Thursday, February 7, 2008

Proofreading and Poetry

I'm currently slogging through the proofs for my sex-in-the-library novel, Kiss Between My Lines. To me, this stage always feels like watching home videos of last Thanksgiving: Oh, god, my hair doesn't really do that all the time, does it? Why did I wear THAT? That's not my butt blocking the turkey, is it?

But seriously, I did have a lot of fun writing that novel. I was practically raised in public and academic libraries, have always adored them, even did a stint at library school in an MLS program. Probably best not to go into the choppy history of my graduate education, though. We'd all get seasick.

Oddly enough, I haven't been reading a lot of fiction lately. I'm mostly reading poetry. I'm carrying three collections around with me in my book bag these days (I take public transportation everywhere, and riding the bus requires packing a lot of reading material). Marie Howe's The Good Thief, Brenda Hillman's Bright Existence, and Jason Bredle's Standing in Line for the Beast have been going with me everywhere. In terms of voice and style, these poets couldn't be much more different, yet there's a similarity in their intensity, their inventive language, and the mad, glorious light that their words release into a world crowded by the prefabricated images and noises of mass media.

When is this snow going to end? A friend offered to run away to San Diego with me last night. We'd just get in her car and keep driving West until the temperature rises above 20 degrees. Look at this stuff. Look!



Okay, I cheated and posted a pretty shot from one of my favorite walking trails (I walk a lot, when I'm not working, muttering to myself about flying monkeys, or reading poetry). The truth is, this stuff is ugly. Small tragedies are happening all over the city as people crash and burn on the ice. Yesterday I saw a poor guy fall down on the sidewalk, spilling a fresh cup of coffee all over the frozen sludge. Coffee, no less -- anything that makes you drop the heavenly host first thing in the morning can't be a good thing.


Monday, February 4, 2008

Getting Possessed

If you're in the UK, you can buy a copy of this demonically erotic Black Lace release on February 7. If you're in the US, you'll have to wait till April 1, but you can get a sneak preview of this anthology of shapeshifting and transformation tales at Lustbites this week. Possession features novellas by Mathilde Madden (lustful werewolves), Madelynne Ellis (sexy youkai), and me (psychotic ballerinas getting possessed by pissed-off fallen angels).



Please stop by and check it out. After all, sweet little Annie doesn't get over to the Dark Side very often.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Better than Catnip?

Today on Lustbites I posted excerpts from my new Cheek novel, Lying in Mid-Air. This is very tasty erotica, just ask my cat. She couldn't wait to sample the story . . . she even crawled into my suitcase to get her very own copy.

Mmmm . . . juicy fiction. Better than catnip!

And look what it did to her -- she turned into a raving sex maniac:

Yummm . . . savoury punctuation!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

No More Christmas Deadlines - Ever

I learned an important lesson about deadlines this year -- if you sign up to write a summer book, your deadline runs smack into Christmas. Ideally, of course, a writer would be well organized enough to finish her manuscript and her shopping weeks before her deadline, with plenty of time for proofreading text and mailing gifts.

Yeah, right.

That beautifully organized writer ain't me, I'm afraid. I was flailing around trying to finish my sex in the library novel while shopping, wrapping, etc. But the manuscript has been submitted. The gifts have been bought, given, and opened. Oops, except for a couple of packages that have to go out in the mail today. I'm taking full advantage of the 12 days of Christmas this year and sending stuff out until at least mid-January (hey, that's better than 2005, when no one got my gifts until March).

Over at Lustbites we're celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, too, with all kinds of naughty treats for your visual pleasure! Werewolves in bondage . . . dancing detectives . . . naked Spartans . . . come join the ribaldry -- I mean, revelry.

For those of you who prefer more sedate winter images, here's a shot from my Christmas morning walk in Denver yesterday. I had a wonderful holiday -- hope yours was lovely, too.


Snowy Bridge

Friday, December 21, 2007

The Season for Giving . . . and Receiving

Soixante-Neuf, anyone?

Come over to Lustbites today and hang out with a bunch of raunchy erotica writers discussing this classic position.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Today is my Birthday . . .

Last night I dreamed I received two extraordinary birthday gifts: a tattoo on my belly, from a beautiful young blond man, and a manual typewriter, from myself. (With the Kindle and all this other technology coming out, why am I still dreaming of typewriters?)

I woke up with no tattoo, and of course I'm typing away on the computer instead of on an exquisite old typewriter, but it's still my birthday. Yes, I'm a Sagittarius, which means I have no impulse control, so today will undoubtedly involve massive amounts of sugar consumption and the purchase of a small mountain of books.

To celebrate, I'm giving away copies of my new baby, Lying in Mid-Air -- an erotic romance about sex, love, and the screwy ways we alter our identities to obtain both -- to the first three people who send me an email wishing me a happy birthday: annetourney@yahoo.com

Monday, December 10, 2007

U.S. Release Date Today

Lying in Mid-Air

'smartly written . . . satisfyingly real'

4.5 Stars from Romantic Times