Crystal Power

Research. Yes, a paranormal erotic romance author does research, lots of it. Recently, while working on my Demons in Exile series I had to do some more research on the properties of crystals. More specifically, how I can apply science, metaphysics and a little imagination to use crystals as a power source in Anartia, my alternative universe. I already use crystals in these stories for a power source but in the third book I needed to take it up a step.

The tentative title for the third book is Embrace the Damned. But as titles go, that can always change. The first book is Desert of the Damned and the second, Damned and Desired. For readers anxiously waiting for the third book, it’s almost completed (I have to torture my critique partners first) and yes, Dante is in it.

Crystals have been used since ancient times and can be found in folklore. Traditionally gemstones have been associated with the zodiac or the months of the year—birthstones. The great pyramids of Egypt are said to be built from cosmically charged cornerstone crystals. Theories about Atlantis mention the extensive use of crystals for dematerialization, teleportation, telekinesis, creating force fields and many other things.

Crystals and the New Age:

Crystal work much the same as lasers do. It takes scattered rays of energy and focuses the field in a single direction so tremendous force is generated. Crystals have the ability to amplify and absorb energies. Harnessing crystal energy is common in Metaphysics. Crystals are tools for the New Age practitioner. Crystals are used in healing, cleansing, during meditation, to absorb negative energies and entities and to align the body’s energy centers (chakras). Since crystals are thought to have a close affinity to earth, they are used to help ground people, or have a calming effect. Others not attuned to New Age beliefs may feel this is mind over matter or wishful thinking.

Crystals in Science and Technology:

Crystals have many scientific applications. They are used in acousto-optic devices, radio frequency drivers, optical scanners, wavelength filtering, lithium niobate wafers, optical circuit, etc. Quartz crystals resonators are used for precise frequency control. Crystals are used in watches, clocks, radios, computers and cellphones.


Optical Laser Crystal

Quartz crystals are extremely stable with time, temperature and other environmental changes. What better matter to use in my story for a miniature universe that travels through dimensions? Imagine the quartz crystal in your watch on mega steroids.

Lithium Niobate crystal discs-capable of remembering an applied electric field, also sound.

Parallel resonance can occur by adding load capacitance to the crystal in series, resulting in a positive frequency shift…ah, nevermind. One rule for research for novels: Don’t add too much detail.

So when you read Embrace the Damned in its final chapters, you might remember the research I did for my alternative universe.

In the New:

*On Cave Chaos, Ellora’s Cave talk radio, Jaid Black and Lisa Marie Gray had another wild and hot hour this week. http://newdissidentradio.com/cave_chaos.html Check out the archived August 15^th recording. Jaid Black and Susan Edwards plugs Damned and Desired and have a few nice words about my writing. Thank you ladies!! Great hour and talk about Psuedo – rape fantasies in fiction.

*If you like sexy demons and shapeshifters, Damned andDesired was up this week as a Value From the Vault for $.99

Do you wear crystal pendants? Do you think crystals have power or energy?

Doomsday Entertainment

Dystopian, Apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic fiction is the hot trend in movies, television and novels. The August Romance Writers Report had an interesting article on the subject too.

Dystopian societies usually show repressed social control systems where its people exist under various levels of passive or active coercion. Their lives are oppressed by those in charge.

Apocalyptic fiction has to do with the end of civilization due to catastrophe such as war, pandemic, alien invasion, asteroid-type collision, take over by artificial intelligence (computers), natural disaster, resource depletion, etc.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world after such a disaster.

(The City of Ember)

These types of Movies have been around for a long time though. Remember War of the Worlds, On the Beach, Mad Max Cherry 2000? There are lots more. More recent: The Road, Independence Day, Armageddon, 2012. Can you name any others, new or old ones?

On Television. I don’t watch much TV, so maybe you all can help me. But the RWR mentioned: The Walking Dead, Jeriko & Supernatural- the 4 Horseman storyline. I have watched a bit of Falling Skies. I think that fits into apocalyptic. Anyone watch the season finale and believe Tom (Noah Wyle) would really walk into the alien spacecraft? Like he’d trust the aliens not to call his son back anyway? And not put that harness on him? Comes under the TSTL category for me. But I still like the show.

Books. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, The Running Man by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Joss Ware-Envy Chronicles, Jessica Andersen-Nightkeeper series, Ellen Connor-Dark Age Dawning series, Jordan Summers-Dead World series.

Why? Why is doom and gloom, death and destruction, a world on the brink of collapse entertaining?

There might be several reasons. We like to root for the underdog. We want to see how everyday people, like us, survive when faced with insurmountable obstacles, against all odds. We admire courageous people. Maybe this type of entertainment gives us hope in a warped way. While we’re losing jobs, we see the economy getting worse not better, and watch our retirement saving dwindle to the size of a third-grader’s piggybank, we watch or read post-apocalyptic stories and suddenly our troubles don’t seem quite so bad.
If you’ve ever lived through a real disaster-- a natural one like a tornado, hurricane, flood or fire, or man-made—a war or act of terrorism, then you’ve experienced a mini-apocalypse.

People react differently in these situations when their everyday life gets turned upside down, thrown into a blender and pressed to liquefy. I’ve never been in a war but I have lived through Hurricane Andrew within the evacuation zone. I’ve seen the extreme good and bad in people—hospital personnel, police and firemen leave their families to work within evacuation zones for 35 plus hours without sleep to help patients and elderly people who had no place to go. Looting, fights at the gas stations when gas  wouldn’t pump (no power). I heard horrific stories (that never made the news) from police officers and National Guard.
We all saw the terrible disaster in Japan. Imagine this type of devastation world-wide. How would people react? That’s apocalypse.

Even in these horrors, or in the worse possible scenario—a world-wide catastrophe, I have faith in human nature. There will always be bad and evil in the world. But the instinct to survive, the desire for companionship and to love is too strong and universal for us not to overcome something this horrible. We watch these movies and read these books to remind ourselves that we’re a lot tougher than we think. What do you think?

Something Wicked is Coming This Way

I’m so thrilled that my story The Tattoo Witch was selected to be in the anthology SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, Volume One. Also included in Volume One are USA Today Bestselling author and founder of Ellora’s Cave Jaid Black, and other amazingly HOT EC authors Laurann Dohner, Mel Teshco, Desiree Holt and Eliza Knight. When I heard the call for stories for this anthology, I knew I had to come up with a story, and fast. I’m a huge fan of Ray Bradbury and SWTWC is one of my favorite books. Of course, Bradbury took that line from Shakespeare, but I always think of Bradbury first.

With the deadline for this anthology series just weeks away, I sat on my porch with a glass of wine, a notebook and dh. Dh helped me brainstormed some ideas. I ran through some of my favorite Bradbury stories, searching for inspiration, and I remembered The Illustrated Man. A man covered in tattoos and tormented by them. Hmmm, tattoos are a popular thing now. SWTWC is about an evil carnival. How could I make the two sexy and add an interesting twist? What if a witch gave out magical tattoos? These tattoos could make you more desirable, virile, sexually adventurous, grant any wish pertaining to a sexual nature. BUT these tattoos are dark magic and each one came with a curse. With each additional tattoo, the person’s love life got hotter and hotter, but the curses got nastier. Then where would it all end?

I have to also thank my friend Terri Prizzi who is awesome at brainstorming. She gave me some fabulous ideas for the nasty curses. Thanks Terri!!

This is the premise for The Tattoo Witch. Release date might be fall 2011. I'll keep you posted.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Emerald Dungeon, my novella from the 1-800-Dom-help series was selected to be in an anthology with three other authors from that series. The anthology title is: DIAL B FOR BONDAGE. Super Hot erotic authors included are: Delilah Devlin, Francesca Hawley, Samantha Cayto and me. Release date is expected around Romanticon 2011—end of September.

Two awesome anthologies coming up filled with tales by some of the best and hottest writers in the genre. I’m so excited to be included with them.

Ellora's Cave Chaos-Live Talk Radio

Naughty, hilarious, taboo, behind-the-scenes, sexy, etc,. etc...Are you curious yet???

On August 1, founder and Chief Strategic Officer Jaid Black will launch Cave Chaos, a hilarious, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the inner workings of Ellora's Cave. The weekly, hour-long, live talk radio show airs every Monday from 4 to 5pm Eastern Time (1-2pm Pacific Time) on New Dissident Radio. The first show airs August 1, and you can participate! Keep reading to find out how.

The shows are anchored by blatantly and unapologetically in-your-face hosts Jaid Black (@JaidBlack) and Lisa Marie Gray (@ECBadGirl) and will cover every taboo topic under the sun as it relates to the female sexual experience. If the subject matter is politically incorrect and considered off-limits, Black and Gray are all over it. 


Jaid Black

Each show will have several segments. Here's what's planned so far:

1.       Only in Ohio: Black and Gray's unique take on the wacky and down-home things that happen only in our little corner of the Midwest.
2.        Cave News: Updates on new releases, sales, gossip, and everything else you were dying to know about Ellora's Cave.


Lisa Marie Gray

3.         Weekly Feature (Here's where you come in): Each week, Black and Gray will invite callers to discuss a topic. Topic for our first show on August 1 is Embarrassing Masturbation Stories. To participate in the discussion, call 234-200-3977
4.        Me Myself & I: Our She-E-O's monthly review of sex toys. First show features the eponymous Squeal Wheel.

Monday afternoons: 4-5pm EST. Click Here: New Dessident Radio

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*Quick Reminder: I'll be attending Romanticon this year. Taking a road trip with EC author Cris Anson. I'll be participating in a workshop with the 1-800-DOM-help series authors titled: BDSM Top to Bottom and signing copies of my books. See you there!!

Hot Sci fi and Pirates: Interview with Christine d'Abo

I'd like to welcome author Christine d’Abo to the Passion Sense blog for an interview today. She’s talking about her new release that came out July 6^th     at Ellora's Cave
No Master.

Hi Kathy! Thank you so much for letting me chat with you.

-Tell us a little about the book and where did you get the idea to write this story.

I’ve been writing seriously for six years now and I’ve been published for four. Many of my ideas come from me having an  image pop up into my head. At that point I’m already asking myself, what if…and the next thing I know, I have a story!

I wish I could say I’m mercenary about my ideas or have a master plan when it comes to my series. I don’t typically. Typically, I create a universe in my head and then wonder about the type of people who populate it. That is how my Eurus colony came about (Eternal Bond series) and why I’m now writing about space pirates (Bounty series).

My newest book, No Master is book three in the Bounty series. I wanted to explore the type of person who would lead a group of cut throat pirates in space. The Admiral of the Black quickly morphed into Korbin and he had a lot of trust issues. A fun but challenging character to work with.

- How did you get started writing novels?

I’m one of those crazy people who have always written. It wasn’t until I was home on maternity leave with my second daughter that I started writing seriously. Basically, I was looking for a way to save my sanity.

I began by writing a historical romance. It was terrible. I learned a lot though and at least knew I was able to finish a novel. I may a few more attempts at different romance sub-genres until I started The Bond That Ties Us. Sci-fi romance is my favorite thing to write.

- Are you seat of the pants writer or plotter?

I am a total pantser. I tried to plot a few times, but find once I’m done plotting, I no longer want to write the book. For me, half the fun is figuring things out as I go.

- If you could turn any of your books into a movie which book or series would it be?

Hands down, I’d pick The Bonds That Ties Us. I really love the world I’d created there and to have a chance to see it on the big screen (little screen, Internet thing…) would be amazing.

- Which actor screams SEXY to you?

Oh, this is a hard one. I have a type you see. Usually tall, black or dark brown hair and blue eyes. So many actors fall into that category and yet, I know not everyone thinks the same as I do. I’m more than a little in lust with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural, The Losers), Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class, Jane Eyre), Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood). That said, Gerard Butler is at the top of my Want to Shag list. J

- Do you write full time or work outside of the home?

I have a day job and yet I do manage to get in 10-15 hours of writing in a week. I get up early, write on my lunch hours, stay up late, pretty much anything to get some writing time in.

- How do you balance writing for more than one publisher?

I’m still learning how to do this! This spring I had to learn how to negotiate with multiple editors from different houses on deadlines. Being up front with them, letting them know what’s going on, and finding out about wiggle room was critical. It certainly left me with no time to procrastinate.

- Are you an outgoing person?

LOL Yes. Sometimes I’m a bit too outgoing. I’ll talk your ear off and not even bat an eyelash. I’m also slightly hyper and tend to bounce around. Standing still isn’t something I do.

-Do you write a novel straight through? Or revise as you go? Plan a whole series in advance? Or does the series evolve?

I tend to write a novel straight through. I learned early on that I can’t revise as I go, or else I never get the damn thing finished. I don’t tend to plan my series either. I generally introduce characters as supporting cast and then want to learn more about them. I suddenly have a series on my hands.

- Do you use Beta readers?

I have a group of amazing women who I work with before my stories ever reach an editor. Typically, I only send my critique partners my final draft, but on occasion I do use them for “sanity” checks. Normally, it only takes them asking me a few questions for me to realize what’s wrong. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.

If anyone is interested in learning more about me or my books, please visit me at my website www.christinedabo.com or come say hi over at Twitter (Christine_dAbo).

No Master

By Christine d’Abo

Blurb:

Book 3 in the Bounty series.

No man in the galaxy inspires more fear than Korbin, the Admiral of the Black. His life as leader of the pirates leaves little room for trust, so when Korbin’s second in command disappears without a trace, he suspects the worst.

Zain Strand has left his life as a sex slave behind and risen within the pirate ranks. But he’ll abandon it all to rescue an old friend from recapture by the slavers--even if that means a suicidal confrontation with his old master. He doesn’t expect Korbin’s arrival, doesn’t want Korbin’s help...but Korbin gives Zain no choice.

Posing as Master and slave to infiltrate a slave auction, Korbin and Zain embark on a journey of lust that rapidly reveals their deeper feelings. When Zain’s old master discovers their ruse, Korbin must do everything in his power to save both their lives and their newfound love.

Naughty Secrets

Nothing is more intriguing than a naughty secret and it looks like Allie Standifer will be revealing a few HOT ones in her new release from Ellora's Cave: NAUGHTY NATURE It's part of the 1-800-DOM-help author series. Check out the blurb and excerpt. I'm sure you'll agree this book is one you'll want to read.

NAUGHTY NATURE
Release Date July 22
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 9781419935190

BLURB:

Aria’s always had a secret need to give up her normally tight control, but she’d never dared to act on it. Until one night a mysterious card with 1-800-DOM-help appears in a very personal place. For the first time in her life Aria’s taking a chance on fate and the promise of a stranger to discover her every veiled desire.

ER doctor Mac Hudson has always known who he is and what he wants. Now he’s looking for a sub to explore all the erotic cravings and fantasies he wants to share. One hidden glimpse of Aria and Mac’s ready to claim the petite sub in every way he can.

A single night of passion is all she expected, but with her handsome Dom she got so much extra. Now Mac’s asking for more and Aria doesn’t know if her naughty nature is up to handling a dominant alpha male for more than a single encounter.

EXCERPT:

Chapter One

The expensive, elegant yet unadorned card felt heavy between the smooth skin of her fingers. Aria knew it was only her imagination and anticipation giving it more importance than the business card deserved.

1800-DOM-help

The who, how and why remained unanswered. Aria knew the where. Right smack dab in the middle of her personal tool box, under her bed. Normally something appearing out of nowhere would freak her out, sending her running for the nearest police department, but interest kept her feet firmly planted in her apartment.

Should she? Shouldn’t she? Nice girls didn’t want to be dominated, did they? Good girls never fantasized about being taken in the ass, right? A normal woman wouldn’t want to submit to a man, give him complete control over her body? Let him pleasure her anyway he wanted?

Shit! Why was this so hard for her? At thirty-four Aria Dunson knew her mind and lived a generally guilt-free existence. But something about this card made her yearn for all the wicked dreams to turn into reality. To let the fantasies that only lived in her mind out to become actuality.

“Screw it,” she muttered and picked up her phone with slightly shaking fingers punched in the number.

“Thank you for calling 1-800-DOM-help. This is the Operator. How many I be of assistance?”

The male voice that floated over the line was smooth and smoky, with just the right touch of sexual innuendo.

“Hello?” The Operator asked when she didn’t say anything.

“Um…hi.”

“Hi, back. May I help you with something?” Amusement rang his sexy voice.

Right, she almost smacked her head with the cell phone. “Yes, I received your card and wanted to get a little more information.”

There that sounded a little better and more like her normal take-charge self.

“Ahh, I see. Are you interested in the role of a Domme or a submissive?”

“Oh no… I mean...crap…umm… Dominated. Submissive. Or at least I think so. You see I’m not too sure, but I do know I’m not calling any man master or licking feet. Oh and I have no desire to eat dinner off the floor in a bowl marked Fido and I don’t share well so there’s no chance I’d want to be passed around like a large party tray.” She babbled nervously, thinking of all the bondage sites she’d looked over, late at night with a glass of wine in hand.

The Operator’s husky chuckle caused things to tingle low in her stomach. “I’m here to ensure you make a wise decision, Ms….”

Check out Allie's books here

Bright Lights & Romance in the City

I’m still trying to catch up after returning from the 2011 RWA Conference in NY City (June 28-July 1). You can’t help but feel the adrenalin rush when surrounded by at least 2,000 romance writers, editors, agents and other professionals. As much as I wanted to sightsee, I didn’t want to pass up the workshops, signings and keynotes. I do plan to come back to see a show and check out some of the tourists spots shown on a guide map Carina Press and Smart Bitches provided. Museum of Sex? How did I miss that? (5^th Ave. at 27^th Street.) Darn.

Don’t you love the view from our room? (photo at the top of post) I roomed with romantic suspense author, Autumn Jordon. She was brave and drove us into the city. After we arrived on Tuesday, I took a preconference session on screenwriting and social networking, by Bill Pace, Jeanne Bowerman and Kim Garland. Great workshop.

The book signing started at 5:30 and I sat next to Kieran Kramer, a Rita finalist and a sweet lady. And also Joyce Lamb, a paranormal romantic suspense author from Berkley. I was telling Joyce about my book Damned and Desired and told her it had a shapeshifter coyote and hawk. Somehow with all the noise in the room she heard wolf and dolphin! She said she couldn’t figure how I worked in the dolphin in the desert. “Dolphin?” I exclaimed. “There are no dolphins in my books.” I nearly fell off my chair laughing. We’re still chuckling over it, and I imagine we’ll remember this signing for years. I’m reading her book True Vision. Awesome read! Paranormal suspense. Drop everything and go buy it, really it’s great.

At times the conference seemed more like running a marathon. Between workshops, appointments, the goody room, luncheons, and book signings, I’d grab a banana, a yogurt or a cup of coffee at Starbuck, and charge off to the next event. The keynotes were wonderful as always. I’m not an emotional type person but I think every time I hear Sherrilyn Kenyon speak, I get weepy. Inspirational? Yes, definitely. After listening to her speak, it’s hard to whine about the writing life. 

                                    

                                                             (Times Square, NYC)

Ellora’sCave gave their authors a lovely breakfast one morning with a nice gift. A really awesome treat. You don’t want to know how expensive breakfast is in NYC. The city does have some fabulous restaurants in the area. Down a street called Restaurant Row the Liberty StateFiction Writers met at Becca’s, an amazing Italian restaurant. I also ate at Junior’s across the street and swear I could’ve made a meal out of their cheesecake but only had ONE spoonful to taste. Honest.

One highlight was the FF&P Chapter’s Gathering for the PRIZM Awards. I was up for the novella category. I received third place and I’m very proud, especially when you consider the company: NYT Best Seller Pamela Palmer placed 1^st and Sci fi author and Nebula Award finalist J. Kathleen Cheney placed 2^nd. A big kudo for me. I also got to see a friend of mine Maria V. Snyder. She’ll be going on a month-long book signing tour in Australia and New Zealand. Yay, Maria!


     (Daisy Harris, Kathy and Louisa Bacio)

My other big highlight was Friday night when I read from my book Emerald Dungeon at the Happy Ending Lounge in Chinatown. This reading was part of an event called Ravenous Nights and sponsored by Lori Perkins. Three other erotic romance authors read from their books too. Louisa Bacio, Daisy Harris, and Gwen Masters. (See photo, sorry we didn’t get Gwen too) I’m so glad my friend, author Mitzi Flyte (aka MacieCarter) came with. We tried getting a cab for all five of us. Louisa had her hubby and Gwen rode in separate. But they didn’t have any SUV cabs left. The only way to ride together would be to take a limo, the attendant said. At that time of night on a Friday, two cabs wouldn’t have been that much cheaper. Louisa’s dh offered to get the limo if we paid the tip. Worked for us.

   (me getting into the limo for Ravenous Nights)

The traffic was horrific and we were running a tad late. Louisa sent a text to Lori Perkins: THREE AUTHORS, ONE LIMO, ALMOST THERE. The Happy Endings Lounge was an interesting venue: Red velvet walls, tables and black vinyl seats among dim lighting. It used to be an erotic massage parlor so you can figure out where they got the name “Happy Ending”.  Everyone did a fabulous job reading and we gave out door prizes. We had an audience of about twenty. Afterward, we walked to a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away and the food was fantastic. Very fun night. And Lori Perkins and Debra Hyde were great hosts.

It was an amazing conference. I managed to do some networking, made new friends and even got writing done. Sleep? Well, not much. If you talk to author KeriStevens, ask her about the cute outfit she wore at the Carina Press party.

Now, I can’t wait for the RWA conference recordings so I can listen to all the workshops I missed. Back to work. Yay!! Sorry, I didn’t have many photos. I was so busy I forgot. I promise, promise to take lots at Romanticon. With all those Cavemen, I’ll have to take lots. (Sept. 29- Oct.2)