Newsletter ~ August-September 2008

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Hard to believe it's back-to-school time already. My youngest child started middle school this year. Where DOES the time go?

Since my last newsletter, Will & I learned that ArtiFactual was a finalist in the 2007 Dream Realm Awards. Alas, it didn't win. To have the book reach the finals when it's "barely" paranormal, though, was quite gratifying.

On the writing front, I'm just past the halfway point on my novella for Sapphistocated (see below for cover & details). Will & I are polishing our short story for Coming Together: At Last. It involves Vivian & Eddie from ArtiFactual. Both will be finished by the end of September.

The EPPIEs opened for entries yesterday. I'll be submitting both Spring Training (in the Contemporary Erotic Romance category) and Double Header (in the Erotica category) in addition to Coming Together: For Gabrielle (in the Poetry category) and Coming Together: With Pride (in the Anthology: Erotica category).

October will be dedicated to the edits for both volumes of Coming Together: At Last. Getting all the stories into the manuscript in an order that flows will be the most challenging part of that effort. The stories themselves need little in the way of editing.

In early November, I'm off to San Diego for my third year attending the La Jolla Writers Conference. I'll be flying one-way and driving back across the country with my partner, a first for me! Things will be a bit chaotic for a while as he settles in and we adjust to life together in meat space instead of in cyber space. Then, we're headlong into the holiday season.

December, it's back to work on my Urban Phaze novella (Succorae), the next book in the Erotique series (Missing Pieces). I'm hoping the latter will reach novel-length with its intricate time travel plot.

Until next time (which, looking at my schedule, might not be 'til 2009) ...

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

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New Releases & Coming Soon [TOP]

AVAILABLE NOW from CLEIS PRESS:
Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories
ISBN 978-1573443234 (print)

From a distinctly female perspective, lovers—committed and otherwise—explore the many ways oral sex can be an act of love, tenderness, and devotion, or a pure and unabashed sexual act. Readers will revel in the emotion and sensuality of this collection of stories, written by some of today's top erotica writers with the aim of creating full arousal.

Available at Amazon! Check out the all-star lineup and read editor Rachel Kramer Bussel's Introduction on the Tasting Him blog.

I'm thrilled to have "Down on the Beach" included in this collection.

COMING in OCTOBER from PHAZE:
Squeeze Play
ISBN 978-1-60659-053-9 (print)

The print collection of two e-novellas...
DOUBLE HEADER: Andrea Spring doesn't love baseball, but she sure loves baseball players. When her carefully-crafted casual sex life gets rocked by unexpected forces, she meets the challenge with her unique style. There's nothing conventional about this woman. When Andi plays, everybody wins.

SPRING TRAINING: Last season, Andrea Spring had the ride--or, rather, rides--or her life with a pair of pitchers in Double Header. As the new season rolls around, Andi's focus has shifted from players to coach. Does Mark Hamilton have what it takes to earn Andi's trust and complete Spring Training?
 

COMING in EARLY 2009 from PHAZE:
Sapphistocated: Tales of Mirror Geography
ISBN pending (print)

In The PowerBook, Jeannette Winterson writes:

"Sex between women is mirror geography. The subtlety of its secret--utterly the same, utterly different. You are a looking-glass world. You are the hidden place that opens to me on the other side of the glass. I touch your smooth surface and then my fingers sink through to the other side. You are what the mirror reflects and invents. I see myself, I see you, two, one, none. I don't know. Maybe I don't need to know."

Sapphistocated features four tales of mirror geography by four renowned authors of lesbian erotic fiction: Beth Wylde, Yeva Wiest, Jolie du Pré, and yours truly.

~ * ~

Interviews & Appearances [TOP]

On Saturday, September 13th, I'll be joining fellow Phaze author Bridget Midway at The Crucible's Leather Fleamarket and Play #17 in Washington, DC. I won't be sticking around for the "play" part of that event. Just not my scene, y'know? However, I'm looking forward to the fleamarket and hope to get a chance to browse the wares in addition to selling lots of books. It's on the south side of the city near the new Nationals ballpark. We'll be promoting the edgier side of Phaze's catalog, including Surrender (see the Featured Backlist Title below), Tilly Greene's Hot Couture, and more!

On the poetry blog, nada. Zip. Zilch. No time to emote. *sigh* Too busy being... well, busy.

Featured Backlist Title [TOP]

Surrender: Tales of Erotic Submission
ISBN 978-1-60659-036-2 (print)

Three Phaze best-selling BDSM ebooks plus my bonus, award-winning short comprise this print anthology:

• "Breaking Skye" by Eden Bradley

• "Submissive Secrets" by Eliza Gayle

• "Cupid's Captive" by Reese Gabriel

• "Listen to Me" by Alessia Brio :)

And the cover is sbsolutely gorgeous, if I do *cough* say so myself!