12th Night – First Wicked Story

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on December 25, 2009
in 12th Night Anthology
. 0 Comments

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and the very best of the holiday season to everyone. I’m honored to have been invited to participate in the free 12th Night Anthology! That’s right, for the next twelve days, you will be able to download for free some fun and sexy holiday stories.

12th Night Anthology

The first one is Christmas Spice by the talented Anna Leigh Keaton. I’ll update the list below everyday with the new story. Check back for lots of fun and excitement.

The rest of the 12th Wicked Author Line-Up:
December 25th Anna Leigh Keaton – Christmas Spice
December 26th Lacy Danes
December 27th Katie Allen
December 28th Raine Weaver
December 29th Amy Ruttan
December 30th Christine D’Abo
December 31st TJ Michaels
January 1st Karen Erickson
January 2nd Alisha Rai
January 3rd Amie Stuart
January 4th Emma Petersen
January 5th Jackie Barbosa

Merry Christmas to me! New EC Book

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on December 22, 2009
in Uncategorized
. 4 Comments

Did you hear that whoop? That was the sound of my signing a new contract with Ellora’s Cave! I am so thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my newest erotic futuristic – No Quarter. I’m particularly excited about this book because it is the first time I’ve written a male/male romance. Challenging? Hell yes. Rewarding? Damn straight.

Hot? You have no idea. :D

Here’s the blurb to wet your appetite.

When bounty hunter Gar Stitt is on the trail of his mark, everyone knows their days are numbered. When he is given a simple locate and retrieve mission, he’s convinced it is a waste of his skills.

There isn’t a more prolific space pirate in the galaxy than Captain Faolan Wolf. When he walks into a bar with a proposition heavy in mind, he’s not expecting anything to go wrong.

Forced from his solitary existence to work with Faolan, Gar can’t deny his attraction to a man who he should put in prison. When the hunter becomes the hunted, Gar must learn to put his faith in a man he doesn’t know, or run the risk of ending up dead.

I don’t have a release date or a cover yet, but I’ll keep you posted.

Happy Holiday everyone!

Rockin Raven Xmas!

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on December 2, 2009
in Contest
. 0 Comments

Oh my friends, you don’t want to miss this one! I am participating in the fabulous Rockin Raven Xmas Scavenger Hunt.

You can win an e-book reader people!

Go to the link above for full details, then check out each of the author’s sites for the hidden icon on their page (mine too!). Once you have all the answers, submit them to the site and cross your fingers! Prizes include a Sony Ereader, $50 pre-paid Visa, $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Rockin Raven Xmas

Pimp My Friend – Red’s Release!!

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on December 1, 2009
in Promotion
. 1 Comment

I have been very lucky to have become friends with so many writers since my career began. One of the women I was privileged to meet very early on was my good friend Red Garnier.

Not only is Red an incredibly talented writer, she is one of the nicest people I’ve never met. Always there with a kind word, a critique, or simply to act as a sounding board, Red’s been a cheerleader and a rock for me.

So I am very please to repay some of her kindness with a small pimp on my blog. You see, Red had jumped into the big kids pool and has her first NY release TODAY!!! I’ve been just bubbling with exciting over the release of Satin Sash for ages now. In fact, I’ll be heading to the bookstore later today to harass the staff for my copy.

Satin Sash
Business partners Grey Richards and Heath Solis are best friends, even though they’re as different as night and day. Grey is calm, confident, and always in control. Heath is as passionate as his smoldering looks. No woman can resist them, and it’s always been easy to share. Until now…

Grey is head over heels in love with Antonia Kearny, a woman whose luscious body enflames his senses and whose playful, willing spirit captures his heart. He’ll do anything to see her smile, to hear her breath catch, to make her scream his name. And when he realizes that Toni wants another man—and that it’s Heath—he’ll make the ultimate sacrifice…

On a decadent weekend in Mexico, Toni will experience the hunger, the touch, the taste of two men. But will her desire bring them together, or tear the three apart?

Help support a new author and get your copy of Satin Sash today!!

You can check out an excerpt on Red’s website here.

Buy from Amazon,
Borders, or Barnes and Noble

NaNoWriMo – Week 2 Report

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on November 16, 2009
in NaNoWriMo
. 4 Comments

Last week was insane. I was involve with a conference for my day job and it really kept me hopping. Nothing like 14 hour work days for a solid week to make you appreciate 9-5. Of course, this coincided with week two of NaNo. I knew this going in, of course, but didn’t want to lose too much traction. I know myself well enough to realize I’d be more likely to give up if I fell too far behind.

So before I’d head out to the conference floor, every morning I tried to write at least 1000 words. It was hard going, and I had to do some writing on the plane, but I managed to get a total of 10k written. This got me to over the 30k mark by the end of week two.

Am I happy? Oh yeah baby!!

Yesterday marked the beginning of week three and I somehow managed to pound out 3k. If I can keep that pace up for the rest of the week, then I’ll be officially done NaNo by Saturday. Not done the book mind you, but at least I’ll have jumped that first hurdle.

The story itself is still coming on strong. Where this is my first non-romance, I’ve been a bit antsy that the plot isn’t exciting enough to keep the reader engaged. I haven’t been going back to re-read more than a few paragraphs for fear of getting stuck in revising before I have the whole plot worked out. So onward and upward to finish the first draft, then off to clean it up.

I will be happy once the pressure of NaNo is done. I’m starting to miss my TV shows. :)

NaNoWriMo – Week One

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on November 6, 2009
in NaNoWriMo and Writing
. 3 Comments

Yes, once again I have joined the craziness that is NaNoWriMo. This is my fifth year participating and I’m always amazing by the volume of excitement generated by the even.

Personally, I love it!

So, I’ve jumped head first into my urban paranormal and have really connected with the plot and characters. For me, NaNo helps me get that first draft out of my head and onto the paper as quickly as possible. I know I will have to go back and add to the scenes, but the fundamentals will be there, ready and waiting.

In order to achieve the goal of hitting 50k in 30 days, you need to write 1,667 words a day. For some of you, this sounds like an awful lot. For others, a more than doable goal. For me, I’ve upped that goal to 3,000 words a day in the hopes I’ll get closer to finishing the first draft.

Today marks day six of NaNo, and I’m thrilled to say I’ve crossed the 15,000 word mark already. There is still another day and a half to go before week one is officially done. I’m going to try and push myself to cross 20,000 by end of day Saturday.

Crazy? I didn’t think there was any question of that.

If you are on Twitter, you can follow other NaNo folks by the #NaNoWriMo and #nanocout hash tags. Lots of fantastic people to keep your motivation going. Of course, there is also the official site at www.nanowrimo.org. If you’re interested, you can follow me there by searching for Christine99.

Who else is doing NaNo this year? How are you making out?

When Plot Bunnies Attack!

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on October 21, 2009
in Writing
. 3 Comments

The wild plot bunny is a dangerous creature. Unlike it’s kinder, gentler, fluffier cousin, the plot bunny is viscous. It jumps on unsuspecting people, biting with it’s oversized teeth and sharp claws. Anyone is at risk of being attacked – writers and readers alike.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Wear Protective Clothing – The plot bunny is especially fond of comfort clothing. Avoid sweat pants, t-shirts and fuzzy socks at all costs. Yes, I know this will come as heart-ache to many of you. I myself mourned the loss of my green fuzzy socks, but trust me, you’re life is worth it!

2. Don’t Be Alone - It has been my experience that the plot bunny picks on solitary figures. Whether you are walking the dog, getting groceries, or doing the laundry, if you are on your own your mind will wander. Once distracted, the plot bunny will see this weakness and will pounce! My advice…don’t do laundry!

3. Watch What You Eat – The plot bunny is an addict. Chocolate, chips, coffee, mint Girl Guide Cookies (I’m selling them btw if you want any), are all favourites of the plot bunny. As these are staples for most writers, a decoy is necessary. Have carrots, beets and other “healthy foods” on hand. If you spot a plot bunny, THROW THIS AT THEM! They will flee in terror, leaving your cookies alone.

What To Do If You Are Attacked
Don’t Panic! If there are a group of plot bunnies, the most important thing you can do is not move. Many of them will lose interest and wander off. If you have a persistent attacker, the best thing you can do is try to distract it. Sacrifice the cookies if you have to!

If it is a single plot bunny attacking, you may have the opportunity to capture the creature. I will not tell you how to do this (safety protocols prevent me from doing so), but if you manage it, do your best to domesticate the creature. You never know what the end result will be.

*This post is the result of too much cold medication*

Birthdays and Reviews

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on October 19, 2009
in Life, Review and The Bond That Saves Us
. 8 Comments

It’s amazing how quickly life actually goes by. On Wednesday my oldest daughter turns ten. We had her birthday party/sleep-over this past weekend and had a ball. The whole time I’m staring at her and am in shock that I have a ten year old. She’s become her own person and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

When I asked her what she wanted to be when she old older, she told me she plans on being a kindergarten teacher. “But if that doesn’t work out, I’ll be a writer, mummy.” I was so proud!

Happy birthday baby!

Speaking of proud…I opened my inbox this morning to the most amazing review from Two Lips Reviews. The ever fantastic Merrylee gave The Bond That Saves Us five Lips!! It was an incredibly flattering review.

Sadly, The Bond That Saves Us is the final book in this exceptionally good series. I’ve read all four books, and I can truthfully say that they are not to be missed. Christine D’Abo not only writes with a knowledgeable flare for futuristic sci-fi, her characters are powerfully human – even if they aren’t. The pages of her books read fluidly, with absolutely no drag anywhere. Her world building and plot lines are extraordinarily well drawn and captivating. Beyond that, no other author I’ve read reaches quite the depth of sensuality and emotion in their sex scenes as does Ms. D’Abo. In fact, her sex scenes can be more aptly described as love scenes, as they grab hold of the reader’s heartstrings and hang on tight. You can’t read a D’Abo novel without sinking heart and soul into the lives of her characters, who seem so real it’s hard to believe they do not truly exist.

Thank you so much Merrylee for your kind words. You can read the review in its entirety over at Two Lips Reviews.

Writer’s Head Space

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on October 14, 2009
in Life and Writing
. 0 Comments

You know your a writer when…

I have this tendency to drift off some days. I can be sitting there, working away on something, or doing the laundry and my mind drifts off. I’m choosing to believe there isn’t something wrong with me, but rather I’m getting into that spot where my characters start talking to me.

Wow, that really does make me sound a bit off my rocker LOL!

I really enjoy finding that writer’s head space. Sometimes its hard to get to if things around me are a bit insane, but most of the time it just happens. I think some of my best ideas have popped out when I’m drifting along. I’ve fixed plot issues when I’ve been doing the dishes thinking about nothing in particular.

It’s also interesting how I find myself working on new plots more in the fall than in the summer or spring. I’m not sure if it’s my way of dealing with the winter, or if I’m simply more introspective this time of year.

How about you? Do you find fall makes you more introspective? Do you read more, do more quite activities? Or are you one of those brilliant people who explode with energy and ideas this time of year?

New Reviews – The Bond That Saves Us

Published
by
Christine d'Abo
on September 22, 2009
in Review and The Bond That Saves Us
. 3 Comments

The most humbling thing in the world for me is when I get notified of a review for one of my books. The fact that someone took the time to read my stories, but then goes on to say something (good or bad) about it really is mind blowing to me.

I’ve recently received a few reviews for The Bond That Saves Us, and I wanted to share them. :)

Tanya from Joyfully Reviewed honored me by giving The Bond That Saves Us a Recommended Read.

I have long waited for Sean to find peace. I have loved his character from the first in this series. The Bond That Saves Us did not let me down as Sean has found his match in Captain Amy. I was pulled in from the start of The Bond That Saves Us and while it is the fourth in a series it could easily be a standalone story, though you would miss three other wonderful tales. I Joyfully Recommend The Bond That Saves Us as it is a fast paced and interesting read.

JR-RR-2

To follow that, I just heard that the fantastic Elise Lyn over at Sensual e-Cataromance gave me 4 out of 5 stars!

The Bond series was exciting and unique with each story giving us something different. Sean was plagued with feelings of guilt from the past while Amy was determined to enter a race even with danger lurking everywhere. The two together were dynamite but their pasts blinded them to what they could have. Typical of the Bond series, The Bond That Saves Us has realistic characters, an excellent plot and some heat to warm us up.

Thank you so much ladies for your kind words, and thank you to all the readers out there who kept me going with this series. I hope to have some new works out for you soon.