SARA News - The "we're still here!" edition.

Hello dear SARA readers,

We'd like to thank you.

Here at SARA, we are actual people.  I know, right?  Epically amazing.  We have soccer-mum cars, mortgages, dust bunnies under the bed and 'it's a bit small' pay packets.  We're people you see on the street, likely wearing trackies and sporting something lunchy on the fronts of our t-shirts, as we ate at the computer.

We're extremely normal.

Well, except for the fact that we're constructing steamy sex scenes in our heads about sixteen hours of the day, and a further four hours are spent wondering where to leave the body that became dead in chapter two so that the hero can find it, thus perform consequent heroic deeds and ergo, get the girl.

That leaves four hours for sleeping, toting kids to sports (and reading whilst waiting in the car!) and writing blog posts.

You may have noticed we haven't posted good news for a while, a phenomenon we can link back directly to the fact that there are sadly only twenty-four hours in a day.  It's not because AWESOME THINGS haven't happened...

But thanks for sticking with us.  We love you for it.   No-one said it better than Sahvage: truly, madly, deeply.

So, we are very pleased to bring you NEWS!!


Liana Skrzypczak is one of our newer members, and hel-lo!, girl be making WAVES!  Liana is very excited to have been awarded the shared-winner gong for the Hachette Mentoring Program for her dystopian YA manuscript, Gold, along with another Adelaide writer, Rose Hartley.

Congratulations, Liana!  Check out her super-cute blog at the link above.


Harlequin author Elizabeth Rolls has a new book coming out in February In Debt To The Earl.

But wait, there's more...

A follow-up book is in the pipeline, too.  Rejoice, historical fans!  

Beach romance more your swag?  Victoria Purman is pleased to let you know that her fourth Boys of Summer book, Hold On To Me, is due out mid-December.  Get your banana lounge and your cooler bag ready, 'cos you'll be unable to put this one down this summer!  Key words here... YOUNGER MAN!

HOLD ON TO ME A Boys of Summer novel  – Out December 14th in shops and ebook

Can she learn to trust him and love again? Stella wasn’t looking for love and especially not from a younger man… When Stella Ryan’s successful life in Sydney crumbled, she returned flat broke and broken hearted to the beachside town she’d once called home. Five years on, she’s opened a boutique and rebuilt her life in the tourist haven of Port Elliot. Luca Morelli has been working flat out to establish his own building company in the city and doesn’t have time to be driving back and forth to the beach to do a small job in a shop that was almost destroyed in a fire. But he soon changes his mind when he meets the glamorous owner. Before long, Stella and Luca find that a working relationship isn’t the only thing developing between them. But the closer they get, the ghosts of Stella’s past come back to haunt her once more. Can she ever believe a man again? And if she can, is the much younger Luca Morelli the man she can trust with her heart? 

Lilliana Rose has been a busy writer/poet!  Not only has she recently released Soul Dancer, but she's also had a cover nominated for Best Cover at the AusRom Reader's Choice Awards for Chasing Dust Storms.  Vote for it here...

In a world where Soul Dancers are enslaved, Zarifah must over come corruption and lead the other dancers to freedom. Forced to harvest emotions from patrons each night she becomes addicted to happiness, which threatens to get in the way of a forbidden relationship with fellow dancer Torin and stop her from challenging the Regulators, the emotionless humans who feed on the emotions harvested. 
Check out what the other SARA's have been up to at the SARA website member page, or stalk us a bit on Facebook and Twitter.  We'd love that!  

Finally, I leave you with a familiar set of... eyeballs.  Our very own Erotic Fiction author Kyoko Church talks to the very swanky Adelaide Hills Magazine about sex and shame. 

The future of the Soul Dancers depends on Zarifah being a leader, but she may not be the saviour the followers had hoped for.




Until next time, we wish you very happy reading!

Emmeline.  x

SARA News ~ spicy illustrations, Weekend to Remember Plus a worthy cause!

Sassy news coming your way...

Spicy explicit illustrations!

Kyoko Church has a cover for her upcoming June release by Sweetmeats Press. This publisher illustrates the erotic stories. Explicitly. So rated Rauchy!

Except the cover is meek and mild...

Coming next month...

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WEEKEND FAIR:

A FAIR TO REMEMBER 

a weekend for writers and lovers of romantic fiction!!!

Brought to you by RWA and SAWC

Stop penning those love letters, put down the Mills & Boon, and forget those roses – it’s time for our inaugural genre fair – and it’s romance! RWA and SAWC have come together to bring you two days of whirling workshops, panel sessions, masterclasses, industry advice, meet the authors sessions, book signings and more. And on the Saturday night it’s the fundraising event of the year: our romance-themed lit quiz night. Full program and speakers announced in April.

COST: 1 day = $130 SAWC and RWA members, $170 non members

2 days = $240 SAWC and RWA members, $340 non members

QUIZ NIGHT: $20 per head

BOOKINGS: Please book by phoning 08 8223 7662 or by emailing admin@sawriters.org.au

FULL PROGRAM

Featuring SARA members Trish Morey, Victoria Purman, Amy T. Mattews, Bronwyn Stuart, Carla Caruso, Eleni Konstantine, Elizabeth Rolls, Kyoko Church and Tamara Gill!!

Come along to an exciting weekend!!

A Worthy Cause...

Every year, author Brenda Novack holds a huge auction to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes. This year, Maggie Mundy and her Soul Mate Publishing brethren are helping out with the auction.

Check it out!

~ Until next time....

SARA News ~ Covers, releases, photo ops, oh, my

I've been in assignment hell the last couple of weeks and the SARA News had been unintentionally put on hold. But what a bumper of an issue we have today!!

Buckle up. It's time to get SASSY....

Claire Baxter is pleased to have a new contract with Random House Australia for a Random Romance to be published in March 2014. Titled Love On Location, the story is a romantic comedy about a girl who finds love in the most unlikely of places.

Anne Oliver had a fab photo showing off her latest KISS book on Twitter/Instagram. This is the Great photo of actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame with Anne's Mistletoe Not Required.

Victoria Purman has received the cover for her second book in the Boys of Summer series due for release 1st February 2014! Here is Someone Like You. Smashing...

Carla Caruso and her boys were spotted in The Advertiser on the November 11th edition.

Everyone say awwwwwww. Heroes in the making, no doubt. 

Looking for Christmas pressies?

Carla's latest release, Catch of the Day is now available from Penguin (print and e-book) and Destiny Romance (e-book only)!

Virginia Taylor's debut release, Doctor No Commitment, is out now from Random Romance!  Buy your copy today from here.

In other news....

Lilliana Rose (left), Eleni Konstantine (right), and Kate all had the chance to meet George R.R. Martin at a book signing at Supanova in Adelaide. Yes, there were line ups but it was worth the wait. 

Elizabeth Rolls  has an Harlequin Historical Advent Giveaway happening on her blog. Check it out!

Told you it was a bumper!

Until next time...

~Eleni

Reading Adventures:

Welcome to this month's reading adventures. 

Grab a chair and let us tell you about some great books.

Khloe Wren

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

At around 360,000 words this is one massive book! Any one who has read Kenyon knows her love of torturing her heros, and Styxx raises the bar. I think I read 95% of this book with tears in my eyes. The torture and abuse Styxx suffers is unimaginable and by the time you finish the book you feel like you've lived it yourself. Styxx does get his well deserved HEA... but as Kenyon so often does, not until the final chapters.

I recommend this book, but be warned, it's not for the faint of heart and definitely is a 18+ book.

The Emperor's New Nightingale by Angela Castle

Blurb:

On the planet Ario within the Four Galaxies of Harmony. Peace is kept by a special Song Krystal. Once each life time the Emperor seeks a new nightingale – One pure voice, who makes the Krystal shine, keeping the peace among the stars.

 When full figured Julie is kidnapped from Earth, she is whisked away to sing before the Emperor, but when she escapes, she finds herself on an alien world, ruled by music. She wanders into a Song Tavern and finds friendship and employment.

Orin Emperor of Ario, in disguise, visits his friends Song Tavern. The moment he meets Julie and hears her sing, he knows she is his nightingale.

As their passion grows, the forces of evil are working to drive them apart and bring darkness to the galaxy. When Julie uncovers the plot to destroy the Krystal, she must race against time to save the galaxy and her Emperor or lose them both forever.

I love Angela's writing style and her use of witty humor. Nightingale is no exception. As a singer, I love the concept of this book. I couldn't put it down and read it in two days. The chemistry between Julie and Ario is explosive and I fell in love with not only the main couple but all the background characters too. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys erotic romance.

Alison F

Currently reading on the train:

1356 by Bernard Cornwell

1356 is the follow-on from the novels Harlequin (The Archer’s Tale in the US), Vagabond and Heretic. The main character is Thomas of Hookton, an illegitimate English archer who participates in one of England’s greatest mediaeval victories, the battle of Crecy.

I have only just started reading 1356, but have no doubt I will enjoy it as much as I did the three previous novels. Cornwell has a fine ability to describe the blood and gore of the mediaeval battlefield, as well as the day to day life of the people without turning it into a history book (not that there is anything wrong with a history book – I possess more than my fair share of history books – as well as historical novels). Cornwell portrays the English and Welsh archers very well and it is easy to see why they were so feared (and so successful!). The English long bow (or war bow) definitely has a starring role in these novels.

In 1356, Thomas of Hookton is a mercenary leader known as Le Batard. And he is a very successful mercenary. As successful as he was as an English archer. Thomas’ journey from English archer to mercenary leader is told in the preceding three books. In the opening chapters, a French count discovers just how dangerous it can be to renege on an agreement with Le Batard.

The previous three Thomas of Hookton novels were an enthralling journey through mediaeval life and warfare and I have no doubt that 1356 will be just the same. They would make a great gift for a male reader in your family (if he hasn’t discovered them already), but they are also a good choice for women with an interest in historical (particularly mediaeval) novels (non-romance ones, that is).

I will add one caveat however. If you are the least bit squeamish, then this is probably not the book for you. Cornwell is nothing if not honest in his accounts of battle scenes and various other bloody (in the literal sense) bits of life in the Middle Ages. As a general rule, I can be a bit squeamish myself, but it says something about the storyteller if the strength of the story is such that I can overlook/accept the gory bits. This is one of those strong stories.

And in an interesting publishing side note, the reason Harlequin was published as The Archer’s Tale in the US was because the US publishers thought the public might confuse it with Harlequin books and think it was a romance. I. Kid. You. Not.

Previously read on the train – 

Lionheart by Sharon Penman (also known as Sharon Kay Penman)

Lionheart, as the name suggests, deals with the English King Richard the First (aka Richard the Lionheart or Richard Coeur de Lion). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book covers the period of the Third Crusade, starting with the journey to the Holy Land, via Sicily and Cyprus and ending with the truce between the Crusaders and Salah Al-Din (whom English history calls Saladin) and Richard’s preparations to return to his own lands. While this is essentially a book about the Third Crusade, and Richard’s part in it, it is also very much about Richard the man. Penman paints a very human portrait of Richard with all his strengths and failings. She shows his love for his mother (the remarkable Eleanor of Aquitaine – the bits about Eleanor and Berengaria’s journey to meet Richard in Sicily I found to be fascinating) and his sisters, and his relationship with that most elusive of English queens, Berengaria, in the very early part of their marriage. She portrays Richard as the superb battle commander that history has always remembered him has, but she also shows a more personal side of a King regarded as one of history’s greatest (even if he nearly did bankrupt the Kingdom and leave it ultimately in the ‘tender’ care of one of history’s most reviled Kings, John Lackland). Richard is shown as being fearless, almost to the point of being foolhardy, with his own life, but very concerned with the lives of his men (one of the reasons he would not attack Jerusalem – Richard knew it was an unwinnable battle and the loss of life would be horrendous). The poor relationship between the French and the English is a major sub-plot running through the story. Yes, Richard is arrogant and some might say foolhardy. Yes, he had an undeniable flair for the dramatic and used it to great effect. He could be careless of others, but equally he could put the welfare of others ahead of his own. He was clever, witty and good-looking. He was a superb fighter and commander, and pitched in with the rest of the Crusaders in the rebuilding of retaken castles. But he also suffered from poor health and some self-doubt.

I have always thought that Richard suffered a bit from bad press, and this novel goes some way towards giving a more balanced view of this remarkable man. It is faithful to the history, but this doesn’t prevent Penman from telling a very good story. If you knew nothing of King Richard at all, you would still find this an engaging story.

The author’s notes at the end of the book give an indication of just how much research Penman does for her books and it was interesting to note that she apologised for some historical inaccuracies in previous books.

I look forward to reading the sequel, A King’s Ransom, as well as the novel about Henry and Eleanor and their children, Devil’s Brood (which is sitting on the bookshelf trying to convince me to bump it up the schedule).

And if you think there is a theme of mediaeval warfare in my reading at the moment, well then, you would be right <g>. I find bows and siege engines far more fascinating than guns.

Elizabeth Rolls

I have been re-reading Diana Wynne Jones's last book, Enchanted Glass. 

I love this book. It is, if genre definitions matter to you, YA. It is also probably the start of something she was thinking about before cancer claimed her. I miss her bitterly and this book is very much a bitter sweet read. There are things hinted at that will never be answered directly by Diana but it is a wonderful read, and perhaps if I re-read her other books I will work out the answers for myself. For anyone yet to discover Diana Wynne Jones, my other favourite is The Homeward Bounders. Yes, I can see where it is going, but since I want to go there that isn't a problem.

Eleni Konstantine

Wild Encounter by Nikki Logan

5 stars

I was very lucky to read an early draft of the first few chapters of this back when the Bootcampers formed. I knew then how wonderful a writer Nikki Logan was and thought this book would one day be published. What can I say? I was right.

Wildlife worker, Clare Delaney is captured with her African Wild Dogs. She calls the leader, Alpha, who does protect her from the rougher men of the group. However, she takes things into her own hands and plans her escape. What follows in an emotional roller coaster ride for both Clare and Alpha, with danger abound. 

Clare is a strong but vulnerable character and Alpha is an onion. Logan peels back the layers in a rhythm that hitches up as the novel progresses. The romance is at is centre but so are the questions of survival, duty and trust. And the wilderness is very much another character in the story - beautiful and vast. 

If you like romance, action, suspense and nature, you'll love this book. 

I also love the cover.

Now for the audio book of the month....

The Ultimate Neil Gaiman Audio Collection by Neil Gaiman

5 stars

Children's stories

A great way to introduce yourself to Gaiman's work though I have read his work before. Even though I had read Wolves In The Walls and Coroline before, hearing them was a great way of re experiencing them and getting something new from the stories as well. 

Both Neil Gaiman's and Dawn French are excellent narrators.

The stories are fun, fantastical and witty, and there is always social commentary scattered in them.  I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Contains stories:
The Wolves in the Walls
Crazy Hair
The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish
Odd and the Frost Giants
Coraline 

~~~

This is my last Reading Adventures column. Emmeline Lock will be taking over the reins next month, while I take over the SARA News. 

Until next month, happy reading!

SARA News - Want to hear something exceptionally exciting?

There are only FOURTEEN more Wednesdays until Christmas.

I know!  Yay!  Can't wait!  The holidays, the food, the wine, the fun, the smiles.

Not to mention the Amazon gift vouchers and the crisp new bookstore books from friends and relatives that know your favourite authors.

So much wonderful!  If you're like me, Christmas can never come soon enough.

Since we anti-Grinches have to wait another fourteen whole Wednesdays, we thought you'd be delighted to know that Elizabeth Rolls has a Christmas release coming out shortly with Harlequin Historical.  A Sprinkling of Christmas Magic is an anthology featuring our own Elizabeth, as well as Bronwyn Scott and Margaret McPhee.

Snuggle up with these three Regency tales  

Christmas Cinderella by Elizabeth Rolls 

Handsome country rector Alex Martindale dreams of kissing his spirited schoolmistress and never having to stop…. With some mistletoe, he may just get his wish! 

Finding Forever at Christmas by Bronwyn Scott 

At the yule ball, Catherine Emerson receives a proposal from the man she thought she wanted—but a kiss from his mysterious, darkly handsome brother unleashes a deeper desire….  

The Captain's Christmas Angel by Margaret McPhee 

Returning to England for Christmas, Sarah Ellison discovers a man adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing could have prepared her for the gorgeous Captain Daniel Alexander, or the secrets he keeps!


Look for it on November 1st.

Elizabeth also has a Christmas/Twelfth Night Harlequin Historical Undone coming out early next year.  Stay tuned...

Until next time, HO HO HO!

Emmeline.

Reading Adventures - angsty romance, fantastical tales, attraction, and going back in time....

Welcome to this month's Reading Adventures.....

Carla Caruso

Grace Grows by Shelle Sumners

5 stars

Wow. I loved this book and all of its angsty romance! My little sister recommended this one. It took me a chapter or two to get into as the writing style is so unique and it's a little on the 'boho' side for my usual tastes, but once I did get into it, well, like I said before... wow!

My little sis also said when reading it that she didn't want the story to end and I felt the same way. It's so rare to feel that way about a book these days - where it stays with you throughout the day and you can't wait to get back to reading it. It made me want to be a better writer.

I developed a crush on the brooding muso love interest, Tyler. The protagonist, Grace, is a likeable character, too. You want these two to get together! Plus, I enjoyed how the book was broken into seasons and the focus on the different family members. Plus, PLUS... the author's muso husband wrote original songs to accompany the book, which you can look up. So you know this story reflects a bit of real-life, too.

For me, GRACE GROWS almost had a Judy Blume-like quality to it, with its simple, snappy writing and focus on dialogue rather than too much description. An unforgettable read!

Elizabeth Rolls

I've been enjoying Ben Aaronovitch's Broken Homes. Sort of Harry Potter grows up unaware he can do magic and becomes a policeman! 

Also, Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series. A very funny alternate universe Britain where books really do have a life of their own and childcare may be provided by a gorilla.

Khloe Wren

The latest  read on Khloe's shelves is Blind Attraction by Eden Summers. 5 stars.

Eleni Konstantine

I have realised that I have gone back in time to authors who wrote in the late 19th Century. There has definitely been a change in novels and story telling. Both of these stories are more a 'telling' than showing, which is more common today. There is a lot of exposition and description but although the style is different to what I'm used to, I really enjoyed both of these tales.

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

3.5 stars

This is the very first story with the infamous literary detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his partner in crime-solving, Dr. Watson. Becoming flatmates, Dr Watson tags along with Holmes as he investigates a murder. Watson is introduced to deductive reasoning and marvels at Holmes' abilities. 

I've always enjoyed the various versions of Sherlock Holmes that have come across the big and small screens over the years, and so I wanted to get back to the original stories because I had never read them. There is a 19th century narrative but it is easily enough to follow. I'm looking forward to following Holmes and Watson through the other works - novels and short stories.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (audio)

3.5 stars

H.G Wells was telling stories of a speculative nature long (that is the science fiction / fantasy tales) long before it was popular. This stories is told to us by a friend of the Time Traveller and also a whole exposition of the Time Traveller and his 'tall' tale. Pulling a lever on a Time Machine he has invented, he is propelled 800,000 years into the future. Humanity has evolved into two races -  the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks. They symbols of the duality of human nature and of adapting to one's environments. 

I listened to the audio version. Occasionally the narrator's American accent jarred me as I knew the characters where from Victorian England. But hey, that's me. :)

See you next month with some more Reading Adventures....