anyabast

Blog URL Change!

2006-12-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

I have moved! Mostly because WordPress runs Big Bloggity Circles around Blogger.

Kindly redirect your links to: http://anyabastblog.com/

If you're not instantly redirected, please go here for my blog.

Thank you!!

Five Things Meme

2006-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Tagged by that voluptous mistress of erotic romance, Lauren Dane.

Five Crazy Things About Me Meme.

1.) I will react violently and involuntarily if anyone puts their hands around my throat. I can't stand turtlenecks or chokers either.

2.) When I was three I plucked a big hairy spider off the side of the house and ate it. The folklore in my family is that's why I became a writer (that whole "spinning a web" thing).

3.) We have eight cats (and one well-pampered outdoor moocher) because stray felines seem to have Sucker Radar, upon which we shine vibrantly.

4.) I took years of Russian language, but all I can say is "Here is St. Basil's Cathedral".

5.) I am a frequent lucid dreamer and often "wake up" in the middle of nightmares...which sucks.

It's really scary how easy that meme was to do. I'm just sayin'

I tag...Patrice Michelle, and Daisy Dexter Dobbs

Review for Ellora's Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis Volume IV

2006-12-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ellora's Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis Volume IV -- by, Anya Bast,Charlotte Boyett-Compo, Lena Matthews, Kris Starr, N.J. Walters & Ravyn Wilde

Reviewed By: Elise Logan for Romance Divas

"I love these anthologies – if for no other reason than they introduce you to a number of authors you might not otherwise read. In this collection, the stories run from fantasy to contemporary; from paranormal to the guy next door. The stories are very strong individually, with Anya Bast's Getting Slayed and N.J. Walters' Shadows Stir being the strongest offerings."

Getting Slayed by Anya Bast

Bast's contribution is one of the most entertaining stories I've read in a long while. It's a definite twist on the "hero slays dragon to win the princess" fairy tale, and it is by turns hilarious and hot.

Dreams of the Oasis IV releases on Thursday, December 21st at Ellora's Cave!!

Telepathy -- and a pub date change for Witch Fire!!

2006-12-15T04:09:00.000-08:00

My husband and I recently had a series of immunization shots in preparation for a trip to a developing country:

My husband: "My arm hurts."

Me: (teasing) "Oh, poor baby. You're so fragile. You're like a leetle flower who needs many kisses."

My husband: (stares for a moment) "That's so wierd. I was just about to (jokingly) say the exact thing. I mean the exact same thing."

This isn't an uncommon thing for us. It's like we read each other's mind without even knowing we're doing it. Do you do that with your spouse? I'm interested to know. :)

~*~

In other news....

Witch Fire publication date has been moved up to June 2007!! Whee!!!!

I'm so excited for you all to read about Mira and Jack. I enjoyed writing their story so much. I think my characters are what I love most about writing. I fall in love with them. I hope you will too.

I am planning to soon add an excerpt of Witch Fire to my web site, so watch for that to appear within the next few days.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

The day before Thanksgiving. Well, we call it "un-Thanksgiving" around here because my father has political problems with Thanksgiving as a holiday (don't ask. LOL). I call it a day where I get together with my family. I love them, despite their many, many, many quirks.

That strange family gathers at our house tomorrow for a huge meal. We generally always do Thanksgiving at our house because we have this huge Amish-made dining room table that sits like twelve people. :) We're also all making donations to the local food bank for Christmastime.

So today I'm cleaning the house and making the sweet potatoes. These are really good sweet potatoes (I just follow the recipe. I take no credit!). If anyone wants the recipe, I can post it.

Every Turkey Day, I get up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade because I LOVE watching the parade. I'm not sure why, but I've loved it ever since I was a kid. Then I start cooking. It's a yearly constant I look forward to.

I'm also writing today. I have so much writing to do! Ack! Today I'm working on the truly stressful bit on my plate -- the proposal for the sequel to Witch Fire. Aaaaaack! *falls over*

So, writing, cooking and cleaning for me today. I'm an erotic domestic goddess. :) :)

Thirteen things I'm thankful for today:

1. That I have a family to cook for tomorrow.

2. For the extra few pounds on my body because it means I have never known hunger.

3. For my husband, who after eleven years, still seems to actually love me as much as I love him.

4. For readers because without them I wouldn't be able to do the thing I most love. You all are extraordinary in your enthusiam, friendliness and openness. Thank you. :)

5. For booksellers. There are some booksellers out there whom I just adore, booksellers who know so much about our genre and infect others with their passion for reading our books. Thank you.

6. That I have access to health care. Seems mundane, but it's something never to be taken for granted.

7. For the personal knowledge that I can only control my own reality and perceptions, no one else's.

8. For the peace in my heart and my ability to accept...because it's the journey that counts.

9. For all my memories and experiences, be they good or bad, and for every single person who has ever influenced them, because they shaped me into the person I am today.

10. For my fur babies because they make me laugh and teach me about unconditional love every single day.

11. For my ability to be content with simple things and not feel a need to always have "bigger" or "better" than someone else.

12. For my friends. I hope I can support them half as well as they support me.

13. For writing. Writing, writing, writing. :)

What are you thankful for?

And some news!!!

2006-11-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

I sold a novella called The Deal to Harlequin Spice!! It is a super hot contemporary story about a woman who plays a series of blackjack games for sexual stakes.

It will be in an anthology called What Happens in Vegas.... along with stories from EC's own Lauren Dane, Jodi Lynn Copeland and Kit Tunstall! It will be released in Spring of 2008.

Whee!

I promise I'll make an honest-to-goddess update tomorrow. I have lots of things to say, just no time to say them.

Congrats!!

2006-11-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Lauren Dane for her two releases today -- Taking Chase (from Samhain) and Thrice United (from Ellora's Cave.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Upcoming Chats and a Party!

2006-11-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Holiday Party on the Silver Purr Loop:

We're throwing a Holiday party on Friday, December 8th, 9am to 5pm eastern, on my Silver Purr loop!! There will be lots of yummy excerpts and prizes, great conversation and lots of fun!

If you're not a member, you can sign up here.

Upcoming Chats:

Join me at Writerspace on December 17th at 8 PM EST at Writerspace to chat about Gettting Slayed, my novella in the upcoming Ellora's Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis IV anthology.

The Maverick Authors will be doing our next chat on November 21 at 8:30 pm eastern. Come and join us in the chatroom at our website. We'll be giving away prizes as usual and having a great time chatting.

I'm back!!

2006-11-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

I'm back from ten days in Europe!!! It's so good to be home. Crawling into my warm, soft bed last night surrounded by my purring kitties after a very, very long journey was better than sex. I'm sick (of course). I have a sore throat, fever and a sinus infection from a combo of cold weather, not enough sleep and a delicious yet not very healthy diet.

Kids, do not attempt 12 hours total in an airplane with a sinus infection. It is a.) very, very, very, very uncomfortable and b.) dangerous because of the pressure changes. I'm just glad I'm home.

Here are some pictures from our day in Gay Paris!!!

We got up at O dark hundred took the Talys (High-speed train) from Brussles to Paris. We arrived at the Gare du Nord where we hopped onto the metro that let us out on the Rue de Rivoli, which is a street near the Louve with a lot of shops and stuff. When we reached the Rue de Rivioli we spied a brassier on a corner and ducked in for a petit dejeuner aka breakfast. That's my husband and I enjoying hot chocolate, croissant and some cereal.

L (our friend who came with us) and my husband enjoying same.

After that we walked down the Rue de Rivoli to the Louve, walked around a bit sightseeing, then caught a bus that goes around to all the major sights of Paris. You can get on and off as you choose, so it was a good deal for us since we only had one day here. We went to Notre Dame and then to......

The Eiffel Tower from the museum plaza across the street, taken from the top of the bus and with a tad of L's hair.

Me and my husband at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

L got this shot of us kissing at the base.

Taken from the second tier of the Eiffel Tower. It was very hazy that day (and cold!!!) so we didn't go all way to the top. You couldn't see anything from up there because of the crappy conditions.

After that we hopped back on the bus and went to the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysees and the Arc du Triomphe. The traffic circles around the Place de la Concorde and Arc du Triomphe are enough to give a person a heart attack, by the way.

Then we hopped out somewhere near L'Opera and got some lunch in a very smoky cafe. The smoke over there is incredible. We're so spoiled with the no smoking laws here in the US. I felt like I was smoking a pack a day. I'd forgotten about that little bit of nastiness.

My husband and L at lunch in Paris

My lunch -- a Croque Monsieur and a salad.

Then we abandoned the bus for the Metro and headed to my favorite place -- Monmartye. Here is a shot of L and my husband in front of the Basilique de Sacre Coeur.

We sat in a little outdoor cafe and had wine, mine was mulled and deliciously warmed, while L....

... had her portrait done by one of the many artists in the square.

God, we were tourists from Hell. It was great.

Then we hopped the Talys again.....

...missing la Greve (a strike) by the train workers by mere hours. Since we were so close to strike time, the train was slower (on purpose, so the workers could make their point) and they kept flicking the lights off.

We got back to Brussles at almost midnight totally exhausted from over 13 hours on foot in Paris, but my mother-in-law (who picked us up from the train station) insisted on buying us a beer at a pub in the Grand Place.

"Please, the beer is wonderful, but we want to sleeeeeep!!"

Did you know...

2006-10-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

Did you know I have a newsletter? I do! It's called The Sultry Pen. Did you know that I'm writing a free story for my newsletter subscribers? I am! The fourth part of my free story Tranquility will go into the next edition of The Sultry Pen!! You can catch up on the story (complete with original typos!) in the last edition, posted in the archives for subscribers.

And just when you thought I couldn't possibly use any more exclamation points.... I even give away prizes every month in random drawings. They're GOOD prizes too, like $20 GCs to Amazon.com, free books, and chocolate! November's prize is a Border's gift card.

Here's a link to join.

Please note that the excerpts and the free story are hot, so no one under 18 may join. Thanks for your understanding.

Backgrounds & Black Cats

2006-10-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

Yay!!! The background is fixed. Pretty, isn't it?

We recently had someone over at our house who, upon running into Kitty, our outdoor stray (honestly, he's not much of a stray. He's pretty spoiled and well taken care of) commented on the "unluckiness" of having him hang around...and maneuvered so he could not cross her path.

Here is a picture of Kitty:

I was offended for all of blackcatdom.

This is the second time I've heard this strange superstition openly expressed. The first time we were at a resort in Mexico where there were several stray cats. One of them (scenting we had "sucker" written all over us) followed us back to our room, where we invited him in and ordered him room service (a hot dog).

Anyway, one of these cats was black. A drunk woman saw the black cat and raised hell, yelling about bad luck and why doesn't the resort round up all the black cats and drown them.

:-/

There have been few times in my life I've wanted to punch someone, but this was definitely one of those times.

An animal shelter volunteer once told me that they can't adopt black cats out. That if you go into the cat room on any given day, the overwhelmingly majority of cats are black. Mostly, I don't get it. Why don't people like black cats? Why do people persist in these silly superstitions in the year 2006?

Personally, I adore black cats. We have three. Kitty, Wiggle and Kokopop. They are sleek and beautiful. They have attitude. They can blend into the shadows for superior stalking ability.

Basically, black cats rule.

So do me a favor and be nice to a black cat this Halloween. Out of all the different colored cats in the world, they have it the worst.

Blog Difficulties and Dreaming

2006-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

If you visited my blog in the last couple days you may have seen a funky background (pretty, but not oriented properly to my blog) and it was probably hard to read. Luckily a very helpful person alerted me to this problem.

Seems the background that was being hosted remotely was changed. My fault. I should have been hosting the background myself. Duh. Anyway, this background is a temporary fix. A bit bright and hard on the eyes, isn't it? I'll have it adjusted as soon as I can.

Dreams....

I've been having very vivid dreams lately. I tend to go through cycles of vivid dreams that I remember in the morning and cycles of non-dreaming (or at least I don't remember them).

Vivid dreaming has been something I've done since childhood. I still remember some dreams I had as a child. When I reached young adulthood, I began to lucid dream.

A lucid dream is when your sense of self "wakes up" during the dream. You realize you're dreaming and you may be able, if you have the ability, to alter the dream itself. Lucid dreaming is an unmistakable occurrence. You KNOW when you've had one. It's like being in reality -- you can touch, smell, feel, ect -- except the world is surreal. The couch is on the ceiling or Cookie Monster is in your living room. (Both have happen to me)

In lucid dreams I have crawled on the carpet (and experienced the scratch of it under my knees and hands) chasing darting shadows that felt smooth and silky between my fingers. I have caught snowflakes on my tongue and flown over a patchwork quilt of the countryside. In dreams anything is possible.

I'm fascinated by dreaming and lucid dreaming and probably have every book ever written on the subject. If you're interested, I highly recommend the works of Robert Moss. He's done a lot of research on dreaming cultures of indigenous peoples, shamanic dreaming and the like. Fascinating stuff.

I haven't had a lucid dream in a long time. Since I don't have the time or energy to induce lucid dreams, mostly they only happen spontaneously these days. I am, like I said, dreaming vividly though.

Sometimes, like last night, I'll dream about a place and then I'll revisit that place over and over. These aren't recurring dreams because the cast of characters and the situation are different. The symbols are different. The place, however, is the same. I dream sometimes of roads that twist through forests. Narrow in places, they flood easily and quickly. That where I was last night, trapped on the end of a quickly flooding road and a thunderstorm rising in the distance.

Ominous, huh? I still haven't figured out what it means, but I do think it means something to me. Pulled from our subconscious, I believe each dream we have is a message from us to us.

There is value in remembering and interpreting our dreams. If you can't remember your dreams, there are ways to enhance your ability to recall. If you do a Google search, you can come up with many web sites packed with info on ways to do this. Most effective is simply staying quiet for a couple minutes after you wake. Don't move. Don't turn over. Don't do anything but allow the flood of memories to enter your mind. Keeping a dream diary is very effective too.

What's your take on dreaming?

Yayness!!

2006-10-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

The ever-lovely Patrice Michelle was kind enough to alert me to this great post on Dear Author for WATER CRYSTAL. They are TOUGH over there, so I am very content that this book was enjoyed. :) :)

Check it out!

Backache gone, but now I have a cold

2006-10-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

Either that or it's very bad allergies.

For the last two weeks I suffered some kind of back injury. I thought it might be sciatica but, in hindsight, I THINK it came from toting my computer into Best Buy to be fixed while wearing high heels. Don't try that at home, kiddos. I'm just sayin'.

But the back is (mostly) healed. Now I have a cold. I'll take a cold over a hurt back, though.

There is a good thing that came out of it. I learned about ergonomics. It's an important thing for us folks who spend a lot of time at computers.

Now I'm sniffing and sneezing and researching demons amongst discarded Kleenex. *rubs hand together with glee* I love me some demon research. Heee!! *Achoo*

RT Gives Seduced in Twilight Four Stars!

2006-10-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Romantic Times Book Review magazine gave four stars to Seduced in Twilight in their November issue.

"Bast's enticing story focuses on male warrior partners who discover that their "third" is a female, and that she will be bonded to them for plenty of time in the future. While the story contains contains deliciously sexy menage moments, there are no male-on-male scenes. The attention focuses on Olivia's relationships with Mason and Will as individuals.

Yee ha!

Chat TONIGHT!!

2006-10-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight at 6pm pacific/9pm eastern, the Maverick Authors are going to
be chatting over in the chat room on our website.

Come on by and say hello. I'll be giving away your choice of DL from my backlist and Lauren is giving away an ARC of Cascadia
Wolves: Tri Mates. I'm sure Megan will be giving something away too.

Come by for fun, prizes and bawdy tawk!!

All about the ergonomics

2006-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Oookaaaay, I understand now. I bow to the God of Erognomics and pay my penance with the back pain of a thousand exploding stars.

I have seen the error of my ways and foulness of my past practice of bad posture. No more will I sit Indian-style on my chair, or slouch with my feet up as I type.

I offer you, O God of Erognomics, these sacrifices of lumbar support pad and sloping butt pad thingie with tail bone cut out.

Be appeased.

I'm in the ninth circle of sciatica hell.

2006-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

It's messing with my sex life and it's making me cranky.

It is marginally better today. At least I'm not suffering the pain of a million exploding stars when I sneeze anymore. I can also get in and out of bed without needing my husband to help me, thus making me feel as though I'm about 95 years old.

But I do smell like Ben Gay. And I'm wearing my rumpled PJ bottoms, slipper socks and sweatshirt from yesterday. And I haven't brushed my hair or washed my face. I am totally HAWT. Fear me.

And you will only pry the Tylenol and my heating pad out of my fingers when I am dead and cold. Tylenol and a heating pad ROCK.

So, since I'm all bolted in place for the day, I thought I write up a FAQ of sorts. These are some answers to some frequently asked questions:

1. Will Rowan from Ordinary Charm ever get a book?

I do plan to write her story. I have a few other things in the pipeline first, but I have always wanted to explain what was happening to her while her sister, Serena, was off hunting down demons and having hot witch sex with Cole.

2. Will Killian from A Change of Season ever get a book?

I don't actually plan to write his story at this time. I wrote five books in the world the Seasons of Pleasure series was set and I got a little burned out on it. I needed to move on to other places/series.

That doesn't mean that one day I might not get up a wild hair and decide to tell his story, but there's no plan for that right now. In my head he went off after the end of A Change of Season, found the perfect woman and settled down.

3. What's going to happen to Dray from Blood of the Raven and Blood of the Damned? Will he get a book?

I really want to write his story. Obviously, I have much on my plate, but I enjoy Drayden very much. I think because he's a redeemable bad guy and I LOVE my bad guys...esp when they're redeemable. At the moment he's in a not-very-nice place, paying for his past sins. Hopefully I can get him out of there and tell his side of things one day.

4. When's Adam getting a book?

He's next up. I do plan to start his just as soon as I can. It's this little matter of too many books to write and not enough time. He's on the docket, though.

5. When does your first Berkley Sensation book come out and what is it about?

The release month has been switched around a little. Right now it's scheduled for an August 2007 release. I've been saying "summer of 2007".

Witch Fire features Mira, a witch who never knew she was a witch. Mira has some extraordinarly powers that a group of warlocks want to steal for themselves. To thwart their attempts, Jack, a fire witch, is sent in by the Coven to act as a bodyguard to Mira.

Jack has many secrets and a past that intersects with Mira's. They also share an explosive sexual attraction that complicates just about everything.

Obviously, that's not the official blurb. I'm just blathering on. One day I'll have an official blurb and it will be SO MUCH better than one. The book is a paranormal romance and it's spicy hot.

6. When does Blood of the Damned [or other title] come out in print?

I have absolutely no information on this at all. If you want to help get Blood of the Damned out quicker, write to Ellora's Cave and tell them so. :) service@ellorascave.com

In the meantime, check out all the titles I do have in print.

7. Do you feel like killing someone because of the sciatica?

With a powerful will. (Okay, I just threw that one in there.)

8. Where do you get your ideas from?

Oh, god...everywhere and nowhere. I come up with the characters first. I define them, get to know them. Then they tell me their stories. Sounds crazy? Yes, yes...I know. At least I'm not hearing any voices in my head...yet.

Thank you so much for all your emails and comments. I savor each and every one. :)

Pain & Books

2006-10-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

Personally, I prefer books.

I pulled a muscle in my left hip. Well, I guess I pulled a muscle in my left hip. All I know is that something in my left hip is shooting searing jolts of pain as bright as freaking solar flares down my left leg when I : 1. move wrong, 2. bend over, (oh, that's a BAD thing to do right now), 3. laugh, 4. sneeze (also really bad. There is the white-hot pain of a thousand, million suns when I sneeze), 5. exist and/or breathe.

It started yesterday and caused me an extremely restless night. It's worse this morning. I have NO IDEA what I did. I must've moved wrong or something. Sitting here in the computer chair is painful, but it's a tolerable pain. Hopefully it won't affect my writing today. If the pain is still there tomorrow I suppose I'll have to schlep myself into the doctor's office.

In other news, I LOVE Market Spice Tea. It's incredibly yummy. Especially when it's 30 degrees outside, like it is now. I brought some back for my mother, but now I wish I'd brought some back for everyone. It's a very strong tea, kind of cinnamony and citrusy all at once. It doesn't need milk or sugar. Lovely stuff.

I bought it when my husband and I went to Seattle this past weekend to hang out with Lauren Dane. Naaah nah!! I got to hang out with Lauren Dane and you didn't! *blows raspberry* because I'm sooo mature like that.

Anyway, I discovered this new tea and now I'm addicted. Must. Have. More. Market Spice tea!

In bookish news...I just finished Dead Man Rising, by Lilth Saintcrow. It's a sequel to Working for the Devil (I suggest reading in order). It was very good. It made me cry! I finished it up on the plane coming back from Seattle on Sunday and whimpered my way to the end. There's one more in the series to be released and I can't wait for it.

Right now I'm reading The Hoax, by Adrienne Jones -- This is speculative fiction. Well-written, intelligent and surreal. My favorite combo. I love the characters. They grabbed me from the first page.

Other books I recently purchased: (There's even some romance in there. Funnily enough, I don't read a lot of it because I write it.)

Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
Seduced by Magic, Cheyenne McCray
Witching, Yasmine Galenorn
Master of Swords, Angela Knight
Black Powder War, Naomi Novik

NOW I'm off to write, if my left hip will let me.

Plogging, blogging, life and housecleaning

2006-10-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

So I started "plogging" today over on Amazon.com, something I've been meaning to do for a very long time. Plogging made me think of blogging, so now I'm doing that too. Erm...plogging really IS blogging, right? Yeah...thought so.

So it's a beautifully chilly fall day. My favorite kind. I've got quite a list of things to do today. I need to take our desktop computer, just returned from the Geek Squad after two weeks of them "fixing" it, back into be "fixed" again. Grrrr. I think I have to get my bitch on this time. I hate getting my bitch on.

I need to clean my house! Well, okay, I want to clean my house and, you know, even romance writers have to scrub their toilets. It's cold outside, I have candles burning, and I'm nesting. I feel all domestic and have a yen to make chili and old fashioned chocolate cake for dinner.

Can I mention how much I love my washing machine? I can stuff our entire king-size comforter in there, which means I don't have to schlep all the way to the laundromat and be assaulted by cute children who want to rip keys off my AlphaSmart and steal my quarters (which is exactly what happened the last time I was there).

I also plan to write at least 3k on my new proposal for Berkley Sensation. This book is the sequel to Witch Fire (releasing next summer). I'm itching to get my hands on this book and there are chores standing between me and it. Somehow I think the chores need to go bye-bye.

Witch Fire is finished and turned in. It's the story of Mira, a witch with extraordinary magickal gifts. When a group of warlocks hunt her with the intent to steal her power, Jack, a fire witch, is sent in to be her bodyguard. You'll have to read the book to see the kind of heat they generate.

The next book has the bland working title of "Earth Magick". It probably won't stay Earth Magick, but I need to call it something. I adore my characters in Witch Fire and, as Thomas and Isabelle bloom in my mind, I can tell I'm going to love them too.

So, through the course of this blog I've realized the Geek Squad can HANG, the house can get messier and we're having tomato soup for dinner. My writing fingers itch. :)

American Title II Fionalist -- Cathy Pegau!

2006-10-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

One of my crit partners, Cathy Pegau, recently finalled in RT's American Title II competition with her wonderful novel Haunted!!

Watch this author because you'll be seeing her often in the future. I can say with all assurance that her writing is delectable. To boot, she's a witty, humble, friendly author with a great sense of humor. (Her heroes are very yummy too).

Check out her recent introductory blog post over on the Title Wave blog!

I Luuuurve This!!

2006-09-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Some of my covers in a slideshow:

Doggie Rescue

2006-09-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine rescue neglected/abandoned/abused animals and they have some very special dogs for adoption right now. I've met them and I must say they are all exceptional pooches -- very friendly and affectionate. I just love them all!!

They have been neglected in the past (but not abused). These days they've been pampered, seen to numerous times by vets, spayed/neutered, and microchipped. They're all healthy, happy and looking for Forever Homes!

If you live in Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois, Southern Ohio, Kentucky or Tennesee and might be interested in adopting one of these dogs, email me at anyabast (at) yahoo.com and I'll get you in touch with the proper folks. They can tell you more about each individual dog.

These dogs are looking for stable, loving homes where they will always have enough to eat, people to scratch their bellies and take them for walks. They want people who will commit to them seriously. So please don't inquire unless you are able to give them that!!!!

The foster parents have spent a lot of money on vet care, so that part is finished. They are also willing to drive them to their new homes, though you would probably want to make the trip to visit the dogs first!

Without further ado...

Slacker

Raja -- (this one is SUCH a love sponge)

Pixie

Emily

Minnie

Response to Edge of Sweetness

2006-09-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just got a piece of spam with the subject line: leeringfkts Girlnqtz Bending Overron!!! Took me a while to figure to figure it out... Leering Girls Bending Over!!!!

Er. I guess. I'm not opening it up to find out if I was right, that's for certain.

In non-spamish news... (well, maybe this is spam. All is in the eye of the spam beholder), I've been getting fantastic feedback from readers in private emails and in reviews for Edge of Sweetness. This makes me happy because, 1.) it was my first BDSM story and 2.) it was my first EC quickie. Short stories are more difficult for me to write than long ones.

eCataromance (Sensual)
Five Stars

"This story was really fascinating, with two leading characters with whom the reader can both readily identify and sympathise. Ben and Savannah are realistic personalities, and even in this short quickie, the author delineates their deeper selves. I really appreciated the emphasis on the immediate connection of their first meeting, and then the long wait of six months until they find each other again. All in all, I highly recommend this to every reader!"

~ Annie_Kudzu

~*~*~*~

Coffetime Romance
4 cups

"I enjoy well-written tales of dominance and submission. This book is an excellent example of this exciting genre. I really like Ms. Bast’s particular writing style. She has a way with words that completely stimulates my imagination. If you like the BDSM genre, then give this sensational story a try. You will be glad you did."

~ Susan White

Reviews for Edge of Sweetness

2006-09-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of great reviews so far for my BDSM quickie, Edge of Sweetness. Here are a few:

Just Erotic Romance Reviews
Reviewer: Marcy Arbitman
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat level: H

"Edge of Sweetness is a book about control and equality, and also a book about self-awareness. Ben thinks that he is totally in control and prepares to teach Savannah how to release her self-control without fear. Savannah teaches Ben that he needs more in his life than control. I found the premise fascinating and Ms. Bast fulfills it admirably. The sex is an important part of the plot and is definitely hot and exciting, so much so that I was searching for a toy for use while I read. However, the relationship between the two characters (and the way it changes) pushes the story. Ms. Bast wrote an intriguing story with no need for secondary characters. I was particularly interested in the way both Ben and Savannah learned about themselves and each other. This is a wonderful story. Ms. Bast, you have done it again!"

Just Erotic Romance Reviews
Reviewer: Wendy Cable
Rating: 5 Star
Heat level: O

"Anya Bast uses her belief in love-at-first- sight to create an exciting adventure that allows two people to find what they both want from life. I found the book well written, exciting and very hot... The submission scene is very imaginative and shows the often-overlooked side of BDSM with the thoughts and feelings of both characters. ...I highly recommend this book to any woman who likes the idea of a dominating strong caring man giving a woman what she secretly wants."

Romance Junkies
Format: EBOOK
Rating: 5

"Anya Bast’s EDGE OF SWEETNESS is a thrilling BDSM story full of heart and hope. At only forty-five pages, this is a quickie that won’t keep you up all night reading but will sure help contribute to any delightfully wicked dreams you might have. I found it extremely easy to sympathize with Savannah. She’s spent years suppressing her need to be dominated because of the expectations of those around her. Ben is absolutely delectable. He’s sexy, powerful, with just a hint of vulnerability. Ms. Bast is a fabulous storyteller and I’ve learned to be on the lookout for anything written by her. This is a perfect read when you want something HOT but don’t have a whole lot of time to read."

The Purty

2006-08-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

Check out this deck of EC playing cards! Stay tuned to Silverpurr and the Maverick Author email loops to find out how to win some. :)

Yaaaaaay!!

2006-08-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Blood of the Damned won a Reviewer's Choice award at Ecataromance in the sensual category.

"Christian Bale" made the presentation. Hee!

When did I first start writing?

2006-08-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's a question that I get a lot, as I'm sure most authors do.

I have wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl. The desire was born from my love of reading. I can remember going to the library and coming home with stacks and stacks of books that I would voraciously consume before going back for another stack.

One day, when I was about 8, my father asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said, "A writer!". He told me that writers have to be very observant and be a student of human nature and of their surroundings. So I got a notebook and wrote down everything for a time, just like Harriet the Spy. At twelve or so I wrote my first "book"...well, my first attempt at a book, anyway. It was called The Barncat Chronicles and was, unsurprisingly, about the cats on my father's hobby farm.

At 22 I wrote my first full-length novel, a historical romance. It was doorstopper, weighing in at 120k, and I couldn't quuuuite keep the paranormal aspect out of it. It found an agent (miraculously), but never found a home. And rightly so, since I made just about every rookie writing mistake known to man in that book. I spent the next few years rewriting it and rewriting it...and rewriting it. That's how I learned to write the right way.

For awhile I gave up hope that I would ever succeed as a writer and put down my pen. I pursued degrees in English and Psychology and then went through a period of flirtation with several graduate degree progams, trying to find one that fit me.

In the meantime, 9/11 happened. My husband and I were in Belgium when it occurred. We were locked out of the country for a few days and were on one of the first planes allowed back into the U.S. We flew past NY, (modified route), into Dulles. Dulles was freaky and quiet. Armed guards led us through customs and to our next plane connection. There was little speaking. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100.

Ironically, on that plane ride back was when I decided to take up writing again. I still remember the conversation I had in my head about it. Can still remember gazing out the window as we passed NY while I had it. Why, I asked myself, when life was so uncertain, was I not doing the one thing I loved most? Because I was afraid to fail? Please. Life is far too short to let fear rule.

So, I wrote another book.

Just at the same time I found a graduate degree program that fit (hallelujah!), I sold my first book. Knowing I couldn't work full-time, attend grad school in the evenings AND write, I took a chance on a lifelong dream and chose writing. :)

I would love to know the stories of a few other bloggers, so I'm tagging...
Melany Logen (the both of them), Daisy Dexter Dobbs and Patrice Michelle. I'm also tagging any other authors who wants to take up the challenge. Leave me a link to your post, if you answer, please.

Chats and Reviewishness

2006-08-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I'm all listy listy at Writerspace now! Whee!! So...please join me on Wednesday, August 16th at 8pm (est) at Writerspace to chat about Edge of Sweetness.
And... I'll be participating in the Ellora's Cave Writerspace chat on August 18th at 8pm (est) also!

Please do come. I promise to give cool things away.

Reviewishness for Tempted by Two....

Look at the pretty!

Journal of an Avid Reader gives TBT a "B" and sez in part..."Tempted by Two by Anya Bast was a very good read. This is my fourth foray into her Ms. Bast's paranormal novels. If you enjoy novels where there are two hot heroes that are fated to be with one woman, then you would enjoy this novel...."

Joyfully Reviewed sez...It was 106 degrees outside while I was reading Tempted by Two by Anya Bast; and there was at least 120 degrees of heat steaming out of my laptop. Tempted by Two is that hot.

Romance Junkies gives TBT 5 Blue Ribbons and sez..."Anya Bast pens an amazing tale full of passion, trust, pure evil, and absolute binding love. TEMPTED BY TWO draws the reader into the story and doesn't let go until you've read every word. Miranda is a wonderful character whom I loved getting to know. She's witnessed the devastating results of domestic abuse and does everything in her power to help battered women. Marco and Theo are definitely alpha males - both are dominating and possessive, but in no way are they inclined toward any form of abuse. Convincing Miranda of that fact is going to be challenging. This book is delightfully enchanting with a few unexpected twists that will keep you guessing."

Caye Kim at JERR says... "Tempted by Two is a touching book exploring the evolution of love and trust after the survival of horrible violence. The development of the relationship between Marco, Theo, and Miranda touched me on a personal level as Ms. Bast shows that even dominant males can be infinitely tender and caring. The love and understanding shown by Marco and Theo for Miranda while working to overcome her fears tugs at your heart strings; while the hot, erotic sex shared by the three characters leaves you praying that your heart doesn't stop. Ms. Bast effortlessly showed that sex between loving partners could be both sensual and sizzling. For those of you that enjoy a good ménage between caring partners, this is the perfect book for you!"

Blaaaarg.

2006-08-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

My cat just brought me a horsefly. BLAAAAARG. He was SO proud of himself carrying around this big old, still buzzing horsefly in his mouth. BLAAAAAARG. He came and put down right in my lap. BLAAAAAAARG. It flew away. I screamed bloody murder. The dog just about peed herself. James came running. BLAAAAAAARG.

Horsefly is dead now.

Help Camille

2006-08-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Many of us have been fortunate enough to meet and get to know author Camille Anthony over the years. Perhaps we know her as a colleague. Perhaps we've read her books.

Camille suffers Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, caused by exposure to asbestos while an employee of the State of California. Unfortunately she cannot get health insurance to help her with the costs of treating this disease because it's a preexisting condition and she's just shy of the income limits to obtain medicaid.

Camille is an intelligent, personable, lovely woman who is always ready with a helping hand.

She needs our help now.

Please visit:

Tagged by

2006-07-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

...that vixen Lauren Dane.

When did you start blogging and why? Er...sometime in 2004, I think. I started over on LiveJournal and it was more a social networking thing than it was a blogging thing at first. My blogging habits "evolved" from there.

What don't you talk about? I try not to get too controversial on my blog (for one exception, see below) unless I really feel the need to speak up about something. Mostly I want to keep my blog on the lighter side of things.

Are you and your blogging persona the same person? For the most part. I mean, I don't whine and emote all over my blog or anything. My husband gets that. *g*

How do you use blogging to build friendships? Yes, indeed. I have gained a couple very good friends from blogging.

How would you describe your writing style? My blogging style? I have a blogging style? Er...I blog seriously when I feel inclined to do so. The rest of the time it's pretty light. Life is far too strange to take seriously most the time.

Tagging...

The wonderful and humorous Daisy Dexter Dobbs
The beautiful and talented Patrice Michelle
And a duo tag for Mel Lany Logen

In which Anya attempts to be tolerant of the intolerant...

2006-07-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

....and almost even succeeds.

If you're a blog watcher, you've probably seen this letter to the editor in the RWR responded to numerous times - Kate Rothwell, Smart Bitches, Lauren Dane, The Good, the Bad and the Unread and Karen S. (and I'm sure there are more by now). Normally I steer clear of such controversy, but I felt compelled to respond to this because it hits a tender spot with me on many levels, both personally and professionally.

The hostility against homosexuals that some people displays simply confounds me. I cannot understand it at a base, cellular level. I. Just. Can't. And when I read the vitriolic undercurrent in Jan Butler's recent letter to the editor (in RWA's publication the RWR), it literally makes me upset to my stomach.

Here's part of Ms. Butler's letter:

. . . romance isn't about just any "two people" celebrating "love in its many forms." Organizations such as the Man-Boy Love Association would certainly refer to themselves as celebrating love "two people" (or more) finding love in one of its many forms" . . . while they actively promote pedophilia.

Think RWA can't go down that slipper slope? Think again. Under our present definition, we cannot exclude such "love stories" under the category of "romance". We, as a culture, seem to have forgotten how to say "enough is enough," but RWA can--indeed, must--do better than that. . . .

And, please, spare us the arguments about "censorship" and "inclusiveness." Preference for "one man, one woman" stories represents what RWA has always claimed is romance's target demographic: college-educated, married, middle-class, monogamous, and moral. . . .Only in recent years has a vocal (translate: shrill) minority tried to drive RWA's focus off that path, under the guise of "broadening its horizons." But refusing to define romance according to the parameters it has held for centuries doesn't "broaden" anything . . . it only starts us down the aforementioned slope, and once we're in that slide, heaven help us.

There's an old saying, "Go home with the one who brought you here." What brought romance fiction to its present level of success is a collection of decades' worth of one-man, one-woman relationships stories, in all their richness, variety, and power. RWA should be the first to endorse that, rather than attempting to placate fringe groups trying to impose their standards upon the rest of us. If anyone's in danger of being "censored" here, it's believers in "what comes naturally": one-man, one-woman romance. We in RWA owe it to ourselves not to let that happen. Jan W. Butler

I respect Ms. Butler's right to have an opinion. She can fear/hate homosexuals and write about it publicly. She can even make the false, inexplicable, illogical jump from homosexuality to pedophilia. Excuse me a moment while I stare into space trying to find a connection there...uh...nope can't do it.

I'm trying really hard to be tolerant of the intolerant. I will also be fair here and say that Ms. Butler had a specific focus in her letter. This was not a diatribe against homosexuality in general. (Well, okay, she does pretty much say that homosexuality is not "natural," doesn't she? Glad she's an authority on that.) It was a plea to the RWA to define romance in a way that would make authors like me anathema to the organization, at the very least an outsider. However, a broader fear homosexuality seemed lace the letter itself and that's really what hit me in the solar plexus. Whether or not this was Ms. Butler's intention, it was perceived by me and many others.

All that said, Ms. Butler has every right to make her thoughts known. Ms. Butler, however, wants to deny all the rest of us the same freedom of expression, at least within the RWA's scope of acceptability. That I cannot swallow. I write male/male love stories. I write female/female interaction. I write polyamorous romances. I see beauty and emotion in ALL these love stories, every last one.

Just because same-sex or polyamorous interaction makes you uncomfortable, Ms. Butler, does not give you the right to deny everyone else in the world the ability to make their own reading (and writing) choices. That's right, I said CHOICE. The matter is a simple one. I write and read what I choose to write and read...and you choose to do the same.

Ms. Butler's central argument, of course, is that the RWA reconsider its current stance and define the romance genre in narrow, traditional terms. One man. One woman. Anything else will cause the downfall of the romance genre (and life as we know it, apparently), blah, blah. However the RWA has basically said that it is not their place to define the romance. They would be correct in this. Who does define the romance genre? The readers. They've got the power. And as long as there are readers (bless you all, every one) who enjoy non-traditional romances, there will be authors around like me to write them.

And now I sit down to work on my newest EC novel. What's it about, you ask? Well, the story is about two men who are in an emotional and committed relationship and fall in love with the same woman. It's male/male AND poly. Avert your eyes, Ms. Butler, I don't want your brain to explode.

Reviews

2006-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, reviews. By all accounts readers don't pay much attention to reviews when making their buying decisions, but I still wait on pins and needles for the first of mine to coming rolling in. I'm always so relieved when they're good.

Of course, I've had my share of bad reviews too. Bad reviews are a part of being an author. It's a part of having your work read by so many different people who come to the book with so many different worldviews, experiences and personal squicks and hang-ups. It's important for an author develop a thick skin where this is concerned because your ego will take a few shots.

I'm human, so bad reviews hurt, but mostly I pout, eat some chocolate and carry on. I know that not everyone is going to think I'm brilliant and talented in this lifetime. *shrug* Not everyone loves me like my mom does, ya' know?

Public participation time...

If you're a writer, how do you react to a bad review? Pout? Consume massive amounts of chocolate? Track down the reviewer and demand a confrontation? Kick? Scream? I'm sure there are many ways to deal.

If you're a reader, do you pay attention to reviews when making your buying decisions?

Speaking of reviews, here are the first two for my recent release, Tempted by Two, because you have to celebrate the good ones:

From Sensual eCataromance...

"Anya Bast really knows how to write hot love scenes.... Enjoy a touch of danger? Want your own personal heat wave? Anya Bast's Tempted by Two is perfect."

- Elise Lyn

Five Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies...

"What's a girl to do when she suddenly learns that she has fae blood, starts seeing goblins and has two men claiming that she's meant to be with both of them - forever? She fights temptation and then when the time is right, gracefully gives in...

Anya Bast pens an amazing tale full of passion, trust, pure evil, and absolute binding love. TEMPTED BY TWO draws the reader into the story and doesn't let go until you've read every word. Miranda is a wonderful character whom I loved getting to know. She's witnessed the devastating results of domestic abuse and does everything in her power to help battered women. Marco and Theo are definitely alpha males - both are dominating and possessive, but in no way are they inclined toward any form of abuse. Convincing Miranda of that fact is going to be challenging. This book is delightfully enchanting with a few unexpected twists that will keep you guessing."

- Chrissy Dionne

Facial Recognition?

2006-07-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Dunne did this face recognition thing over on her blog and I thought it was cool. I'm being a lemming.

I uploaded this picture of myself:

And got the following results:

Shannon Elizabeth 68% -- I had no idea who this was, so I looked her up. Shhhhaaaaa...in my dreams!! So, I know something's wrong with this thing right off the bat! But, hey, she's into animal rights and rescue and stuff. Cool.

Joan Cusack 66% -- I adore her, but I don't think I really look like. Er...I'd take her brother in a heartbeat though.

Naomi Watts 64% -- I didn't know who she was either because I'm not culturally oriented that way. Turns out she's the actress in King Kong. Again I say...er...yeeeah...probably not. King Kong made me cry like a big dork, btw, fakey stupid huge cochroaches and all.

Patricia Arquette 62% -- OMG! I adore her too! I can almost see this one. I think it's the similaries in coloring.

Alyson Hannigan 59% -- Three times with the adoration!!

Jessica Lange 58% -- Four times!!

Jennifer Aniston 58% -- Again I must say...in my dreams.

Josephine Baker 58% -- This one is just too cool. I don't even have anything to say about it.

Jessica Alba 58% -- I had to look this one up too. I don't look a damn thing like her.

Now, the thing that strikes me is...none of these people even look alike. I mean, take this picture of Joan Cusack and Jennifer Aniston together:

They're both lovely, but there's little facial similarity there.

I did run a second photo of myself and that gave me different results. There was only one person that came up twice:

I'm going to take that to mean I must look the most like her in a face shape, eye shape, eyebrow arch, nose and mouthish kind of way.

Mostly I think I just look like me. :)

Tempted by Two is now available!

2006-07-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

I love this cover!

ADVANCE REVIEW:

"Anya Bast really knows how to write hot love scenes... Enjoy a touch
of danger? Want your own personal heat wave? Anya Bast's Tempted by
Two is perfect."

- Elise Lyn
eCataromance

~*~

BLURB:

Miranda has been traumatized by events in her past and shies from
emotional commitment. She does affairs, not relationships. But soon
she finds herself confronted with not one but two men who claim that
she's the one for them...forever.

Marco and Theo, two full-blooded Tylwyth Teg fae, are desperate to
make Miranda theirs. And even if they're feeling jealous of each other
and possessive of her, they know they must join forces in order to win
Miranda's heart back from her fears. In order to show Miranda that
she's in "good hands," Theo and Marco convince her to spend a weekend
in sexual submission to them.

One weekend of incredible sex with two gorgeous, strong and dominant
men? Miranda doesn't have a problem agreeing to that. Although
anything more might be problematic. Especially since there's
someone...something that intends to make sure Miranda, Theo and Marco
never get their happy ending.

Buy Tempted by Two from Ellora's Cave now

Now reading....

2006-07-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Lauren. Really. Thanks so much. You give me your book Giving Chase when I'm under a deadline. I spent the whole day reading it today. That'll teach me to open it and "just take a peek".

Get moving on Shane's book, woman!

Buy

Blurb:
This is my first romantic suspense and the first in a contemporary series about the Chase Brothers.

Some small towns grow really good looking men! This is the case with the four Chase brothers. The home grown hotties are on the wishlist of every single woman in town and Maggie Wright is no exception.

Maggie has finally had it with the men she’s been dating but a spilled plate of chili cheese fries drops Shane Chase right into her lap. The sheriff is hot stuff but was burned by a former fiancée and is quite happy to play the field.

After Shane’s skittishness sends him out the door, Maggie realizes that Kyle Chase has had his eye on her from the start. Now that Shane has messed up, Kyle has no intention of letting anything stop him from wooing her right into his bed.

Despite Maggie’s happiness and growing love with Kyle, a dark shadow threatens everything—she’s got a stalker and he’s not happy at all. In the end, Maggie will need her wits, strength and the love of her man to get her out alive.

A Movie and Two Books

2006-06-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

A Movie....

J and I watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last night. I was skeptical at first because J's recent choices have left me wondering if I shouldn't revoke his status as Netflix Master (He who decides which movies to order), but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was pretty damn good. It's part noire detective story, part comedy, part mystery. The main character is an ex-thief turned accidental actor who ends up in L.A. and is played by Robert Downey Jr. (I'm attracted to this guy's fucked-upedness). Val Kilmer plays a gay private eye (Gay Perry) and Michelle Monahan plays the sweet yet slutty love interest who has been obsessed with a series of pulp fiction P.I. novels since she was a little girl. I loved all these characters and the acting was fantastic.

It's cheesy (esp. the ending) and cliched in places, but the dialogue was fast-placed and clever and had me laughing through the whole thing. Plus it's got that edge of dark humor that I love so much. Definitely worth a look if you like this kind of movie. I don't often talk about the movies I see, which means I really liked this one.

Two Books...

The Compass Rose, by Gail Dayton
The Barbed Rose, by Gail Dayton

These are two of the only Luna books I've been to swallow whole so far. On the surface I'd say this particular line would be right up my alley -- significant fantasy with a touch of romance. Maybe it's the books I've been selecting. *shrug* In any case, I found myself totally caught up in the "Rose" books and I'll be watching for the release date of the next book about Kallista Varyl and her ilias.

The stories center around Kallista Varyl, a Naitan with the ability to direct lightning and a commander in her country's military. When war breaks out and her people are getting the snot knocked out of them, she calls upon her God and is imbued with massive amounts of magic in return. She's also "godmarked" with the symbol of the compass rose on the back of her neck. Throughout the first book she discovers other people who are also godmarked and finds that they each carry magic in them which she has the ability to direct. Each godmarked person lends a different quality to the magic as a whole -- joy, order, creativity, ect... They all of them marry each other and form an "Ilian," a family. Together they must defeat something far more powerful than simply a neighboring country who wants to invade them.

The books are incredibly well-written and I loved the characters....and there are a lot of them. I kept waiting for Dayton to lose control of all of them, but she never did. Each character is as well-fleshed out as the next. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

Satellite Internet and Other Wonders

2006-06-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

We had satellite internet installed yesterday and I'm in luuuurve. SO much better than dial-up. We live in the boonies, see, and satellite was the only fast internet service available to us.

They networked both our computers too, so my laptop has wireless Internet now. I can sit outside and ~~pretend to~~ write, while ~~incessantly~~ periodically checking my email and surfing the web. How cool is that?

Speaking of writing, I'm about halfway through with WITCH FIRE now. I'm so excited about these characters and their story. It's been a while since I've allowed myself to be sucked so completely into my character's heads. I'm incredibly happy that Berkley bought this book not only because (duh) BERKLEY BOUGHT MY BOOK, but also because I get to finish this story.

I love these characters so much and I'm very grateful I get to tell their story. :)

My new blog template....

2006-06-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

...is so PRETTY. I want to make a big juicy post. Alas, there is dinner to fix, movies to watch, husbands to cuddle and words to write.

Very nice!

2006-06-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Author gave A Change of Season a very nice review today. Thanks Jane!

And we have title!

2006-06-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

The first paranormal erotic romance I'll be publishing with Berkley Sensation will be called WITCH FIRE.

I like it!

Of Dragonflies and Hummingbirds

2006-06-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have this fascination with dragonflies. They're beautiful in an alien-like way and are brutal hunters. We have lots of them in our yard for some reason. I'm not sure why. There isn't a lot of water around other than our little pond with our one lonely goldfish. Still, I see them hanging out in the bushes a lot, hunting other insects. They land on a leaf and go still, silent, waiting. When some yummy bit of insect flesh grows near, they swoop up and munch it.

So, I'm looking out the window and can see a dragonfly hunting on a bunch of catnip growing on my Kara-cat's grave

Tangent: Yes, I'm aware how strange it is that catnip grows on my cat's grave. No, we didn't plant it there. I planted shadow-loving perennials which were quickly overtaken by the nip. It's the only place in the whole yard where there's a profusion of the stuff.

Being the nature-loving freak I am, I get up and sneak out there to get a closer look. By the time I get there the dragonfly is gone, but I hear a buzzing sound right by my ear, turn my head and come eye-to-eye with a hummingbird! I stare breathlessly for a moment, the hummingbird realizes what I am (eeek! Human!) and speeds off into a nearby tree.

Hee!

That's the first one I've seen so far this year, but we usually have a bunch around here because of all the flowers in the yard. I'm bummed because my butterfly bushes didn't come up this year! I might go see if I can find a couple mature ones to plant.

I get all freaky when I see dragonflies, hummingbirds, black vultures (love them) and herons (they're so primordial looking). We won't even talk about the squee of seeing or hearing an owl.

Gardening and nature blather is now over.

Loving the Bad Guy

2006-06-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

I know I've said it before, but I LOVE writing the villain. I don't mean a cardboard mustache-twirler though. I mean a bad guy with depth. A man (or woman, man in the story I'm writing now) who's bad and knows he's bad. A man who has the motivation to be bad, at least in his own twisted reality. He's doing malevolent, eeeevul things because he has a reason. If it's done right, the reader can maybe almost--almost--sympathize with him.

And the only thing I like more than writing the bad guy is having the bad guy reap his karma.

My Big News for the Week

2006-06-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

I sold More Than Magick, a paranormal erotic romance, and its sequel to Berkley!

Squeee!!

A Change of Season is now in print!

2006-06-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Now available at EC's eBay store and soon to be available at your local retail bookseller.

Seasons of Pleasure - A Change of Season By Anya Bast
Book 5 in the Seasons of Pleasure series.

Moira suffers from psychic attacks that bring not only pain, but also visions of a man named Dain d'Ange into her mind. Dain is the cursed thirteen lord of Aeoli, a man they say killed his wife with the chaotic and dark magick he possesses.

Desperate to find a cure for her attacks, she travels to Aeoli and its cursed thirteenth lord. The harsh winter closes in on her and she soon finds herself trapped with a man who is every degree as chilly as the season. However Moira senses that Dain isn't always cold, and she vows to discover the heat that lies under his frigid exterior. It doesn't take long for her coax the man from the monster.

When Dain's brother Killian arrives, Moira finds herself seduced to both of their beds and is soon lost in a web of carnal pleasure. She also finds herself lost to Dain because as time passes she discovers she loves him.

But as the mystery of her attacks and of Dain's history unravels, keeping him will be difficult.

Recent Reviews for Seduced in Twilight

2006-05-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

New reviews for Seduced in Twilight!

Just Erotic Romance Reviews
Reviewer: Suni Farrar
Rating: 5 Stars
Heat level: O

"Seduced in Twilight is one fire hot romance. The
action and suspense never stopped, keeping me on the
edge of my seat. Will, the Tylweth Teg warrior, is
smooth and cultured with the ability to talk his way
out of any situation. Mason, the half drac and
half-human warrior, is volatile with an aura of
danger.... My toys got a lot of use while I was reading
this story. Oh, and it does not hurt that the novel has
a incredible plot and good writing to back up all the
steamy sex. Seduced in Twilight is extraordinary and a
must read. It cemented my love for Anya Bast."

~*~

Romance Reviews Today

"SEDUCED IN TWILIGHT is a wildly erotic and saucy tale.
Mason and Will are complete opposites and are gorgeous
in their own ways! Mason is rough and rugged. Will is
sophisticated and sexy.Mason thunders around on a
motorcycle and says spread it, while Will glides in a
luxury sedan and asks may I? Ahhh, the best of both
worlds! Since it would be hard for anyone to choose
between them, Olivia chooses both! There are a few
secondary characters sprinkled throughout that add to
the plot, but the story focuses on the triad:
Mason-Olivia-Will (in that order!)

HOT! HOT! HOT! SEDUCED IN TWILIGHT is a well written
and fast read that I very highly recommend."

- Ariel Summer

~*~

Joyfully Reviewed

"Anya Bast is at her best with this erotic fae story.
Since the day I started reading her stories, I have yet
to feel disappointed. Her heroes are hot and
dominating with just the right touch of sensitivity. I
definitely wanted to submit and scream, "Take me!".
Olivia has more strength and courage than I would have
had in her situation. Seduced in Twilight definitely
has everything; action, romance, sex and most
importantly love. As usual, Anya leaves you wanting
more, but that is definitely a good thing. I enjoyed
Seduced in Twilight thoroughly and hopelessly fell in
love with Will and Mason."

- Idalm

New cover squee!

2006-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Accountability, craft, art, and service industries

2006-05-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

I'm mostly reacting to this post over on Smart Bitches Love Trashy Novels, plus a couple other recent posts. I will tangent from the basic topic because I like to tangent.

I react negatively to the notion that writers work in a service industry even though (in some ways) I think it's true. The discussion on SBLTN veered off in the direction "who do I blame when I get a book I think is drek? Should I demand my money back? Ect....)

Well, here's the thing, one person's drek is another person's polished diamond. Reading is a subjective experience. When a woman picks up a book she reads it through her personal filter--all of her past experiences, everything her momma and life taught her, all the things she's ever experienced and learned. Everything is perspective. Sometimes an author's voice will not mesh with a reader's filter. That's just the way it is.

I truly dislike some books and authors out there who are wildly popular with a lot of readers. Do I think the work in question is "drek"? Yeah, maybe, but I'm not going to demand my money back for the book, or write the author or editor a nasty email. I make a judgment about whether to try that author again or not. If the trend is still drek after a second try, I just stop reading her and move on. I'm not going to play the part of the unhappy consumer. That's not really the way it should work.

Why?

Because by talking about authors and their books in a service industry context we grow dangerously close to asking writers to PANDER and that's just gross. Not to mention that we risk homogenizing novels so that they appeal to everyone (which mean they would appeal to no one). I have an image of a factory cookie-cutting novels out one after another.

As a reader you take a risk when you buy a book. Because of your personal filter you may not end up liking the story. *shrug*

I think of my writing as part art and part craft. I am a pragmatist and I do enjoy being compensated for the work I do. However I would probably still write even if I were not being compensated. Ever since I was a small child I've written. I do it because I love language. I love how the words fit together, how they sound, look and feel. I love creating worlds and people. I love telling stories. If you stopped paying me to do that, I would still do it because it's a part of me.

But, since I do want to make this a paying career, I do think about marketability when I sit down and plot a book, but I do it within the confines of my comfort area. As long as I can write a book, (and, most importantly, enjoy writing it), within a subgenre that I know will sell well, I'll do that. I do think about including elements I think the reader will like, but I won't force myself to write something I don't want to write just for money. I won't pander.

You will never see me, for example, write the very popular futuristic "capture and seduce" plot. You'll never see me write a borderline abusive alpha male character, even though they seem to be beloved by many readers. You will never see me write a stalker hero, or anything even close to rape (even in fantasy). You will see me write books like Water Crystal once in a while, even though I know they don't sell well, simply because those stories are in me and I love to write them.

So, yes, in a way I think I do work in a service industry...to a point. We aren't making widgets though, we're creating characters and worlds for people to lose themselves in and that is a very subjective ART. I craft my books within the scope of my personal likes and abilities and I will not pander.

I'm just damn lucky I love to write erotic romance because it provides a way for me to make a living doing something I enjoy. :)

Kat Kak

2006-05-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

With 8 cats in my house, I clean up a hella lot of Kat Kak. In our house we call them "pookies".

Husband: "Uh, what's that over there by the door?"

Me: *peering across the room* "A brand spanking new pookie."

We pull all the carpets up in any house we move into a replace them with hard wood. It's just easier.

Anyway, I direct your attention to this blog entry. I advise you to put aside anything you might be drinking before you read it.

Babbling about Writing Process

2006-05-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

WBTSOYP = writing by the seat of your pants. It means sitting down and just writing, no plotting involved. I'm not advocating WBTSOYP over plotting or vice-versa in this post. Everyone has their own process and every writer has to use the process that works best for him or her.

I started out a "pantser," but it didn't work that well for me. I'd get a scene in my head and work out from there. The problem was that I would get stuck sometimes, bogged down in places where I'd written myself into a corner. Or my characters started out half-baked and I would have to go back and revise significantly. The pantser books I started out with -- Raven's Quest was one -- turned out fine...after lots of revising and rewriting.

Eventually I worked myself into a pattern of plotting because of this, but leaving space to move a little. That's how I do it now. I write the synopsis before I start the book, flesh out the middle (the hardest part of the book to keep momentum for me) and *definitely* figure out the end.

Pantsers say that they can't write the book after they've written the synopsis because they feel like they're done, the story has already been told and there's no excitement left in it, no discovery. But I don't feel that way. Writing the novel after I write the synopsis means I get to watch the story unfold. It's kind of like the synopsis is the trailer and the novel is the movie. I might pretty much know the story after I've seen the trailer, but I still want to see the movie.

Usually my story ideas start with a character. There's some type of personality I want to write, or I want to write about a person in a certain situation. I figure out how I want him or her to grow and change throughout the story and the plot develops from there. For example, with Water Crystal it started with Angelo. I wanted to write about a man who worked for the bad guy and was loyal to his employer until he became disillusioned. Bianca has her own journey and also grows and develops from page one to the end, but it was mostly Angelo's story.

Anyway, I'm just thinking and babbling about this (with really no specific point in mind) because I fleshed out the synopsis for my next EC book yesterday and then plunged right in and wrote 4k. Today I'm here at the day job, but I'm dying to be at home writing. I'm really wanting to tell this story. Good thing I'm only here three days a week. By Thursday I'll be full-speed. (Only half speed until then.)

Friday Kitty Lurve

2006-05-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my God with the cuteness...

Samson and Wiggle having kitty snuggles.

Forecast Calls for Writing

2006-05-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yuck! Wet, rainy, cold wind. Bleh. Good day to stay in and write, which is exactly what I'm doing.

Went out this morning and ran errands, including buying my mom a GC to her favorite nursery. She's a plant nut like me. :) Last weekend we went out to lunch and to the nursery. That was a Bad Idea. Spent a ton. We're negative influences on each other.

Now I'm home and ready to start in on Edge of Sweetness. Sex writing! Yay! BDSM sex writing at that.

Later I'll do my hour on the treadmill. I stopped walking for a month or so. Just got busy, stressed about other things and fell out of the habit. Now that I'm walking again I can really feel my body snapping back into shape. Even walking up the stairs at work doesn't wind me anymore. Amazing what a little exercise can do.

I rented Tristan & Isolde to watch while I walk today. Figure the husband doesn't want to see that one. I did end up seeing Rent and I really liked it. I thought it would make me cry, (generally, I'm a wuss), but it didn't.

Survivor tonight. Woo!

Hope everyone has a great day!

I'd rather be writing!

2006-05-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

I would so rather be at home writing today. Tomorrow, thankfully, is all about the writing. Really Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of every week are always about the writing for me. I get little done on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings just because when I get home from the Pod Farm I'm pretty sick of staring at a computer screen.

Tomorrow I continue work on a BDSM Quickie for EC entitled Edge of Sweetness. It's about halfway done and I figure I can probably finish it this week. I'm also looking forward to continuing a proposal for a book for EC's Tarot Series. It's historical fantasy and dovetails Lauren's Dane novel, Sword and Crown. My book incorporates the theme of the 2 of swords.

At some point I hope to get back to my BDSM novel Catriona's Surrender. I'm really looking forward to finishing this one. I set it aside reluctantly to work on Seduced in Twilight and Tempted by Two a few few months ago.

So many books I want to write, so little time.

Now Available!

2006-05-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Seduced in Twilight is now available at Ellora's Cave!

Seduced in Twilight By Anya Bast

Olivia thinks she's finally gone off the deep end. Ghosts wake her up in the night and she sees monsters during the day. Just when she can't take it anymore, she meets two gorgeous men who claim to be immortals.

Then her life gets really strange.

Will is a powerful Tylwyth Teg fae. Mason is a half-breed drac shifter with a bad attitude. Together they form a Gaelan partnership, warriors in the centuries-old battle against the goblins. Both alpha males claim Olivia and, though conflicted, Olivia craves them both in equal measure. United in their conquest, Will and Mason throw open the doors to Olivia's repressed sexuality and show her the rich possibility of having two skilled and dominant lovers whose sole focus is her.

But mere mind-blowing sex isn't enough. Will and Mason must convince her that she's gifted, not cursed. They must also seduce her into their lives and to their love...as a partner to both of them.

~*~

Water Crystal is this week's spotlighted book!

Water Crystal By Anya Bast

Earth in 2075 is a place of chaos and struggle because the planet's water has been poisoned. Together, in a world thirsting for drinkable water, Angelo and Bianca make fire.

When Bianca Robinson steals a special crystal, Angelo, a Guardian of the Order, tracks down and arrests the thief. However, Angelo suspects that Bianca isn't a criminal, but merely a woman ready to do anything to right a wrong.

Bianca has grown jaded in her fight for survival, but every brush of Angelo's hand on her body breaks down her barriers. He alone seems to have enough heat to melt the coldness within her. He makes her want a man's touch for the first time in many years and awakens every carnal and dark erotic yearning within her.

Angelo knows that Bianca is forbidden to him, but she tempts him like no other woman. She inspires him to act out every one of his sensual desires. Angelo will break every rule in order to have her...and to keep her.

Squeee!

2006-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

I just found out that Water Crystal finaled in Romance Writer's Ink's More Than Magic contest!

Big congrats to fellow EC author Roxi Romano, who also finaled with Fantasies R Us!

Reading & Writing

2006-04-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

I've always been a voracious reader. When I was a child my mom used to bring me to the library and I would pick out (literally) stacks of books to take home. I would never leave any of them unread. I carried the habit into adulthood, although my time to read is more limited now because I'm writing.

I realized this morning that, while I do read in the genre I write in, I go through these huge, long spurts of reading fantasy, horror and general fiction. I guess maybe it's because when I'm reading romance I sort feel like I'm working, like I should be really paying attention in reference to my own writing. It prevents me from just relaxing and enjoying the story. Reading outside my genre is like taking a vacation.

If you're a writer, do you read outside the genre you write in? If you're not a writer, what genres do you usually favor? Do you go through spurts reading one genre over another?

Just wondering.

Book Meme (the best kind of meme!)

2006-04-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Bold the books on this list that you've read.

1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS- J.R.R. Tolkien.
2. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD- Harper Lee.
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE- Jane Austen.
4. The "Harry Potter" series- J.K. Rowling.
5. JANE EYRE- Charlotte Bronte.
6. THE HANDMAID'S TALE- Margaret Atwood.
7. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY- Douglas Adams.
8. 1984- George Orwell.
9. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
10. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY- John Irving (This is one of my all-time favorite books)
11. ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
12. THE STAND- Stephen King (My favorite King novel)
13. GONE WITH THE WIND- Margaret Mitchell
14. LITTLE WOMEN- Louisa May Alcott
15. THE HOBBIT- J.R.R. Tolkien
16. LIFE OF PI- Yann Martel.
17. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (book 1) – Lucy Maud Montgomery
18. THE NAME OF THE ROSE- Umberto Eco.
19. THE MISTS OF AVALON- Marion Zimmer Bradley.
20. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE- J.D. Salinger.
21. WATERSHIP DOWN- Richard Adams.
22. THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH- Ken Follett
23. PERFUME- Patrick Suskind
24. THE DAVINCI CODE- Dan Brown.
25. THE LITTLE PRINCE- Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
26. THE GRAPES OF WRATH- John Steinbeck.
27. FAHRENHEIT 451- Ray Bradbury
28. The Narnia Chronicles- C.S. Lewis.
29. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE (SORCERER'S STONE) - J.K. Rowling
30. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN- J.K. Rowling
31. WUTHERING HEIGHTS- Emily Bronte.
32. DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL- Anne Frank
33. DUNE- Frank Herbert
34. THE POISONWOOD BIBLE- Barbara Kingsolver
35. REBECCA- Daphne du Maurier
36. PERSUASION- Jane Austen.
37. MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA- Arthur Golden.
38. THE GREAT GATSBY- F. Scott Fitzgerald.
39. A WRINKLE IN TIME- Madeleine L'Engle
40. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE- C.S. Lewis
41. ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND- Lewis Carroll.
42. LORD OF THE FLIES- William Golding.
43. BRAVE NEW WORLD- Aldous Huxley (One of the few books I was forced to read in high school that I loved)
44. ANGELA'S ASHES- Frank McCourt
45. THE LOVELY BONES- Alice Sebold
46. THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS- Isabel Allende.
47. CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR- Jean M. Auel.
48. ENDER'S GAME- Orson Scott Card
49. GOOD OMENS- Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
50. LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. ANIMAL FARM- George Orwell.
52. OF MICE AND MEN- John Steinbeck.
53. THE COLOR PURPLE- Alice Walker
54. THE NEVERENDING STORY- Michael Ende
55. FAUST- Johnann Wolfgang von Goethe. (I think I was forced to read EVERYTHING Goethe ever wrote while I was in college. Gah.)
56. BLINDNESS- Jose Saramago
57. HAMLET- William Shakespeare.
58. EAST OF EDEN- John Steinbeck
59. CHARLOTTE'S WEB- E. B. White.
60. The "Little House" series- Laura Ingalls Wilder. (as a child)
61. BRIDGET JONES' DIARY- Helen Fielding
62. SOPHIE'S WORLD- Jostein Gaarder
63. CATCH-22- Joseph Heller
64. THE SECRET HISTORY- Donna Tartt
65. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING- Tracy Chevalier
66. MIDDLESEX- Jeffrey Eugenides
67. The "His Dark Materials" series- Phillip Pullman
68. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN- Betty Smith
69. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY- Jane Austen
70. THE RED TENT- Anita Diamant.
71. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
72. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO- Alexandre Dumas
73. AMERICAN GODS- Neil Gaiman
74. THE CIDERHOUSE RULES- John Irving
75. SHE'S COME UNDONE- Wally Lamb
76. WINNIE-THE-POOH- A.A. Milne. (but, of course!)
77. The "Anne of Green Gables" series- Lucy Maud Montgomery. (as a child, loved them)
78. NORTHERN LIGHTS/THE GOLDEN COMPASS- Phillip Pullman
79. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE- Anne Rice.
80. ROMEO AND JULIET- William Shakespeare
81. THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER- Mark Twain
82. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY- Oscar Wilde
83. THE SHADOW OF THE WIND- Carlos Ruiz Zafon
84. EMMA- Jane Austen
85. GREAT EXPECTATIONS- Charles Dickens.
86. A TALE OF TWO CITIES- Charles Dickens.
87. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE-STOP CAFE- Fannie Flagg
88. THE SCARLET LETTER- Nathaniel Hawthorne.
89. THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH- Norton Juster
90. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES- Sue Monk Kidd
91. THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING- Milan Kundera (Loved)
92. A FINE BALANCE- Rohinton Mistry
93. LAMB: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BIFF, CHRIST'S CHILDHOOD PAL- Christopher Moore
94. THE BELL JAR- Sylvia Plath
95. The "Discworld" series- Terry Pratchett. (I think I have some of these, but I haven't read them yet.)96. WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS- Wilson Rawls
97. THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS- Arundhati Roy
98. WAR AND PEACE- Leo Tolstoy
99. THE EYRE AFFAIR- Jasper Fforde.
100. NEVERWHERE- Neil Gaiman. (It's on my night table, though...ready to be consumed.)
101. TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES- Thomas Hardy
102. STEPPENWOLF- Herman Hesse
103. HIGH FIDELITY- Nick Hornby. (I loved the movie. Does that count?)
104. ULYSSES- James Joyce
105. METAMORPHOSIS- Franz Kafka
106. ATONEMENT- Ian McEwan
107. LONESOME DOVE- Larry McMurtry
108. THE ENGLISH PATIENT- Michael Ondaatje.
109. THE SHIPPING NEWS- E. Annie Proulx (LOVES)
110. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM- William Shakespeare.
112. DRACULA- Bram Stoker.
113. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN- Mark Twain

All About The Yayness

2006-04-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Review for Blood of the Damned from eCataromance Sensual Reviews
http://sensual.ecataromance.com/reviews?type=&id=64

"I have been waiting and waiting for Niccolo's story ever since Anya started her EMBRACED series and oh how well worth the wait it is. Jade and Niccolo sizzle with chemistry and the tender care that Niccolo takes with Jade makes their relationship even more engrossing. Both main characters have led hard lives and bear many scars on their hearts as well as their souls and their relationship is one of healing as well as love.

Of course, you can't have an EMBRACED story without a creepy, evil villain and BLOOD OF THE DAMNED certainly delivers in this area. Drayden is a very complex character. Just as you begin to dislike him with a passion, he goes and shows a little peek of heart. Mr. Jones on the other hand, well, you'll see. *shudder*

BLOOD OF THE DAMNED is a superb mix of romance and suspense that is just too hard to put down. Don't miss this fourth installment in the EMBRACED series and if you haven't read the others yet, what are you waiting for?"

- Susan

New Review for Blood of the Damned

2006-04-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

Blood of the Damned, by Anya Bast - Now available at Ellora's Cave

Five Coffee Cups from Coffee Time Romance

"This is an exceptional vampire romance. Ms. Bast takes two characters, first [giving] them the background of pain and suffering, and then [giving] them hope as they are destined to meet and heal each other. This amazing story has everything, from fast exciting action to sizzling erotic romance. ... This is a wonderful story that is on my keeper shelf."

Wateena
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance

I Have a Crush

2006-04-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, sure I love the alphas. I love the buff guys. Who doesn't? They're excellent eye candy. Candy, being the keyword.

But I have a guilty secret. I'm VERY attracted to intelligent men.

And I have the CRUSHIES! Crushies, I say.

On the way home last night I listened to NPRs Science Friday. They were discussing this book, Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes on the Cosmos, by Seth Lloyd, who is a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT.

Oh, geekitude!! How intriguing and attractive. Not geekitude, that's the wrong word...brilliance. My god. He even speaks French. *swoon* Here's an NYT article about Lloyd and his book.

Anyway...it was instant crush. The discussion was interesting even though it kind of made my hair follicles ache. It's one of those subjects that's just a little too large to fit in my wee head. Crushies all the same, though I don't think Lloyd would take much interest in a peon like me who has an I.Q. of, like, twelve.

Wikipedia Meme

2006-04-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy lately working on writing projects, working the day job and editing that I can barely form coherent sentences outside actual contracted work. LOL!!

Therefore, have a meme. :) This was pretty interesting, actually! I had no idea all this stuff happened on my birthday. You should try it.

Go to Wikipedia and look up your birth day (excluding the year). List three neat facts, two births and one death in your journal, including the year.

Events:

* July 2nd is the middle day of a non-leap year, because there are 182 days before and 182 days after. It falls on the same day of the week as New Years Day (of non-leap years)
*

* 1937 - Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappear over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator.
*

* 1947 - An object speculated to be a UFO crashes near Roswell, New Mexico, though the United States Air Force claims it is a weather balloon.

Births:

* 1877 - Hermann Hesse, German-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1962)
* 1942 - Vicente Fox, President of Mexico

Deaths:

* 1973 - Betty Grable, American actress (b. 1916)

When you get a good title change

2006-04-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

My book, previously titled Tempted by Midnight, is now going to be called TEMPTED BY TWO.

It's a menage a trois, so it makes sense, non? It has that...how do we say...Je ne sais quoi?

I like it. :)

Ten Things I've Learned About Writing

2006-03-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

This was a meme going around. These are things I've learned about writing. They might not be true for everyone. Accept at will.

1. Writers Write to be Read.
I don't know why, but they do. Most writers don't write manuscripts and then hide them under their beds or only let their relatives and friends read the book. Writers want to give their words exposure. I'm no exhibitionist...er, actually, let me rephrase...I'm pretty shy and introverted and would never want to be a celebrity or anything, but I want my words read. I want to share my characters and my worlds with others. That's a strong motivator for me.

2. Write What You Love, Not for Market.
I know it's a cliche, but it's true. It's always one of those things that women writers are told, (along with a condescending pat on the head), more than male writers are told. I do think to some extent a writer should be looking at the market, but within that parameter they should write something they love. I've watched writers trudge away at a book in a genre they don't enjoy, just because they think it will sell. The problem is that their lack of enthusiasm comes out in the writing. That's going to be a No Go no matter what, eventually.

3. Being Able to ~~Butcher Your Baby~~ Look at Your Writing Objectively is a Good Thing.
I have developed the ability to stand back (well, okay, mostly) and look at my book when it's done and then say, "Oh! Lookee! That book should begin on page 50! That thar is a false beginning!" and then cut the first 50 pages out with a nary a blink of my eye. (Okay, I might blink, and I definitely wouldn't use so many exclamation points.) It's easy to get so attached to your work that you can't cut text, or delete unnecessary subplots or characters. Eventually you have to learn to do it because sometimes cutting out some of your precious words makes the work stronger.

4. Crit and Be Critted.
Join a crit group or find a good crit partner. Although, caveat...it may take you a few times to find one you fit with. I learned so much by critting and being critted. Not only does it allow you to glean and share crafty-type knowledge and learn from the writerly travesties and triumphs of others, it toughens up your skin. You need to have a few callouses built up before you try and publish, and you *really* need them after you've published.

5. Make Friends With Other Writers.
So important. Only another writers know and understand common writerly angst. There is SO MUCH writerly angst. Plus, the sharing of knowledge is good -- which houses and editors are acquiring, ect. Joining RWA as an unpubbed writer was one of the best moves I ever made.

6. Develop a Writing Habit.
Set aside time to write no matter what. If the muse isn't working with you, if the words aren't flowing, write anyway. Shite can be revised. You can't wait for inspiration all the time. Sometimes that's a long wait for a train don't come, (2 pts for anyone who can name the movie I took that from). Sometimes you have put your ass in the chair and just write. "BICHOK" say the category romance authors -- Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard.

7. You Can Always "Deepen" Your Character(s).
I have found I can always go back to a manuscript and find new ways to bring depth to my characters, whether it's in the characterization or in their overall development. There's always somehow I can make my characters more "real," or show the changes they've undergone a little better. Always.

8. The Publishing Industry is about Money and Marketability, Not About "Art".
The publishing industry is not an industry filled with fluffy bunnies. Editors are looking at the bottom line. They're looking at marketability. That's how badly written books make the bestseller list and some well written books never see print. It's just a fact.

9. You Must Put Yourself Out There.
Over and over and over. Initially it's sending your stuff out to be critted. Then it's sending your stuff out to be assessed by editors and agents. Finally, it's with the readers. Every day I throw myself out there, whether it's socializing on my loop, posting excerpts, or arranging chats. I throw myself out there knowing that sometimes I won't get responses, my excerpts will be ignored, ect... It's just something a writer has to do. Throw ourselves out there and know we might be rejected. Over and over and over, and in many different ways.

10. I'm never happy with the finished product.
I'm never happy with my finished work. I can always go back and find flaws and things I'd like to change. I actually try very hard to never read my work after it's been published because of this. If I must, I do it through my fingers (you know, like how some people watch a horror movie?). I'm extremely critical of my work. I'm probably my own worst critic, in fact.

Of Booksignings & Bugs

2006-03-27T06:08:00.000-08:00

Recap of my mini cross-country booksigning spree.

Elizabethtown, KY is MUCH bigger than they protrayed in that movie. Misrepresentation! We didn't have a problem finding the bookstore, but were amazed the town was as big as it is. The booksigning went well. It consisted of me, Shiloh Walker, Veronica Chadwick and Heather Grothaus.

I know Shi, but it was the first time I'd met Veronica and Heather. Veronica is extremely warm and friendly. I liked her instantly. The same with the lovely and personable Heather. All of us nattered throughout the whole booksigning. Oh, I started reading Heather's book last night and it's GOOD. I used to read historicals all the time, but stopped for some reason. Her book may herald a return. (She has a gorgeous husband, by the way.)

Three of my friends drove down for the signing and bought books. Hee. They raffled off two beautiful gift baskets crammed with books and other goodies and two of my friends won them! I swear it wasn't rigged. I didn't even pull the names.

Then my husband and I drove to Nashville. We chilled out Saturday night, went to dinner and soaked in the hotel spa. Before the signing the next day we met a writerly friend of mine, her husband and her cutie kid for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. I think her child was *very* impressed with the animatronics and the thunderstorms. The visit was too short, though. I need to spend more time on the next visit.

Authors at the Nashville signing besides me were: Phyllis B. Williams, Lani Aames, Shiloh Walker, Veronica Chadwick and Heather Grothaus. I didn't get to talk very much with Phyllis and Lani, which was a pity.

Connie, a reader, made little gifts for some of the authors! So sweet! If you're reading this, thanks again, Connie!! I love it!!! She has a delightful and attentive husband, too. Lucky girl.

After the signing, my husband and I high-tailed it home and slept like two big fur-covered rocks (the cats, you see). This morning I wake up to find one of my cats playing with a CENTIPEDE in the hallway. *shudder* Okay, I'm not squeamish about bugs. I'm fascinated by spiders and refuse to kill them (I trap them and put them outside). I don't mind snakes. I think they're cool. But centipedes give me the heebies like nobody's business. I pounded that sucker into the floor with a shoe before it could BLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAARRRRRGGGGG scurry away on all those little legs.

Now I'm freaked out that there could be MORE. If there's one, there must be.....*shudder*....MORE.

Urg.

New Contract!!

2006-03-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Tempted by Moonlight has been accepted at Ellora's Cave. It's another menage a trois, the sequel to Seduced in Twilight.

I have to think up different titles, though. Apparently "moonlight" is used too often.

Back from Las Vegas!!

2006-03-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

I went to Las Vegas with the Maverick Authors (and a friend) this past weekend. Much fun was had!

Here are a few pictures:

Here is Lauren Dane, Moi, Megan Hart and Julie, (a friend). Did you know Megan Hart just sold a THREE BOOK DEAL to Harlequin Spice!! We are so excited for her!

Here's me and Megan.

Megan and Lauren making their trademark "devil horns".

Did I mention that we saw Thunder From Down Under while we there? No? Oh, baby...gorgeous Aussie men flaunting themselves in front a bunch of screaming, crazy women. It was something to behold. If you're ever in Vegas, I recommend going to see the show.

Bunny Love

2006-03-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

Meet Velveteen and Fawn. Aren't they cute? They have the run of our screened-in porch and are, believe it or not, buds with the cats.

So today, writing. I'm also very productive on Sundays. Don't know why, but I am.

WINNER of "Searching for the Miraculous"

2006-03-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

You ALL made such breathtaking entries. I kept tearing up. Wonderful. Beautiful. I'm so happy I hosted this contest. I wish all of you could win something.

But, since I haven't won the lottery yet....

By random drawing, the winner is: Marcy.

Congrats, Marcy!!! I'll be broadcasting this all over the place since I don't have your email address. Please email me at anya (at) anyabast.com so we can arrange things.

Booksignings!

2006-03-08T05:17:00.000-08:00

Shiloh Walker and I will be signing books at 1001 Paperbacks (7405 Fegenbush Lane Louisville, Kentucky) on Saturday, March 11th from 10am to 12pm.

If you're in the area, stop by and say hi!

Other signings coming up:

Shiloh and I, plus many other great authors, will be signing on Saturday, March 25th from 2-4 pm at the Barnes and Noble in Elizabethtown, Kentucky (1980 South Dixie Highway, Elizabethtown, Kentucky). The famous EC tour bus will be in attendance.

I'll be signing at the Barnes & Noble in Nashville, TN (515 Opry Mills Drive 37214) on Sunday, March 26th from 2-4PM with a group of as-yet-to-be-determined EC authors. The tour bus will be present for this signing too.

Searching for the Miraculous in Everyday Life

2006-03-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

Recently I started my very first non-paranormal romance. It's a BDSM romance, actually, but there is not a STITCH of a paranormal element anywhere in it. So, let's see, all told I've written...*counting*...fifteen novels and a handful of novellas. This is the first one that is set completely in reality.

Since there is no fantastical element, I've found myself casting about for the mirculous in everyday life. I do this in my real life, so I must be able to do to in my non-paranormal fiction, right? I've found I can. :) Pretty cool.

So, tell me about something beautiful or amazing from your everyday life. It could be something from your past, something from this morning, whatever. Just give me beauty from the ordinary.

Post your item of ordinary fantasticalness (yes, I made that word up) and I'll enter you in a contest to win a bottle of Bastet from The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, an autograghed paperback and a box of delicious chocolates.

Here's an example from my life to start you off. This happened a while back.

Every morning on the way to my day job I pass this bus stop with a bench. Every morning there's two people there waiting for the bus--a man and a woman. At first one is standing and the other is sitting. The next day they're both sitting. A couple days later they're sitting a little closer. A few days after that they're sitting together very close and talking intimately.

They're never there anymore. I imagine they've moved into together and bought a car. :)

Give me beauty, people. It can be anything at all. :) Anything you find magical, amazing, fantastical or miraculous about living in mundane reality every day.

This contest ends on Thursday, March 9th.

Editing Revelation

2006-03-06T05:24:00.000-08:00

I've been polishing the first 60 pages of a new WIP to a glossy, high shine, (well, that's my intention, anyway,) and found a new way to catch all my stupid little errors.

All writers have these trademarks screw-ups when they write. For me it's sometimes writing "slid" when I mean "slide" and vice-versa, or writing "breath" when I mean "breathe" and vice-versa. I also skip words frequently. It's almost as if my mind is going faster than my typing fingers and I leave out words in my haste to get everything written.

One of my other writerly "quirks" is an inability to really SEE my work when I've been spending so much time with it. Normally I need to let the pages sit and cool off for a while (like a couple weeks) so I can go back and reread it with fresh eyes. This is a common technique with writers. However, I don't have that kind of time in this situation.

So I learned that if I change the way the WIP looks, I catch typos, missing words, wrong words and just general badness-that-needs-changing. If I switch the font from Courier New to Times New Roman, I catch stuff. If I take my whole WIP, copy it and drop into my email acct and read it that way, I catch stuff.

Cool, huh?

Yeah, I'm a geek, I know. It does work, though. At least, it works for me.

Saturday morning feline love

2006-03-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

....or feline alieness, depending on your point of view.

This is Samson wondering what the hell I'm doing with the digital camera.

I have a myspace profile.

2006-03-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

Not sure exactly why I have one. I set it up last week in a fit of boredom.

http://www.myspace.com/anyabast

Still not sure what MySpace is for, exactly. *shrug* I guess I'll figure it out eventually.

In other news, the only thing worse than writing a detailed ten-page synopsis is writing a one-page synopsis. O, what sweet new misery is this? Actually, it's an old misery, I just haven't had to do it in a while.

I have thoroughly bloodied my forehead on my desk.

In yet other news, I'm editing Seduced in Twilight. Hopefully that means a release date is not far behind. (Hopefully.)

Hmmmm.

2006-03-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Apparently today is National Hey You Got Some Shmutz on your Head Day. Sadly, I am shmutzless. I feel rather less than festive.

Today is the last day of my arduous work week. Hallelujah. Three ten hour workdays here in the Cube Farm leave me with creative impotence. I just can't get it up. But I'll sleep in a little tomorrow morning, regain my verve, and be ready to start back in on my BDSM quickie for Ellora's Cave. There's nothing like a story with lots of hot bondage to burn the remnants of the Dilbertesque portion of my week away.

TGIW.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy. Synopsis Writing

2006-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Synopsis writing is one of the most distasteful parts of being a writer. I have heard of very few writers who enjoy it. I am definitely not one of those (insane) few. Typically, I write my synopses by repeatedly banging my head against my desk until something breaks free in my brain. So far, it's been an effective technique for me.

Although there are a few other guidelines I follow when synopsis writing:

1. Be a sexy hooker. Find a line that's intriguing, or humorous, something that immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them want to read on.

2. One paragraph describing the internal conflict for the heroine or hero -- usually the protagonist comes first. In romance the story is about two main characters, but you still have a protagonist. In my books, that's generally the heroine. It's mostly her journey.

3. One paragraph describing the internal conflict for the other main character. Ideally, the internal conflicts of both the h/h should dovetail and grate against each other. (For example, in Blood of an Angel the heroine has a special grievance against vampires and, as luck would have it, the hero is a vampire.) In these two paragraphs explain why this is the worst possible match for both characters.

4. A paragraph describing the external conflict. This is whatever external circumstances are bringing and keeping the h/h together long enough for them to fall in love. The external conflict, ideally, should magnify the internal conflicts.

5. The inciting incident. This is whatever happens that pulls the protagonist and/or main character from his/her ordinary circumstances into the external conflict.

6. Alliance. The characters decide to overlook their differences and work together to resolve a situation, the external conflict.

7. "Holy crap, I'm attracted to you." First intimacy occurs. The heroine and hero discover they're attracted to each other on whatever level -- sexual, emotional, both.

8. "What the hell was I thinking?" When the brief interlude ends and the h/h remember all their fears and internal conflicts

9. The external conflict draws the h/h back together. They must work together to resolve the situation, no matter how they might feel about each other. Of course, they're still attracted to each other. They're falling in love despite the odds.

10. The black moment. Just when you think everything might turn all right, disaster strikes. This could be a result of the external conflict coming to a head, the internal conflict coming to a head, or both.

11. Resolution. When all conflicts are resolved and the h/h find their Happily Ever After (this is must in the romance genre).

Necessary ingredients:

Show the first meeting between the h/h.
Show their first kiss
Include the loves scenes -- especially important in erotic romance

Things you shouldn't do:

Write a synopsis that reads likes a textbook. The synopsis should be written in an engaging manner. The editor has ten zillion partials on their office floor. You've got one chance here. Make the synopsis readable and interesting.

Never leave out the ending or try to hook the editor at the end. They will NOT think it's cute. They will NOT be rushing to request the full to "find out what happens next". The synopsis is not a blurb. It should be a clear outline of the entire book, hitting all the plot points, from beginning to end.

Don't overcomplicate things. Keep it simple. Keep it short.

Happy synopsis writing! (Now there's an oxymoron.)

Hubris

2006-02-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

It takes a lot of ego, or maybe a wish for self-destruction, to write, paint, produce movies, sculpt or do anything artistic and expect people to actually pay money to own, read or watch it.

I mean, think about it. Essentially a writer sifts through their subconscious, mining away, until they think they have a hunk of precious something-or-other they can polish until it's shiny enough to be desirable to someone else.

Craft definitely comes into play with writing. You know, the whole process a writer goes through to make that hunk conform to certain genre expectations, certain editorial guidelines. I know your ass just puckered at the word "conform," but we all do it to some extent. Still, that original hunk was pulled up from the muck of our subconscious. The craft part is just the polish.

So, here we are, thinking that this junk we mined from our brains is *valuable* in some way. That people will acually spend *money* for it. Maybe even most impossibly, that they will actually spend *time* engaging with the hunk in some meaningful way.

That takes hubris on the part of the author. Or, perhaps, a will for self-destruction.

Why do I say self-destruction? Because the hunk comes from us. Then we send it out into the big, bad world to be praised...or shat upon. (Woo! I got to write "shat upon" today!) That's just a part of being a writer, of course. You can't have thin skin to be a writer. Well, you CAN, but isn't much fun.

Ever since I can remember I wrote because I love the way words look, feel and sound. Especially the way certain words look, feel and sound when strung together in a certain way. My love for reading and writing sprang originally not from a love of character or story, but for the love of the language.

After I sold my first book and got feedback on it I suffered writer's block for about 3 months. I couldn't believe people had actually PAID money to read something I'D written. I was shocked. I was also terrified I'd never be able to do it again. Maybe my next book would completely suck. All of sudden, I felt pressured.

Which, of course, I realize now was the height of hubris. I write my books and send them out. The reader judges them. Some books hit people one way, another book hit people a different way. There's no telling how the book will be received. There's too many elements in play to make an adequate prediction for that.

So, I got over myself and now I just write. These days I write for the love of story, character and language (oh, and sex. Can't forget the sex.) and I only hope that people out there will enjoy the end product.

But I still think I must have a lot of gall to think people will actually want to buy and read the polished hunks of muck from my subconscious.

Recent Reviews

2006-02-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

I don't have any incoming reviews for forever it seems, then I get a whole bunch. Not complaining when they're like these.

Romance Reviews Today

"BLOOD OF THE DAMNED is a dark, sensual read with many layers. The main characters are both hard edged alphas, but caring and patient with each other. Their personalities are written in a way that makes us acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses -- you either love them or hate them. No ambiguity here. The sex scenes are hot, but tender with a natural feel. They are also believable. If you haven't read the rest of The Embraced series, BLOOD OF THE DAMNED will make you want to." ~ Belinda Mays

Read the whole review.

Historical Romance Club
Ordinary Charm

4 1/2 star review ratings
5 rose sexual rating

"The instant attraction between Serena and Cole is captivating. Serena's self-confidence grows with Cole's every touch and her earthy energy grounds his God-like powers of magick and seduction. With a generous measure of steamy romance and a heroine of realistic proportions Ordinary Charm is a compelling and wonderfully paced story of timeless and tireless love." (Ohhh, I like that!) - Jennifer Begley

Read the whole review.

Historical Romance Club
A Change of Season

4 1/2 star review ratings
5 rose sexual rating

"Anya Bast's A Change of Season is a gripping story of life-saving love and passion, wild and tame at the same time, both scary and wonderful, and so very erotic. Dain is a tortured man and it is Moira's love that brings him back from the brink of despair and self-loathing.... with a very good mystery thrown in, you are in for a wonderfully lustful and unbridled read." - Sandra Marlow

Read the whole review.

And...I just booked my THIRD booksigning for next month. Two in Kentucky and one in Nashville, TN.

When You Fall

2006-02-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

I fell last night like a big, clumsy dork. My fuzzy slipper got trapped under the couch while my upper body was still experiencing forward momentum and I fell. I didn't get hurt or anything. My pride was wounded a bit, but the only ones watching me were of the feline persuasion and they see me do stupid things all the time. It amuses them.

The human body rebels against falling. It goes against our drive to protect ourselves. That sensation of falling is actually terrifying because of this. The moment before you fall is like that crystal clear moment before you know you're going to be in a car crash. Your mind is strangely calm.

So, I'm teetering there, trying to dislodge my fuzzy slipper and I'm thinking, "No, I don't want to fall! Must get free! Must stay upright!" and my all my self-preservation instincts are fully engaged. Fear is the keyword here.

But at one point I realize I'm going to fall. There's just no way around it. It's going to happen. So something in my mind clicks and surrenders. I'm going down. That gut-level, instinctive fear of falling melts into acceptance of the inevitable. I know the only thing I can do now is try and minimize the damage. All this happens in hyper-brain speed, of course.

I can feel my body relax as I start to fall. My mind is clear of thought and fear. You know what they say about a branch needing to bend or it breaks, right? I drop everything I'm carrying and catch myself in a position so I don't damage my knee.

My point? I do have one, promise.

It brought me right back to high school figure skating. I was on my high school figure skating team and on the hockey precision line (think dance line on skates). Before I say any more, I want to make sure I impress upon you that I was not a GOOD figure skater. Not by any stretch of the imagination. My ass had a very special relationship with the ice. They met often and had extended conversations. So did my hips, knees, chest, elbows and sometimes even my head.

You fall a lot in figure skating, especially when you suck as bad as I did. Because of the falling, figure skating is not a sport in which you can FEAR. If you fear while you're on the ice, you're stiff and screwing up and you will spill.

I was not one without fear.

I can still hear my figure skating coach screaming at me to "moooooooooooove!" her voice echoing through the arena. She wanted me to move faster, of course, which meant falling harder. God, sometimes I really wanted to hurt her.

I knew this girl who wore skating outfits made of material that would make her slip and slide on the ice when she fell. She embraced falling and tried to make it fun. She knew that it was a part of the sport she loved and had completely accepted that. No fear. This girl was like that in life, too. She pursued everything passionately, accepting risk as the cost of happiness.

And there was this little girl at the rink I used to go to on weekends. Tiny bit of a thing. She must have been 7 or 8. She'd do salchows, toe loops, axels. She'd fall and pick herself and launch into another round of spins and jumps with a laugh and toss of her head. No fear, this child. Of course, she had less distance to fall.

I admired these two people a lot for their lack of fear, a state I was never able to achieve.

Although I'm getting better at doing it in my life. When I know I'm going to fall, when it's completely inevitable, I'm getting better at surrendering, accepting and bending into it. So figure skating taught me something important, at least.