Ahoy, authors! There be pirates in these waters!

The category of "Romantic Fiction" on the AstaTalk forum is a big one. Apparently, those who believe they shouldn't have to pay for ebooks have a huge appetite for the genre.

It makes me wonder what makes these people tick. Where does a person acquire that sense of entitlement? Do they shoplift in meat space, too? Are they self-proclaimed Christians? Are they so dirt poor that they can't afford to buy what they steal?  Do they have hard drives full of all manner of electronically pirated media -- music, movies, books? What are their demographics? I'm quite curious.

It is no surprise that those who post in search of "free" ebooks typically do so under nicknames and have their profiles set to private. They know they're doing wrong. KNOW it. Hence, they hide. And they sneak. And they steal.

They steal from me and those like me: authors, publishers, editors, and cover artists. And they'll keep doing it until someone does something to stop them. The "authorities" aren't much help at this juncture, so that someone is US.

So, when you become aware that your work is being pirated, post a link to where the book can be LEGALLY obtained. I recommend:

Thank you for your interest in my work. I would appreciate it if you would not steal it on this or similar sites. Not only is it wrong, it also deprives me of the income that I use to pay my bills. We -- author and reader -- have a symbiotic relationship. I'm doing my part. If you don't do yours, I may not be able to continue to write books for your entertainment. This book can be legally obtained via the following link:

INSERT BUY LINK HERE

In appreciation, if you send me your receipt, I will be happy to (insert incentive here).

Please post links to your activism in the comments. Perhaps we can make a difference.

peace and passion,

~ Alessia

Friday Flash

Christine dipped her finger into the wine glass and with it drew a large, wet heart on her lover's stomach. "The difference between my love for you and yours for me is, as I see it, that mine IS conditional. I don't want unconditional love. I can't respect it because it's too much like worship. No, I prefer to be loved conditionally. Attach strings to your love. I want lines in the sand of your emotional desert, things I could do that would damage us. Without them, you're just a dog to me... and I'm a cat person."

Dude, we're not in Kansas anymore

The title of this post was something I overheard while weaving my way through the lobby of the Atlanta Marriott this past weekend. It was spoken by a hotel guest who was not there to attend Dragon*Con, and it pretty accurately describes the event. Having attended my first Comic*Con this year as well, I can report that I much preferred Dragon*Con. It was far more about getting your geek on, whereas Comic*Con was a bit too Hollywood for my tastes.

Memorable moments from my first (but not last) Dragon*Con:

Learning the Thriller dance* alongside several hundred geeks in a wide variety of costumes, then doing it an hour later for the official attempt in a ballroom with 902 others, thereby breaking the world record. (Guinness hasn't blessed it yet, but it will. I'm sure.)

Turning to a complete stranger afterward and receiving a zombie fist bump. :)

Credit card receipts from vendors like "Intergalactic Trading Co" and "World in Chains."  (I bought myself an awesome white katana -- since I already have kimono silk waiting to be sewn into costume awesomeness -- and a pair of green cat's eye contact lenses, plus gifts for my kids.)

Having the delightful Felicia Day autograph a Coming Together T-shirt that we'll auction as a charity fundraiser.

Attending Babylon 5 & Stargate ensemble cast panels. It's fun to watch them interact! (Would've preferred to see Claudia Black & Ben Browder on a Farscape panel, since I'm not a Stargate aficionado, but it was still fun!)

Watching the first two seasons of The Guild in a ballroom packed with several hundred other fans.

Abney Park! Oh, and the fan steampunk marriage proposal during their show. Lots of folks got teary-eyed, even the band. :)

There are a few photos uploaded to Facebook (friends-only access), and I'm sure I'll add more as they surface.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

* I'm the occasionally-visible pirate wench behind the dude in the blood-spattered white T-shirt.

Friday Flash

Leah studied the small gift in her hands. A token, really. Inexpensive bordering on cheap. Certainly not a burden to the giver, requiring more thought than coin. Nevertheless, she wanted—needed—it, and she absolutely hated the fact that she had to ask for it. Anyone paying attention, the ultimate gift, would have known. Anyone truly committed to her happiness would—should—have known. She shook it. Its heft felt hollow, contrived, desperate; not fulfilling as it would have been if spontaneous. Sighing, she flung it against the wall. Even its physical impact disappointed her. "Too little. Too late."

Friday Flash

Stepping off the roller coaster, Chloe blinked in an attempt to balance. Her body still swayed with the memories of the excruciatingly slow uphill climbs followed by the inevitable gut-wrenching plunges. How long had she ridden; how many circuits? She couldn't recall when she last felt terra firma beneath her feet. Her first steps were unsteady, tentative, but as she distanced herself from the ride, her confidence grew. It felt good to be moving on her own terms, at her own pace. Leaving the ride behind, she lifted her eyes to the horizon. There, she smiled. I'm going there.

Catching up on reviews

A couple months ago, I set up a blog to house Phaze's reviews. Promo goddess Crystal Bright has been busily archiving reviews there (as well as posting the new ones). Last night, she posted two old reviews from The Romance Studio that I hadn't seen yet. What a treat!

Artistically Inclined
Alessia Brio and Will Belegon
Contemporary erotic romance
ISBN: 978-1-59426-950-5
January 2007

Cyndi is artistic, talented, passionate about her work. Roger owns a hardware store and hobnobs with top talents in Pittsburgh’s sports world. The two work at keeping their relationship erotic. For Valentine’s Day Cyndi suggests they each write down five fantasies and share them. Roger adds his own twist to the suggestion by saying they can’t have sex or orgasms until Valentine’s.

This writing duo pens a quickly read novella that explores the artistic world and scenery of Pittsburgh while heading like a speeding bullet toward the acting out of the couples fantasies.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Dee Dailey
March 26, 2008

fine flickering hungers
Alessia Brio
Erotic romance anthology
Available from Phaze
ISBN: 1-59426-540-2
November 2005

fine, flickering hungers by Alessia Brio is an anthology of erotic short stories and poetry. As there are too many to review separately, I'll pick a few to give you a taste of this sensuous, yet unusual book.

Wetter Has Never Been Better is the sensuous story of Stormy and the extremes she will go to in order to land a huge account, the country of Costa Rico, at the ad agency she works for. A "challenge" has been issued by the execs ­ create an ad that will make tourists want to head to Costa Rico during the rainy season - and Stormy plans on winning that challenge…but how? Why not head to Costa Rico and see what might be special about the rainy season? Her discovery surprises and pleases her and introduces her to more than she ever expected, which leads to a winning presentation! This is a very hot story. Luckily, there is another story, Topping Love, that picks up where this one leaves off and introduces family and friends of Charlie, the man Stormy starts seeing once she's home! Very interesting story ­ I wonder where the author got the idea of using pizza toppings!

Carly has always been a follower ­ never a leader! On this night, when she's out with Jenna, her best friend, she finally decides to take the lead. However, Jenna isn't one to follow, until tonight! Carly, upon reaching her Boiling Point, gives Jenna no choice in the matter and Carly's dreams come true...but what happens now? We find out in the next story, Say It With A Strap-On. Carly buys something special for her next encounter with Jeana...if she has a next encounter! They occasionally talk on the phone but not about what Carly believes needs to be talked about! Jeana calls and invites her to dinner. She accepts and things go from good to great, as far as Carly and Jeana are concerned... until Jeana's husband catches them! So what will be next for these ladies?

This was a most unusual book, with a combination of poetry and short stories. Alessia Brio stories and poetry flowed and they were written with a touch of humor and a lot of heat!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Pam
January 15, 2006

Friday Flash

The process of first recognizing, then accepting, that the relationship was never going to be what she most wanted it to be drove Maria into an emotional abyss. Too tired, too angry, and just too fucking too to haul herself out of the pit, she stretched supine on its floor and wallowed in the muck of ennui. It sucked at her soul, and she knew she should divorce herself from it rather than continue to hope for change. Move on. Alone. Perhaps forever alone, or at least until she could scour the stain of such transient beauty from her skin.

A little kinky, a lot sick, and completely unexpected.

It's an old review, but I like it...

TIME WARP - Alessia Brio

Fury HeatSheets

ISBN: 978-1-59426-522-8

Erotica Contemporary

Heat Rating: Nebula

RRTE Rating: Foreplay

Alex has a strange affinity for the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie and it holds special memories for her. Each year on Halloween she and her husband Dan celebrate their Halloween anniversary with hot sex and watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This year however is a bit different. Dan is leaving Alex to go back to his first wife, but Alex plans a last celebration Dan will never forget.

A little kinky, a lot sick, and completely unexpected. Having read Ms. Brio previously, TIME WARP was not what I expected.

Isabelle Spencer -4/25/07

BWAHAHAHA!

"Second, there is a certain segment of digital publishing that is publishing porn under the guise of romance thereby diluting the brand of serious romance digital publishers."

Diluting the brand. Oh, that's rich! Let's talk instead 'bout the "serious romance digital publishers" who are publishing the "porn under the guise of romance" like, for starters, the publisher of a recent #romfail snarkfest. Rather than holding up Aphrodisia for public scorn, Dear Author instead opts to use an example from an author cooperative that has never claimed to be publishing "romance." eXcessica, on the other hand, has always been upfront about what it is (and what it's NOT).* I really can't say the same about any of those serious romance digital publishers.

To me, the referenced post sounds a whole helluva lot like a recent controversial blog post by the president of a large, purportedly professional romance writers organization. Same holier-than-thou attitude. Y'know, elitism *can* be a good thing if it raises the bar. This sort, however, only sounds petty and defensive.

Back to work...

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

* P.S. It's no secret that I admire Ms. Kitt for what she's done with eXcessica -- especially, precisely, for not sucking up to romancelandia while doing its own thing and bothering no one. It just goes about its business, not seeking "acceptance." I figure the quality of the material it puts out could be improved at about the same ratio as the "legitimate" (Oh, wait! That's an RWA word.) um... "serious" (Oops, 'nother one!) um... nevermind.

Some folks, however, are annoyed that eXcessica even exists -- kinda like some "career focused" folks are annoyed that epublishing exists. (Don't track that hypocrisy into the house!)

Re-covered

Same hot stories, new cover art:

How the rednecks do it...

Finale fireworks from my hometown, population less than 5K. Sing it with me now: And the rocket's red glare/The bombs bursting in air/Whoo-hoo!

FIREWORKS09

Saturday through Monday

30% off everything using code
FIREWORKS09

Magic Mojo

My hypochondriac daughter inspired this bit of creativity. Take the largest bottle of chewable Vitamin C you can find, and replace the label with this... and allow the child to self-medicate. :)

Cause I'm the Mom

This is going on my kids' bedroom walls, framed. The Cafe Press poster reads:

DO YOU LIKE LIVING IN THIS HOUSE?
WAYS TO ENSURE I DON'T KICK YOU OUT:

Place all dirty dishes in the kitchen sink before going to bed each night. (Bonus points for rinsing.)

Place all dirty laundry down the chute before going to bed each night.

Ensure all dirty laundry is right-side-out and, if necessary, spot treated.

Do not use upholstery or bedding as a tissue. Boogers & snot-glaze do not belong on the arms of the sofa or the sides of your mattress.

Do not use upholstery or bedding as a napkin, either. Wipe greasy fingers on a napkin or even on shirt! (See above re spot treating.)

DON'T SPILL STUFF.

Don't create environments ripe for spilling stuff. Leaving glasses of juice on the table for the cats to knock over during the night is just. plain. stupid.

If stuff is spilled, fetch someone who knows what the hell they're doing to aid in its clean-up IMMEDIATELY -- not three days later, after the nail polish has become a permanent part of the decor.

Wipe the kitchen counter (and NOT onto the floor, either) after preparing food.

Don't give the cats people food unless you're prepared to have your nose rubbed in cat puke the next day.

Turn off lights & televisions when you're the last person leaving a room.

Learn how to thoroughly wipe your ass (without clogging the commode). No one wants their clothing laundered with underwear that look as if they were used as toilet tissue. It's just too damned gross.

REPLACE THE TOILET TISSUE if you use the last of the roll. (Don't know where it is? ASK! It's NOT hidden, and it's not a secret.)

Speaking of the toilet, should you take a Black Sunday dump, please wipe the underside of the seat so that it doesn't dry craptacularly speckled. (See below re microwave and splatters.)

If you make a mess, CLEAN IT UP! Leaving it for someone else is rude and inconsiderate, no matter how old you are. Period.

A good example: the microwave. It takes all of 30 seconds to wipe away the Beefaroni splatters if done while they're still wet. Two hours later, a power tool is required. Popcorn grease? Same thing.

If I step on a Lego in my bare feet again, everyone will be punished. It will be brutal and likely involve forced consumption of dead bugs. Lesson? PICK UP YOUR TOYS!

Thanks. Your cooperation will make life so much more pleasant for everyone. I'll be happier, and you won't have to sleep on a park bench.

Love, Mom

And I'll cry...

The words I wrote for his funeral card:

Quote:

In your every deed, Husband, father, friend, Thank you for teaching us, The true meaning of the word GENEROUS The true spirit of the word SELFLESS The true power of the word HEART.

From a journal entry...

Quote:

March 21, 2006 Yesterday, I did my yoga stretches in a different room. Don't ask me why 'cause I have no clue what possessed me to vary my routine. Anyway, I was on the floor in front of the recliner where I typically sit while writing. It's a second hand La-Z-Boy that I inherited when my mother redecorated her living room several years ago. It was my dad's chair, and if I stare at it for a minute & then close my eyes, I can still see him sitting in it -- like the visual echo of a camera's flash. From my vantage on the floor, I caught sight of something under the chair -- a piece of paper. I knew what it was before I wormed my hand through the skirting to fetch it, but I was surprised by the force with which the memories flooded my mind. It was a football parlay -- dad's favorite illicit pastime. December 15, 1996. His choices were circled and the margins bore random notes in his hand. New England (given 7) over Dallas. Detroit (given 11) over Green Bay. Minnesota (by 7) over Tampa Bay. It's been almost seven years since he died, and I miss him today as much as ever. The man defined the word "generous." In fact, those football parlays were the only thing I can recall him doing solely for his own enjoyment. I'll save my memento. Later this morning, I'll pull that box from the top of my closet and I'll add one tattered piece of white paper to his favorite ball cap, pocket knife, and chambray shirt -- and I'll cry.

Happy Father's Day, all you Dads out there!

#rwachange

If you're a writer of romance or erotic romance, you're probably well aware of the kerfuffle about RWA's stance on epublishing and epublishers (a/k/a "author mills"). It's the same tired song, but--thanks to Kristen Painter and ESPAN, a new-ish RWA chapter for epublished authors--there appears to be more (and more organized) energy pushing for change. (There is also a Yahoo!Group for those interested.)

When the RWAchange [at] gmail.com account was established to coordinate a ribbon campaign for next month's conference, I offered to design an e-ribbon for use on blogs & such ('cause grassroots advocacy just turns me on). Deidre Knight said "Go!" and the results are below. There are also T-shirts, buttons, stickers, etc. in Coming Together's Cafe Press shop.*

Images are also hosted here:

http://www.alessiabrio.com/images/RWA Change e-ribbon 1a.jpg
http://www.alessiabrio.com/images/RWA Change e-ribbon 2a.jpg
http://www.alessiabrio.com/images/RWA Change e-ribbon 3a.jpg

Folks are welcome to link directly to the images if they wish. (Oh, and follow the madness on Twitter with the #rwachange hashtag.)

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

* If there are any other products you'd like to see there, just leave a comment. I primarily focused on buttons, stickers, and summer apparel/T-shirts, but Cafe Press has many more options.

Pimpin' My Flash

Story Voting Rules

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Voting begins at 9 a.m. EST today (June 15).
Voting will take place from June 15-June 26 (midnight EST on June 26).
You must be a registered forum member to participate in story ranking.

Here's how to vote (for ME):

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1. We're using the star ranking system (examples: 1 = terrible, 5 = excellent) to rank stories.
2. To rank a story after you've read it, click on "Rate Thread" in the upper-right hand corner. Choose a ranking for that story (1-5)
3. You may read and vote on as many stories as you want. But please only vote on the stories you've read.
4. Only one vote per forum members per story.
5. No lobbying for votes on this forum, although you're welcome to ask for votes elsewhere.
6. No replies to stories or other forum discussion about individual stories until the contest is over!

Your support is most appreciated (i.e., the check is in the mail)!

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

The ePublishing Restaurant

I've read (or, rather, attempted to slog through) some pretty lousy books published by big, New York houses. You know, the type you want to fling across the room? The type you'd throw away if you hadn't plunked down cash to buy them?

I've seen some hideously lame and/or puerile movies released by major studios where the only thing keeping me from stomping out of the theater was the fact that I paid money for the seat.

Name your entertainment industry, and I can give a comparable experience. In no instance, however, have I painted the entire publishing house or movie studio with the awfulness of one of its author's/actor's performances or editor's/director's skills. Have you? Are you even AWARE who published that book you hated? Who released that movie you hated? Who directed it?

Why, then, do consumers tend to do so with ebooks? An epublisher farts, and suddenly the entire house is judged by one book, its stable of authors blog-tarred and Twitter-feathered. WTF?

The latest debacle is a fine example. I've never read a book from Siren-BookStrand, but I'd bet money they're not all examples of poor judgment or lax editing. Hell, even if no editing was done at all, some books will be better than others simply because some authors submit cleaner work.

Instead, online communities treat epublishers like most people treat restaurants. Bad meal? Don't go back. It's all the chef's fault, after all, and nothing on the menu can be trusted.

Right?

peace & passion,

~ Alessia

Airing Tonight (June 1st)

Catch me live (okay, recorded live) at the Romantic Times BookLovers Convention. The interview airs tonight at 9:30pm Eastern on All Romance's What's Hot in Romance. The MP3 will be archived on the Blog Talk Radio site and downloadable in case you can't catch the show live... erm, played back live from the live recording.

I had a great time chatting with Cat Johnson, and I even read a bit of my story "Double Decker" from Sapphistocated.

Stealing Home

I squealed when I got the email informing me that Coming Together: With Pride was a finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards' Anthology & Ebook Fiction categories. Then, a day later I got the news that Squeeze Play had taken top honors in the Erotica category (as well as being a finalist in the Ebook Fiction category). Can you say WOOT! ?

And to add to the squee-worthy scoring, I have a story in one of Rachel Kramer Bussel's anthologies which took top honors in the Erotica category of the IPPYs!

37. Erotica
Gold (tie): Tasting Him/Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis Press)