Sunday, January 27

First Book signing on the calendar!!!!

My local book store ROCKS!!!!!

City Lights Bookstore and Cafe, in Sylva, NC, is awesome. Not only do they have both new and used books. Not only do they have lots of comfy seating and a fireplace to curl up next to. Not ONLY do they have a cafe downstairs that serves amazing food, wine, and locally crafted beers... They also support indie and local authors.

I showed Hearts of Ishira to the guy who arranges book store events when we went in there after breakfast today. Short story- I will be attending my very first book signing on Saturday, April 6th, 2013, from 3pm until they run me off. :)

LOTS to do between now and then, but I'm HOPING that I will have four books available in print by then: Hearts of Ishira, Songs of Ishira, The Natural, and the sequel to that one, which is almost done but the name hasn't slapped me in the face yet. :D (And Tentacle Lovin' just doesn't seem like the best choice, so I'll keep searching. *grin*)

That's my news for now!

Just wanted to share. :D

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Saturday, January 26

Epiphanies ROCK!

Well, after all the excitement of the holidays and the past two weeks being sick as a dog, I'm finally back to actually being productive with the writing! I've been working on Songs of Ishira (formerly titled Brothers in Arms) and tonight I had a breakthrough! Whoot! So hopefully the writing will just zoom from here, and I am hoping to have it finished and out some time in March.

Don't quote me on that, but I am going to do my best to make it so. :)
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On another writing note, I'm only 4 sales away from my first big self-imposed milestone for Hearts of Ishira!!!! So if ya liked it, spread the sales links or www.bethanyaan.com to family and friends, reading groups, random strangers in the right sections at bookstores... whatever! LOL If I can get this milestone, I'll be doing a happy dance! LOL


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 For now, because a number of you have asked (and I LOVE reading the e-mails from folks who love Ishira as much as I do!), here's a snippet. It might not be in finished form, since I just wrote it tonight and haven't even edited, but it's proof that I really AM working on it! LOL Right now, I'm only at 85K words, so there's a lot of story still to tell, but Sean is proving to be quite an engaging, determined suitor... and a lot of fun to imagine while I'm writing. *grin* 

For those who don't know, Sean is loosely based on Chris Hemsworth, only with dark hair and green eyes. Yeah. Let that image burn into your fantasies. :)  

So here's your snippet... it's not much, but I'll add some teasers as I go... hopefully without spoiling too much of the first book, for those who haven't read it yet. :) 
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Her mates wanted him to use his recovery time to look after Ri? 
He didn't quibble. He was being given permission to do exactly what he'd wanted to do... spend more time alone with Arianna.
So he watched her.
He watched Ri cook, watched her clean. He watched her spin, knit, crochet, sew, and embroider as they listened to music from both their worlds. He watched her blush as he read some of her favorite books that had been translated into Thorsani. One afternoon he watched her suck in her breath when, during some of the naughtier love scenes, he sent her a mental image where he superimposed himself and his brothers for the sexy ‘heroes’ of the book, and her as the seduced heroine. He did that for two hours straight, finding every love scene she had bookmarked, until she fled into her room, slamming the door on his knowing laughter.
That plan backfired, though, when both of her mates arrived shortly afterwards, already aroused, and joined her in their bed to work off the passion that Sean’s mental images inspired.
And Ri, the spiteful little kimi, kept just enough of her own feelings mentally shielded so that Sean didn’t receive quite enough of her passion to reach completion himself. He’d learned his lesson and spent far too much time in his parents’ bathroom, trying to calm himself down. Ri’s twinkling eyes and twitching lips that evening had let him know that she had been very aware of her effect on him, and that he’d got what he’d deserved. 
Instead of angering him, though, the incident showed him that she could fight her battles and that she wasn’t some unsuspecting, blushing innocent that he’d be able to sweep off her feet.
He backed off on the obvious sensuality and decided to study her a bit more. She was an intriguing bit of a thing, and his goal shifted. He would have to seduce her on an intellectual level, not just the physical.      Arianna had all the physical stimulation she needed in Hunter and Jace. If Sean wanted to appeal to her, to make a place for himself in her world, he had to create a need within her, the need for something that was specific to him. Something his brothers could not give her. Something that appealed to the dreams and longings of the woman inside. 
     So he watched, and he waited. 
     And the longing within him grew. 
     Deep in his soul, Sean burned...
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And don't forget my second book, a novella that's not part of the Ishira series, but a sexy romp through space... The Natural.
On sale now for the Kindle!

That's it for now. I'm thinking of another give-away to do soon, and there's something else that's in the works, something HUGE, but I'll tell you about that when plans are finalized! :D 

Of course I'm a tease. It's kind of my job! :D 

Back to writing! 
 
 

Saturday, January 19

The Natural is live!

For those who were waiting... my first novella, The Natural, is now live at Kindle! :)

The Natural

Check out the sample, tag and 'like' it, and if you read it and enjoy, please consider writing a review. :)

Thanks... going back to Ishira now! :) Or maybe to Christine, Hamm, and Drake's next naughty adventure. Who knows? We'll just see what the old brain churns out tonight... :)


Wednesday, January 9

new book almost ready... but not the one you're thinking of. :)

So yeah... I took out a novella I'd been working on last summer, re-read it, let a few of my beta readers take a look, and it has been deemed worthy. :)

Soon as the final edits are done, I'll put it up for sale.

Warning: This is NOT an Ishira book. This is the beginning of a series of 'Afternoon Delights' that I hope folks find enjoyable. About 30K words and most of it the fun stuff. :D

just a teaser:
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“If I... do this...” she stammered, her face going red. “What are the... rules?”
“For which sort of Training?” Hamm asked, eyes narrowing.
“The… all of it.” Her face felt like it was on fire, but she was tired of being a sheltered ‘good girl’. She wasn’t one. She didn’t know who or what she was. But if she was going to be on her own, she wanted to know more about herself, the universe in which they lived… Everything that life had to offer, by the gods!
Drake’s eyes flashed with fierce triumph. She was considering it! He settled back on the bed.
“You will accept us, either or both of us, whenever we wish, however we wish, and you will obey us in everything, unless we give you leave not to.”
“You’ll... Do I get time off?” She looked startled. He chuckled.
“Everyone gets a day off,” he assured her. “You’re a student, not a slave or a servant. You will have one day per cycle, to do with as you wish. On that day, and that day only, will you be allowed to tell us to go bugger ourselves, if you wish.”
A startled chuckle escaped her. He winked at her.
“My job, though, is to see to it that you do not wish.” His voice went deep and husky with desire, sending a shimmering heat through her. It settled between her legs and began throbbing gently. “I hope that we create such a need in you that you use your ‘free’ days to satisfy your own curiosity.”
She gulped again. He rather liked that endearing little trait.
“So... I will have to obey you, make myself... available?” she asked shyly. “In a... sexual way?” The men looked at her as though she’d lost her brain. She shook her head and muttered. “That was stupid. Well, it was worth clarification, wasn’t it?”
Drake almost laughed at the mutinous expression on her face.
“What else?” she asked, bracing her shoulders.
“You learn.” He told her sternly. “We will be Training you not just to please a partner, but to be a partner. You will be tutored on many things... dancing, clothing, social skills, galactic politics and history, finances, cooking, self-defense... anything and everything we can think of that will turn you into a street-wise and court-worthy lady.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” she murmured. She thought about it for awhile. He and Hamm were silent, patiently waiting for her decision. Finally, she sighed and looked up at them. “When would we start?”
“Now.”
She squeaked. “Now?
“Right now, in fact. Before another minute passes and you have a chance to change your mind.” He grinned to let her know that he was kidding. Mostly.
“But... why now? Can I not have a day to...”
“No.” Hamm told her, gently but firmly. “In our experience, you will make yourself sick and frantic, worrying about this first time.”
“If we Initiate you tonight,” Drake said gently, “Then you will have no fear tomorrow, and you will be able to go to sleep without nightmares or anxiety. In fact, it’s our duty to make sure that you go to sleep with a satisfied smile on your face, and too tired to worry about anything else.”
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I'll post links once it goes live. :) 

And the cover, as it stands right now: 

 

Tuesday, January 8

Decision made... onward!

Okay, so it took some deliberation and finally took sending all versions of book two to a trusted friend to read through and give an opinion, but I have FINALLY decided which way to go with the sub-plots. Which means that there will definitely be a book three, utilizing and expanding on the sub-plot that won't be in book two. :)

That decision made, though, feels like a cork out of a bottle... now that a clear path has been made, things are rolling along again, and life is good. I now know where this is all going, and between what's already been written and what was in the other versions of this story, I should be able to finish book two relatively quickly. Which would rock, since it's already overdue in some folks' minds. :D  (okay, and I did say I was hoping to get it out before Christmas. Well, that's not happening, but looking at it now, Valentine's Day isn't completely out of the question... long shot, but not hopeless!)

So with all that in mind, I'll start posting teasers again, when I can. Stay tuned and sign up for updates, if you like. :) Hopefully, I'll have some nifty give-aways for book two, closer to time for it to come out. :)

Thanks for hanging in there with me!!!



Monday, January 7

New shop opening!

So at the urging of several folks (they know who they are!), I've created a Cafe Press shop for Bethany Aan and Ishira stuff. I've got one design up so far, but constructive feedback would be welcome, if folks wish to take a look:
www.cafepress.com/bethanyaan

Let me know what you think!

In other news... The working title for the second book has been changed so as not to get confused with another popular series in my genre. I'll release that title closer to the release date of the book.

I AM working on the book! I have two sub-plots to choose from, and I'm having a devil of a time trying to figure out which one should win. One moment, I'm positive it's the one, the next moment, I've changed my mind again. Argh! LOL

Ahhh... the joys of being a writer!

Either way, I've been assured that so far, it's going great... just have to figure out which way to go with it!

Tuesday, January 1

Welcome to 2013! May it be epic!

A new year has begun, with new goals and directions, and new opportunities.

I'm going to be crafting a bit more in 2013, but I'm hoping that I can discipline myself enough to craft AND write. If not, the writing stays, the crafting gets put on a back burner.

I have three books almost ready to come out, in varying stages of completion. The sequel to Hearts of Ishira is about 1/2-3/4 done, depending on which storyline I decide to go with. I have a novella that's mostly just erotica, but set in space. And then I have my NaNoWriMo story, which I need to get finished, edited, and out there. The novella is the closest to being done, but my characters rarely allow me to write in the order I prefer, so we'll see which story lets me write it first. :)

So the first book I shall read for 2013 is... my own. I need to get my head back into the world of Ishira, since it's been on Earth for more than a month, working on Christmas stuff, visiting with family, and enjoying the home-time with my honey. He starts student teaching this week, though, so I'm back to my first truly regular schedule in years... pretty much since we moved here to go to school, nearly 4 years ago. He graduates in May, and life is going to be pretty interesting till then, and after, as we decide where we want to go and what we want to do once he is licensed and has his degrees.

Here's to a new year, hopefully one that outshines all the others up till now, and DEFINITELY kicks 2012's hiney! While 2012 saw a life goal realized, I'm hoping that 2013 will cement that goal into a career that I can carry for the rest of my life. :)

Happy New Year, to all of you, and I hope that the coming year is fantastic for us all. :D

Much love,
Bethany