Anya Bast

Check out my post on the Bradford Bunch blog. I talk about finding the right agent…and magic. (You’ll just have to go over there to see what I mean.) There’s a contest too!

It has been ten days since Witch Fire’s release. I have no real idea how the book has done, but if the fact the novel is placing pretty high on Bookscan is a good thing, (I think it’s a good thing. *frowns*), and if the flood of emails I’ve received from readers are any measure, I think the book has been doing well. All of you who sent me emails or pinged me through MySpace to say you enjoyed Witch Fire, thank you so much. You ease this neurotic author’s mind. 🙂

I am technically finished with the sequel, Witch Blood. Now I’m polishing and revising. I’ll keep the book right up to the deadline to pick at it, ’cause that’s what I do. Once my editor has given the book the okay, I’ll start teasing you guys about it. Because teasing is fun.

Now…..hie thee to bookmark The Pretty!

Some of literary agent Laura Bradford’s clients have banded together to create a fun new blog called The Bradford Bunch. Participants are: Ann Aguirre, Anya Bast, Cynthia Eden, Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Marissa Scott and Vonna Harper

Ann will kick off the blog on Sunday. We’ll be going in the order above, which means I’ll be blogging on Mondays. There will be prizes this first week of Bradford Blogging Deliciousness and I might (just might) be giving away a signed copy of Witch Fire. You never know.

So, GO! Go, now! Go, bookmark, and then come visit us starting Sunday.

…

Fades back into the depths of Deadline Hell.

I finally saw Pan’s Labyrinth last.

What. A. Good. Movie.

It made me cry. There are only a handful of movies that can make me do that. In fact, What Dreams May Come and Love Actually are the only two that come to mind. Ugh. I cried almost from beginning to end when I saw What Dreams May Come in the theater. How embarrassing.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen Pan’s Labyrinth and you enjoy dark fantasy, NETFLIX IT NOW, or obtain it in whatever way you obtain your movies.

Now, back to Isabelle and Thomas. Their date with Berkley looms.

I haven’t been blogging because I’m under deadline for Witch Blood and I have no Thursday Thirteen offering for you this week. Instead, I thought I’d give you…dross. Not literally. Actually dross is one of my favorite words. I’m not sure why, exactly.

Here are a few more of my favorite words:

Venezuela

Door

Open (I especially love the combination open door)

Cabbage

Raven

Entice

Elaborate

Ribbon

What are some of your favorite words?

Chats….

June 10th….

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Sunday, June 10th at 9 PM ET to chat with me at Writerspace. I’ll be discussing Witch Fire.

June 14th….

Maverick Authors Chat!! Join Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Anya Bast in the Maverick Author’s chat room at 8pm eastern for chat, prizes, fun and hijinks.

June 14th….

Join the Berkley Jove Authors at Writerspace, 9 pm eastern. Authors beside myself who have been invited to chat include, Angela Knight, Yasmine Galenorn, Meljean Brook, Anne Bishop (OMG! Fan girl moment! Yiieeee! Ahem, sorry…moving on), P.C. Cast, Susan Sizemore and many more.

June 25th….

Join the AfterMidnight Authors at Writerspace (seeing a trend here?) at 9pm eastern. Besides myself, attending authors include Sylvia Day, Shiloh Walker, Cheyenne McCray, Deliah Devlin and Patrice Michelle.

Book Signings….

June 23rd….

On June 23 from 3:30 to 5:00 (est), I’ll be signing along with authors Toni Blake and LuAnn McLane at…

The Bookstore
301 W Lincoln Trail Blvd
Radcliff, KY 40160

A To Be Read Pile Thursday Thirteen.

 

Photographic evidence…

 

 

 

Actually, this is misleading because some of these books I’ve already read/are reading.

 

So, really this Thursday Thirteen should be entitled Two Books Read, One Book Am Reading, Ten Eleven Books in To Be Read Pile. It’s a Thursday Fourteen.

Or we could just call it Anya’s Reading Addiction Thursday Thirteen.

 

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1. Ascension, by Lauren Dane — Which is an ebook, hence it is not in the picture, it is in my Reb 1100. I also cannot provide a buy link, since I have an ARC. Nyah. Nyah. So here’s the blurb and excerpt on her site. Ascension releases TOMORROW at Ellora’s Cave.

Okay, here’s a pic of the cover. I think it’s very pretty:

 

2. Magic Bites, by Ilona Andrews — In my already DEVOURED IN ONE SITTING read category. If you like Patricia Briggs, I certainly do, you will love Ilona Andrews. This is urban fantasy at its finest, with juuuust a touch of horror. I loved this book.

3. Hell’s Belles, by Jackie Kessler — Also in my already read category. I loved this one too. The concept was very interesting.

4. For a Few Demons More, Kim Harrison — In my currently reading category. It’s Kim Harrison. Need I say more?

 

 

 

Now here are the other books I have yet to read….

5. Rises the Night, Colleen Gleason

6. Stray, Rachel Vincent (Okay I actually kinda started this one already.)

7. Under a Wild Sky, Sasha Lord

8. When I Fall in Love, Lynn Kurland

9. Giving Chase, Lauren Dane (I already read this once. Now I’m going to read it again in paperback format)

10. Bad Girl Bridesmaids, Susanna Carr — Not my normal kind of book at all since they’re contemporary, non-paranormal short stories, but it looks good!

11. Hunters: Heart & Soul, Shiloh Walker

12. Master of Dragons, Angela Knight (I still have to buy)

13. The Sharing Knife, Lois McMaster Bujold (Still have to buy)

 

And one to grow on… Demon Moon, Meljean Brook. (Still have to buy)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

 

1. Sara Thacker

2. Christieo

3. N.J. Walters

4. Paige Tyler

5. Marissa

6. Rhonda Stapleton

7. Susan Helene Gottfried

8. Rhian

9. Seeley deBorn

10. Jaci Burton

11. Debbie Mumford

12. Ann(ie)

13. Sparky Duck

14. R.G. Alexander

15. Stella Price

16. BARB

17. BARB (I don’t think she has a TT up, but you can visit anyway. *g*)

18. Robin L. Rotham

19. Jennifer Shirk

20. Heather

21. Lauren Dane

22. Tempest Knight

23. Kate Scott

24. Rene Lyons

 

 

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

 

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

We have eight cats (or eight cats have us, actually). They’re indoor except that they have a sizable screened-in porch where they can bask in the sun, lounge and be otherwise lazily catlike. They share the porch with two bunny rabbits. (All the fuzzies are rescues, mmmkay?! We just couldn’t say no to them.)

We live in the country. Lots of critters out here, lots of insects and such. The porch is enclosed, but sometimes critters and insects still make their way inside. It’s just part of living in Boondockia.  You see where I’m going with this, right?
Anyway, last evening as I worked diligently on Witch Blood, I heard Wiggle, (the fattest of our cats, but surprisingly the best hunter. I think he’s very motivated by food in general.), meowing with his mouth full. I know this particular meow. It’s the meow that says, I have something rich and juicy and YOU CAN’T HAVE IT. This is the meow I heard moments before Wiggle once dropped a half dead horsefly in my lap. (I’m the mommy cat and therefore eligible for special “gifts”.) This is also the meow I heard when Wiggle dragged a huge lizard into the living room, dropped it wriggling on the floor and thus incited the Great Lizard Olympics of 2005. I remember it well because the lizard…er, okay, I won’t go there. I need more coffee for that.

I freeze, hand hovering over my laptop keyboard.  Wiggle races past, followed by 7 cats with eager expressions on their faces, (eyes bright, whiskers forward, ears pricked). Just as Wiggle disappears down the hallway, I see a gray tail hanging from between his greedy cat lips.

Me: Oh, shiiiiiiit.

So I race off after the pride, following them into the bedroom just in time to see Wiggle taking his yummilicious prey under the bed. I flip on the light, thus jarring my sleeping husband into full sputtering (pissed off) wakefulness and start babbling about cats and mice.

The chase ensues. Up, down, all around we pursued Wiggle through the house followed by the other 7 cats who desperately want a piece of the squeaky action.  FINALLY, we corner Wiggle and make him give up his treat. And get this…the mouse survived!!

In the dark, my husband and I instituted a quick mousie relocation program, complete with a new identity and a lovely brand new home of cut wood logs for the fireplace. We admonished mousie to stay out of the porch. I hope he heeds our warning, though one would think that having a fifteen minute joy ride in a cat’s mouth would be enough of a deterrent.

Dear Reader,

I’ve been asked many times in recent weeks why I wrote Witch Fire. The answer is simple. I wrote Witch Fire because Jack McAllister wouldn’t be denied. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes authors are stalked by characters who demand to have their stories told.

Jack hung around the periphery of my mind for a long time, at first just a wisp of an idea. It wasn’t until I dug a little into his personality–his past, his likes and dislikes–that he began to truly take shape. In the process of discovering Jack, the plot for Witch Fire emerged. I couldn’t turn back once that happened. Jack needed his story told, needed closure…really needed a good woman and, most importantly, needed love.

If I fall a little in love with my characters while I’m writing them, especially with my hero, I think (hope, at least!) I’m doing something right. And I definitely fell a bit in love with Jack McAllister. It is my wish that you will do the same as you read him.

Not that Jack is perfect, far from it. Oh, he’s got his positives, no doubt about that. He’s protective, principled and strong. He’s well read, sensitive and intelligent, even has a sense of humor and a bit of an artistic soul. However, Jack has his flaws too. He’s got control and commitment issues, and he’s definitely carrying some baggage from his childhood. Lastly, he’s got a secret, a bad one.

But who wants a perfect man, anyway? Not Mira Hoskins, that’s for sure.

And Mira Hoskins, well, she might be the worst of Jack’s problems.

I hope you enjoy my first release from Berkley Sensation and the first book in this new series. Witch Fire was a joy to write and I sincerely hope I can pass just a little of that joy on to you.

 

 

 

Mira Hoskins doesn’t know she’s a natural born witch who possesses the rare—and powerful—element of air. She also never expected to find herself tied to a mahogany bed frame, captive to a man who aches to fulfill her every desire and let loose the magick that dwells inside her…

 

Heat emanates from elemental fire witch Jack McAllister. The Coven, a governing authority of witches, has sent him to protect Mira from a band of warlocks who drain witches of power… and life. Long ago, he saw Mira’s parents murdered by this same dark magick. He’d like to quell his guilt and offer her everything she deserves. But she’s the long-lost cousin of his boss—making seduction off-limits.

 

With Jack’s strong guidance, Mira is luring forth her inner magick. But his sense of duty is quickly swelling into insatiable hunger. They warned him about the natural attraction between air and fire. Now he risks being consumed by the woman he shouldn’t want—but can’t stay away from …

 

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Advance reviews for Witch Fire…

 

Romantic Times BOOK Reviews gives Witch Fire four stars!

 

“Sizzling suspense and sexy magic are sure to propel this hot new series onto the charts…. Bast is a talent to watch, and her magical world is one to revisit.” – Jill M. Smith

 

Paranormal Romance Reviews says…

 

“Enter a magical new world created by Anya Bast; sure to be a fan favorite in the paranormal genre with her Elemental Witches series. Her writing is lyrical, the love scenes explosive, and her characters full bodied and fascinating.

 

Romance Readers Connection says…

 

“This is a fabulously written ultimate romance. … Anya Bast tells a really passionate story…. For paranormal fans, the elemental witch series will be a fantastic read.”

 

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Check out my web site for excerpts and don’t forget to stop by my contest page for new ways to win in June!

 

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Buy at your local bookstore, or online at…

 

Penguin

 

Barnes & Noble

 

Amazon.com

What a blast! I’m so happy I got to meet some of you, like Melissa, Barb, Andrea, Deb, Pam and so many others. I met some awesome new authors (and bought new books!), and I also sold out of Witch Fire at the booksigning, which  made me very squeeful.

Here are a few photos…

That’s Pam K and I.

Pam with the basket of mine she won in the raffle.

The incomparable J.C. Wilder, the wonderful Lauren Dane and the charming Isabo Kelly (It was the first time I’ve met Isabo. She’s delightful).

The lovely quilt with book covers they raffled off for charity.

I’ll definitely be going back next year!