It's hard to read Chanukah stories in February.

So I'm always impressed when a reviewer reads my holiday books post-holiday. Maybe it has something to do with the incredible amounts of snow dumping all over the east coast.

Anyway, Shayna over at Joyfully Reviewed not only read Carol of the Bellskis, but it is a Joyfully Recommended Read for the month! Weee!

Thanks so much!

Okay. Time to work on non-holiday related novels for easy reading any time of the year!

Fellow Loose Id author Lena Matthews is having a Book a Day Giveaway competition this month where visitors to her Yahoo group can enter a contest and win a free e-book each day!

To visit her group, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lenamatthews/

Tomorrow, Monday, I'll be giving away a copy of either Carol of the Bellskis or Holiday Outing to one lucky person who answers the contest question correctly. Good luck, and make sure to check out the other days for some great reads by talented authors!

I just realized I haven't acknowledged the great review posted on Dear Author for Carol of the Bellskis. Thanks to Joan and Sarah F!

I also wanted to give a shout out to Sarah over at Rain on the Roof for reading and reviewing Bellskis along with several other novellas this season. Man, you read FAST. I'm still on the first chapter of the book I bought over a month ago, and not because it isn't good... I just can't find the time to sit down and read as much as I'd like to.

My experimentations with alchemy are not going well. My plan to make 2010 the year I turn lead into gold has hit a number of pitfalls. But I REALLY WANT THAT GOLD. So I'm not giving up. Just because billions of dead philosopher scientists have failed before me doesn't mean I won't succeed!

And when I get that gold, I'll quit my job, and do nothing but read and write and play with my pony all day. *crosses fingers, cranks up transmutation device*

 As those who have read my blog for a while know, I have a nickname for my writing career. It's the "Porn for Ponies Campaign" and the initial concept was to earn enough money writing to pay for a horse.

The inspiration came back in March 2007 when my dear friend and beloved horse Angus died. I was devastated... and also broke. In order to raise the funds needed to buy a new friend, I  thought about getting a second job. But then I remembered my inherent laziness and lack of enthusiasm toward things like work and responsibilities. Therefore I turned to my passion - writing - as a means to fulfill my equestrian dreams.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, today I bought a horse!

I truly appreciate those who read my work, because your contributions have helped make a dream come true. And I promise in return to continue to write engaging, romantic novels that will not include Nazi mermen, nor anything involving the suffering of innocent bunnies. I stay true to my principles.

And I'm proud to introduce Triston, a 16 year-old Arabian gelding! He' s no spring chicken, but he likes to think he has some fly moves, and he has more personality than can fit inside an indoor arena. He likes peppermints, farting, and ear scratches. Don't come at him with any dangerous plastic bags, however. You know how plastic bags murder 1500 lb. horses when no one's watching.

Thanks again for your readership, and I look forward to another great year of storytelling... AND riding!

Happy New Year!

I confess, it feels good to have all the festivities over, and I'm optimistic about this decade. And may 2010 be the year we discover the secrets of teleportation and alchemy!

First off, thanks to Lily at Rainbow Reviews for a nice review of Carol of the Bellskis!

Thanks also to All About Romance's website which gave Holiday Outing a B. B is for blintzes! Thanks Katie Mack!

So what's the plan for 2010? I have several books in progress or waiting in the stuffy, overcrowded lobby of my mind....

•  A contemporary mystery romance complete with horses, hot Brazilians, and would-be murderers.
• A "space opera" collaborative work with the amazing Ginn Hale and Nicole Kimberling. It's not certain, but we've been working on another anthology, although this time it will be set around a space station and a carbon dioxide-breathing population. My story will of course have terrorists, crying, torture, hot Brazilians (oh wait no sorry wrong novel), hot SPIES, and perhaps miniature desktop elephants.
• An AU medical mystery story set in a homesteader community suffering a terrible plague. Vague description, I know, but its a work in progress and I'm still not 100% sure where it's going to go.
• Fire, the sequel to Water, which will follow the development of the supernatural beings, the Valde, as they struggle to break free of their human body prisons and finish the war they started so long ago.

And of course, something will probably peak my interest halfway through the year and I'll write that story instead and abandon all hope of maintaining any sort of writing schedule, which is why I can give you no guarantees, other than this: MORE TO COME.

Hope you all are as hopefully about 2010 as I am! May the teleportation to our gold reserves begin!

Copenhagen, Denmark (AP) - Scientists present at the Global Warming talks in Copenhagen today revealed their solution to the global warming issue plaguing the world; it is Astrid Amara's new book, Carol of the Bellskis.

"This book has enough heat to allow readers to turn off their wood-burning stoves, enough metaphorical and physical icy conditions to halt the retreat of the oceans, and an ability to generate its own atmosphere," says top scientist, Dr. Rathbone Factlover. He added, "And the atmosphere not only comes with ozone, but with nearly insipid holiday cheer!"

Early readers of the book have been astounded by the warm, cozy feelings they had after the experience, and the fact that the author chose to set a Chanukah story in Whistler, British Columbia.

"There are Jews in Whister?" asked a woman on a street.

Author Amara is pleased with the results.

"I always knew that my writing would one day save polar bears," she said while eating a third fast food cheesewhopper and standing next to 14,000 kilowatts of baseboard heating without sealed windows. After taking another sip of her spotted-owl juice, she throws a piece of plastic in her back yard, barely missing her Hummer. "I'm just glad that I'm making a difference."

Carol of the Bellskis is for sale as of today at Loose Id.

Snow!
It's still a pretty rare and magical experience in the Pacific Northwest, so it's exciting. And dangerous. Because this is a place where people have no practice driving on ice, and also big egos, and also large hills, and also no snow removal or sanding equipment.

Therefore, I am forcing friend, fellow author, and editor Nicole Kimberling to drive me over the ice into another country where I may procure the last of my holiday shopping items. She lived in Colorado. She knows snow. And Richmond, British Columbia has a Daiso!

And maybe we can even catch a showing of Red Cliff, because something about snow makes me want to watch two hours of combat on horseback! Yes!

Congratulations to bittermint for being the first to answer yesterday's question, and winning a copy of Holiday Outing!

Since I've been writing a lot this weekend, I've been thinking about music, and decided to make an imix as my gift for Day 4. I tend to listen to one song on repeat over and over while writing a novel. The song lyrics rarely have anything to do with the story itself - it's more about an ambiance created by the song style.

And since I'm always curious about what songs are running through author's heads when they write a scene, I thought I'd share mine. Here's a breakdown by novel (you'll note the longer the book, the more songs I need to go through!). Yeah, sorry about the huge amount of Muse. Can't help it though, since they're my favorite band.

( Read more... )

Happy Chanukah!

Day three, and I got my own present this year... the book I co-authored with Nicole Kimberling and Ginn Hale, Hell Cop, won third place in the 2009 Rainbow Awards for best futuristic novel!

Winners are listed here.

Thanks, Elisa, for organizing the competition, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Okay, now a present for someone else... a free copy of Holiday Outing, my 2008 Chanukah romance. Just drop me a line at: astrid at astridamara dot com and tell me what you like best in holiday romances, and I'll give a copy of Holiday Outing to you!

An excerpt from Holiday Outing is online here.

Happy holidays, stay warm, stay cheerful, and most of all, hope for peace on earth because, while extremely unlikely, would certainly be cool.

Happy Saturday, Shabbat, Chanukah! There were 6 individual flakes of snow in the air on my way to my coffee stand this morning, which means it could turn very snowy here soon. But I'm nicely tucked inside, reading and drinking coffee.

And since I'm offering a small gift every day leading to the release of my new Chanukah novel Carol of the Bellskis, I thought I'd offer the kind of gift NO ONE WANTS. Yes. This is the internet-equivalent of Christmas fruitcake, or a sweater-vest.

It's a map! A map of Parmas City, the fantastical setting of the novellas written by Nicole Kimberling, Ginn Hale, and myself in our Hell Cop series! Oh joy! I bet you've always wanted to know where Ben Moran lives in comparison to Jay Yervant. I've bet you've sat back and said to yourself, "self, why oh why can't I visualize whether or not these characters are walking north to the gay district or east to the beach?" Well, worry no more. This sketchy and unprofessional-looking map will clarify your vision of Parmas City like butter hardened on a pair of goggles.

A Map of Parmas City.

Enjoy!

And Happy Holidays! Bring on the snow!

Happy Chanukah! The holiday begins at sundown today, so as a first present, I would like to share an excerpt from my upcoming 2010 Hanukkah romance novel, Carol of the Bellskis!

Paralegal Seth Bellski finally calls it quits on his clandestine relationship with his boss, Lars Varga, tired of being his dirty secret. Yet despite being in the middle of a bad breakup, the two of them are forced to run a kosher B&B until Seth's relatives are found. But more than just candles re-ignite over Chanukah, and Seth is left wondering if maybe Lars IS the guy of his dreams. After all, if they can survive this holiday, surely their relationship can survive anything.

Read an excerpt (PDF).

Have a great night everyone, and best wishes!

Oh, me.

Why must I combine the loving, innocent values of a time-honored holiday tradition with, as one of my ESL students once said, "the intercourses"?

I don't know, but I sure as hell enjoy doing it. I get concerned looks from the dogs when I maniacally giggle as I tear my characters asunder and then fling them back together so they may "proceed with caution." The cheerful clacking of my computer keys accompanies a the low mumble of me talking to myself like a madwoman, cackling demented as I dangerously combine blintzes with blizzards and jerky ex-boyfriends with icy staircases and - worse - a theatre director. I may have gone too far this time. I don't care. Hanukkah is almost here and I feel the holiday joy upon me.

So here to kick off the week in which Hanukkah will begin (this Friday at sundown), I thought I'd share my new banner for The Carol of the Bellskis, which is coming next Tuesday, December 15! And every day of Hanukkah, starting Friday night, I'll be sharing an excerpt here on the website. Another way to keep warm through the night. :) Happy near-holidays, everyone!

The Holiday Season is upon us! At least it feels like it, weather-wise.

And since no one writes de hot m/m Jewish romance no mo, it's up to me!

The Carol of the Bellskis is my newest title, and will be available from Loose Id on December 15, smack dab in the middle of Chanukah!
So pull up a chair, light a candle, eat a latke, and get ready for some light-hearted holiday romance.

Here's the unofficial blurb:

Paralegal Seth Bellski is tired of being the secret lover of his boss, Lars Varga, founding partner of Finch, Varga & Vale Law. So when he asks Lars to spend Chanukah with Seth's family at their kosher B&B in Whistler, B.C., and Lars refuses, Seth realizes he will never get his self-conscious boss out of the closet.

So Seth prepares to spend his Chanukah holiday alone in the B&B. Instead he finds himself running the place, as his aunt and uncle are missing, and nine demanding, peculiar, and danger-prone guests have arrived. To make matters worse, Lars shows up, begging forgiveness. Lars's touches remind Seth of why he put up with his boss's behavior in the first place. If only the words that came out of that beautiful mouth were as sweet as his kisses.

But how can Seth find time to fix his broken relationship when the guests are demanding kosher, gluten-free diets, losing their pet terriers, and hitting their heads on the ice?

Seth and Lars find themselves put through the paces of being a married couple, all while still broken up. But then again, if they can survive this Chanukah, surely their relationship can withstand anything?

More info coming soon.

Happy pre-holidays, everyone!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Blind Eye Books table at Yaoi-con this last weekend! Ginn Hale, Nicole Kimberling, and I had a blast. All in all, a good trip despite the fact that I ruined my computer by getting water on it, and after the glory that is California weather, returning to THIS:



Honestly, who cares if its "showers" or "rain"???

Hey all!

Just wanted to let people know I will be at the Blind Eye Books booth in the dealers room at  Yaoi-con this weekend!  Woo! So if you are in the San Mateo area and swing by the convention, make sure to stop by and say hello to me and fellow Hell Cop author Ginn Hale. We'll be busy doing what we usually do...  reading, writing, doodling, and making inappropriate jokes.

See you there!

 Well, it's torrential rain-time here in the Pacific Northwest, but I can't complain. We had an amazing summer. And I had a lovely summer goofing around in that sun, playing outside, and not writing.

But now that the weather has turned, it's time to return to Babs (my laptop) and get to work on a new novel!

I have a Hanukah story coming out this December from Loose Id.  At the moment it's called The Carol of the Bellskis. It's a fun story to write, although hard to visualize snow when there's nothing but rain outside.

I also read a great book this weekend, The City & the City by China Mieville. No, not m/m romance (although two pretty awesome detectives I really enjoyed), but a great example of how speculative fiction and mystery can merge in a creative, enveloping way. Yess! I love reading!

As soon as I have some excerpts and more materials on Carol of the Bellskis, I'll share. Until then, I wish you all a lovely autumn and the start of a great Writing Season!

I'm excited!  October has always been my favorite month, and I have so many reasons to already love it....

October  = a new website for one of my publishers, Blind Eye Books, that has a beautiful illustration of my character Keshan from The Archer's Heart. Hooray! check it out at www.blindeyebooks.com.

Also,

October = Astrid trying to write two books at once! I'm forcing myself to be excited about this, because otherwise I might cry! But it will be good. Both stories have a lot of potential. More soon about them...

And

October = Thrill the World! The Guiness Book of Record's record for largest spontaneous dance across the world is happening Oct 24, and I've got all my Michael Jackson's Thriller moves memorized! I'm SO zombie. Zombie romance? Hm...

And of course,

October = Yaoi-con! I'll be at the convention in San Mateo, CA at the end of October, hanging around the Blind Eye Books table, trying to pick up anyone looking like Yuki Eiri from Gravitation. Stop by and say hello if you're in the area!

So yay October! Screw you, September! You brought me nothing but procrastinating writing schedules, an overabundance of plums, and the resurgence of the skinny jean!

valkovalin has posted two wonderful new reviews of Hell Cop and Hell Cop 2. Read them on her website Obsidian Bookshelf:

Hell Cop Review

Hell Cop 2 Review

Thanks so much!

Hey, it's August 25! That means I'm blogging over at Rainbow Reviews today, and giving away a free book to whoever can answer my *extremely tricky* question!

Here's the link: http://rainbow-reviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/author-extravaganza-astrid-amara.html?zx=75b7bdf704dbb0bf

Hope you can join us!

TIME WASTER #1:

Blog reading, prezzie competition entering!

Just a reminder, Rainbow Reviews is having it's author extravaganza this month, and giving away prezzies left and right. Plus some pretty interesting interviews with a whole bunch of great gay fiction authors. Check them out!

http://rainbow-reviews.com/?page_id=1542

TIME WASTER #2:

Pygmy goats.

I don't have them yet. But I really. Really. REALLY. Want two pygmy goats.



I mean, seriously. How can I NOT have them already? They hit you with their tiny lil heads and will eat your blackberries! Damn, I need to write more books... soon I'll be supporting more than just myself, my geriatric dogs, and a sadistic pony. Pygmy Goat Future Now!

I'd like to pass on my appreciation to those who have read and reviewed Hell Cop 2! A few new ones to report:

Rain on the Roof review -- thank you Sarah!

Literary Nymphs review -- thank you Scandalous Minx!

Rainbow Reviews -- thanks to Nikki!

Despite staging our scenes in the bellies of large animals, on waterbeds in sleazy rock band RVs, and near nests of exotic, stinky birds, we have managed to so far get positive reviews. Hooray!