*runs around the room giving high-fives*

December is flying by at a rapid rate. I can’t believe Christmas is going to be here in two weeks! I guess that means I better get my butt in gear and mail off that box to my sister (she is used to my procrastination).

I’m also shocked that my two December releases are now out!!

Pulled Long

Yes!! This is the third of the Long Shots series, and Ian’s story. I think I’ve received more comments from readers on this one (wondering when it was coming out), more than any other story I’ve done. Well, here he is!

or months, coffee shop owner Ian Long has fantasized about a customer he knows only as “Blue Eyes.” Until he learns Blue Eyes is in the midst of a divorce—the last thing Ian wants is to be the rebound experiment of a straight guy. Giving in to lust, he invites the man into the café after hours and they indulge in a little exhibitionist play, but Ian is unwilling to get involved.

When he’s forced to see Jeff again to return his briefcase, Ian finally agrees to go out on a date. Dinner quickly becomes an erotic encounter in a special room at the sex club Mavericks, and Ian realizes Jeff satisfies desires he didn’t know he had. The more he gets to know Jeff as a person, the harder it is to resist falling for him.

Jeff makes it clear he’s interested in more than just sex. He wants to go public with their relationship in more ways than one. But can Ian open his heart, when he fears it will be broken?

You can get Ian’s story from Carina Press, Amazon, and B&N

Agony/Ecstasy

Last week saw the release of the Agony/Ecstasy I am thrilled to have a story in.

Bruised Ego is the story of Lee, a CEO who uses boxing as a means to relieve stress. He’d discovered that he gets off on the pain and seeks help from Diana, a Domme who shows him that he isn’t a freak.

There are so many amazing stories in this anthology, you won’t be sorry for picking it up! You can order Agony/Ecstasy from Amazon, Chapters and B&N. Or check out your local bookstore!

I’ve also been floored by the generous reviews I’ve been receiving on my recent releases. This review of Pulled Long had me smiling and blushing. This review and this one for A Shot in the Dark had me appreciate that I hit the right cord on the BDSM elements of the story.

And lots of fun! RT Magazine online is doing an erotica show down between the stories in the Agony/Ecstasy anthology! You can read the story breakdowns here, here and here.

Lots more to come for 2012. I’ll give you all an update in a few days.

Speaking of NaNo….

Normally I’m well ahead of the writing curve when it comes to NaNoWriMo. This year, due to a lot of factors outside of my control, I’m behind. It kills me!

The story itself is going well. I’m writing an erotic steampunk mystery. Lots of world building and have been working my way into a lot of hot sexy, sexy. I think when things are all said and done, the story will be over 90k. Then it will be clean up, edits, comments from my critique partners and back on the agent hunt. Yes, I’ll be beating my heat against that wall again in 2012.

I’m also working on my next release for Ellora’s Cave, Spectral Bonds! It will be a tie in novella between my Eternal Bond series and a new series I will be doing for them. Yes, I’m going back to my roots and have some fun stuff planned for the Eurus colony.

Space biker gang. That’s all I’m saying.

I’ve also been extremely lucky to have received a number of stunning reviews for my Long Shots series. Double Shot and A Shot in the Dark have been doing very well over at the Carina Press site, and people have been telling me they are anxiously awaiting Ian’s story, Pulled Long.

If you want to see what people are saying, you can check out some reviews here, here and here!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday and a great weekend. I’ll be off in a corner writing.

*does a snoopy dance*

*does a snoopy dance*

A simple story with a sexual punch, Double Shot gives a slight nod to the familiar refrain of a girl pining for her secret love. Add to that a sex club, a threesome, and a naked cake and you get the gist of this modern-day love story. Fans who like their romances quite explicit will be happy to note that this tale is actually the first in a series of sex-charged titles by d’Abo. A Shot in the Dark and Pulled Long, coming in November and December 2011, respectively, will complete the set.—Judy Garner, ECPI Univ., Glen Allen, VA

Squee!! Thank you so much to Judy for the amazing review that put a grin on this author’s face.

On another writing front, I got some additional good news, but I have to hold it in for a little bit longer. Needless to say, I’m thrilled. Two separate contracts with two of my publishers. I’ve also put the finishing touches on Long Shots book four (Josh’s story for those keeping track) and have sent it off to my CPs. I hope to have that into the hands of my editor soon and with luck with have a verdict shortly after that.

And November is just around the corner which means NaNoWriMo time. Yes, once again I will be jumping into the insanity of NaNo. I would like to say I’ll post my progress daily, but knowing me I’ll end up hitting things once a week. We’ll see.

First, I’m driving down this year. In the end this will be a lot less stressful than the whole flying thing, plus I get to hang out with my buddies JK Coi and Amy Ruttan. Three romance authors, one car, one amazing journey.

Hollywood, make that movie, will ya!

Second, I’m rooming once again with the amazing Delphine Dryden. I luvs her sooooo much that I will most likely squish her when she arrives. She is very tiny and I am humungous.

Third, I can’t wait to see all the wonderful authors and readers I met last year. We’ve kept up over Twitter and emails, but its not as awesome as seeing them in person.

Fourthly (man this is a long list), I get to meet my EC editor Brianna for the first time EVER. This woman is a saint and I owe her a drink…or three.

Finally, it will just be an amazing time.

I’m taking my PlayBook with me, so I’m going to try and take some videos of the silliness while I’m there. We’ll see if I actually do it.

On another note, I was thrilled to see that No Master got a 4.75 star rating and a recommended read from NightOwl Romance!!

What brought everything together for me are Zain and Korbin. Zain goes back to a place he would rather not go back to in order to help a friend. He is vulnerable (in more ways than one), but is stronger than he was before in a lot of ways.

Korbin is very self-assured and arrogant, but that is part of his charm. It is, I think, that self-assurance and arrogance that not only makes him go after Zain, but also let’s him be guided by Zain through the masquerade.

Thank you Lilyraines for the awesome review. If you haven’t read No Master, you can get it from Ellora’s Cave or from Amazon.

If you are coming to Romanticon, please make sure to find me. I would love to say hello in person.

*does a snoopy dance*

I’ve often wanted to go and take my girls, but each year something seems to come up. I made a point of making time to attend this fall. Not only that, I will be at both the Toronto Romance Writers booth (11-12) and the Carina Press booth (12-3)! If you are in the area and are able to stop by, I would love to chat and say hello.

This past week also gave me a few new reviews. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s always hard when you have a release. Like wanting our kids to do well with others, we hope readers enjoy our stories. With so many books out there for people to review, it’s always a pleasure to know someone took the time to not only read your story, but comment on it.

No Master has been out for a while, but I’ve just received three reviews!

TwoLips Reviews gave it five lips, saying “there is a lot of heat, chemistry and love in this book.”

Riva atThe Reader’s Roundtable After Dark gave it four gold crowns, “The chemistry between the two is intense and I especially liked Korbin’s vulnerability.”

And Romancing the Book gave it a Lovely Rose rating (woot!)

I am definitely going to look for more books by this author as I like the characters she develops. Not to mention, this is an erotica so there was more sex then your average romance novel with it being graphic, but in this book I did not feel like it was over the top. The book wasn’t even MOSTLY sex, even with the excuse of being a sex slave owner. Haha. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Thank you to all of the reviewers for your comments!

I love fall. I love getting back to the routine of things and letting my life take on some semblance of order. Being a creature of habit, there is something calming about getting the kids back to school.

I’ve officially started back up with my writing. Not that I really took much of a break, but I didn’t beat myself up if I missed a few days without getting words on paper. No more! Now I will be filled with self guilt for not completing my WIP.

Ah back to normal.

Lots coming from me in the next little while. I hope I won’t be annoying the hell out of everyone with all of my announcements. I promise I’m going to mix things up a bit. In addition to my own stuff, I’m going to have more guest bloggers. It’s great for you to get a chance to meet some of the amazing writers I have a chance to chat with.

I’ll also be making a few appearances this fall. That sounds really funny to type. I’ll be at Word on the Street in Toronto at the Carina Press booth on Saturday, September 25th. I’ll also be at Romanticon in Akron, OH from September 29th to October 3rd. If you are in either area, I would love a chance to say hello.

I’ve been blown away by some reviews my work has been getting recently. My stories in Girls Who Bite and Steamlust have gotten call outs in both Romantic Times and Publishers Weekly. I’m so thrilled to be a part of these anthologies, let alone have my little offering be mentioned. I hope you enjoy them as well.

On the book front, I have many releases coming. Here’s what my release schedule looks like for those who are curious.

Girls Who Bite (Cleis Press) – available now

Double Shot – Long Shots #1 (Carina Press) – October 3

Steamlust (Cleis Press) – October 11

A Shot In the Dark (Carina Press) – November 7

Agony/Ecstasy (Berkly Heat) – December 6

Pulled Long (Carina Press) – December 12

Phew! I hope to have some more sales to announce in the next little while. Before we know it, 2012 will be here!

*does a snoopy dance*

This is my first anthology where I’ve submitted specifically for it (rather than one of my stories placed in with some others) and I was nervous to submit. It’s also my first lesbian and first vampire story, so I’m thrilled that it was not only chosen to be a part of this amazing anthology, but that people seem to really like it!

Love Romance Passion gave us an amazing five star review saying:

These vampires are as different as anything readers have ever seen, and they are from all walks of life and all world myths, so this adds a nice twist to what could have just been another series of random, everyday vampire stories. There is nothing random about these 15 delightful insights into the different kinds of vampire, the ones we aren’t likely to meet on the street or at the bar, no these are original, sometimes devastating, and at other times unusual and brilliant.

And Reviews by Amos Lassen said,

The all new stories in this anthology will surprise you with their cleverness and their erotica. But they are more than erotic—they are sensitive and emotional and to me, at least, they fall into the category that I call literary erotica.

Wow! Girls Who Bite will be officially out on September 15th, but it looks like you can get it now from Amazon!!

No Remedy

When writing a sequel, it’s always hard to find the balance between not wanting to bore readers of the first book, but giving enough information to new readers in the second. Considering how much I love the characters in my pirate series, I was really happy to see that readers are enjoying them.

Lea over at BlackRaven’s Reviews gave No Remedy five ravens and said,

No Remedy is a truly outstanding story. With great characters, a complicated and intriguing plot, settings that tie into the storyline in a meaningful manner that advances the plot, and a timeframe that has a quite literal deadline ticking away in the back of your mind as you read, this is not only an enjoyable, but memorable book.

Christine d’Abo gifts the reader with a daring combination of sci-fi space adventure, sexy and soulful ménage, and pirating with a conscience topped off with a bit of professional gunslinger and she makes it work, and work well.

Thank you, Lea!! I was also stunned to learn that No Remedy won book of the week over at BlackRaven’s Reviews! Thank you to everyone who voted. You can read the full review here.

AlexJouJou at Manic Readers gave No Remedy four stars and said,

I very much enjoyed how the dynamic between the three primary characters developed and how it all worked together for their ménage. Permanent ménage can be difficult to write as it is more than just a sex thing and here we see several layers developed and expanded so that you believe a happily ever after for three is the outcome. I’m going to seek out more books by Ms. D’Abo as I am quite impressed!

Thank you, Alex! You can read the full review here.

Commanding Acquisitions

Not one but three reviews came in for Commanding Acquisitions this week. Being book two is always hard. Lots of expectations to live up to. After the wonderful start with Marilu Mann’s Needing Harte, I’m thrilled to say people are still loving the 1-800-DOM-help series.

The always fantastic Tina at Two Lips Reviews, gave Commanding four lips!

Commanding Acquisitions by Christine D’ Abo is a BDSM story that teaches the real meaning of BDSM – trust. Both Simon and Gavin have trust issues. 1-800-Dom-Help has put them on track to finding out why they have the trust issues but can they take a chance and make the most of the opportunity?…The emotional connection between the lead characters and their hotter-than-sin sex had me hooked on Commanding Acquisitions.  Now I have to check out the other books in the 1-800- Dom-Help series.  Bring them on!

Read the full review here.

Lea at BlackRaven’s Reviews gave it four ravens.

Commanding Acquisitions is one of those great stories where the strong come to understand their weaknesses, the weak come to find and accept their strengths and eventually everything sorts out to an HEA ending. At just under 100 pages, this story is easily read and greatly enjoyed in one or two sittings.

Read the full review here.

And last, but certainly not least, AlexJouJou at Manic Readers gave it four stars.

Commanding Acquisitionsis a tender love story at heart—even with BDSM elements thrown in it is the connection between Simon and Gavin that steals the show. Gavin is coming to grips with a past that has left him scarred and Simon is trying to let go enough to be what Gavin needs. The way that Simon anticipates Gavin’s desires is at the core of what power exchange is all about—that level of trust in the other person to give you what you need is not hard to give but, once given with a good Dom like Simon, the pleasure is all the better.

Read the full review here.

Thank you to all the reviewers who have helped end my 2010 on a high note. And thank you to all the readers who continue to enjoy my stories.

*does a snoopy dance*

Both the amazing Delphine Dryden and Michelle Polaris gave Commanding Acquisitions fantastic reviews recently. These are both ladies who write some of the best BDSM romance I’ve ever read, so getting their thumbs up on a story means a lot.

Michelle said:

It gives us two characters, intelligent, intriguing, sexy and enjoyable, places them at an important pivot point of their lives, drives the sexual heat high between them, and makes them face important decisions about taking the risk of relationship and coping with the fears that get in their way.

And De’s review makes me sound like I knew what I was doing! LOL!

Christine does a wonderful job keeping the pace flowing in this short but intense book. She makes great use of the 1-800-DOM-help setup to get Simon and Gavin together, but then lets the setting fade to background as they work their way into this relationship. The sex scenes are scorchingly hot and surprisingly sweet for a m/m BDSM tale. I enjoyed how the sex kept the emotional story rolling, as the steamy interaction became another form of communication between the two heroes.

If you haven’t checked out either of these two ladies, you really need to do so. Amazing story tellers and I’m privileged to know them.Thanks to both of you!

In Print

I found out on Friday that not one, or two, but three of my Ellora’s Cave books will be coming out in print in 2011! For those of you collecting the paperbacks, both The Bond That Consumes Us and The Bond That Saves Us will be hitting the shelves. I’m also thrilled to have learned that Primal Elements will also be coming out in print! I’ll keep you posted on any other updates.

New Sales

I have a very exciting new sale that I am desperate to announce, but I can’t quite yet. I just received the contract and will be sending it in shortly (must give it a good read through first). Let’s just say I’m VERY excited with this one.

EDIT: Hell, I just read the contract and signed, so I’m going to announce it anyway! I’m thrilled to say that my short story, Bruised Ego, will be in the November 2011 Berkley anthology, Agony and Ecstacy. To say I’m still in shock is an understatement. I have to thank J.K Coi for encouraging (making) me write this story right before the deadline. Even better? Her story also got in!!!

Reviews

Thank you to everyone who has bought and read No Remedy! I have received a ton of emails on this book and many people are also going back to read No Quarter. I had this review from Carla at RomFan Reviews pop up in my Google Alerts. They gave No Remedy a five hunk rating! Thanks to them and please check out their other reviews.

I know I’ve said it before, but to everyone who has taken the time to either place a review on Goodreads, the Ellora’s Cave site, a blog or even sent me an email – THANK YOU! Your comments mean so much to me.

Coming Soon

I have two releases coming out in the next few weeks! Commanding Acquisitions is my first novella in the 1-800-DOM-help series from Ellora’s Cave. Writing this book was like a gift from my (smutty) muse. Simon and Gavin came to me complete (with a bow around their necks) and the story setup really flowed. I am really excited it will be out on November 10th and I hope to have the cover to share with you shortly.

In addition, I have a short story coming out as part of the EC Merry Kinkmas line. My story Firm Touch will be out on December 6th and has to deal with….

*drum roll*

M/M Fisting.

*and waits for the audience to breath again*

I know what you’re thinking, but it is a very thinking/smutty book. According to my beta readers, it’s pretty hot too LOL! I’ll have to wait to see what you all think about it.

In Progress

With all this going on, I’m not slowing down. I am currently working on No Master, which is book three in my space pirate series. This one is dealing with Korbin, the Admiral of the Black and Zain Strand, his second in command. I’m about a third of the way through I am hoping to have it finished by the end of December.

I’ll be working on a different book for NaNoWriMo. I’m still working out all the details, but the book will be three interconnected novellas. Should be a lot of fun.

I also have plans to do a second book for the 1-800-DOM-help series. More on that once I get it done.

Well, that’s me. As always, I’ll keep people posted of updates as they happen. I wish everyone a fantastic week!