Finally wrote the ishy squishy love scene in Dark Consort. I've actually written about four of them so far. It has to happen in the book, but I'm having trouble PLACING it. It's a little frustrating.
I got a new eHarmony match today. One of his 'must haves' is his partner must be considered very attractive by society. Uh...why'd he want to get matched with me? I'm the epitome of NOT considered attractive by society! *laughs* But I have really awesome boobs, so it's not an issue.
The Romantic Times Booklover's convention is coming up. IN like four weeks. I had this goal of losing 15 pounds by then, but I think I'm going to settle for fitting into my size 14's comfortable. Yeah. Must easier. I'll save the major weight loss thing for post-RT, for Josh and Renee's wedding and the CONtext and AAD this summer.
I've got some new rules for art commissions now. I got stiffed, again, so there goes my natural good nature. From now on, for commissions under $100, I get paid up front. Over $100, pay half up front. I will not send watermark-free files until the second half of payment is in my account.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Wow.
I wish I wrote this book: And Falling, Fly by Skyler White
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Fly-Skyler-White/dp/0425232344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269751456&sr=8-1
It has got to be the single most elegant, gorgeous, amazingly written book I've ever read.
Look for an official review of the book at www.pretty-scary.net soon!
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Fly-Skyler-White/dp/0425232344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269751456&sr=8-1
It has got to be the single most elegant, gorgeous, amazingly written book I've ever read.
Look for an official review of the book at www.pretty-scary.net soon!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Buy one get one frreeee! Who doesn't love free ebooks??
If you buy my latest novel, Winterborn, I'll send you a free e-copy of any of the my other novels!! You can purchase Winterborn HERE.
What else have I written?
Swamp Baby
Curse, crazies, and cannibals, oh my!!
Suwannee lives in mortal fear of the swamp that borders her home. Generations of her family have been lost in the depths. Every night it calls to her, beckons her. Although her best friend Derry promises he won’t let anything ever happen to her, she wonders if she’ll ever be free of the deadly swamp’s siren song.
Michael loves the swamp with a passion, one that rivals that for his ex-wife. While she cowers in the shadow of the wetlands, he embraces it. When a vicious entity offers him an unimaginable power, he
seizes it, despite the horrible sacrifice he must make.
Before Michael can help Spirit-Mother claim Suwannee, something else from the swamp does. Derry and Michael join forces to rescue Suwannee from the horrors of Hertley’s Swamp, but will Derry be strong enough to defy his brother and save the woman he’s come to love?
Spirit-Mother: Devotion (the sequel to Swamp Baby--readable as a standalone novel!)
Five years after the horrific events in Hertley's Swamp, Derry is about to sell the Swamp Baby. Suwannee is still crazy, locked up in an institution, and Michael is still dead. Supposedly...
SPirit-Mother isn't happy that her sacrifice was stolen, and she's out to reclaim her prize. When horror returns to Hertley's Swamp and spreads beyond, Derry and a group of ragtag new friends must work together to save the entire state of Florida--if not the world! Suwannee is the key to salvation, but can Derry make the sacrifice?
Muse
Too good to be true.
After ten years, Miguel rushes to Leah’s rescue. When she truly needed him, he wasn’t there for her and she can’t forgive him. Despite their deep, psychic connection, she can’t find it in herself to forget. Even as they begin their new lives together, she can’t shake the fear he’ll disappear again.
He calls La Mariposa his Muse.
The vengeful spirit is out for blood. After several violent attacks against Leah, both she and her brother-in-law are convinced there is more to Miguel’s ‘ghost’ than anyone knows. As they struggle to uncover the truth, past resentments flare to life. An old rivalry sparks, but will their mutual love for Miguel dampen the flames before it’s too late to save the man they both love?
When terrible, bloody secrets are revealed…
Will Leah be strong enough to save Miguel? To save him, she has to face herself and what lurks inside her heart is the worst enemy of all.
A Year of You
The con was supposed to be simple. Get in, get the money, and get out. But the family that rejected Mattie has dark secrets, and someone will kill to keep her silent!
What else have I written?
Swamp Baby
Curse, crazies, and cannibals, oh my!!
Suwannee lives in mortal fear of the swamp that borders her home. Generations of her family have been lost in the depths. Every night it calls to her, beckons her. Although her best friend Derry promises he won’t let anything ever happen to her, she wonders if she’ll ever be free of the deadly swamp’s siren song.
Michael loves the swamp with a passion, one that rivals that for his ex-wife. While she cowers in the shadow of the wetlands, he embraces it. When a vicious entity offers him an unimaginable power, he
seizes it, despite the horrible sacrifice he must make.
Before Michael can help Spirit-Mother claim Suwannee, something else from the swamp does. Derry and Michael join forces to rescue Suwannee from the horrors of Hertley’s Swamp, but will Derry be strong enough to defy his brother and save the woman he’s come to love?
Spirit-Mother: Devotion (the sequel to Swamp Baby--readable as a standalone novel!)
Five years after the horrific events in Hertley's Swamp, Derry is about to sell the Swamp Baby. Suwannee is still crazy, locked up in an institution, and Michael is still dead. Supposedly...
SPirit-Mother isn't happy that her sacrifice was stolen, and she's out to reclaim her prize. When horror returns to Hertley's Swamp and spreads beyond, Derry and a group of ragtag new friends must work together to save the entire state of Florida--if not the world! Suwannee is the key to salvation, but can Derry make the sacrifice?
Muse
Too good to be true.
After ten years, Miguel rushes to Leah’s rescue. When she truly needed him, he wasn’t there for her and she can’t forgive him. Despite their deep, psychic connection, she can’t find it in herself to forget. Even as they begin their new lives together, she can’t shake the fear he’ll disappear again.
He calls La Mariposa his Muse.
The vengeful spirit is out for blood. After several violent attacks against Leah, both she and her brother-in-law are convinced there is more to Miguel’s ‘ghost’ than anyone knows. As they struggle to uncover the truth, past resentments flare to life. An old rivalry sparks, but will their mutual love for Miguel dampen the flames before it’s too late to save the man they both love?
When terrible, bloody secrets are revealed…
Will Leah be strong enough to save Miguel? To save him, she has to face herself and what lurks inside her heart is the worst enemy of all.
A Year of You
The con was supposed to be simple. Get in, get the money, and get out. But the family that rejected Mattie has dark secrets, and someone will kill to keep her silent!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Boomp ba-da-ba-da
I'm watching The Stand right now. It's the final part. I forgot how good (and corny) the movie is. And how incredibly ridiculous the floating Mother Abigail head is at the end. The montage of fallen survivors, though, I like. I LOVED Rob Lowe in this movie. I was in love with him for a long time (well, his character, more like it).
I read Shaun Jeffrey's DeadFall today. Took me all of an hour. It's amazing how easy it is to zone out while you're tramping away on a treadmill at a +10 incline. I love my ebook reader because I don't have to hold it open while trying to hang on to the top of blasted treadmill so I don't bounce off backwards at a steep incline.
Anyway, the book is awesome. It's a little heavy on the Resident Evil similarities, but it's good nonetheless. Since writing an original zombie novel is impossible, the true test of merit is in retelling the same old story, and how a writer can make it their own. Shaun definitely succeeded, even if Amber Redgrave reminded me quite a bit of Claire Redfield. I definitely recommend it. Shaun's writing voice is very engaging and you'll be captivated by the story very quickly. It's an easy, fun read. Go buy it! I don't have a buy-now link, so go to his website and check him out. http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/
I also finished Jill Marie Landis's novel, Heart of Stone. It's an inspirational historical romance. Pretty good. I enjoyed it. It's about a former prostitute who has turned her life around and made something of herself. She's content until the local preacher-man starts sniffing around. She's terrified of her past catching up with her and she's determined not to let her past tarnish his future. Landis's writing is beautiful--very flowing and smooth. She has a talent for description and characterization. I especially liked Laura's (the heroine) attitude toward Brand's (the hero) kids. She wasn't all motherly and mushy-gushy.
The book stalled for a little while in the middle. I felt like Laura just needed to suck it up and get over her hard-heartedness a little quicker. It got old after a while and I was getting antsy for some interaction between the hero and heroine that wasn't Laura completely rebuffing Brand's attentions. Other than that, it's a GREAT book and I recommend it! Her website is http://jillmarielandis.com/
If you're a fan of dark speculative fiction, horror movies, music, art, and books, check out www.pretty-scary.net. It's a place for women in horror, run by women in horror. We're there to support and encourage women in a genre that's dominated by our male counterparts. We rock, basically. YOu'll love us! Stop by and hang out on the forums for a while. You'll find some new friends, I promise! MEN are welcome--but if we get a whiff of excess testosterone, we won't hesitate to go feminist on your ass! Love us, support us, enjoy us, but RESPECT us!
I read Shaun Jeffrey's DeadFall today. Took me all of an hour. It's amazing how easy it is to zone out while you're tramping away on a treadmill at a +10 incline. I love my ebook reader because I don't have to hold it open while trying to hang on to the top of blasted treadmill so I don't bounce off backwards at a steep incline.
Anyway, the book is awesome. It's a little heavy on the Resident Evil similarities, but it's good nonetheless. Since writing an original zombie novel is impossible, the true test of merit is in retelling the same old story, and how a writer can make it their own. Shaun definitely succeeded, even if Amber Redgrave reminded me quite a bit of Claire Redfield. I definitely recommend it. Shaun's writing voice is very engaging and you'll be captivated by the story very quickly. It's an easy, fun read. Go buy it! I don't have a buy-now link, so go to his website and check him out. http://www.shaunjeffrey.com/
I also finished Jill Marie Landis's novel, Heart of Stone. It's an inspirational historical romance. Pretty good. I enjoyed it. It's about a former prostitute who has turned her life around and made something of herself. She's content until the local preacher-man starts sniffing around. She's terrified of her past catching up with her and she's determined not to let her past tarnish his future. Landis's writing is beautiful--very flowing and smooth. She has a talent for description and characterization. I especially liked Laura's (the heroine) attitude toward Brand's (the hero) kids. She wasn't all motherly and mushy-gushy.
The book stalled for a little while in the middle. I felt like Laura just needed to suck it up and get over her hard-heartedness a little quicker. It got old after a while and I was getting antsy for some interaction between the hero and heroine that wasn't Laura completely rebuffing Brand's attentions. Other than that, it's a GREAT book and I recommend it! Her website is http://jillmarielandis.com/
If you're a fan of dark speculative fiction, horror movies, music, art, and books, check out www.pretty-scary.net. It's a place for women in horror, run by women in horror. We're there to support and encourage women in a genre that's dominated by our male counterparts. We rock, basically. YOu'll love us! Stop by and hang out on the forums for a while. You'll find some new friends, I promise! MEN are welcome--but if we get a whiff of excess testosterone, we won't hesitate to go feminist on your ass! Love us, support us, enjoy us, but RESPECT us!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
WOO! Great review for Winterborn!
It's from Novel Musings Book Reviews!
With every book, you get reviews. Some are good, some are not so good. For me, personally, there's always just one that stands out above the others. So far, this one is it!
Winterborn
A.D. Roland
Winterborn is one of those novels that upon reading the first couple of pages you begin to wonder to yourself “hmm, I hope this story isn’t going to be the same as all the other horror/thriller stories I’ve read in the last few years”. Don’t worry with every passing page A.D. Roland pulls in details and elements common in other stories in the genre and creates an a verifiable nightmare that is unique in and of itself. A story that is sure to leave you spell bound well past the last turn of the page.
The story begins 18 years prior to the main story arc where a group of 4 teenage friends have decided to sneak into the old Wraithborne Estate. Local legend has the mansion being haunted and is the #1 make out spot for young lovers. Their visit starts off bad and goes down hill fast as they find that the police officer keeping on eye on the house has been brutally killed, followed by a strange creature that scares them into the mansion and comes in after them. The terror only ends when an ancient wasted woman attacks Sharla causing her to lose consciousness.
This dark tale picks up with Tamsyn, an artist her husband Sean and his bastard child Kevin having recently moved back into his family’s home which just happens to be the original house of the caretakers of the Wraithborne Estate. The family dynamics quickly turn dark as you learn that Kevin’s mother is Sharla, the young lady attacked those many years ago, and that Sean was having an affair with her for most of his marriage with Tamsyn. Tamsyn only recently learning this information has resorted to drugs to cope with her feelings and marriage issues.
What follows is a psychological nightmare of monsters, demons, and magic that at first appear to the be the hallucinations of a deranged, drug addicted mind that slowly reveals itself to be a dark and horrifying reality. This story will continue to surprise you as each twist and turn in the plot unravels leaving you doubting what you know and just what evil lerks at the Wraithborne Estate.
A.D. Roland captivates your attention by spinning realistic characters rich in emotion and history. One of the most refreshing aspect of her writing is that both Sean and Tamsyn have very complex personalities and both play a major role in the plot. Due to this there are a few events that leave you doubting who the actual lead character is making it very difficult for the reader to know what is going to happen. In some cases A.D. Roland flipped the outcome of events to be the complete opposite of my expectations making the story all the more enjoyable.
Throughout the story we are introduced to many supporting characters, however their part in the story is restricted to when they interact with the lead characters. This enables some very central characters do not make there initial appearance until the end of the novel, leaving the reader to learn the underlying plot only when the character themselves learn it.
Winterborn will drag you along a dark and haunting road through the live of a psychologically damaged mind. You will enjoy every jarring minute as the line between reality, the supernatural, and hallucinations blur leaving you lost as to what demons A.D. Roland will unleash next.
You can buy Winterborn at www.allromanceebooks.com, and you can find excerpts in older blogposts!
With every book, you get reviews. Some are good, some are not so good. For me, personally, there's always just one that stands out above the others. So far, this one is it!
Winterborn
A.D. Roland
Winterborn is one of those novels that upon reading the first couple of pages you begin to wonder to yourself “hmm, I hope this story isn’t going to be the same as all the other horror/thriller stories I’ve read in the last few years”. Don’t worry with every passing page A.D. Roland pulls in details and elements common in other stories in the genre and creates an a verifiable nightmare that is unique in and of itself. A story that is sure to leave you spell bound well past the last turn of the page.
The story begins 18 years prior to the main story arc where a group of 4 teenage friends have decided to sneak into the old Wraithborne Estate. Local legend has the mansion being haunted and is the #1 make out spot for young lovers. Their visit starts off bad and goes down hill fast as they find that the police officer keeping on eye on the house has been brutally killed, followed by a strange creature that scares them into the mansion and comes in after them. The terror only ends when an ancient wasted woman attacks Sharla causing her to lose consciousness.
This dark tale picks up with Tamsyn, an artist her husband Sean and his bastard child Kevin having recently moved back into his family’s home which just happens to be the original house of the caretakers of the Wraithborne Estate. The family dynamics quickly turn dark as you learn that Kevin’s mother is Sharla, the young lady attacked those many years ago, and that Sean was having an affair with her for most of his marriage with Tamsyn. Tamsyn only recently learning this information has resorted to drugs to cope with her feelings and marriage issues.
What follows is a psychological nightmare of monsters, demons, and magic that at first appear to the be the hallucinations of a deranged, drug addicted mind that slowly reveals itself to be a dark and horrifying reality. This story will continue to surprise you as each twist and turn in the plot unravels leaving you doubting what you know and just what evil lerks at the Wraithborne Estate.
A.D. Roland captivates your attention by spinning realistic characters rich in emotion and history. One of the most refreshing aspect of her writing is that both Sean and Tamsyn have very complex personalities and both play a major role in the plot. Due to this there are a few events that leave you doubting who the actual lead character is making it very difficult for the reader to know what is going to happen. In some cases A.D. Roland flipped the outcome of events to be the complete opposite of my expectations making the story all the more enjoyable.
Throughout the story we are introduced to many supporting characters, however their part in the story is restricted to when they interact with the lead characters. This enables some very central characters do not make there initial appearance until the end of the novel, leaving the reader to learn the underlying plot only when the character themselves learn it.
Winterborn will drag you along a dark and haunting road through the live of a psychologically damaged mind. You will enjoy every jarring minute as the line between reality, the supernatural, and hallucinations blur leaving you lost as to what demons A.D. Roland will unleash next.
You can buy Winterborn at www.allromanceebooks.com, and you can find excerpts in older blogposts!
AAAAAArrrttt
Art. Love it. Love seeing it, love making it. I have spent the last few years working on digital techniques, photoshop and all that jazz. It's fun and I love, it but somethign Billy Tackett said to me at a convention has stuck with me. "The computer is a tool."
So Over the last couple of years, I've tried to balance the digital art with traditional mediums. I am never far from a drawing pad (better texture, vs a sketch pad) and graphite or charcoal. I prefer woodless graphite. A little messier, but you can get such a variation in line and shade! When I started school again, I made sure to register for as many art classes as possible. You can see my work in my deviantart account. www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
I still love digital art. After spending three years working solely on book covers, I'm doing my own digital art now. I've done some horror themed stuff, and I'm about to start a gothic-cover-art-themed series. Check it out! Again, the link is www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
So Over the last couple of years, I've tried to balance the digital art with traditional mediums. I am never far from a drawing pad (better texture, vs a sketch pad) and graphite or charcoal. I prefer woodless graphite. A little messier, but you can get such a variation in line and shade! When I started school again, I made sure to register for as many art classes as possible. You can see my work in my deviantart account. www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
I still love digital art. After spending three years working solely on book covers, I'm doing my own digital art now. I've done some horror themed stuff, and I'm about to start a gothic-cover-art-themed series. Check it out! Again, the link is www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Hey everybody!
How's it going? Good here. Sorry about the no posting...I started school and things have been innssssaaannneee! I'm only taking three classes, but one of those is an art class that takes up six hours a week. Doesn't seem like a lot until you're sitting on an art donkey with an artboard on your thighs for three hours a day, twice a week! It's a lot of fun, though. I've been posting my assignments to my deviantart account, so you can see my progress.
Winterborn came out in December, and literally the day after it went live, I got an email from an agent I forgot I'd queried, wanting to see a partial! So while it's for sale, the print release is on hold until I hear back from the agent. As much as I love WB and want to see it in print, having a chance to get my work in front of an agent is worth delaying the print, even if that means I won't have a new release with me at Romantic Times this year.
I just found out I'm going to be FEATURED in The Horror Zine in their May issue! I'm so excited. They've featured some kick-ass artists, and it's an honor to be up there with them! I have a new loosely-connected series that they'll post in their ezine-- you can get a sneak peak at it by checking out my dA gallery. www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
On the writing front. Wow. I had a short story I was fleshing out a little bit for TEase Publishing's Unseelie anthology. Laugh with me, now. The story began as an 8k word short. Now, it's stretched waaaaaay out to this 62k word and growing epic fantasy. *facepalm*
BUt I LOVE this story. It features two of my favorite characters, half-Seelie Kaeda, a feisty healer mage, and Ceron, the cold-hearted half-Unseelie king of a damned nation who manipulates her into coming to his castle. He claims her as his consort, and even though he's a total ass, she sees the beauty hidden behind the beast. Cast out by her own people--who change their mind when they realize she's nearly fae royalty, Kaeda searches for a purpose in life and finds it when she learns she can break the curse that binds Ceron and his dying lands.
I'm hoping to wrap that story up in time to pitch at RT this year. In addition to Dark Consort, I have another book, a contemporary inspirational women's fiction novel called 'Something Beautiful', about a quarter finished.
I keep telling myself I should write just one genre. I don't know though...I have so many stories to tell!!
All right, kids are home from their 'sperm donor's' house, so I'm out.
Check out www.rorreviews.wordpress.com and www.swampdweller.wordpress.com for new book reviews!
Ash
Winterborn came out in December, and literally the day after it went live, I got an email from an agent I forgot I'd queried, wanting to see a partial! So while it's for sale, the print release is on hold until I hear back from the agent. As much as I love WB and want to see it in print, having a chance to get my work in front of an agent is worth delaying the print, even if that means I won't have a new release with me at Romantic Times this year.
I just found out I'm going to be FEATURED in The Horror Zine in their May issue! I'm so excited. They've featured some kick-ass artists, and it's an honor to be up there with them! I have a new loosely-connected series that they'll post in their ezine-- you can get a sneak peak at it by checking out my dA gallery. www.asharceneaux.deviantart.com.
On the writing front. Wow. I had a short story I was fleshing out a little bit for TEase Publishing's Unseelie anthology. Laugh with me, now. The story began as an 8k word short. Now, it's stretched waaaaaay out to this 62k word and growing epic fantasy. *facepalm*
BUt I LOVE this story. It features two of my favorite characters, half-Seelie Kaeda, a feisty healer mage, and Ceron, the cold-hearted half-Unseelie king of a damned nation who manipulates her into coming to his castle. He claims her as his consort, and even though he's a total ass, she sees the beauty hidden behind the beast. Cast out by her own people--who change their mind when they realize she's nearly fae royalty, Kaeda searches for a purpose in life and finds it when she learns she can break the curse that binds Ceron and his dying lands.
I'm hoping to wrap that story up in time to pitch at RT this year. In addition to Dark Consort, I have another book, a contemporary inspirational women's fiction novel called 'Something Beautiful', about a quarter finished.
I keep telling myself I should write just one genre. I don't know though...I have so many stories to tell!!
All right, kids are home from their 'sperm donor's' house, so I'm out.
Check out www.rorreviews.wordpress.com and www.swampdweller.wordpress.com for new book reviews!
Ash
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