Anna Hackett's Blog, page 23

I've Moved to a New Home

Drumroll please...I am very excited to let you know that after a redesign and overhaul, all things action romance has moved to a new home at my shiny new website and blog:





Website: www.annahackettbooks.com
Blog: www.annahackettbooks.com/blog/







I hope all the action romance lovers out there will pop on over and visit me there.

Image by lilivanili

A Holiday Reading Gift - The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set

I am thrilled to announce that THE ANOMALY TRILOGY is now available as a Boxed Set! All three novellas plus the bonus short story, Salvation are available at Amazon for only $3.99.

Holidays amongst the Stars

One year ago, my very first sci-fi romance was published by Carina Press. Winter Fusion is action and romance, Yule and assassins, enemies-to-lovers, all set on an ice planet.

Brinn and Savan detest each other but there's just something about the holidays that makes you want to put all the negative aside. It's a time to smile as your child tears open his gifts, to eat and drink too much, kiss too many people and smile...just because.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or as they say on the ice planet of Perma, Happy Yule.


Holiday Sci-fi Romance: Winter Fusion

Existing vs Living

We all have days where we feel like we’re just existing.  The same routine of wake, shower, dress, eat, get kids organized for school, get to work, meetings, emails…you know what I’m talking about. It’s easy to wonder what we’re doing it for. Isn’t there more to this life business?
In my latest story, John is just existing. Actually he’s doing everything he can just to exist because he doesn’t think he deserves to live life to the fullest.
But then we have one of thosedays (even John). You find a flower’s bloomed in the garden or your other half brings you home a bunch and they smell so good. Your toddler tells you that you look pretty. You hear a song that makes you want to get up and dance. You pick up a great book that whisks you away and leaves your heart pumping. Or the holidays have arrived and you’re packing your suitcases with that awesome sense of expectation of excitement to come.
Or you get the chance to sit down and indulge that one thing that really makes you excited. Your hobby, your passion, your obsession. That one thing that just feels right and when you do it, the hours melt away. Then we’re living!
We all deserve to do more than just exist. We owe it to ourselves to live. It isn’t selfish to take the time because it makes us a better person.
Are you living the life you’re here to lead?
ACTION FOR THE WEEK: Take the time to do one thing that makes you truly happy.
Image by Ari Helminen

Bold. Inspired. Action

Me: Yay, I just finished edits on Salvation.

Hubby: Great work, sweetie.

Me: My poor hero and heroine, they were being chased through the desert by five million bad guys!!

Hubby raises an eyebrow: We're there really five million?

My husband says I exaggerate. I say I have a gift for hyperbole. Really it's about making a point.

I like to write big, bold stories packed full of action and high stakes with a fast pace. Not because I think we'll need to leap tall buildings, race fast cars or defuse ticking time bombs. And not just because it's fun and entertaining. It's all thrilling hyperbole for the challenges and struggles we face every day.

Those seemingly impossible odds that stop us from following our dreams. They aren't tall buildings or ticking bombs. Usually they're quieter, more often than not, they're expectations--from family, friends, society...from ourselves. Usually they seem just as impossible as the bombs.

The thing is, the challenges--big or small, bold or silkily quiet--they're all beaten by one thing.... action . In the action stories and movies, the heroes and heroines win the day because they take action, they keep moving even in the face of the impossible odds. We can do that too: bold, inspired action that we do every day.

ACTION FOR THE DAY: What bold inspired action will you do today?

My action today is to write 4,000 words on my current sci-fi adventure romance and to do something fun and inspiring with Mr. Two.

Image: Bob B. Brown

Writing What Matters

I've been thinking a lot about why I love (love, love) action with my romance. Why I love a fast pace, huge stakes and seemingly impossible odds.

All that action (including the falling in love bit) leaves me thrilled, excited, energized...like I could take on the world. It leaves me wanting more action in my own life (no, not car chases or explosions!) It leaves me wanting more of what's important.

More inspiring, fun time with my son
More connected time with my husband
More time to write stories about ordinary people take action in the face of fear
More time to craft something that thrills, energizes and inspires someone else to take action
More time for the things that really matter

Notice blogging isn't on the list! So many authors I know hate blogging (and I've been guilty of feeling like that sometimes as well). But I think maybe it's because we've been blogging about the wrong stuff. It is writing after all, and writers should love to write!

Any type of work becomes easier if you love it and it has meaning.

I've decided to blog about the stuff that matters to me (and no surprise, it'll still include action romance). I hope that some of it might matter to you to.

ACTION FOR THE DAY: Make a list of what's important to you

Image by darcyadelaide

The Cool Blue People Cover: INFINITE FUTURES

I have a new sci-fi romance coming soon!

I've joined forces with the gang at Contact:IF to put together a fab sci-fi anthology called INFINITE FUTURES. There was a lot of debate about the cover (including a vote) and we had some great options...the blue people won!

My contribution is called DARKEST BEFORE DAWN (an alien apocalypse...a team of heroes...and a dangerous mission to save the world).

More details coming soon...

Cover Reveal: The bad guy gets a cover

Due to popular demand, John aka Gabriel Leven (the bad guy from The Anomaly Trilogy) will be getting his own story!

Ta da...here is my fab cover for SALVATION by Frauke of Croco Designs!



Salvation is a bonus short story set in The Anomaly Trilogy world and yes, my bad guy is the hero. I never intended John to have his own tale...I fully expected him to die in Soul Stealer, but the story ended up being something completely different.

Salvation will be out around Aug/Sept 2013. Now we'll see if John can redeem himself. We all deserve a second chance, right?

SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop and a man called Phoenix

   
Welcome to my little corner of the SFR Brigade 2nd Midsummer Blog Hop! I've got an annoucement to make.

Growing up, I wanted to be an archeologist (that's not my annoucement, keep reading.)

I have a vivid memory of my fourth grade teacher asking the class what we wanted to be when we grew up and me proudly informing everyone. No one knew what it was. Now these days I think loads of kids wants to be Indiana Jones.

I certainly had big dreams of discovering lost tombs, holding golden treasure in my hands and helping to preserve our history. A few years later I worked out I probably didn't have the patience to dust off broken pits of pot with a toothbrush for weeks on end!

But I never lost that love of history, or the secret urge for adventure--you know, the leaping over gaping chasms and dodging rolling boulders kind.

Now that love has collided with my love of interstellar adventure. Indiana Jones amongst the stars...out-of-this-world treasure hunting...now that gets my heart pumping! Imagine if humans colonize the galaxy...what happens to all our Earthly history? Imagine someone thousands of years from now gazing on the Mona Lisa, admiring our "ancient" art and technology or holding a broken iPad in their hands?

Image: Moyan BrennEnter Dathan Phoenix.

Galactic Treasure Hunter. Rogue. Charmer.

Phoenix has treasure hunting in the blood. He can sniff out treasure at a hundred yards. He's always racing for his next adventure and he's all about the profit. And boy, is he going to meet his match!

I'm happy to announce as part of this awesome SFR Brigade Blog Hop, that Dathan Phoenix's adventure, STAR'S END, will be coming from Carina Press in early 2014. And it is just the beginning of the non-stop action of the PHOENIX ADVENTURES!


And sci-fi romance lovers, don't forget to enter the amazing giveaway. Loads of gift cards up for grabs and a download of my ice-bound, action-packed SFR, WINTER FUSION is in the fabulous ebook bundle as well.

1st Prize 

$150 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) An ebook bundle -- Ghost in the Machine, Bayne, Recast Book 1:Wither, Recast Book 2:Clash, Alien Adoration, Switched, Reckless Rescue, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, Keir, Terms & Conditions Apply, The Key, The Plan, Starburst, Marya, The Iron Admiral, Sasha’s Calling, Trouble at the Hotel Baba Ghanoush, Winter in Paradise, Once Upon a Time in Space, the Telomere trilogy, Winter Fusion, Blue Nebula, Demential, Wytchfire, Maven, Fires of Justice, Interface, Girl Under Glass, Breakout, Stark PleasureBonus books - Ghost Planet, The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy and Deception, Games of Command2nd Prize
$50 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice)3rd Prizes
Four $25 Amazon or B&N gift cards (given to separate winners and their choice)
Enter right here: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here are all the other fab SFR authors who are part of the SFR Brigade 2nd Midsummer Blog Hop - Out of this World!
1. Diane Dooley  15. Imogene Nix  29. Anna Hackett  
2. Kimber Vale  16. Rinelle Grey  30. Tonya Cannariato  
3. Maria Hammarblad  17. Veronica Scott  31. T. C. Archer  
4. Bookswagger  18. Reading Reality  32. Sabrina Garie  
5. C.E. Kilgore  19. Spacefreighters Lounge  33. Kyndra Hatch  
6. Liana Brooks  20. Pippa Jay  34. S. A. Huchton  
7. Cathy Pegau  21. Melisse Aires  35. T.K. Toppin  
8. Misa Buckley  22. Pauline Baird Jones  36. Jo Jones  
9. Yolanda Sfetsos  23. Sandra C. Stixrude  37. Liza O'Connor  
10. Rachel Leigh Smith  24. Monica Enderle Pierce  38. Isabo Kelly  
11. Greta van der Rol  25. The Galaxy Express  39. Nina Croft  
12. Jessica E. Subject  26. Linda Mooney  40. Cathryn Cade  
13. Diane Burton  27. Aubrie Dionne  

14. E.A. Hoornaert  28. A. R. Norris  

 

Series Spotlight: The Earth Angels by Stacy Gail

I love sexy angels and I love Stacy Gail. Stacy was my anthology sister last December (in A GALACTIC HOLIDAY) and if you love some snark in your romance, than look no further than Ms. Gail's books! Her latest series is The Earth Angels from Carina Press.

Book three of The Earth Angels

A descendant of the Angel of Vengeance, Nate da Luca was gifted with an uncanny ability to find things. It made his job as a detective a breeze--until he learned the hard way that some things should remain hidden. After that, his powers vanished, along with his belief in himself. Which is going to make tracking down Gabriella Littlefield for his latest client a challenge.

Personal trainer Ella Little paid a hefty price for her life--now all she wants is to live it in peace. Then a sexy hulk of a man turns up in her gym, reigniting desires she thought she'd left behind along with her real name and hair color.

Desires she can't deny even after she discovers Nate's no stranger to her dark past.
Before he can convince her the attraction is mutual, Nate's going to have to earn Ella's trust. But a demon is playing for keeps in the world of humans, using Ella as bait, and the last thing they have is time...

Book two in The Earth Angels

Feel nothing. Sara Savitch's personal mantra has been hard to live by ever since her torrid one-night stand with army doctor Gideon Mandeville. Descended from the Seraphim, angels known as heaven's soldiers, Sara may be an expert fighter, but she's an amateur when it comes to relationships.

Physically unharmed, but still battle-scarred, Gideon has returned to Dallas in the hopes of regaining his faith in humanity--and in himself. Instead he's walked into a nightmare. His father is on a serial killer's hit list, and has hired a personal bodyguard--the very woman who has haunted Gideon's dreams for a year.

As Sara works to build an impenetrable fortress around her client, she yearns to tear down the one around Gideon's heart. With his bitter rejection of warriors, will he ever be able to accept her true nature? Sara must find a way to trust Gideon with her secret as the killer closes in...

Book one in The Earth Angels
 
Investigative journalist Kendall Glynn is horrified when a friend and colleague signs off permanently during a live newscast, jabbing a pen into his jugular. Kendall's no expert, but judging by the strange white veil in the anchorman's eyes, she would swear he was a man possessed.
A descendant of the accursed Nephilim, Zeke Reece prowls San Francisco by night, keeping the city free from paranormal phenomena. But even he is no match for whatever malevolent force is behind a recent rash of murder-suicides. And when a beautiful tenacious reporter becomes the next target, Zeke has no choice but to stay close to her, until he can find the evil spirit and cross it over.

The closer Kendall gets to the truth, the more danger she's in. Fortunately, a sexy and mysterious masked stranger keeps swooping in to the rescue. Kendall's life depends on finding who or what is responsible for the killings, before it finds her.

Book 4, DANGEROUS ANGEL (the final is the series) is out in April 2014.

Like the sound of The Earth Angels? Check out Stacy's website for more info.

About Stacy: Hi! I'm known to spontaneously burst into song, and my laugh is way too loud to be legal. I also write romances. Buy one, please. I need to feed my Starbucks habit.