Reader reviews for Blood of the Dark Moon are coming in!

Reader reviews are coming in to Aphrodite's Apple's website for Blood of the Dark Moon:

http://www.aphroditesapples.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=29&reviews_id=8

I've placed a reviews page up on my website. To read more reviews by both readers and reviewers about Blood of the Dark Moon or any of my other works, go here:

http://www.adriannebrennan.com/reviews.html



Love & Magic,
-A

Update on short story, plus paganism and the occult in fiction

Happily, the edits to my short story for the GLB anthology have gone off to the main editor. Yay! I should be hearing official word at some point on the whens/ifs of my story going out, and it's looking pretty good. I really want to treat everyone to lesbian vampire erotica, and the Babalon ref I suspect may be a draw as well.

I haven't seen an awful lot of references to Thelema in fiction with the exception of writers like Piers Anthony and Alan Moore. There's one other I recall, but it's all any association being bad, evil, et cetera. Sometimes I wonder if people just don't bother doing research before using a wide brush. When I talked with my reviewer, one comment he made about my book was that it was a great book written by someone who obviously was either genuinely involved in paganism and the Mysteries or by someone who did a LOT of research--and most people who attempt writing such a book wind up going Hollywood. One thing I had tried to do in my book was place real elements within a fantasy setting. People write about Christians, doctors, lawyers, and all sorts of REAL things within fantasy novel. Why should the realms of pagan religions, witchcraft, and Western Mystery trads in general be any different? In any event, I didn't want to write the next "Charmed" for magicians, and I'm glad to hear that those who have read my book thought I succeeded in avoiding just that.

In the meantime, I has chai. This is good.


Love & Magic,
-A

I'm chatting tonight with Midnight Seduction Authors at 8pm EST!

Tonight some of the Midnight Seductions Authors will be at Night Owl Romance for a live chat. Drop by and chat with us.!

We will be doing book give aways and Night Owl also gives away prizes. Tonight Adriana Kraft will offer a copy of The Merry Widow and Tess MacKall wiill give away a copy of Gabriel's Horn. Mary Suzanne is offering a copy of Guardian Angel and Cassandra Gold is giving away Double or Nothing.

8pm EST...5pm Pacific Time

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/chat/chat.asp



Love & Magic,
-A

Blood of the Dark Moon #5 for Best Horror in the P&E Polls!

You can see the voting results here:

http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/votenovelhor07.htm

I just wanted to thank those of you who voted. :) For my first novel, this is pretty damned spectacular!


Love & Magic,
-A

The book signing party!

On the whole, a very successful event. Despite the conflict with a major goth club night that evening, about twenty people showed up.

The first--and earliest--to arrive was none other than Mike Gleason, who had reviewed my book and wanted the chance to meet me! I was pretty psyched, not to mention flattered. Very nice guy. We babbled for a while on trad paganism and cats and I've decided quite naturally that he's good people.

A bunch of other people arrived, some of whom I knew from meeting them at other places, some who were good friends of mine, and others whom I had never before met but wanted to check out my book. We all had a great time, and a LOT of wine was consumed. I was greatly amused to find that much of the soda I purchased was barely touched, but I think about 7-8 wine bottles went buh-bye. In fact, someone had to go out and buy more wine! LOL LOL

It was a lot of fun, and something I'd definitely do again.

And as suspected (and secretly hoped) I have some books leftover from the event, so I will be attending other parties with them and I suspect will make a few sales. Just call me Your Local Vampire Smut Vendor.

*mwahaha*


-A

Erotic excerpt from BotDM wins Friday's selection at Dark Diva Reviews!

One of my erotic excerpts from Blood of the Dark Moon posted on Friday to Dark Diva Reviews was the winner for the day!

The blog entry--including the excerpt--is here:

http://darkdivareviews.blogspot.com/2008/01/fridays-excerpt-winner_26.html

Note: NSFW!


-A

Book signing party TOMORROW for Blood of the Dark Moon novel!

Come meet me in Salem for my book signing! Here are the details:

Jan 25, 2008 8pm
175 Essex St, Salem MA
(between Samantha's and Goddess Treasure Chest)

The first fifty people who show can buy an autographed copy of my ebook, Blood of the Dark Moon, on CD. CDs are $7.99 each and I accept cash or check made out to Adrianne Brennan. There will also be prizes to win, more goodies to buy, plus some cool freebies! Every person who buys a CD is automatically entered to win either a beautiful handmade metal amethyst-beaded bookmark or a pair of handmade silver and amethyst earrings! Please support your local pagan authors and craftsmen by attending this event.

Blood of the Dark Moon is a modern sensual vampire novel written about romance and erotica among magicians, secret societies, paganism and mythology, and features quotes from Liber AL (The Book of the Law) as well as references to the Golden Dawn. For more information on this book, visit this url: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/botdm.html

There will be drinks and refreshments--feel free to bring some of your own as well!

Two more days until the Book Signing Party in Salem!!

Stop by and meet Adrianne Brennan, author of Blood of the Dark Moon, the first in the Dark Moon series! You'll get to purchase a CD of her book plus get it autographed!

175 Essex St
Salem, MA
(between Samantha's and Goddess Treasure Chest)

CDs are $7.99 each. Cash or check made out to Adrianne Brennan accepted. There will also be various other goodies both free and for sale.

Drinks and refreshments will be provided!

More info about Blood of the Dark Moon can be found here: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/botdm.html.


-A

Reviews!

Aphrodite's Apples now has a feature where you can write reviews for their titles. If you've read Blood of the Dark Moon and would like to recommend it to others or just have feedback on it in general, then I would encourage you to please take advantage of this feature:


http://www.aphroditesapples.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29

You'll find a link for creating a review on the righthand side of the page. To any who participate, thanks in advance! Your support/feedback/comments are always welcome. :)

On the arts and fandom

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a few friends on the topic of the arts and fandom related to said arts. It's no secret that some authors out there have a hatred of fan fiction and want complete control over their created charactres. On the other hand, some feel that fan fiction is a fantastic avenue for not just promotion of their original works, but a great way for people to potentially break into the writing scene by writing about the characters from the novels, movies, and television writers whom they love.

I'm in the latter category. It is my feeling that people should, can, and will write fan fiction based upon already created characters in their favorite fandoms. As long as they are not claiming those characters are original and are giving credit to the original movie, television show, or novel writer, I frankly don't see the problem.

Personally, I'm a huge advocate of fan fiction and fandom. I feel that it's a wonderful way for many to connect with the stories and characters whom they love and fulfill their creative outlet. I also see it as a harmless way to promote the arts as well as the original work.

If I ever stumble across fan fiction based on my writing, I'd be sincerely flattered--and I'd want to encourage the person to continue writing. Some fan fiction writers find themselves writing original fiction and getting published, and the more arts promotion there can ever be, I say the better!


-A

More information on book signings/parties on my website! Please read.

I have two book signings coming up, one in Salem, MA on 1/25 at 8pm and another in Arlington, MA on 2/23 at 8pm.

Please view my website for more detail on these book signings/sales and parties here:

http://www.adriannebrennan.com/events.html



-A

Book signing party of Blood of the Dark Moon in Salem, MA on 1/25 8pm!

Stop by and meet Adrianne Brennan, author of Blood of the Dark Moon, the first in the Dark Moon series! You'll get to purchase a CD of her book plus get it autographed!

175 Essex St
Salem, MA
(between Samantha's and Goddess Treasure Chest)

Drinks and refreshments will be provided!

More info about Blood of the Dark Moon can be found here: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/botdm.html.


-A

Ebooks, epublishing, and the erotic romance industry in general

Someone on an emailing list asked a few really good questions:


1) What are the pros and cons of ebooks over print?

2) Have you ever been dismissed by potential readers for being in ebook format versus print?

3) Have you ever been dismissed for writing romance as opposed to "more serious" fiction?


I'm going to tackle these one by one because I run into this often--the first two even more than the third.


1) The pros are easy to identify--having portable books in a way that doesn't take up a HUGE amount of storage space is very beneficial to people who travel often and are always on the go. I can read a 200 page book in 30-45 minutes easily, and when I get on a plane for more than 2-3 hours I may not necessarily just want to watch the Sci Fi channel. Having a bunch of books in a small, handheld device is AWESOME for this purpose.

Also, there's the opportunity of lunch hour reading. I can sit down and read a book on my laptop or on my desktop at work. No one has to know what I'm reading and less of a chance people will come over and start talking to me with the usual questions: "Oh, you're reading a book! What are you reading? What's it about?" I remember bringing Crowley's Book 4--the HUGE blue doorstop edition--with me to entertain myself as I sat around for jury duty, and got repeatedly asked, "Oh, are you reading Harry Potter? What are you reading?" While this can be amusing, it can also be annoying--or potentially hazardous in the workplace as you attempt to wave them away without giving away what it is that you are reading. So if you want to read occult, romance, and/or erotica books without your fellow employees in your cube wondering what you're reading during your lunch hour...ebooks are definitely the way to go.

The cons can be summed up in one word: tradition. People are constantly telling me how much they prefer print because they "like the feel of a book in their hands," and asking me when my ebook will be available on Amazon.com, B&N, Borders...you name it. This typically means that people will sometimes refuse to buy it on the grounds that a) prefer print, b) don't have the technology to read an ebook, or worse yet, c) being an ebook is somehow "less" than being in print.

Which brings me to #2:

2) Yes, there is the idea that somehow ebooks aren't "real", that the standards for them are far less than print and therefore are more likely to suck, and people who prefer the traditional methods tend to avoid purchasing your book. The one reviewer I've had comment on Blood of the Dark Moon so far even admits this: he hates ebooks, and it even prevented him from reviewing my book for a good month before he had the chance to take a look at it. Once he did so, however, he was disappointed that he didn't read it sooner!

Convincing people to take a chance on an ebook is much like that example--people will take their time, hem and haw, and will eventually sit down and read it to discover that wow, good books CAN come in ebook format! But this takes time, and sometimes it's just a matter of the technology--not everyone is comfortable with having a smartphone, PDA, computer, and/or handheld ebook reader. I am a geek by hobby and profession and having access to many of the above mentioned items makes reading ebooks for me easy, fun, and rather convenient. This is, however, not the case for everyone.

3) I have found that writing romance isn't as much of a problem as writing erotic romance. I am completely unable to tell my family what I write about. I not only write about explicit sex, I write about explicit kinky sex between vampires involving bondage, blood play, knife play--you name it. This is NOT up everyone's alley, and while I did my best to tred the line between being titillating while not detracting from the plot, there will be some who will be put off by that.

Mainstream romance, such as Gone with the Wind, does fine, and even your grandmother can read it. A lot of modern romance can get into the bedroom wayyy more often, and I think it's the combination of modern pulp romance and its formulaic plot plus graphic sex that is often looked upon as "selling out." A lot of people don't realize that "smart smut" exists. And some authors start out in smart smut and DO eventually sell out to nearly hardcore pr0n because it sells. It keeps them on the bestseller lists and the lack of plot doesn't necessarily discourage everyone from reading; they'll keep buying the books for the sex.

In short, sex sells, and people know that. No one is blind to this. And sex will continue to sell even if the books aren't all that good.

I find myself giving disclaimers and near apologies more for the erotica than the romance or even ebook than anything else. I never know who can handle the contents of my book and who can't, and who is expecting nothing more scandalous than "he entered her love-box with great joy" will raise a hairy eyebrow at a few of the scenes in my book--and my book is really not what I would call terribly edgy, either!


-A

More info about my book signing/sale at the 7th Annual NEDSWB on 2/23!

7th Annual Darkside Walkers Ball

When: 2/23/08 8pm-12am
Where:370 Mass Ave, Arlington, Ma 02474 (Arlington American Legion)

Who:Featuring various vendors and:

DJ Vudu
DJ Krztov
DJ Pet
DJ xTIMMYxCOREx

and a performance by: Seppuku

There will also be an after hours party from 12am til whenever for
ball attendees. Location will be announced at ball.

$10.00 cover 21+

I'll be there for the duration of the event at my own table. Please stop by and get your own copy of my book on CD! I'll even autograph it for you if you like. :)

Writing as a dream job

Yahoo has an article on "glamour jobs" and how to get them. The last one caught my eye:

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-glamour_jobs_how_to_get_one_and_succeed-274

Thanks to for the link!

In what seems to be a recurring theme in Salmansohn's success story, her career jump-started when she got an unexpected lift. "I was working at MTV doing freelance writing for the filmettes that go on between videos," explains Salmansohn, who counts Jon Stewart, Madonna, Jay Leno, and Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter among her fan base. "This guy I barely knew got on the elevator with me, and he said, 'What's new?' and I said, 'I just finished my first novel.'" By the time Salmansohn arrived on the first floor, she had scored a book agent's name and number. "I always joke that if MTV had its offices on the third floor instead of the 24th, I might never have gotten a book deal."

It's funny, but a lot of us who have gotten published seem to have just sorta "fallen into it". A lot of people dismiss it as being in the right place at the right time, but I really think it's about people. Do you talk about your writing with others? Do others know that you're working on a novel, short story--or have one finished?

I think a lot of us--especially those of us who write romance, erotica and romantic erotica--are too shy to talk about it to others. I was open enough to discuss it at a party and got great tips from someone who just happened to work with Neil Gaimon. In short, you never know who you're going to run into and who you're going to meet, and even if they can't get you a gig like in the above example, they may know people who know people or have otherwise great advice for you that will eventually lead you to getting your first novel out there.

Also, I have to add--which this article of course doesn't get into--it's also where you're writing at present. A portion of the AA staff, self included, met each other while writing Star Wars fanfic! I love being able to say the following: "I owe my being a published writer to Vader pr0n."

The article also gives the following advice:

"Create a career pickup line," she says. "Know what you can say in 30 seconds to sell yourself quickly. It's all based on what your unique selling point is."

Useful to know--especially if you might accidently meet book agents and/or publishers on the Net or in elevators.

Last day to vote in P&E Poll--thanks to those who have!!

Today's the last day to vote in the Preditors and Editors Poll!

Thanks to those who have voted. Your support means a GREAT deal to me! I can't believe I'm even #5 in the tallies for Best Horror Ebook with all of those other fantastic ebooks I'm up against!

For those who haven't yet voted... you have until tonight to do so!

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelh.shtml



Love and magic,
-A

Only two days left to vote in the Preditors and Editors Polls!

I'm up for a number of nominations, including Best Horror Ebook of 2007:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelh.shtml

If you have a chance, please cast a vote for me before the polls end!



Thanks,
-A

Book signing/sale at the 7th Annual NEDSW Ball in Arlington, MA!

If you miss me for my first book signing (or just want to see me again), I'm signed up for another event!


7th Annual New England Dark Side Walkers Ball

The Arlington American Legion
370 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA
Saturday night, Feb. 23rd
8 pm - 12 mid


Mark your calendars!!


-A

Blood of the Dark Moon up for Best Horror Ebook of 2007!

I realize that it's too early to be looking at tallies, but omgs, I'm #8 so far!!


http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.html


Here's where to vote for Blood of the Dark Moon:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelh.shtml


I have no idea if I have a shot or not at winning, but I'm just so thrilled that so many have sought fit to support me, my book, and Aphrodite's Apples in that category. Thanks guys!! :D :D



-A

Blood of the Dark Moon is up for an award!

My book is up for an award for best in horror! Vote for me:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelh.shtml