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