notified. I had to contact them and beg for my rights back. In retrospect I consider it a lucky escape. At the time I was gutted about the lost year.
Then a year or so later I did it again. I know, can you believe it?! An exciting new line from a publisher who was interested in fantasy and paranormal romance. I was dazzled by promises of mass-market titles and audio books and exciting growth and development plans. I plunged in and was fast tracked. Shortly after my two titles went to print the line changed direction completely from short fantasy romance to big urban fantasy, and my books and those of several other authors were suddenly wallflowers in warehouses. These things happen, publishing is a business after all. But once again I was a casualty of publishing and it was a huge disappointment. Luckily I did manage to get the rights back and those stories have better homes now.
Then I heard about this exciting new e-publisher starting up in my own country. No way, I said! Not falling for that one again. But…it was here in the UK, and it did sound exciting, and they were actively looking for authors. I held back for a long while, and when I did investigate I went in with extreme caution. I submitted a short story that was a rights returned project. That meant I could investigate without committing any writing time. Yup, finally got the old brain in gear by this point. ;o) As it happens, that new publisher turned out to be a terrific one. I'm still working with them years later and have a substantial backlist there.
On balance I would reiterate this gem of advice: always investigate publishers thoroughly, research on the net and be brave and email other authors asking questions. If there is negativity there you'll soon hear about it. If it's a new publisher on the block, be doubly cautious. Let some other fool tread the path first, someone like me. ;o)
In closing, here are some of the best bits of advice I can offer to new writers. Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the floor. Never stop learning. Love what you do, it's the love of the craft that will keep you going through the hard times. And my favourite: "read, write, submit, repeat." If you're not in you can't win. Good luck!
Being where I'm at enables me to look back at my journey. I recently shared some of my thoughts over at the Genreality blog and I'm reposting it here in case it's useful to anyone who calls by. If you want to ask any questions, please do!
---
Hi folks, it's wonderful to be here at Genreality to share some of my writing journey. Can anyone learn from it, I wonder? Hmm. Well, I'm pretty sure someone can learn from my mistakes. ;-)
My first paid work was contracted almost fifteen years ago, and it was a short story for the UK Black Lace line. Since then I've had short fiction published in over eighty anthologies. I've published ten novels, four of which were trade paper books with New York publishing houses. Most recently I received a new two book contract, this time with the mass-market publishing line HQN. It's been a winding road, and it's been quite a journey. I'm now a full time author and I work with some terrific people. I really couldn't wish for better, but as I look back I confess I take a deep breath and shudder, because I can see the missteps and blundering errors I made along the way, things that took me two steps back after one step forward. For a while there it was quite a catalogue of disasters. How on earth did I manage to stagger through this far?!
Hard work and the love of writing kept me at it, basically. I love to learn and I was constantly learning and honing my craft. I adore the storytelling. I also had tenacity on my side, and…a huge great dollop of luck. Yes, luck. Lucky breaks happen when we submit at the right time for that editor, and we can't know when that is going to be. I'm hesitant to give aspiring authors advice as a result of my mixed fortunes, but I figured I can share some of the advice I read that worked for me, and some that didn't.
The first thing I quickly learned was that some of the things you read about publishing may never apply to your individual path. There's no one way to do this, even though some people might seem to suggest there is. (Their way being the best way, of course ;-) Here are some bits of advice I read that made me fret: "follow the market," "brand yourself," and "write the book of your heart." I heard these things over and over around the time I started to submit novels for consideration. Follow the market — okay, we need to know what editors are buying, but it was actually luck that I was writing the right sub genre when it was required. And yes, the best thing we can do is write the book of our heart because it'll be the best piece of writing we can do. If we're enjoying the writing the reader will enjoy it too. If we're not enjoying it, it shows. That makes sense. But what if the book of my heart doesn't fit the market, and how could I brand myself when I was writing lots of different subgenres?
Other writers out there had these great slogans about their work but I couldn't find anything that represented mine. The best thing I could do was to pick out the most consistent theme in my work and offer that as a brand. My work is characterised by eroticism and strong storytelling. That's the closest I ever got to a brand because I've written erotic fantasy, paranormal romance, contemporary erotica, historical romance, even a bit of futuristic. I write a lot of cross genre stories too. My next publication, for example, is a historical paranormal erotic romance set in Scotland. (The Harlot) I've written different lengths for different markets in different countries. I've sold to the biggest romance publisher in the world and I've also had my work published in Penthouse and Bust. Branding what I was doing wasn't ever going to be easy. Bottom line is I just want to write good stories that readers enjoy. The good news is I got through anyway.
Another piece of advice I read was to make a five-year plan. What, like a five-year dream, I wondered to myself. ;o) I mean, come on..! This isn't like a regular job where we can study for qualifications and move forward as a matter of course. I was working in an area where things change all the time, not only markets but the whole face of publishing is forever changing. I'm a realistic type and I knew I might never be contracted by a big house. The whole concept of a five-year plan seemed alien to me. The important thing here is to aim high but to keep one foot on the ground, because if we get carried away with the dream the rejections hit very hard (and yes I have a box full of them, it's been a big learning curve,) and that eats away at our motivation to write. We can make a five-year plan but we need to consider it a guiding star rather than a goal because we need to be flexible and ready to change when the industry changes.
One of the best pieces of advice I read (and I really do want to reiterate this one) is to investigate a publisher as much as you can before you submit, and be wary of new publishers with no history. Yeah, I could really understand that. Trouble is, it's so tempting. New publishers are eager to fill their slots and things move so much quicker. Very tempting for a new author, and I confess I fell for it. Several times over. Hence the missteps and errors I mentioned earlier. Let me explain.
The first time I erred I'd read the warnings but I figured this one was reasonably safe because it was an established publisher who was opening a new erotic line. My first novel was contracted and I celebrated….and then waited. And waited, and waited. My work was totally locked in, and a year later the line was cancelled having never opened. I didn't even hear this devastating news directly from the publisher or editor. I heard it from another author. I was never officially notified. I had to contact them and beg for my rights back. In retrospect I consider it a lucky escape. At the time I was gutted about the lost year.
Then a year or so later I did it again. I know, can you believe it?! An exciting new line from a publisher who was interested in fantasy and paranormal romance. I was dazzled by promises of mass-market titles and audio books and exciting growth and development plans. I plunged in and was fast tracked. Shortly after my two titles went to print the line changed direction completely from short fantasy romance to big urban fantasy, and my books and those of several other authors were suddenly wallflowers in warehouses. These things happen, publishing is a business after all. But once again I was a casualty of publishing and it was a huge disappointment. Luckily I did manage to get the rights back and those stories have better homes now.
Then I heard about this exciting new e-publisher starting up in my own country. No way, I said! Not falling for that one again. But…it was here in the UK, and it did sound exciting, and they were actively looking for authors. I held back for a long while, and when I did investigate I went in with extreme caution. I submitted a short story that was a rights returned project. That meant I could investigate without committing any writing time. Yup, finally got the old brain in gear by this point. ;o) As it happens, that new publisher turned out to be a terrific one. I'm still working with them years later and have a substantial backlist there.
On balance I would reiterate this gem of advice: always investigate publishers thoroughly, research on the net and be brave and email other authors asking questions. If there is negativity there you'll soon hear about it. If it's a new publisher on the block, be doubly cautious. Let some other fool tread the path first, someone like me. ;o)
In closing, here are some of the best bits of advice I can offer to new writers. Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the floor. Never stop learning. Love what you do, it's the love of the craft that will keep you going through the hard times. And my favourite: "read, write, submit, repeat." If you're not in you can't win. Good luck!
June 21, 2011
Just because....
It's not often I do big public gushing displays of sentimentalism, but...
awwwwwwwwww..... Check this out!
awwwwwwwwww..... Check this out!
June 19, 2011
Walk on the Wild Side with Portia Da Costa!
It's showcase day today for Portia's new erotic novella, POWER OF THREE, a steaming hot ménage à trois story. Check it out!
Here's the blurb:
It's no fun being dumped almost at the altar, but newly not engaged Laurie decides to make the best of things and enjoy her honeymoon at an exotic Caribbean resort all on her own. The plan is to lie in the sun, read a book, do a bit of birdwatching and exploring... anything to take her mind off her rat of an ex fiance and the bimbo he got pregnant.
But it's not easy to forget about love and sex when everyone around her at the resort is getting in on. Pretty soon, she's using her binoculars to spy on creatures a bit higher up the evolutionary scale - the hot threesome in one of the adjacent cabanas, and the gorgeously hunky gay couple who are also staying just across the courtyard.
These delicious men - Denny and Ed - especially fire her senses and make her forget her romantic woes, and when she realises that they're watching her while she's watching them, what else is a girl to do but accept the invitation of a lifetime, and become part of a threesome herself?
But what if her luscious faux honeymoon menage is only the beginning of better and hotter things to come?
You can read an excerpt and find buy links HERE.
Here's the blurb:It's no fun being dumped almost at the altar, but newly not engaged Laurie decides to make the best of things and enjoy her honeymoon at an exotic Caribbean resort all on her own. The plan is to lie in the sun, read a book, do a bit of birdwatching and exploring... anything to take her mind off her rat of an ex fiance and the bimbo he got pregnant.
But it's not easy to forget about love and sex when everyone around her at the resort is getting in on. Pretty soon, she's using her binoculars to spy on creatures a bit higher up the evolutionary scale - the hot threesome in one of the adjacent cabanas, and the gorgeously hunky gay couple who are also staying just across the courtyard.
These delicious men - Denny and Ed - especially fire her senses and make her forget her romantic woes, and when she realises that they're watching her while she's watching them, what else is a girl to do but accept the invitation of a lifetime, and become part of a threesome herself?
But what if her luscious faux honeymoon menage is only the beginning of better and hotter things to come?
You can read an excerpt and find buy links HERE.
June 16, 2011
Lovely review for HER FANTASY
Thanks to Wendy the Superlibrarian I have a review of HER FANTASY to share! It's not too often that this length of story gets picked up for review, so it was hugely encouraging to see such a postive commentary over at The Good, The Bad and The Unread. Here's a snippet: What I enjoyed about this short story is that there is an actual flesh and blood story. It's not just a bunch of sex scenes strung together. I really feel like Walker shows me a world, a slice of a developing relationship, and I honestly find myself charmed by the romance. I like Anya and Warren. In fact, in between the hot sex and the eventual ménage a trios episode, there's a lovely sweetness here. I also like that after the ménage it's not just "Oh, well, that was fun." These two actually ::gasp:: talk about it and where their relationship is heading. Read full review here.
Wahay! That made my day! I have a half finished blog post about writing ménage stories. Must finish that and post soon.
