Anna Hackett's Blog, page 32

Ice miners, bod mods and rival negotiators

A GALACTIC HOLIDAY is now on Facebook. Sasha, Stacy and I will be sharing lots of fun tidbits there over the coming weeks.

AND the anthology and the individual stories are up for pre-order on Amazon!


A detective who refuses to modify her body teams up with her cyborg rival to track down a burglar who is putting toys into homes. (That's Stacy's story - can't wait to solve this reverse Grinch mystery!)

A solitary ice miner finds love and friendship while stranded on the surface of Galileo. (This is Sasha's story - there's a rakish trader in there too...sounds yummy.)

And two hardheaded negotiators put their differences aside to evade an assassin and save their planets. (And this is WINTER FUSION - a hero from an energy dependant world and a heroine from an ice world with fusion crystals of amazing power. Oh, and there's an assassin too, what could go wrong?)

Enjoy these visions of Christmases yet to come with three science-fiction novellas from Carina Press. 

Edited by Angela James, this anthology includes:
How the Glitch Saved Christmas, by Stacy Gail
Galileo's Holiday, by Sasha Summers
Winter Fusion, by Anna Hackett

Under the Darklight...

I'm under the Darklight at the Dark Side DownUnder blog - a group of Aussie authors who write romantic spec fiction.

I'm talking about lots of stuff (publication, covers and characters) and there is also a sneak peek of what I'm currently working on!

High stakes, fast pace and tears

As a writer, the most amazing, rewarding thing is when you hear from someone who enjoyed your story. It doesn't matter if you're published and it's a review or an email from a reader or you're unpublished and it's a comment from your critique partner or even your mom!


I had two reviews of MIND RAIDER last week that really touched me. One because the reader really understood and enjoyed my writing style. The other because the reader got the part of the story that was a bit of a risk. Thank you, ladies!

Here are a few snippets from those reviews:

From Nina:

Without a doubt, Anna has successfully weaved an intense and action-pack story filled with great characters, a good plot and an exciting storyline. As I was reading, this story played out like a movie in my head due to the flawless storytelling and vivid imagery.

It was fast-paced which I always appreciate in a story because it doesn't leave me bored or have me skimming pages.


My emotions were running rampant in this story. I was smiling one minute and then teary-eyed the next. This read definitely packed in a lot.

From Jenny:

I know, a review isn't where you confess you want to kidnap a hero and keep him forever. But Callahan, oh my. I understand Mara's fascination.

More seriously, this is romantic suspense with high stakes and hot sexiness, but it's also something more. There is no shying away from the price of power, its lure and the fact that we're flawed humans.

WINNER of a Gateway to Hell

Huge congrats to Ann (kyreadinggirl) -- she's won a download of GATEWAY TO HELL by Eleni Konstantine. Eleni will be in touch soon.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by Eleni's Quick Questions.

MIND RAIDER - Out Now!

Very soon, I'll be sending my beloved little boy to daycare. The thought of handing him over to someone else for several hours a day breaks my heart. Who'll hug him and take care of him like I do? What if someone's mean to him?

Sending a book out into the world has a similar feeling. Who'll love MIND RAIDER like I do? Who'll enjoy Mara and Cal? What if some people are mean to it?

But, as I keep telling myself, I can't be the center of my little boy's universe forever. Nor can I keep my story locked away on my hard drive. Both have to gain their independence.

Besides, Mara would just tell me to suck it up and get on with it. Callahan would have already charged ahead, giving orders and expecting to get his own way!

So everyone, I give you MIND RAIDER.

Read an excerpt
Amazon | Smashwords | All Romance

QUICK QUESTIONS with Eleni Konstantine

As you might know, I'm a huge fan of "less is more" and like my stories to move along at a fast pace. Guess what? I like my interviews to do the same.

I'm pleased to welcome Aussie author, Eleni Konstantine whose come along to answer some QUICK QUESTIONS. Don't forget to leave a comment and go in the running to win a download of Eleni's book, GATEWAY TO HELL.
________________________________  Plotter or pantser?
Pantser mainly – or as I like to call it ‘organic’. I usually have signposts. But situations and characters pop up all the time. I think that a pantser’s first draft is like a plotter’s outline – it’s where you get to know your characters.

Demon or angel? 
Oooh, demons are good villains – well SO far in my work, so I’ll have to go with angel on this one. I’ve always been fascinated by angel images.

Ocean or mountain? 
I live 10 minutes away from the by car in the flat plains of Adelaide – so definitely ocean. I had a gorgeous view of the ocean when up on the Gold Coast for conference in August. What was strange for me was seeing the sun rise over the sea as here the sun sets over the sea.

Coffee or tea?
I had to give up caffinated coffee years ago, but I love my decaf hazelnut lattes. Having said that, I love herbal teas and mostly drink that at home.

Action movie or romantic comedy? 
I tend to watch more action movies – I did grow up with lots of male relatives – so going to romantic films was out. Last one I watched on TV was Cowboys & Aliens. Last movie at the movies was The Avengers. Romantic comedies are for when I have some time to unwind and usually I watch those with mum.

Blonde or brunette? 
Me? Hmmm...I was born a blonde, and slowly turned brunette as lots of blonde kids do. Now I’ve blonded again thanks to the help of tinting. For guys? I tend to go toward the darker. Gerard Butler, anyone?

Novel or novella?
When I was in my 20s I would have said ‘novel’, but I’m loving the popularity of the novella. In fact, I’ve even written a couple. Gateway to Hell was released in September by Musa Publishing.

Cruise or safari?
Because I love the ocean, it would have to be a cruise but not in the dinky cabin I had when cruising the Greek Isles in 2000. Nope, something a little larger at least.

Han Solo or Indiana Jones?
Love both these characters. While I love Han, it’s Indy for me. Love a man who is an adventurer but has brains as well. Sunset or sunrise? I love a gorgeous sunset, but did have lovely sunrises up on the Gold Coast over the sea.

As you can tell I tend to be a bitsa person – I like a bits of this and bits of that. Thanks for having me on your blog, Anna. It’s been a blast.
 
Gateway to Hell 

Zeta will protect the one she loves, even if it means living in Hell. 

Mastering a unique power was much safer for Zeta Kosmos with a mentor to help her along. Now that he’s disappeared, Zeta must continue alone with her calling—closing Gateways to Hell.

Daniel Richards is in the family business—Warding supernatural evil from causing havoc on humans. As such, he’s only interested in the safety of one-night stands. Until Zeta. This bad boy now wants a long, lasting relationship.

But Zeta can’t let go of her past, nor can she ignore the secret demonic threats against Daniel’s life. She’d rather fight demonic spawn and be dragged into Hell than allow anything happen to him. Can Daniel convince her to stay? Will she have to pay the ultimate price?


Musa Publishing | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | All Romance Books

COVER REVEAL: Mind Raider

Another cover reveal! This one really suits the story -- strong heroine who lets nothing and no one get in her way.

MIND RAIDER is the second story in The Anomaly Trilogy and it is coming out this month. Stay tuned...

Zombies and Aussie Steampunk

Do you like some zombies with your Apocalypse? How about some Australia with your steampunk?

Aussie author, Kylie Scott's debut erotic paranormal romance, FLESH, is out now from Momentum. I love the cover and it features not one but two sexy heroes.

Ali has been hiding in an attic since civilisation collapsed eight weeks ago.

When the plague hit, her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs.

Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.

When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation.

Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three battle to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.

And Carina Press author, Jenny Schwartz has a new steampunk novella out, COURTING TROUBLE. It's set in Australia, it's a novella (yay!) and is part of the Bustlepunk Chronicles.

Swan River Colony, Australia, 1895

All suffragette Esme Smith wants is respect. Her beau, American inventor Jed Reeve, may be more enlightened than most men, but lately his need to protect her is at odds with her need for independence. Esme begins to wonder if a modern woman can share her life with a man without losing some of herself.

With his courtship of Esme stalled, the last thing Jed needs is the pressure of saving the Prince of Wales. But when blueprints for a sonic destroyer fall into his hands, he uncovers an anarchist plot that could have deadly consequences.

While investigating the threats, Jed is determined to keep Esme out of harm's way, despite her protests. But when the terrorists capture Jed and demand a priceless emerald in exchange for his life, it's Esme who must draw on all her strength to save the day.

TIME THIEF 99c for one more day

Last chance to get TIME THIEF for a steal. It's 99c for one more day as part of Booked for the Weekend .

And don't forget to check out the other great 99c ebooks from some fabulous Aussie authors.

BUY THE eBOOK:
Amazon | Smashwords | All Romance

Booked for the Weekend LIVE!

Need a good read for the Aussie long weekend? 8 Aussie authors are offering their ebooks for 99c just until Monday! Check out the blurbs below...there's something for everybody.


Not Like My Mother
Survival triumphs against all odds in the battered Balkan lands. It is an heirloom passed down from generation to generation along with the richness of tradition, recipes, love and land.


Samira is forced into an arranged marriage with angry, and sometimes violent, Azis who can't recover from the mental torture of his part in a war he didn't choose. Their union is the beginning of a generational story that spans from communist Yugoslavia to Australia, where the women look to each other for hope and survival. It is left to Yasna to fight the dark past of her family and find hope and love. Only through confronting the past can these women triumph over the hand they are dealt - and learn to forgive and dream again. 

Available at: Sony  ~ Amazon ~  iBooks~ B&N

Operation Swift Mercy
She needed help…someone brave…someone tough…someone like a rough and ready  Marine.

When Mercy D’Silva, discovered her ex-boyfriend was behind an elaborate people smuggling movement, life as she once knew it, ended abruptly.

Finding herself on the run with no idea who to turn to for help, her days  seemed numbered.

For Chase Maloney, everyone around him seemed to be moving on, while he was simply marking time. When he decided to take a short break from groomsmen duties to go fishing, the last thing he expected to catch was a beautiful woman!


It wasn’t in his nature to turn his back on anyone  in distress—especially not a woman… and especially not one who made him want to rethink his entire future. But protecting Mercy would prove somewhat difficult when she fought him every step of the way to keep him from getting mixed up in her problems. 

Available at: Amazon

Time Thief
Hunted for her ability to steal time, Bay North lives a life on the run. All she wants is to make the crime lord who slaughtered her family pay. But now he's set the ultimate hunter on her trail and Bay will need all her skills to carry out her revenge and survive.

Ex-Navy SEAL Sean Archer saw his team killed by a time thief in  Afghanistan and came back a broken man. He's made a dark deal with a criminal to hunt down all time thieves and now Sean's tracked the wily Bay North to Denver where he plans to rid the world of one more dangerous mutation.


But during a shootout, hunter and hunted find themselves depending on each other for survival. Joining forces to exact payback by stealing a priceless treasure, their reluctant alliance shatters both their defenses. Can Bay find the courage to trust? And can Sean convince a woman honed in revenge that she can have more than vengeance, blood and killing? 
Available at: Amazon |  Smashwords |  All Romance Website


Mr Right and Other Mongrels
Blissfully happy in her own universe Allegra (Ally) Johnson is the sweet best friend everyone wants to have. Independently wealthy she runs a charming second-hand bookshop in beachside Manly. Heck, sometimes she even goes downstairs from her flat to run the shop in her Chinese silk pyjamas. It sounds like bliss. But is it enough?

When dog-phobic Allegra is rescued from an exuberant canine by the chivalrous Teddy Green, Australia’s hottest TV celebrity and garden make-over guru, her life begins to change.  Dramatically!

Unaware of Teddy’s fame Allegra finds herself falling for him, despite her best attempts to resist his charm. Supported by her eccentric  family and her fabulous gay friend Justin, Allegra embarks on an on-again  off-again romance with Teddy, complicated by his jealous ex-girlfriend,  fashionista Louisa and her own narcissistic hippy mother Moonbeam.


Will Ally be able to overcome her insecurities and find happiness with this possible  Mr Right or will Teddy’s celebrity lifestyle prove to be too much? Mr Right and Other Mongrels is a light-hearted story about how one chance encounter can change your life. 

Available at: Amazon

Switch
The disappearance of Matt’s sister stirs old wounds still raw from the death of their parents in a freak accident years   before. When police contact Matthew to notify him of the mysterious events  surrounding her kidnapping, he can’t help but feel that his introuvable ways hold him partly to blame.

As Matt tries to track Dree down, he’s plunged in to a world where everything in not quite what it seems, and as he  struggles for the truth, it brings him one step closer to the demons of his past, present and future.

As police move to find the kidnapper of a wealthy heiress, they ultimately stumble upon a killer without compunction.

With Detective Scott Balen on the case, he finds the deeper he becomes involved with trying to catch the killer everyone is looking for, the closer he comes to finding love with the one woman he should perhaps stay away from. The hardest questions will only be answered
 after the killer has his day in court.

From the Australian landscape to the hills of Italy, iconic landmarks provide the backdrop for a family in tatters searching for answers, a psychotic killer you’ll love to hate and an eclectic group of hit-men on a mission.


As old habits die hard, the game of life will prove there can only be one winner. 

Available at: Amazon

Producing Real

A wild child rock chick and a boy next door roadie on a romp across  Australia.


A romance about making music, fear of falling and being true. 

Available at: Amazon







Identity Shift
Alexia Leigh leaves her father's funeral determined to prove that his discovery of big-cat shape-shifters isn't mythical nonsense. She wants to exonerate her deceased father's name and reveal the secret shifters race is alive and well.

When she tracks down the elusive and wealthy Blake Powell to an old, run down apartment, she isn't prepared for the instant attraction that flares between them. She wants only to focus on the reasons behind his name being on the aged parchment her father had found alongside some shifter bones. But almost immediately she finds herself on the run with Blake from a group of fanatics who believe all too much in the reality of shape-shifters.

When she gives into the attraction with Blake and has mind blowing sex with him again...and again, she realizes she has to choose between him or the evidence he can give her on a silver platter...

Available at: Amazon~ B&N~ Smashwords
Website ~ Blog

       
The Rings of Lost Souls

What  if fairy tales were real?

"The figure was dark with jagged little edges. While it was an image
  only caught fleetingly out of the corner of her eye, it was possible to make some distinction in regards to its identity, which was not unlike a raven in appearance."

Larundel - A place plagued by lost souls.

A ring that has claimed a few of them.

And a woman who is about to collide with a world she has forgotten about.

When an abandoned mental asylum is set to be redeveloped, sinister events unfold in the community surrounding it.
Isobel moves into the neighbourhood looking for a new future only to find a past she never knew belonged to her. Is she a sane person living in an   insane world or a crazy person trapped in reality?


Set in an actual abandoned mental institution on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, THE RING  OF LOST SOULS is a fast-paced fairy tale weaving together a believable blend of fantasy, urban legend and pure insanity. 

Available at: Amazon


Emeline and the Mutants
What would you do if your whole family mutated into hideous  creatures?
  
Would you have the courage to do what had to be done when they  threatened your life?

Emeline Hart is faced with this horrifying decision when the miraculous Haum vaccine changes into something monstrous. When the mutations start, there  is no way to hide the fact that the world is now filled with people who are no  longer dying of cancer, heart disease or diabetes. Instead, they become  werewolves, vampires and and trolls.

Follow Emeline and her newfound friend, Gwennie, as they  fight to find the truth behind the death of Emeline's brother, Warwick.


EMELINE AND THE MUTANTS is a fast-paced, post apocalyptic tale of what happens when science goes wrong. 

Available at: Amazon