AND THE LUCKY WINNERS ARE ...



DanetteB, Dawn Detrio & Cristina!

Ladies, please email me your postal addresses (thebellaluna2@yahoo.com) and I'll have your prizes sent out this week!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who put the GODS & VAMPIRES banner on their profiles, blogs & journals --ya'll rock! ;)

And, don't forget, come back tomorrow for April's Sabrina Luna Author News!

Hugs,
Sabrina )O(

+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

EARTHHOUR TONIGHT!



Who: YOU! Everyone around the world
What: http://www.earthhour.org/
When: March 29, 2008, 8pm your local time
Where: In your own home and/or workplace
Why: To create AWARENESS about energy consumption

This happens in your home or your workplace at 8pm (your local time) on March 29th WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD by simply turning off your lights, your TV, your dishwasher, your heating or a/c. You don't have to be in a major city to participate.


On March 29th, 2008 at 8pm local time Earth Hour will commence ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a POWERFUL MESSAGE about the need for action on global warming.

Be part of making Earth Hour 2008 a huge, global success by telling your friends and family. Remember, every single light makes a statement and makes a difference.

Last year, on 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney (Australia) businesses turned off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney's energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

Pledge your support for Earth Hour and find out more about the lights-out campaign at earthhour.org, the official website. http://www.earthhour.org

Feel free to pass this message along!
Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

TGIFriday - Excerpts from GODS & VAMPIRES

Here's a bite from my latest release at Aspen Mountain Press, GODS & VAMPIRES which has 2 hot m/m stories: CRIMSON AMBROSIA and PLAYTOY FOR
THE GODS! :)

Blurb:

Explore the darkness with two male/male erotica tales by Sabrina Luna…

A vampire and a gypsy…

Two lovers and one night of hot, dangerous passion.

A mortal and a god…

At the stroke of midnight, who will pay the price of pain for pleasure?

From Crimson Ambrosia:

Still holding Ivan in his grasp, Silas turned the lad to face him.
The full moonlight played upon the boy's delicate mortal features, the
trembling of his lips, the gleam in the dark pools of his eyes. The
lad pressed his slender body tight against him. Silas gave a low moan
as he felt the firmness of Ivan's mutual arousal. Curling a finger
under the young man's chin, Silas drew Ivan's lips to his in a deep,
passionate kiss.

Sliding his tongue between the lad's parted lips, Silas tasted the
mingling of wine and desire. Ever so carefully, the tip of his
well-concealed fang nipped the young man's tongue. The tang of blood
filled his senses. It was as flavorful and robust as the boy himself.
Silas' entire being was overcome with carnal lust and hunger for the
young man.

From Playtoy for the Gods:

"So, you are Erebus, the God of Darkness." I was awestruck. He was
wrapped in shadows like an emperor wears a robe. However, as he
stepped close, the shadows dissipated to reveal a masculine form. The velvety blackness of his clothing gave an appearance of fluidity.
From what I could see by moonlight, however, he was tall with a lean
build. Erebus' rich, black hair flowed down around his shoulders.

His eyes sparkled with a silvery hue in the moonlight from beneath a
black, velvet mask. It covered half his face, leaving his nose and
his mouth fully revealed. I found myself wondering what it would be
like to kiss his lips. They looked soft and inviting as the corners
of his mouth drew up into a breathtaking smile.

"Yes, I am Erebus." He acknowledged with a nod. "I would have
approached you sooner, but I was worried that whatever Sappho said
might have frightened you."

"On the contrary, sir, it made me more curious."

"Curious?" He angled his head, studying me closely in the moonlight.
"How so?"

My skin prickled with nervous energy. Gathering up my courage, I
chose my reply carefully. "I was, er, am curious if you are
interested in a mortal slave, sir. A playtoy for your pleasure."

To Purchase, Check Out:
http://www.aspenmountainpress.com

Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

YOGA + WRITING



Last week I was hunched over my computer, my mind off in a different world of deadlines and vampires, when I glanced at the clock. Yikes! It was almost time for yoga class at my local YMCA! Saving my work, I shut down the computer and quickly put on my exercise clothes, heading down to the gym.

I take a gentle form of yoga called Vinyasa. It’s a flowing sequence of poses and deep breathing. It helps me to relax, listen to my body and quiet my mind. I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful teacher. Last week, she asked if there were any areas we’d like to focus on. Several of the students, including myself, wanted to target our backs, shoulders and necks from hunching over our computers. She happily obliged and we spent the class on special postures for those areas…and I came home wonderfully de-stressed and relaxed.

Yoga provides wonderful time-out from my busy day. Even though this class is only held once a week, I’m attempting to make this type of yoga a part of my regular routine too. Since I began writing as a career, I’ve learned that, as writers, we need to take care of ourselves…both body and mind. Yoga provides both for me. Maybe it will work for you…I highly recommend it.

Hugs & Many Blessings,
Sabrina )O(

+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Easter Break

I'm going away tomorrow for the Easter weekend. As I am in Melbourne, and Melbourne is highly known for its unpredictable weather, it is still summer-ish in this state. Although that has had it's days of being annoying up till now, I must say, it is terribly convenient, for I am going to be going to a beach house for the next four days!!

Wonderfully well wishes and safe times to everyone here over the holidays, and I will be back again some time next week.

xx

Nikki Watson. ;)
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/

Grab a GODS & VAMPIRES Banner Contest!

In honor of my newest release, GODS & VAMPIRES, I'm having a little contest! It's simple, really:

1.) grab the cool banner of GODS & VAMPIRES (mouse-right click, save as, put in your photobucket or other photo album spot)

2.) post it on your MySpace profile or website

3.) email me a link where you posted the banner (thebellaluna2@yahoo.com)

4.) and on March 31st, I'll select a lucky person with my banner on their page for a *special goodie package*!

How easy is that?!? What are you waiting for???



Good luck!
Hugs & Thx,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

New Release Today: GODS & VAMPIRES!



I'm happy to announce that my newest ebook, GODS & VAMPIRES, is Now Available at Aspen Mountain Press! GODS & VAMPIRES is a duo of my dark m/m erotica stories, CRIMSON AMBROSIA and PLAYTOY FOR THE GODS.

Blurb:
Explore the darkness with two male/male erotica tales by Sabrina Luna…
A vampire and a gypsy…
Two lovers and one night of hot, dangerous passion.
A mortal and a god…
At the stroke of midnight, who will pay the price of pain for pleasure?

To Purchase CLICK HERE

Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

TGIFriday - The Truth About Cats

Cat lovers can identify with these videos --too funny, cute & oh-so true! Enjoy! ;)





Have a purrr-fect weekend,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Opinions on Writing

I've just written a scene in my latest WIP that makes me wonder about the evolution of characters. How they start on a page with one fairly distinct personality, but within a scene can suddenly embody a person that you actually know, or just appear in a slightly different light than the one in which you had originally viewed your character.

I think I'm going to state that this is a good thing. Suddenly you have this character on a page that you are going to get to know. While you are on the train, you might hear his or her opinion to something that you are seeing out the window, and you might have a little bit of a chuckle. Sure, the people in the seats around you might think you are crazy, but you know that you are just a writer. And that this is the way that things just happen to us sometimes. ;)

Things like this signal, at least to me, that the characters you have chosen, out of all the possible choices, are the right ones, and that, like real people, they are multi-faceted. They should be. I like it when my characters do something that surprises me. Sure, in the next moment I then have to get out my notes and figure out how I'm going to suit any future scenes I may have in mind to suit this new character development, but yeah, overall, it's a good thing.


Likewise, I like to have the ending of my stories kept from me until I am very near the end. This sounds really silly to some people, because how can you write a story when you don't know how it's going to end, right? Wrong. At least for me, it is. I have a vague idea, maybe three main plot points through the story that I know I'm going to have to cover, but the very end result to come out of these things? That's as much a mystery to me as to the reader. At least I hope so. I like to think that my stories do not have predictable endings.


Nikki Watson.
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/
Changeling: Of Elves and Men. Available Now! from NCP.
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/changeling.htm

HOMECOMING #1 at Phaze for February!



I'm stunned! Thrilled! Oh freakin' wow! A big THANK YOU to my readers! Y'all made my day!

Here's a tiny excerpt for those who haven't read it yet:

HOMECOMING
M/M BDSM Erotic Short Story
By Sabrina Luna
To Purchase CLICK HERE

I was impressed with how gracefully he had declined the pretty
blonde's invitation. Disclosing one's sexual orientation could be a
delicate matter. It was good to know that James had accepted his
preference and was honest with others, too.

Smiling with approval, I returned to the front of the classroom and
began to erase the blackboard.

"Mr. MacDonald, sir?" His voice was deeper, huskier than I remembered.
I drew a deep breath to calm the mixed emotions that were welling up
inside me, then slowly turned to face him.

"Yes, Goldman?"

The young man before me was not the fresh-faced youth who had stood
before me a few years before. The light of the afternoon sun streaming
from the window reflected his transformed features. The war and plain
ol' hard living had added maturity to his face, but the sly grin was
still the same.

"I brought you something," he said, digging deep into a brown paper
bag and pulled a shiny, red apple from its depths.

Our fingers lightly brushed as I took the apple from his hand. An
erotic current pulsed between us. A drop of perspiration silently
slipped its way down the back of my shirt as the empty classroom
swelled with a bittersweet uneasiness.

I drew the apple to my nose and returned his smile. The glossy surface
of the forbidden fruit was scented with his essence. My senses reeled
beneath my controlled demeanor as I placed the apple on my desk and
cleared my throat. "So, Goldman, are you going soft for your ol' teacher?"

James' dark eyes met mine, sparkling in the afternoon light.

"No, sir. It's quite the opposite," he replied in a deep, low tone and
dropped his gaze downward.

My eyes followed down his torso, my own body responding to the
muscle-thickened outline beneath his crisp shirt to where his gaze
rested just below his waist. To my dismay, there in the front of his
uniform slacks, was an elongated imprint of arousal.

I drew a sharp breath. Damn! It was then I realized that the fine line
that had once held us in check had begun to dissipate.


* * *
For More HOMECOMING
CLICK HERE

Big Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(

+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

EPICon!

From March 6th until yesterday I spent time in Portland, OR for a series of extraordinarily valuable lectures, ate amazingly good food, and met many terrific people some of whom I had only known of online.

EPIC is an organization I joined recently--this past January--because I was interested in helping to promote the epublishing industry and get some tips as a brand new author just starting out in the field. So far I've been very happy with them, and this conference was a fabulous opportunity to learn new things and have a blast.

Which I did. Lecture highlights included a panel on multi-publishing by Lucy Monroe--who managed to dispel various rumors in regards to NY publishers versus e-publishing and smaller presses in the process, which I greatly appreciated. It is quite nice to know that unlike what I have heard from elsewhere, NY publishers will not disregard an e-book writer. E-books and e-publishing are apparently gaining respect as a legitimate medium within the writing industry, which thrills my geek writer's soul to no end.

From the "I-swear-my-friends-put-her-up-to-this" field came a lecture by Catherine Snodgrass on juggling your free time, family, responsibilities, and writing--and not let your overachiever self force you into major burnout that could negatively impact your writing career. No kidding, the entire lecture could've been tailor-made for me (I even accused her after the lecture of reading my mind!), and any of my friends reading this blog right now I'm sure are literally LOL. I plan to write an entire blog post on this lecture alone--I think that a lot of people could benefit from my thoughts on it and what Catherine had to say on the subject.

There were also some very valuable panels on promotion including one by Penny Sansevieri on Internet publicity--which as far as I am concerned should be a required course for new authors to take. Last but definitely not least, there was an amazingly well put together talk by Raelene Gorlinsky of Ellora's Cave on how to successfully submit manuscripts to publishers.

In short, any writer who wishes to "go pro" and not just be involved as a hobby should join EPIC and attend their yearly conferences if they can. I'm completely serious; the entry fee, plane ticket, and hotel costs were beyond worth it and as far as I'm concerned for what I got for my money, it was cheap.

Some of the fun moments included a trip to Powell's--where I spent WAY more money than I should have on Doctor Who and Torchwood novels (but oh, all of those out of print classic Doctor Who books *squee*), a champagne reception, and an awards ceremony that was filled with good warmth and humor. Anyone could tell from attending these events that the people there not only love what they do, they have fun with it and with their fellow authors. Make no mistake about it--everyone there was professional and truly serious about their art. But they were also friendly, warm, and greeted every new person there like they were a new member of the family.

As a side note, with the exception of the PSU students who attended I was probably the youngest person in attendance at just under thirty years of age. But I'd have to say that everyone there was my age or younger at heart. :)



Love & Magic,
-A

Violin Faery - Emilie Autumn

I'm not sure how much other writers use music to get into the mindset of their stories and/or characters. I know some writers who swear by soundtracks for particular stories of theirs, and can't write a word without one soundtrack or other playing in the background.

Me, I'm nowhere near that particular. Don't get me wrong, I love creating a magical atmosphere around me but when it comes to music, I can pretty much put my whole playlist on random and let it do its thing.

One song that has just come on though, is Swallow by Punktorian, Violin Faery, musical artist, Emilie Autumn. For anyone who hasn't heard of this beautiful songstress and violinist, here, let me just say this:


I'm not a fairy but I need,
More of this life so I became,
This creature representing more to you than,
Just another girl,
And if I had a chance to change my mind,
I wouldn't for the world.

Not only is she gorgeous and incredibly talented, but she currently has two CDs out in completely different musical styles. Enchant holds towards a ye olde Victorian majesty, with such songs as Chambermaid and Rose Red, and the tune to Greensleeves is part of her song Juliet. Her second CD, named Opheliac, is inspired by Nine Inch Nails and has everything from Shakespeare quotes in the lyrics of the title track, to her own take on the Lolita story in Gothic Lolita.

But don't just take my word. You can listen to her music at her myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/emilieautumn

Buy this lady. She is awesome and inspiring!


Nikki Watson.
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/
Changeling: Of Elves and Men. Available Now! from NCP.
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/changeling.htm

New Manuscript and New Hopes

I may be jumping the gun a little bit quickly on this one, but I've just finished my latest manuscript, with the current title of Unity. I have just sent it off towards Tease Publishing, fitting in with their Dark Tarot submission guidelines.

Here is a brief synopsis of the piece:

When obstinate Darcy and artistic Celeste lives first crossed, they couldn't have known that would start them on the path into the fantasy worlds they both had an interest in. In their sleep, that world comes alive for them, and they themselves are drawn towards true ladies, balls and gorgeous dark men inside cathedrals. The world of abusive stepfathers and depression is left behind them, and in their waking life, they find that they are changing for the experiences of their dreams.

Like all my favorite authors and poets at the moment, I have tried to tell a tale that mixes real life with fantasy elements to create this novel. I'm really excited and hopeful (yes, again, in a definitely jumping the gun sort of way...) about this one. It is a little bit different to both my purely fantasy novels that I have with NCP or my singularly social realism, but I kinda like it because it mingles the best of both aspects.

So, here I am, just hoping for the best until I hear back from them. Holding my breath until then sounds like a plan, yes? :D


Nikki Watson.
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/

A Kiss Is Just A Kiss?



Although I’m not a TV-watcher (DVDs, but that’s another story), an article online recently caught my attention. It seems that two soap opera favorites, Luke & Noah, are sparking the interest of many fans. Ever since their on-screen kiss, viewers have been petitioning the network for more –yes, more kisses—between the handsome supercouple!



Viewers are petitioned to run down to the local store for a bag of Hershey's Kisses and mail them a note saying what the kisses are for: "Let Luke and Noah kiss!"

To Read the Article CLICK HERE

As a writer and reader, I, too, love my Manlove (male/male) stories! And, although I realize this may not be everyone’s preference, I applaud the positive way the fans of Luke & Noah are letting the network know what they want! Bravo –and Good Luck!

Hugs,
Sabrina )O(

+ + +
Sabrina Luna is the author of A WARRIOR'S HOPE and HOMECOMING, two male/male erotica short stories at Phaze.com. And, this coming Spring, GODS & VAMPIRES, another duo of manlove stories, will be release at Aspen Mountain Press. Check her website for more details: http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Coming Spring 2008 ...



Explore the darkness with two male/male erotica tales by Sabrina Luna…

A vampire and a gypsy…
Two lovers and one night of hot, dangerous passion.

A mortal and a god…
At the stroke of midnight, who will pay the price of pain for pleasure?

GODS & VAMPIRES by Sabrina Luna
Coming Spring 2008
At Aspen Mountain Press

Stay tuned for more details --
Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

Sabrina Luna Author News – March 2008



Hello Everyone! March is going to keep me hopping like the Easter bunny! Busy-busy, but it’s all good! *wink-wink*

*The entire month of March, my promo group, The Midnight Muses, is featured at Coffee Time Romance’s Readers Retreat! Drop by their forums and chat with Dahlia Rose, Crymsyn Hart and myself about our latest stories and many other cool things!



To Access the CTR Forums CLICK HERE

*Good News! CRIMSON AMBROSIA & PLAYTOY FOR THE GODS, my two male/male dark erotica stories, has been contracted by Aspen Mountain Press!



The hot duo will be available in one ebook under the title GODS & VAMPIRES and is slated for release later this year –so stay tuned! *happy dance*



*And, once again, a big “thank you” to my readers for buying HOMECOMING and placing it in the top sellers at All Romance Ebooks! Y’all rock! *big grin*

Well, that’s all the news for now –
Many Thx & Hugs,
Sabrina )O(


+ + +
Sabrina Luna
Spicy Romance with a Touch of Magick
http://www.sabrinaluna.com

By the Chinese Zodiac, we are now well into the new year!

With a new month, comes new trials. We have just said goodbye to the 29th of February, and now will not see it for another four years. This year is the Chinese Year of the Rat, and with that comes the expectation of not only new beginnings, but also hard work and the hardships coming from that. It is expected to be all these things, because by the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of the Rat begins a 12 year cycle.

I know a lot of people who have already come into hardship so far this year. Troubles over love, depression, and health problems, such as my mother.

As I turned 24 last year, I'm someone who's born in the Year of the Pig. One of the stories behind the Chinese Zodiac says that the pig was the slowest animal to swim to the other side of a fast flowing lake, under the command of the Jade Emperor, thus why it comes at the end of the 12 year cycle.

Hopefully from here, we will see less hardships, and more new beginnings that bear fruitful results!

Nikki Watson
http://nikkiwatson.blogspot.com/