Free eBook

In celebration of the season, I'm offering my two Amazon Shorts, The Seven & The Seven Revisited, for a limited time as a free ebook download. Enjoy!

50% Sale - Christmas Day!

Phaze is having its third annual 50% ebook sale.
One day only: Christmas Day.
The sale code will be FESTIVE.

Purring tonight on Sex-Kitten Radio

Join me this evening at 10pm Eastern on XXBN where I'll be chatting with the one and only Gracie Passette on her radio show, Cult of Gracie.

We'll be talking about erotica, smut writing, altruism, and Coming Together.

Whipped Cream Interview

Check out my new interview over at Whipped Cream Reviews, the erotic arm of Long and Short Reviews. Then, tomorrow, join me on their Yahoo!Group for a little interactive Q&A!

Want more context for some of my quotes? You can read the raw, unedited interview here.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

How it all began...

Before Mandy Long and Bruce Winfield began their globetrotting stewardship of the most unique retail establishment in Philadelphia, there was a woman who built the foundation for Erotique. Built it with her will and her sense of adventure. A woman who was ahead of her time in many ways.

Vivian Long's life was full of triumphs and tragedies. As we celebrate the beginning of a new era in America, come back with us and experience the beginning of the Erotique era for the Long family.

On a historic day in Washington D.C., Vivian Long and Eduardo Rojas Aguliar make some history of their own. And like this country, their lives will never be the same.

For those of you who have been craving more Bruce and Mandy...

Well, you'll have to keep re-reading ArtiFactual. We will return to those two beloved characters, but their next adventure is still in the plotting phaze. *wink*

Win, Place, and Show

The polls are closed on the Romance Erotica Connection Yahoo!Group, and I was pleased to discover that I'd done well in several of them. In particular:

My cover for Jude Mason's book, Jesse's Homecoming, won the "Lesbian (F/F) Romance & Erotica COVER OF THE YEAR".

I won "Editor of the year" (by one vote over the wonderful Mychael Black).

My art department at Phaze Books won "PUBLISHER Best Cover Artist Service" in a landslide! :)

And my publisher, Phaze Books, won the "PUBLISHER Best Customer Service" poll.

It would appear that the fiction awards went to those authors who worked their readership the hardest -- as is the way with most such polls. And, losing Cover Artist of the Year to Anne (not "Anna") Cain is like losing a swim race to Michael Phelps.

This takes a wee bit of the sting out of the fact that none of the Coming Together anthologies made the finals for the EPPIES this year. *sniff* I'm having a tough time summoning enthusiasm to even attend EPICon now. Hopefully the cover art awards will rekindle it.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

The Lust Chronicles Anthology

Available in ebook and audiobook from new publisher Ravenous Romance:

* Publish Date: 2008-12-01
* ISBN: 978-1-60777-065-7

Synopsis

“Rachel Kramer Bussel has created her own type of erotica. An earthy, true-to-life style that draws her readers in and keeps then focused until the very last word”—Alison Tyler

The Lust Chronicles takes readers inside the minds of men and women who know how to get their kink on. Fantasies are fulfilled as they go to orgies, join the Mile High Club, seduce sexy strangers and do all the naughty things they’ve always wanted to try. In “Luke Lushious,” Lolita Wolf attends a summer sex camp and finds the man of her dirtiest dreams, while Alex M. Quinlan learns “The Consequences of Complaint.”

Here you’ll find an ode to older women, lust for a girl in a fedora, one woman’s love affair with public sex, and several passionate paeans to the lovers you just can’t forget. Readers will identify with their cravings for over-the-top sex, and get off along with the narrators as they recount every last intimate detail. Proving that truth is far hotter than fiction, the Lust Chronicles authors bare all, letting you live vicariously through their steamy, 100% true stories.

* * *

NOTE: My bio on this publisher's site was modified from "Sometimes, usually by accident, it even qualifies as romance." to "It usually ends up as romance." I do not approve of the change.

Gobble me up 'cause I'm on sale!

Thanksgiving Sale: 40% Micropay Rebates on 53,000+ eBooks
Thanksgiving is celebrated this week in the United States. The day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday" – it is the traditional start of the holiday buying season and is typically the busiest retail shopping day of the year. But they’re not waiting at Fictionwise! They're kicking things off early with a massive sale: buy now and receive 40% Micropay Rebates on every title (when making a credit card purchase). This sale runs through Sunday, November 30 and WILL NOT be extended. You will not be seeing anything else like it this year, so take advantage of this special now!

Happy Birthday to Phaze

Phaze Books is 4 years old this month, and the presents are for the readers who've made its success possible! Today and tomorrow, take 25% off your entire purchase (both ebooks and print) using code BIGFOUR.

Goooooooo, E!

With Big Exception, Trade Sales Slowed in September
-- Publishers Weekly, 11/5/2008 7:57:00 AM

Reports from various publishers and booksellers that sales slowed considerably in September are borne out by the just-released AAP monthly sales estimates. According to the 17 publishers that report adult hardcover results, sales fell nearly 30% in the month, while sales in the trade paperback and mass market segments were both off by more than 8%. The children’s hardcover segment provided some good news, with sales jumping almost 42% led by shipments of Brisingr, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake and Disney High School Musical 3 Junior Novel; all three had first printings of over 1 million. Children’s paperback sales were down 19.1%. The strong performance of e-books continued in September, with the 13 publishers that report sales totaling revenue of $5.1 million, a 77.8% increase over last September.

VOTE!

The first of the year-end polls

There are a whole bunch of polls posted on the Romance Erotica Connection Yahoo!Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/polls

If you are so inclined, I (we) would much appreciate your support in the following categories.

You gotta be a member to vote, though. You can join here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/join

Cover Artist of the Year
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835631

Erotic Romance - All OTHER Genres Novel of the Year
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835904

Erotic Romance - Contemporary Best Female Character
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835851

Editor of the Year
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835665

Cover of the Year (Surrender & A Little Taste of Red)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection/surveys?id=12835664

Thank you!

~ Alessia

Cover Art Entries

Want some candy?

Today only, Halloween, get 20% off your entire order at Phaze Books using the code CANDYCORN

Happy reading!

Surrender is a NOR Top Pick

Dee from Night Owl Romance gives Surrender: Tales of Erotic Submission 5 of 5 Hearts and a Reviewer Top Pick!

As a group named Surrender: Tales of Erotic Submission is a fun short read. Each goes into the characters emotional states – some more than others but they still have the same feel. All the stories are easy to follow and full of continuous action. I think Breaking Skye is strong enough to be on its own, but with this group each shines a little more.

BREAKING SKYE by Eden Bradley is about Skye and Adam meeting over the internet when she searches for someone to help her deal with her submissive symbols. They meet face to face and she’s apprehensive but finally submits and agrees to come to his home Friday. From the beginning Adam is impressed with Skye but he has issues of his own to work out.

SUBMISSIVE SECRETS by Eliza Gayle begins with Aiden naked in her bed when she gets home. Because it’s been 8 years since they were together Carli has a problem with him being there in the first place. Carli had some emotional/sexual issues she felt she couldn’t confide to Aiden and broke off their wedding. Carli now has to find out why Aiden has reappeared and live with the fact that no other man has measured up to Aiden in all this time.

CUPID’S CAPTIVE by Reese Gabriel involves Carl’s law partner John taking Carl’s sister Steffy out for Valentine’s Day. They had grown up together but Steffy was 10 years younger, and John had a hard time getting past that. When John and Steffy got together she was a wildcat, a big surprise to John. The title Uncle John was soon lost as they both learned about each other in a new way.

Fine flickering hungers LISTEN TO ME by Alessia Brio is told in first person and less than 10 pages long involving three people. We are allowed to visit the action in the beginning and left to contemplate where their passions lead.

Although the first scene is very erotic I would still like to read more of the author’s imagination, maybe it’s because of the enticing beginning that I want more.

~ ~ ~

I waived my royalties on this one, since my contribution to the anthology was (a) extremely short and (b) already published in fine flickering hungers, but it's still very gratifying to get a juicy review!

New Review!

Loving Venus - Loving Mars reviewed fine flickering hungers:

Fine Flickering Hungers is a nice eclectic mix of short stories that contains many juicy and highly erotic fantasies. There’s a bit of something for everyone in here. However, what I mainly loved was the fair amount of girl-on-girl content, especially of the “first time experience” nature. Outside of that, I enjoyed each story for what it was.

This book also includes very short poems between each story, which I thought was an interesting touch and liked most of them. And I say that as someone who is not really into poetry.

The only negative I felt about this book was that some of the stories ended a bit too abruptly for me. And one in particular got me all worked up with no where to go. None of the characters are fulfilled in that story, but I’ll talk about that later.

A little blurb about each story:

Wetter Has Never Been Better: This was one of the best stories in this book. It’s about a young advertising woman who goes to Costa Rica to get some inspiration for an ad campaign for the Costa Rican tourist office, which wants people to come during the rainy season. While there, she ends up in all kinds of sexual situations as when it rains, everyone becomes horny. I just loved the whole concept of it and that a natural element, especially rain, causes everyone to get hot and bothered. m/f, m/f/f, f/f.

Topping Love: This story included some of the characters from Wetter Has Never Been Better, but went off in a different direction. This is about a sex expert/therapist who has become asexual and has really intellectualized sex. He allows his wife to get her needs taken care of with others and she goes with both men and women. When his brother, wife, and her best friend get together for an evening, it’s all talk, talk. The therapist decides to make pizzas having everyone put toppings on according to meanings he has put to those toppings. It boils down to an analogy of pizza toppings with what we desire in a mate/ relationship.

This story was a bit confusing to me and it was very philosophical with lots of discussing and proselytizing about the nature of love and sex. There was no actual sex in this story though. Meh, it wasn’t my cuppa, but others might like this one.

It’s All About Customer Service: Oh, I liked this one. A woman calls a furnace repair man to fix her furnace and you can guess what happens. This one is a nice little hot erotic fantasy. Doing it with the repair guy? Yumm… m/f

Jake: This is about a woman who has to leave her lover to go on a business trip, but worries about him because he seemed ill when she left. She rushes home, all tense, worried and excited to finally have sex with him again, only to find him lying in the same position. OK, seriously, this was hilarious. Very different and creative, although there was no real sex in this story, just implied sex. f/?

Listen to Me: This is a first person story of a woman seducing another in a single night. It had the feeling of two strangers who’ve agreed to try it and there was a slight bit of BDSM feeling to it. I loved this story and thought it really steamy right up until it ended abruptly. Both characters are getting worked up; the D is leading by bringing the s to the brink many times and stopping, and then, THE END. No orgasmic finish, nothing. Just a third party male is suddenly at the door. So, this one was incredibly frustrating for me. Alessia, please, at least let the characters get off if they’ve gotten all steamed up. Other than that, this was one really hot story. f/f

Timeless: OK, this story went right over my head. It’s about a couple, in a hotel room, who aren’t supposed to be together, or they’re together illicitly? I don’t know really. Somehow they are from another time and there’s a sword involved. Seriously, this one was too poetic for my plain old brain and I just didn’t get it. Once again though, others out there might find it very intriguing. No graphic sex in this one either. m/f

The Second Person: A story written in, you guessed it, the second person. This one was really hot. A guy on a business trip jerks off all over the place in his hotel room thinking about a woman who is also at the meetings. She kind of likes him though, especially after he defends her against the office a-hole. Just by chance, ahem, they’re both going to the airport after the last meeting. So they go together stopping at her house along the way, where she shows just how much she likes him. This was very juicy and erotic and the second person writing didn’t bother me at all. m/f.

Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun: A short, cute story of a woman who hates Halloween, but gets seduced by a ghost on Halloween night. Mostly she’s ordered to masturbate by it. A very nice, very hot story. f/ghost

Hallowing Eve: Two girl friends spend a weekend in a cabin and get it on with each other for the first time. This is a very spicy, first time girl-girl experience and it was nicely and realistically written. f/f

Under Cover Angel: A female detective hired by a woman to catch her husband in the act, finds out the woman is the real cheat and she meets with the husband. This is an interesting fantasy, however, it was written a bit oddly. I was a bit distracted by how quickly the husband is into the detective, but that’s fantasy for ya. Still, it was an interesting story. m/f

It’s Just Sex: This was one very salacious and slightly humours story. A priest is tired of hearing boring confessions day in and day out and hires a company specializing in fulfilling sexual fantasies to have someone come in and confess something really hot and juicy. And he gets his money’s worth. I love the whole irreverence in this story and there’s an unexpected twist at the end. The poem- Surrogate Sin, just before this story is hilarious. Very creative and entertaining. M, f, mutual masturbation.

Memento: is a very short story that is a continuation or epilogue of It’s Just Sex. The good Father is brought a memento of his fantasy in the form of a high heel with a message written on it. Meh, it’s not really a story actually. So I can’t comment on it as such. If you have a shoe fetish though, this little ditty might get you going. m/shoe.

Boiling Point: Oh this one was hot, hot, hot. Two girl friends, both married, have been sexually fantasizing about each other for a long time but have never talked about it. It comes to a head when they disagree on the outcome of a movie. The friend who mainly does the following and not leading in the relationship, decides to take matters into her own hands and finally pushes the envelope, forcing the other friend to acknowledge her feelings. The other friend is very reluctant though and fights her desires even though they have a really hot time together and the story is left at that. Nice, graphic and highly erotic girl-on-girl sex in this story. f/f

Say it With a Strap-On: This is a continuation of Boiling Point. The girls haven’t really been speaking to each other since that one night and the one who initiated the whole thing is just wracked with pain over not being able to be with the other one. When the reluctant one calls her up for an evening together, things come further to a head in their relationship. Once again, very nicely written and there’s a satisfying HFN outcome. The angst and feelings that would come up in such a situation were very nicely and realistically written and again, there was some very steamy sex. These last two stories were my favorites. f/f- strap-on use.

While Alessia Brio’s style of writing seemed to fluctuate between very gritty and poetic, which kind of distracted me at times, I really enjoyed how she portrayed many of her characters and most of the stories/ fantasies were very creative, different and engaging.

Sex Grade: Commando. toys, strap-on, f/f, m/f, m/f/f, hint of m/m, masturbation.

Grade: between B+and A-

Yup, Alessia's writing--just like Alessia's life--fluctuates between very gritty and very poetic. She is, indeed, distracting. *grin* (I'll stop talking about myself in the 3rd person now.)

eBook Bail-Out Extended

Sale extended through October 16th (Thursday) ... so there's still time to take advantage of this incredible promotion!

50% MicroPay Rebate Sale!

The Feds bailed out Wall Street last week to the tune of $700 Billion, and at Fictionwise they say: why let the fat cat CEO's have all the fun? So starting now, every single title in their store sports a massive 50% Micropay Rebate when paying by credit or PayPal! But hurry: they will run this insane eBook Bailout Package either through Sunday October 12, or until they give away $700 Billion worth of Rebates, whichever comes first!

Wow! That means you can buy HALF of my entire backlist, then go back and get the other half with your rebate! :)

~ Alessia

Squeeze Play

Now available in ebook & print from Phaze Books:

Together in one volume, get ready for an incredible seventh inning stretch with the sexiest baseball stories since Bull Durham!

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

Spring Training: As the new season rolls around, Andi's focus has shifted from players to coach. Does Mark Hamilton have what it takes to earn Andi's trust and complete Spring Training?

978-1-60659-092-8 ($6 ebook)
978-1-60659-053-9 ($12.95 print)

50% MicroPay Rebate Sale!

The Feds bailed out Wall Street last week to the tune of $700 Billion, and at Fictionwise they say: why let the fat cat CEO's have all the fun? So starting now, every single title in their store sports a massive 50% Micropay Rebate when paying by credit or PayPal! But hurry: they will run this insane eBook Bailout Package either through Sunday October 12, or until they give away $700 Billion worth of Rebates, whichever comes first!

Wow! That means you can buy HALF of my entire backlist, then go back and get the other half with your rebate! :)

~ Alessia

A shout for a friend

Hey, y'all! Go buy Murphy Jacobs' first ebook release: In the Temple of Nogged! It's only $1.49

I had the pleasure of reading this short story before it was commercially available, and I assure you that your buck and a half will be very well-spent.

What are you waiting for? Go!

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

Video from the Baltimore Book Festival

It was wet. Very. For most of the afternoon, this was the raging river at my heels:

The view from my perch (the last table in the author tent):

Baltimore, here I come

This saturday from 11am through 7pm, I will be signing/selling/schmoozing at the Baltimore Book Festival. Come & see me!

Here's an article about the event from the Baltimore Sun.

Best $5 I ever spent!

This arrived via email and is just too much fun not to share:

Instead of (or in addition to) sending around more emails about how horrible Sarah Palin is as a potential vice president, let's all make a donation to Planned Parenthood... in her name.

When you make a donation to Planned Parenthood in her name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor.

You'll need to fill in the address to let Planned Parenthood know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters, which is:

McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street, 1st Floor
Arlington, VA 22202

Make sure to chose the "Honorary or Memorial Donations" link on the left side of the page at:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/donate/donate-89.htm

I just made a donation. The thank you email I received in response says:

Your contribution to Planned Parenthood Federation of America is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable under law. IRS regulations require us to state that we did not provide any goods or services to you in consideration of your contribution.

However, I believe I was provided a wonderful service for my contribution. It's called poetic justice. Priceless!

Misinformation Study

There's No Arguing With Conservatives... No, Seriously...

A new study out of Yale University confirms that offering reality-based rebuttals to conservative lies only makes conservatives cling to those lies with greater vigor. In essence, schooling conservatives makes them more ignorant. (Or is that ignoranter?) From the September 14th Washington Post article on the study:

Political scientists Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler provided two groups of volunteers with the Bush administration's prewar claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. One group was given a refutation -- the comprehensive 2004 Duelfer report that concluded that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction before the United States invaded in 2003.

Thirty-four percent of conservatives told only about the Bush administration's claims thought Iraq had hidden or destroyed its weapons before the U.S. invasion, but 64 percent of conservatives who heard both claim and refutation thought that Iraq really did have the weapons. The refutation, in other words, made the misinformation worse. A similar "backfire effect" also influenced conservatives told about Bush administration assertions that tax cuts increase federal revenue. One group was offered a refutation by prominent economists that included current and former Bush administration officials. About 35 percent of conservatives told about the Bush claim believed it; 67 percent of those provided with both assertion and refutation believed that tax cuts increase revenue.

In a paper approaching publication, Nyhan, a PhD student at Duke University, and Reifler, at Georgia State University, suggest that Republicans might be especially prone to the backfire effect because conservatives may have more rigid views than liberals: Upon hearing a refutation, conservatives might "argue back" against the refutation in their minds, thereby strengthening their belief in the misinformation.

Nyhan and Reifler did not see the same "backfire effect" when liberals were given misinformation and a refutation about the Bush administration's stance on stem cell research.

** The added links are my doing and did not appear in the original Washington Post article or the forwarded email I received. ~ Alessia

Mystique Books reviews Switch

Y'know, it totally doesn't suck to start one's day with a review quote that reads: This book is a work of genius.

Here's what Rachel Nail of Mystique Books says about Switch:

I've always been told to unplug electrical devices during thunderstorms. Something about a lightning traveling along the building's wires and coming out the other end. This hazard had the possibility of causing complications with computers, telephones, disk players...sex toys?

This book is a work of genius. To have the two lovers switch bodies during sex was an awesome twist to any story, not to mention very, very sexy. I was hooked to the story, wondering what would happen. My only complaint was that the reader was left wondering how, if at all, Mandy and Bruce return to their bodies. An excellent read!

Four and a half Mystique Moons. (Excellent)

Class Five sensuality. (Raging Carnality)

Fetish Fleamarket

Well, I'm heading for DC at o'dark-thirty tomorrow morning for The Crucible's Leather Fleamarket & Play Party #17. From 11am 'til 6pm on Saturday, Bridget Midway & I will be manning (womanning?) our table at the fetish fleamarket, selling our edgier books & schmoozing. While I hope to be hella busy, I also hope to have time to shop. Who knows what trinkets I might acquire? I've wanted a white leather halter/vest for a while. And one can never have too many corsets. Plus, I'm sure there will be lots of TOYS. I lurves me some toys. They're the cherry on many a sundae.

So, if you're in the DC area, stop by and see us. Buy a book. Better yet, buy two books, and I'll give you the third for free. Free is good.

Remembering

TRS reviews Time Warp

Time Warp
Alessia Brio
Contemporary erotic romance
Available from Phaze
ISBN: 1-59426-522-4
April 2007

Alex and Dan Gallagher have everything on their first anniversary. He's finally divorced from his wife. The one he had been cheating on for her. Life is good in the suburbs for the two. By the third anniversary things have drastically changed. He's been seeing his first wife, Beth, again, is planning to move out and remarry her. Alex has a devilish plan up her sleeve to make sure that doesn't happen.

Alessia Brio gives us a tale of what could happen to a cheating spouse when the partner is a pharmacist or in the medical profession. Alex is painted as patient, willing to wait until their special day to enact the plan she's developed since she found Dan cheating. We can almost hear her evil laugh as she sets him up to have her way with him one last time and make sure Beth doesn't want him. She's done her research on the internet and is a totally modern woman buying toys, checking out the meds, the knots and getting everything ready.

The author does a great job with her storyline. It's like we have a tape and can fast forward from anniversary to anniversary, hitting only the highlights and cutting out the 'commercials' that happened between times. The author leaves it up to us to fill in the blanks in any way we want. This is an interesting way to tell a story and I found I had a lot of fun with it.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Dee Dailey
September 9, 2008

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/timewarpbrio.htm

BLURB: Dan doesn't appreciate Alex any longer, and Alex just does not appreciate Dan's infidelity. When cunning and creativity combine in a woman scorned, revenge turns criminally delicious. Who's really the guilty party inthis twisted tale of torment?

Advocacy

I have been told that it's bad for business to mix political (or any other) advocacy with my work as an author.

If current or future book sales are more important to an author, then s/he can choose to remain neutral. Perhaps s/he will reconsider when those books start disappearing from public libraries.

I refuse to put career before conscience. And, I'm exceptionally proud of my partner for choosing to make his views known as well.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

The Slippery Slope... or WWOD?

Let me preface this post by stating that I am a staunch supporter of Barack Obama.

Here comes the "but" ...

But, lately, I have been observing behavior in his disciples (yes, that word choice was intentional) that is alarming to me.

It looks, smells, and sounds a whole helluva lot like the if-you-criticize-you're-not-patriotic attitude that we (meaning the liberal left) received when voicing our objections to the war in Iraq, when speaking out against torture at Guantanamo, when demanding accountability for corporate graft.

When criticism is viewed as blasphemous, when every opinion is countered with spin, when people on the same team start questioning the devotion of others, it's time to get off our knees and take a step away from the altar.

I'd like to believe Obama's camp is too smart to fall into the sort of behavior patterns that have resulted, under the current administration, in the weakening of our constitutional rights. Obama himself is undoubtedly bright enough, but is his fan club seeing clearly enough to avoid the hypocrisy seeping into their rhetoric?

What Would Obama Do?

Yes, We Can

Taste Treat

Tasting Him is available NOW directly from the publisher (Cleis Press) or via pre-order from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Books-a-Million. Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, this anthology of fellatio fabulousness features my story "Down on the Beach."

Check out the Tasting Him blog to see the rest of the line-up and read Rachel's introduction. In the days ahead, watch that space for interviews and reviews.

Enjoy the feast!

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

Frivolity

Two Lips Reviews Under Fire

Title: Under Fire
Author: Alessia Brio and Will Belegon, editors
Publisher: Phaze
Genre: Anthology
Publication date: 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59426-857-1
Pages: 288
Series: Coming Together
Reviewer: Aviana
Heat Level: F/M; F/F; M/M; M/M/M
Rating:

Coming Together: Under Fire is a collection of short stories and poems dedicated to the victims of the Southern California wildfires in October 2007 and to the courageous men and women who battled those blazes. All the proceeds go to help the victims, some of whom will surely struggle for years to put their lives back together. As part of the Coming Together series - benefiting a variety of charities and natural disasters, Coming Together: Under Fire is both an extremely worthwhile project and the perfect book to dip into before bedtime.

Editors Alessia Brio and Will Belegon made sure this collection of 37 short stories and poems include something for everyone. Many of the entries have fire as a theme, but not all. Some of the stories seem specifically written about the Southern California fires, mentioning names and places familiar to those who lived through those harrowing days, such as myself.

Poetry lovers will be delighted to find poems comprise half this volume and are interleafed between each short story. I especially liked the way the editors italicized the poetry titles in the table of contents, making it easier for the reader. It’s impossible to review all 37 entries in one short review but a few stand out.

Burn Zone by James Buchanan is a touching and erotic story about 3 firefighters, two city fireman and one smoke jumper. The men are roommates and when two of them hear the third is having trouble dealing with the loss of his teammates in an out-of-control brushfire, they go looking for him. Once they finally find him, they force him to face his guilt while affirming the unique bond they share as friends and a sexual threesome.

Drive-In by Tilly Green is a fun story about a very sexy and pent up firefighter and his patient girlfriend enjoying public sex at a private beach party. She finally gets up the nerve to express her deepest feelings and naturally that’s just when he gets paged to come back to work.

Slow Burn Blues by Lefty McGee is a powerful poem about a man drinking whiskey in a smoky bar while listening to a woman sing the blues. In just a few short stanzas, the story of this man’s regrets and his overwhelming shame is revealed.

Blind Date by Stephanie Vaughan seems written specifically for this volume. It’s the sexy story of two gay men on a blind date - arranged by one of their moms, no less! One happens to be a firefighter on call which gives the story a nice tension. The two quickly hit it off and although things go from spark to inferno they also manage to connect emotionally in a very special way.

The last title of this anthology, The End of the World by Gwen Masters, is an astonishingly tender tale of a married couple lost in the vast Gibson Desert of Australia. It’s unbearably hot, the food and water are running out and they know they can’t last more than a couple of days. With nothing to do but wait to die, they are forced to finally face the reasons their marriage failed. Although The End of the World has nothing to do with fire per se, it’s a story of hope in the face of total disaster – a fitting end to this fine collection.

http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3126&Itemid=36

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She cheated on baseball

Well, I'd rather be excoriated because the story and/or the characters hit a nerve with the reviewer than to be slammed for spelling or grammar errors. With that in mind, this review does not disappoint. Spring Training certainly hit a nerve with this reviewer. *grin* Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course, and it's clear that this reviewer's opinion is... um, slanted in favor of well-behaved "heroines" who cater the conventional morality of formula romance.

It would appear she was tolerating our protagonist's slutty ways until Andi expanded her horizons to include athletes from other professional sports. (The reason she did so is a plot point, but her biases apparently blinded her to this fact.)

And our hero? Well, I happen to know for a fact that men like Mark Hamilton DO exist. (Thank the heavens!) Real, strong, sexy men who are secure enough in their masculinity to not have to "possess" a woman in order to love her. THAT is a hero, in my book. The reviewer implies that any "red-blooded" man or woman that doesn't have a problem with Mark's acceptance of Andi's ways is just... wrong. Personally, as a red-blooded woman myself, I don't have a damned bit of trouble with it ... but I've always been "way, way too far over the top." *wink* (As my partner pointed out, the ending is nowhere near as implausible as the typical story arc that is so prevalent in the genre wherein one dip of the hero's mighty dick into the heroine's magic pussy cures him of his roving eyes and wandering ways. Puh-lease!)

No, the review disappoints because, in spite of the genre's abundant sex, it illustrates how rigid and insular "romance" really is. Go read the book. Make up your own mind.

From Tanya at Joyfully Reviewed:

Andi is a young, successful woman who has just returned from a Hawaiian vacation and is getting ready for the new spring baseball season. For Andi, this means there is another new slew of “home talent” to help fill her bed. This season will be a tough one for her, though, as at the close of the last season, she let her two pitchers go for their own good. Though she was never a woman to be exclusive, these boys had her attention for quite a while. But Andi knows when to “cut and run.” Now she is trying to keep herself busy so that she doesn’t miss them. One thing she hadn’t counted on was the attraction to coach Mark Hamilton. Mark is a retired ball player who is now the pitching coach and there is a palatable attraction between the two. The question is, will either act on it?

Spring Training is a follow up to Double Header, where you learn of Andi’s romance with a pair of pitchers (Eric and Brad) who do make a couple of cameos in Spring Training.

I will start my opinion part of the review with a quick dissertation on double standards. Yes, I know they exist and I abhor them, but there are a few that no matter if it is a man or woman who is committing them, it drives me nuts. Spring Training is a prime example of one of these cases. The fact that Andi is a “bat bunny” would have bugged me, but then you find out she also chases hockey players and basketball and even a woman’s sports team. I mean, come on, pick a sport at least. It's the same reaction I would have to a man who sleeps around at the frequency Andi does. We are talking a different guy each night. Then you add to the fact she keeps a rating journal on their performance and her reactions to them. Give me a break. As you can tell, I did not like a large part of this story. I was at the point of giving up completely when in comes a likable character. I thoroughly liked Mark and his actions around not only his players but Andi. The ensuing romantic suspense kept me reading, but it was not enough for me to give a favorable review. Mostly due to the fact I completely hated the ending. I can’t believe that any red-blooded man would go for that ending, and I know it upset this red-blooded woman. Spring Training has a wonderful blurb with the publisher and the team of Alessia Brio and Will Belegon have had a number of successful stories in the past, but Spring Training is not one for me. Way, way too far over the top.

In contrast, Holly Tibbs from Manic Readers says:

SPRING TRAINING is apparently a follow up to DOUBLE HEADER, which was released in October 2007. Not having read that story, I am introduced to Andi and immediately get my first impression of her as one who sleeps around a lot with men in sports, nothing more than a groupie. However, as SPRING TRAINING progresses, a little more insight into her character emerges and she’s not unlikable, just a little harder edged than most heroines. Andi is not afraid to take pleasure and rarely turns down a man, but yet, it is Mark she eventually becomes attracted to. He’s the “unattainable one” because he’s honorable and respected.... In the end, when things (and some danger) come to a head, it brings Mark and Andi together. But is he “the one” she can commit herself to?

The sex scenes are smoking hot and the characters are plentiful, with an added glimpse into the lifestyles of baseball players. If you like to read stories based on sports, then you’ll no doubt enjoy SPRING TRAINING.

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Well, Damn!

No sooner than I post my June-July newsletter, I find new news in my inbox. I'm not complaining, though. Not by a long shot!

Will & I are delighted to announce that ArtiFactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique is a finalist in the 2007 Dream Realm Awards!

The awards will be announced at ArmadilloCon, the Texas SciFi convention, in August.

Fireworks!

Tomorrow (Independence Day) only, get 20% off all orders from Phaze using code FIREWORKS08.

Lettin' it all hang out

Author Sherry Morris spells out small press promo woes on her blog. Have a read. Then go write.

Me? I'm fondling the medallion I received in today's mail for the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Check it out on the Coming Together blog.

Surrender Released!

Back cover blurb:

Breaking Skye by Eden Bradley
Skye Ballard dreams of sexual submission. Convinced that all it will take to purge the yearning is one night, she searches for the perfect Dominant. But Adam Dunne, exceeds her wildest dreams. Skye soon discovers that being with him only makes her crave more and that one night will not be enough. Beginning with the idea of training her for someone else, all Adam can think of is breaking Skye and keeping her for himself.

Submissive Secrets by Eliza Gayle
After eight years, Carli's ex-fiancée, Aidan, shows up naked in her bed. Will she have the nerve to tell him the truth about herself and why she ran from him? Forced to return on a mission, he just wants to get the hell out of town, until a thorough search of Carli's home unearths some secrets that shock him to the core. With this new information, a plan formulates. Aidan is determined to discover just how far Carli will go.

Cupid's Captive by Reese Gabriel
John Cupid is a sensual Dominant with no use for love, until he's roped into taking Steffy out for Valentine's Day. He expects a night of baby-sitting, but Steffy is all grown up and knows what she wants: a chance to be tied down and ravished by the man she used to call "Uncle John." He tries to resist, but the beauty proves to be the perfect slave for him. Is John about to be hit by one of his namesake's infamous arrows?

Listen to Me by Alessia Brio
A bonus short by an EPPIE Award-winning author, poet, and editor of the philanthropic Coming Together anthology series.

What do your books look like?

Double Header

Spring Training

Coming Together: Under Fire

Coming Together: For the Cure

Coming Together: With Pride

ArtiFactual: Tales of the Erotique Mystique

Pura Vida!