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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Get FREE SHIPPING on any sized order from Books-a-Million now through August 4, 2008 by using coupon code XSHPJPJULY at checkout.

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.

# # #

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.