A.J. Sand's Blog, page 2
February 3, 2014
Tomorrow is the big day!!!
I get that it's February and it's the month of lovey dovey heart-shaped stuff and whatnot, but if you're like me and adrenaline and anxiety and cray cray are more your speed, A Fighting Chance is the book for you! LOL!
Note 1: there are some differences between the (soon to be) published version and the Advanced Reader Copy, as there often are with books, and it went through one last proofread/edit to get the final kinks (errors, inconsistencies, weirdness, hot messes out). Please remember that many reviews you'll read over the next two weeks or so, particularly on the blog tour, are based on the ARCs, and will hopefully be noted as such. I say that so that no one yells at reviewers over things.
Note 2: I hope you're excited! I hope you're anxious! No, I can't give you an exact time, but I'll try to keep an eye out for links.
Note 1: there are some differences between the (soon to be) published version and the Advanced Reader Copy, as there often are with books, and it went through one last proofread/edit to get the final kinks (errors, inconsistencies, weirdness, hot messes out). Please remember that many reviews you'll read over the next two weeks or so, particularly on the blog tour, are based on the ARCs, and will hopefully be noted as such. I say that so that no one yells at reviewers over things.
Note 2: I hope you're excited! I hope you're anxious! No, I can't give you an exact time, but I'll try to keep an eye out for links.
February 1, 2014
AFC's story goes as far back as Documentary, but Documentary felt safer at the time.
Eh. I don't want to be safe.
It took me a lot of soul-searching to make the decision to cool it with contemporary romance this year. But I am cooling it this year. Point blank, I'm not excited to write it right now. I'm not excited about reading my writing when I write it, right now. I want to clarify that this is personal to ME alone. I wanted to fall in love with my writing again this year. I wanted to read my own story and feel what I was hoping you'd feel, and writing romance just hasn't been doing it for me. Maybe I'm evolving, I don't know.
But there are so many people putting out very beautiful love stories right now (hello, Melody Grace) and I'm sitting here wanting to destroy things LOL (in my stories! in my stories!). So, contemporary romance is just not a place I feel like I can still write and be satisfied right now. I don't want to have to focus on the elements that people come to expect in contemporary romance.
AFC felt like a huge risk because I knew it was going to be a little uncomfortable for some and kinda violent and not exist in a black and white world of morality, and some people don't like that, but I want to write for the people whose Netflix recommendations are based on Sons of Anarchy and Banshee and Breaking Bad.
I want to write uncomfortable things. I want to write people who do really bad things. I want to write stories that give me anxiety because something bad is going to happen or I'm unsure of how the characters will get out of something. I want to write things where my heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest when I go back and re-read it. I want to write people with loose morals or none at all. I want to be horrible to my characters. I don't want to water down bad characters. I don't want likeability of characters to cloud how I want to write them.
Yeah, see? No romance here, which means Abel's story is backburnered (not a word at all LOL) for now. I'm sure some of you may be disappointed but I just can't do it. I don't want to write an uninspired story just because. I'm unmotivated to write it and until I am not, it won't happen.
But I do invite you to jump down the rabbit hole with me. It's going to be soooo fun. ;)
It took me a lot of soul-searching to make the decision to cool it with contemporary romance this year. But I am cooling it this year. Point blank, I'm not excited to write it right now. I'm not excited about reading my writing when I write it, right now. I want to clarify that this is personal to ME alone. I wanted to fall in love with my writing again this year. I wanted to read my own story and feel what I was hoping you'd feel, and writing romance just hasn't been doing it for me. Maybe I'm evolving, I don't know.
But there are so many people putting out very beautiful love stories right now (hello, Melody Grace) and I'm sitting here wanting to destroy things LOL (in my stories! in my stories!). So, contemporary romance is just not a place I feel like I can still write and be satisfied right now. I don't want to have to focus on the elements that people come to expect in contemporary romance.
AFC felt like a huge risk because I knew it was going to be a little uncomfortable for some and kinda violent and not exist in a black and white world of morality, and some people don't like that, but I want to write for the people whose Netflix recommendations are based on Sons of Anarchy and Banshee and Breaking Bad.
I want to write uncomfortable things. I want to write people who do really bad things. I want to write stories that give me anxiety because something bad is going to happen or I'm unsure of how the characters will get out of something. I want to write things where my heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest when I go back and re-read it. I want to write people with loose morals or none at all. I want to be horrible to my characters. I don't want to water down bad characters. I don't want likeability of characters to cloud how I want to write them.
Yeah, see? No romance here, which means Abel's story is backburnered (not a word at all LOL) for now. I'm sure some of you may be disappointed but I just can't do it. I don't want to write an uninspired story just because. I'm unmotivated to write it and until I am not, it won't happen.
But I do invite you to jump down the rabbit hole with me. It's going to be soooo fun. ;)
January 22, 2014
AFC teaser teaser teaser
I can't tell you enough how much I enjoyed writing the fight scenes. I went to You Tube and watched a few fights but ultimately most of the action just kind of sprung from my imagination. This whole sequence was so much fun to write, intense, but waaaay fun:
I stumble, almost crawling, to the corner and collapse against the chains. My ears are ringing, and I can smell the metal in my blood. Taste it, too. My head feels like Carlos is inside and trying to punch his way out.
“…stand here and watch him get beaten to death!” Drew is screaming at Miguel. They’re both frowning and sweating, and neither of them even notices I’m standing there.
“I don’t want to, either, but what can we do, Drew? We can’t just yank him out of here and run!” Miguel yells back, looking more frustrated than angry.
“Guys, I’m okay,” I say with a mouth full of blood, and tingly pain courses down my jaw. Jesus, I hope it’s not broken. “Drew…” She looks at me, and defeat, despair, and abject terror, they’re all there in her face. “I got this…he’s going to draw it out because he wants me to suffer. It’ll hurt but I can rest here and there…”
“You won’t survive the fight. He’s trying to kill you. You know that, and he’s going to. I have to do something. How do we stop the goddamn fight, Miguel?”
I stumble, almost crawling, to the corner and collapse against the chains. My ears are ringing, and I can smell the metal in my blood. Taste it, too. My head feels like Carlos is inside and trying to punch his way out.
“…stand here and watch him get beaten to death!” Drew is screaming at Miguel. They’re both frowning and sweating, and neither of them even notices I’m standing there.
“I don’t want to, either, but what can we do, Drew? We can’t just yank him out of here and run!” Miguel yells back, looking more frustrated than angry.
“Guys, I’m okay,” I say with a mouth full of blood, and tingly pain courses down my jaw. Jesus, I hope it’s not broken. “Drew…” She looks at me, and defeat, despair, and abject terror, they’re all there in her face. “I got this…he’s going to draw it out because he wants me to suffer. It’ll hurt but I can rest here and there…”
“You won’t survive the fight. He’s trying to kill you. You know that, and he’s going to. I have to do something. How do we stop the goddamn fight, Miguel?”
January 19, 2014
AFC's not even out yet... but here's what's up next...
Fuel!!!
It'll be out sometime this year. Trying to slow down.
I've always wanted to a write a psychosexual thriller/romantic suspense plot. Basically...death. sex. crazy. guns. running. mystery. lies.
It's definitely NOT new adult. Psychosexual stories tend to be loose on the morals and titillating, so if you're someone who likes for everyone to be good or bad and not good and bad, you'll hate it. I really, really don't like writing "heroes" because I think human nature is way too gray for that and Cameron is definitely no hero.
This isn't the blurb but I'll tell you about it:
Cordelia is an "independent contractor" in the drug world in Brazil. She delivers packages for anyone who asks and makes a pretty good living at it. She's skeptical of a new client that an old client recommends but she takes the job anyway. When she gets there, everyone's dead except for one guy who is hiding in a corner. His name's Cameron and he swears he didn't do it. She doesn't believe him, but they are forced to go on the run together when someone else shows up guns blazing. They don't trust each other and there's an attraction as well. So things get weird. Hopefully, I'll make you a wee bit uncomfortable by the end.
No, Fuel is not BDSM or anything close to that, despite what you see here. I'll leave those storylines to the pros. Cam and Cordy just like to push and play with each other. They're both crazy and a little dangerous. This is actually pretty tame for what I'm cooking up. WARNING: 18+ for stuff and unedited.
Cameron pulled the scarves between his hands until they were taut. “I want to use these.”
I shrugged. “You like control,” I said. “It doesn't surprise me…"
He bound my wrists together and then knotted them to the headboard railing. “Don’t worry. It’s only kinky until it’s not….”
Straining against them, I lifted myself so that our chests were touching. And I snickered. Snorted, really. “You think you’re the first person to tie me up, Cameron? Look, I was fucking everybody weird before it went mainstream.” He chuckled as he tightened the binds.
“I saw you going through my bag… What were you looking for?” he asked.
Fuck. My heart raced but I kept my cool. “Oh, I see… so now you're gonna fuck answers out of me?”
He was fiddling with his pocketknife like he always did. "It's just to cut you free...later." He flicked the blade out and put his finger on my clavicle. His hand coasted down my chest, and I arched against it, all the way down to my bellybutton. “Why were you in my bag, Cordy?” he asked.
“Who are you...really?”
“Cameron Max.” Tossing the knife aside, he dropped to all fours above me.
“Interesting…that’s the only ID that wasn’t in there!” I laughed. “So, you gonna interrogate me or fuck me?”
“They’re not mutually exclusive, are they?” Cameron smirked as he cupped me under the knees and lifted my legs until I couldn’t see his face anymore.
“I hope not…” I whispered. Grinning, he pushed my knees back to meet my shoulders with his weight…
It'll be out sometime this year. Trying to slow down.
I've always wanted to a write a psychosexual thriller/romantic suspense plot. Basically...death. sex. crazy. guns. running. mystery. lies.
It's definitely NOT new adult. Psychosexual stories tend to be loose on the morals and titillating, so if you're someone who likes for everyone to be good or bad and not good and bad, you'll hate it. I really, really don't like writing "heroes" because I think human nature is way too gray for that and Cameron is definitely no hero.
This isn't the blurb but I'll tell you about it:
Cordelia is an "independent contractor" in the drug world in Brazil. She delivers packages for anyone who asks and makes a pretty good living at it. She's skeptical of a new client that an old client recommends but she takes the job anyway. When she gets there, everyone's dead except for one guy who is hiding in a corner. His name's Cameron and he swears he didn't do it. She doesn't believe him, but they are forced to go on the run together when someone else shows up guns blazing. They don't trust each other and there's an attraction as well. So things get weird. Hopefully, I'll make you a wee bit uncomfortable by the end.
No, Fuel is not BDSM or anything close to that, despite what you see here. I'll leave those storylines to the pros. Cam and Cordy just like to push and play with each other. They're both crazy and a little dangerous. This is actually pretty tame for what I'm cooking up. WARNING: 18+ for stuff and unedited.
Cameron pulled the scarves between his hands until they were taut. “I want to use these.”
I shrugged. “You like control,” I said. “It doesn't surprise me…"
He bound my wrists together and then knotted them to the headboard railing. “Don’t worry. It’s only kinky until it’s not….”
Straining against them, I lifted myself so that our chests were touching. And I snickered. Snorted, really. “You think you’re the first person to tie me up, Cameron? Look, I was fucking everybody weird before it went mainstream.” He chuckled as he tightened the binds.
“I saw you going through my bag… What were you looking for?” he asked.
Fuck. My heart raced but I kept my cool. “Oh, I see… so now you're gonna fuck answers out of me?”
He was fiddling with his pocketknife like he always did. "It's just to cut you free...later." He flicked the blade out and put his finger on my clavicle. His hand coasted down my chest, and I arched against it, all the way down to my bellybutton. “Why were you in my bag, Cordy?” he asked.
“Who are you...really?”
“Cameron Max.” Tossing the knife aside, he dropped to all fours above me.
“Interesting…that’s the only ID that wasn’t in there!” I laughed. “So, you gonna interrogate me or fuck me?”
“They’re not mutually exclusive, are they?” Cameron smirked as he cupped me under the knees and lifted my legs until I couldn’t see his face anymore.
“I hope not…” I whispered. Grinning, he pushed my knees back to meet my shoulders with his weight…
December 17, 2013
AFC's tour, etc.
1. Calling all bloggers! AFC's February tour sign-up just went live at AToMR! Spots are going fast!* All items must go! I would love it if Jesse got a "Chance" to make the rounds.** Thank you! http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2013/12...
*This is me making up shit.
**This is me being cheesy.
2. Calling all not bloggers! Remember you can still sign up for a chance to get an e-ARC of AFC. I'm giving out a few copies. You can sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zgrO... through this Thursday, and I'm contacting folks who'll get them next month, on Friday.
*This is me making up shit.
**This is me being cheesy.
2. Calling all not bloggers! Remember you can still sign up for a chance to get an e-ARC of AFC. I'm giving out a few copies. You can sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zgrO... through this Thursday, and I'm contacting folks who'll get them next month, on Friday.
December 6, 2013
AFC'S COVER REVEAL (FINALLY)
I didn't want to undermine all the blogs who were so kind enough to participate in AFC's cover reveal today, so I waited a bit to share it with you myself! Please make sure to visit Arijana and Cover It! Designs on Facebook and let her know you love it! It was ALL her.
December 5, 2013
A Fighting Chance e-ARC sign-up
I hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving. I'm paying for mine twice a day at the gym currently. I love working out but I love eating a lot more, so it makes for good and bad times around the holidays LOL.
So, I'm giving out e-ARCs for A Fighting Chance (AFC), and I wasn't going to post another teaser for AFC until after Christmas but I want to entice you to sign up to review it!
“Will you pray too while I'm killing you?” he shouts back with a cruel laugh.
I’m seething, my heart on the verge of punching right through my chest, but I force myself to stay calm. I whittle my thoughts until this octagon, this fight, and Carlos are the only things in the world that exists. “Come on, crocodile,” I say with a cold smile, gesturing at him with just one hand. A glint of determination shines in his eyes as he wipes his lips on his glove. He reveals his sharp-toothed smile, his teeth red with blood.
Then he crosses the cage.
(unedited and subject to change prior to release).
Likes this teaser?
Like reading?
Want to read A Fighting Chance before it's published?
Like writing reviews?
If you've answered yes to all of these, you should probably sign up to get an e-ARC because I'm giving a few out, if you wouldn't mind writing a review! If you're a blogger and want to do the tour instead, you're welcome to sign up for an e-ARC, but AFC will be touring in February and you might want to wait to sign up then.
Here's my quick reminder synopsis: Jesse used to fight in underground circles. He doesn't anymore. Something happens that pulls him back into the ring. Then shit gets real.
It is a standalone and there is no cliffhanger.
I should warn you: AFC is NOT really contemporary romance. It's probably more along the lines of romantic suspense. It's about underground fighting, so there's some violence. It's New Adult, I suppose. I hate genres and age group classifications because it's never that cut and dry, but there you go.
Other stuff:
1. e-ARCs will be emailed 2-3 weeks before release (scheduled for Feb 4, 2014) in either epub or mobi format.
2. I'm giving out a set number of copies, so there's no guarantee everyone who signs up will get one.
3. Please be willing to post the review during release week.
4. Please be willing post an honest, thoughtful review. I don't expect 3 stars and above as a part of this. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I get it. If you raged a little while reading, rage in your review. I get it. I'm really not writing to make everyone comfortable because that's silly.
5. Please don't post or share anywhere. I'm not going to go into the details of why this isn't okay, both legally and morally, and by accepting the e-ARC you're saying you understand and agree to abide by copyright laws.
Anyway, this post is long as hell, but I wouldn't be me if it weren't LOL. Here's the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zgrO...
So, I'm giving out e-ARCs for A Fighting Chance (AFC), and I wasn't going to post another teaser for AFC until after Christmas but I want to entice you to sign up to review it!
“Will you pray too while I'm killing you?” he shouts back with a cruel laugh.
I’m seething, my heart on the verge of punching right through my chest, but I force myself to stay calm. I whittle my thoughts until this octagon, this fight, and Carlos are the only things in the world that exists. “Come on, crocodile,” I say with a cold smile, gesturing at him with just one hand. A glint of determination shines in his eyes as he wipes his lips on his glove. He reveals his sharp-toothed smile, his teeth red with blood.
Then he crosses the cage.
(unedited and subject to change prior to release).
Likes this teaser?
Like reading?
Want to read A Fighting Chance before it's published?
Like writing reviews?
If you've answered yes to all of these, you should probably sign up to get an e-ARC because I'm giving a few out, if you wouldn't mind writing a review! If you're a blogger and want to do the tour instead, you're welcome to sign up for an e-ARC, but AFC will be touring in February and you might want to wait to sign up then.
Here's my quick reminder synopsis: Jesse used to fight in underground circles. He doesn't anymore. Something happens that pulls him back into the ring. Then shit gets real.
It is a standalone and there is no cliffhanger.
I should warn you: AFC is NOT really contemporary romance. It's probably more along the lines of romantic suspense. It's about underground fighting, so there's some violence. It's New Adult, I suppose. I hate genres and age group classifications because it's never that cut and dry, but there you go.
Other stuff:
1. e-ARCs will be emailed 2-3 weeks before release (scheduled for Feb 4, 2014) in either epub or mobi format.
2. I'm giving out a set number of copies, so there's no guarantee everyone who signs up will get one.
3. Please be willing to post the review during release week.
4. Please be willing post an honest, thoughtful review. I don't expect 3 stars and above as a part of this. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I get it. If you raged a little while reading, rage in your review. I get it. I'm really not writing to make everyone comfortable because that's silly.
5. Please don't post or share anywhere. I'm not going to go into the details of why this isn't okay, both legally and morally, and by accepting the e-ARC you're saying you understand and agree to abide by copyright laws.
Anyway, this post is long as hell, but I wouldn't be me if it weren't LOL. Here's the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zgrO...
November 19, 2013
More AFC teasers
A Fighting Chance won't be out until next year (Feb), and this will probably be the last teaser until after Christmas, but I'll post some fun stuff about Jesse and Drew: dream cast, inspiration, why I love underground fighting, my take on fictional violence ('cause it's here aplenty lol), etc. Anyway here are the unedited teasers!
Teaser #1: "Scare"
“Sometimes, I think...we’re only for each other…”
“Shit...” she whispers.
“What?”
“Doesn’t that scare you?”
“Yeah, it does…”
“Good. Because I swear to God, Jess, I’m either going to love you until I die or loving you is actually going to kill me. And both of those options scare the shit out of me.”
Teaser #2: "But"
The two of us are still carrying on the same silence from before. There's no radio playing and barely an audible exhale. But it’s hardly cold and empty silence. The Mexican heat is permeating the car and kindling a strange energy between us. The air in here is churning with something.
Something flammable, something volatile.
I can feel it beneath my skin. In my lungs. In my blood.
“You’ll be happy in Glory,” I say finally. “You will make a great life there for yourself with Buck, even without your parents’ help. You’ll probably end up with that job you want. You will put this behind you and never have to think about it again. And that’s why letting you go is the best idea…” I swerve into a U-turn, angering every driver in the vicinity, as I pull off to the side of the road. I get out of the car, run around to the other side and open her door. “But...”
What comes after the "but"??????? We all know it's the most important part of the sentence!! LOL Of course I would leave you hanging in the middle of dialogue!
You'll just have to wait and see. ;)
Teaser #1: "Scare"
“Sometimes, I think...we’re only for each other…”
“Shit...” she whispers.
“What?”
“Doesn’t that scare you?”
“Yeah, it does…”
“Good. Because I swear to God, Jess, I’m either going to love you until I die or loving you is actually going to kill me. And both of those options scare the shit out of me.”
Teaser #2: "But"
The two of us are still carrying on the same silence from before. There's no radio playing and barely an audible exhale. But it’s hardly cold and empty silence. The Mexican heat is permeating the car and kindling a strange energy between us. The air in here is churning with something.
Something flammable, something volatile.
I can feel it beneath my skin. In my lungs. In my blood.
“You’ll be happy in Glory,” I say finally. “You will make a great life there for yourself with Buck, even without your parents’ help. You’ll probably end up with that job you want. You will put this behind you and never have to think about it again. And that’s why letting you go is the best idea…” I swerve into a U-turn, angering every driver in the vicinity, as I pull off to the side of the road. I get out of the car, run around to the other side and open her door. “But...”
What comes after the "but"??????? We all know it's the most important part of the sentence!! LOL Of course I would leave you hanging in the middle of dialogue!
You'll just have to wait and see. ;)
November 13, 2013
A Fighting Chance teaser (unedited)
“Will you say yes now?”
Her lips hum across my cheek and stop at the corner of my mouth. “I’m saying it…”
So I kiss her, and we surrender to desire we both know is reckless and forbidden. But it’s also hungry and unstoppable. Between ragged breaths, my tongue strokes hers, and her fingers dig into my back as mine sink into her hair. I feel her touch everywhere, inside and out, and I’m shaking when my teeth graze her neck. My lips trace the slant of her jaw, and the sound of her moans only stokes the desperate fever in my bones.
Drew, breathless, pulls back, her fingers still clawing me. “What else are you asking, Jess?”
“What else do you want, Drew?” I whisper, but her lips just fall on mine again. We collapse against each other, and the friction of our bodies is overwhelming. I drown in the heightened pleasure of her touch as her needy fingers curl into my neck and her breasts mash against my chest. We kiss with even more abandon than before, sinking into every ounce of raw, naked lust we’ve both been suppressing. The rough way our lips move makes mine feel bruised, and I don’t care because the taste of her mouth is intoxicating.
The thing about lines? They stop being dangerous the moment you cross them; they stop mattering then, too. And instead of admitting that, you just set another limit, raise the stakes, draw another boundary for your sins, and find a way to justify your actions. Like how I tell myself Drew and I are just kissing. It’s the mix of alcohol and old feelings in a hot nightclub. Nothing a little morning sunlight won’t fix. I tell myself at least we’re not sleeping together. But the truth is, I would have. Right here if she let me.
Her lips hum across my cheek and stop at the corner of my mouth. “I’m saying it…”
So I kiss her, and we surrender to desire we both know is reckless and forbidden. But it’s also hungry and unstoppable. Between ragged breaths, my tongue strokes hers, and her fingers dig into my back as mine sink into her hair. I feel her touch everywhere, inside and out, and I’m shaking when my teeth graze her neck. My lips trace the slant of her jaw, and the sound of her moans only stokes the desperate fever in my bones.
Drew, breathless, pulls back, her fingers still clawing me. “What else are you asking, Jess?”
“What else do you want, Drew?” I whisper, but her lips just fall on mine again. We collapse against each other, and the friction of our bodies is overwhelming. I drown in the heightened pleasure of her touch as her needy fingers curl into my neck and her breasts mash against my chest. We kiss with even more abandon than before, sinking into every ounce of raw, naked lust we’ve both been suppressing. The rough way our lips move makes mine feel bruised, and I don’t care because the taste of her mouth is intoxicating.
The thing about lines? They stop being dangerous the moment you cross them; they stop mattering then, too. And instead of admitting that, you just set another limit, raise the stakes, draw another boundary for your sins, and find a way to justify your actions. Like how I tell myself Drew and I are just kissing. It’s the mix of alcohol and old feelings in a hot nightclub. Nothing a little morning sunlight won’t fix. I tell myself at least we’re not sleeping together. But the truth is, I would have. Right here if she let me.
November 5, 2013
"A Fighting Chance" cover reveal.
The super talented Arijana K of Cover It Designs created a hot cover for "A Fighting Chance." I seriously cannot tell you enough how fantastic she is. It's dark, it's sexy, and it's just awesome! Can't wait for you to see it! If you're a blogger and want to be a part of the cover reveal on Dec 6th, make sure you keep an eye out for the sign-up at http://atomrbookblogtours.com/ over the next few weeks.
