Bloggin' It with Katrina Strauss

Blue Ruin 4, Eldritch Legacy 2, and... oh my, print!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:11:00 +0000

I've completed the manuscript for Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight and submitted it to my editor for her approval and, hopefully, acceptance. I now await her response as I bite what's left of my nails!

As for the Eldritch Legacy reprints, I've been given a tentative September release on book two, Lessons Learned. Yes, Master Stefan is returning in all his rakehell glory!

Don't forget, I have two new releases coming up in July -- m/m contemporary novel Off the Beaten Path and m/f paranormal novella Windswept. The latter, Windswept, will be released as both a stand-alone e-book and as part of the Pantheon vol. 2 anthology in paperback. Yes, I will finally have something available in good old-fashioned print.

So as always, stay tuned!

New cover art for Off the Beaten Path!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Here's the new cover art for my next m/m novel, Off the Beaten Path, coming July 28th from Loose Id. All hail the mantitte, and a double dose at that! Many thanks to Marci Gass for a cover well done:

Want to know what's going on in that tent? Here's the scoop:

*****
Travis Bell is openly gay to family and friends, but as a college athlete, he chooses not to define himself by his sexuality. When he covers for a friend’s misdeed, he’s forced to negotiate his future without losing his lacrosse scholarship. The last thing he plans on is a “volunteer vacation” in the remote wilderness with Omega Beta Pi, aka Off the Beaten Path, a fraternity devoted to gay rights and environmental causes. Worse, Travis must share a tent with Kyle, an opinionated activist who also happens to be the hottest guy Travis has ever met.

A proud activist, Kyle Schafer disapproves of Travis’s indifference toward issues affecting the environment and gay community. To his even greater annoyance, Kyle finds himself attracted to his shallow tentmate on a purely physical level. Travis goes against everything Kyle believes in, but that doesn’t dampen the chemistry that sparks between them.

In a battle of wits and libido, Travis and Kyle venture into the uncharted territory of their deepest desires... and learn the path less traveled can lead straight to the heart.
*****

Want more of Travis and Kyle? Check back in the next few weeks for a juicy excerpt!

RIP Michael Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:30:00 +0000

I grew up during Michael Jackson's rise. My children have only known his fall. Time and history will eventually forgive and forget, with the music left to stand testament to the genius that, in recent years, took backseat to the tabloid-fueled freak show.

My 3rd grade teacher let us bring in albums for "listening time" (yes, albums, to be played on this thingie called a record player). One of the cool girls who'd brought the Grease and Saturday Night Fever soundtracks showed up one day with Michael Jackson's Off the Wall. Only twelve years younger than the performer, my classmates and I had grown up on ABC and Ben. We'd seen Michael Jackson on the Sesame Street Christmas special, and sang along with his funky-licious version of The Scarecrow in The Wiz. But Off the Wall was different. This was a little more grown-up and sophisticated. We were supposed to lay our heads on our desks to listen, but under the music, you could hear all of us tapping our toes and drumming our fingers to the disco beat.

Little did we eight and nine-year-olds know we were being primed for the brilliance that would be Thriller, with seven consecutive singles that would dominate our junior high years. And Thriller was amazing, no doubt about it, but my personal favorite will always be the title track from Off the Wall. I'd like to remember Michael Jackson as the seminal "before we went punk" GenX icon that he was, in the days before I woke up angry at the world with the big boots and all-black wardrobe to match, in the years before Michael Jackson would become the stuff of South Park jokes. RIP, Michael Jackson.

Has Calvin Klein been reading erotic romance?

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:46:00 +0000

It looks like an m/f/m (or m/f/m + m?) cover even:

Full story on oh-noez-the-outrage here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7854000&page=1

Tracing the Subcategory Family Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:31:00 +0000

Fictionwise customers may want to note that as of today's update, the Erotica page now lists several new sub-categories at the top, including the "Erotic Romance" category so many of us have requested, as well as "Gay-Lesbian", "Menage", etc. As it happens, my recent Loose Id release Secrets Revealed is now available under the brand spankin' new "BDSM Erotica" category. (Hey, I had to crack a pun in there somewhere!) Check it out at:

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b89389/Secrets-Revealed-/Katrina-Strauss/?si=0

While I'm at it, Secrets Revealed is also available at All Romance eBooks, where it's currently enjoying top 10 status under their "Historic Medieval" category. Yes, as you can see, All Romance breaks their "Historical" listings down by time period:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-eldritchlegacy1secretsrevealed-17291-147.html

I personally like subcategories. As an author, I feel it better targets niche audiences, which I tend to write for (e.g. fans of BDSM, yaoi, or both!), and have always felt this is one of digital publishing's strong points. Meanwhile, I've seen readers express that specific breakdowns of subgenres help them fine tune searches in an ever-expanding selection of cross-genre works.

On the other hand, niche can be a weakness as much as a strength. In limiting choices to a subcategory of a subcategory, readers may overlook titles they'd equally enjoy in other subgenres. For authors, niche can guarantee an audience, but it can also mean we write ourselves into a corner.

How specific should we get in classifying titles? Is "Historical Pre-Tudor Medieval BDSM Gay-Lesbian Voyeur Orgy" perhaps a little too detailed, or just the thing you're looking for? Does cross-genre subcategorization expand readership, or actually limit it? What say you, dear readers and fellow authors?

Random videos du jour

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:57:00 +0000

A couple of interesting video finds for your Monday morning pleasure. Because when one has nothing else to blog at the start of the week, there's always YouTube!

Many thanks to Libra for bringing this awesome a capella rendition to my attention. I thought the opening sound f/x were amazing enough, but upon realizing what not-so-closet 80's favorite this is, I was positively floored:

As for this 59-foot-tall "life-size" replica built to commemorate Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th anniversary, I'm just waiting for this thing to develop artificial intelligence and wreak havoc on Tokyo. My daughter has her own theories and speculates an emo-tastic Japanese schoolboy will be recruited to man it. Quote of the year goes to one YouTube user who says "I think it will end up in some rich otaku's garden."

Okay, time for my caffeine fix. I'd cave to my sudden urge to pen LockonXAllelujah slash (oops, did I say that out loud?), but I suppose I'll get back to the final draft of Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight since I'm at the halfway mark.

Announcing July releases!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:31:00 +0000

I've been given not one but two July release dates. Paranormal het novella Windswept will come out July 15 from Tease Publishing , while m/m contempo Off the Beaten Path releases July 28 from Loose Id. I'll be sharing blurbs, cover art, and an excerpt or two over the next few weeks, so check back soon!

Interview up at m/m blog Reviews by Jessewave!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:34:00 +0000

I've been interviewed at Reviews by Jessewave, popular destination for m/m readers everywhere. Wave asks the best questions, while we touched on topics I haven't discussed elsewhere. I also dished more dirt on Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight as well as my upcoming summer release Off the Beaten Path. If you're familiar with Wave's blog, then you'll know comments and discussion are highly encouraged! So drop by and check it out at:

http://reviewsbyjessewave.blogspot.com/2009/06/author-in-spotlight-katrina-strauss.html

Tenchijin drama adapted as BL-styled mobile manga

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Hey, remember my post about bishie rice bags tied in with Taiga drama Tenchijin? I came across this entertainment news tidbit at a Yu Shirota fansite and found more information at TokyoGraph, from which I've ganked accordingly:

"The taiga drama 'Tenchijin,' which currently airs on Sunday nights on NHK, is being turned into a manga for mobile phones. This is the second time that a taiga drama has been adapted as a comic, after 'Yoshitsune' in 2005, but it will be the first distributed in digital form.

"However, the manga will have a fairly different feel from the drama series. With several good-looking actors in the show, including the star Satoshi Tsumabuki, it was decided that the manga will have a 'boys-love' (BL) flavor, with the main character of Naoe Kanetsugu (played by Tsumabuki in the drama) more closely resembling a boy from a shoujo manga. The artist in charge is Kairi Shimotsuki, who has previously done both BL titles and mainstream titles, including the comic adaptation of the popular 'Sengoku Basara' video game series.

"The 'Tenchijin' manga is being aimed at women in their teens and twenties. Sony Digital Entertainment is handling production and distribution, making installments available on the Zenryoku Shoten site at a price of 50 yen per story (about 12-14 pages). Distribution will begin on May 27.

"There will be three arcs, each focusing on a different pairing with Kanetsugu. The first deals with Uesugi Kagekatsu (Kazuki Kitamura in the drama), while the subsequent two involve Ishida Mitsunari (Shun Oguri) and Sanada Yukimura (Yu Shirota), respectively.

"Based on the fan response, there is a possibility that the manga will later be sold in book form."

Hmmm, interesting marketing tactic for digital Japanese manga aside, I may have to catch the live-action drama via the Net. Because wow, Yu Shirota and samurai love subtext... be still my fangirl heart!

CSI writer sued over show's characters

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Here are a few snippets from recent news story 'CSI' writer sued by couple over show's characters:

Real estate agents Melinda and Scott Tamkin sued writer and producer Sarah Goldfinger for defamation and invasion-of-privacy. They are seeking $6 million in damages, alleging the show hurt their real estate business.

The Tamkins represented the owners of a Los Angeles home that Goldfinger wanted to buy in 2005, according to the lawsuit. Goldfinger pulled out when the sale was in escrow, but there was no indication of any animosity at the time.

The "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" show set in Las Vegas featured a real estate agent named Melinda, who dies under mysterious circumstances, and her husband Scott, a mortgage broker who watches pornography, drinks and is suspected of killing his wife, according to the suit.

The characters had the last name Tamkin in an original screenplay and Goldfinger helped cast actors who looked like the Tamkins, according to the lawsuit. The Tamkins claim the characters' last name was changed to Tucker at the last minute, which they said was evidence Goldfinger borrowed details from their lives.

Read full article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090523/ap_on_en_tv/us_csi_lawsuit

I'd suggest the moral of this story is "Never piss off a writer", but the real lesson here is this: Authors -- change the names! And a few other details while you're at it!!! You'll still enjoy the private satisfaction of knowing who your characters are originally based on. Writing "what you know" entails a touch of discretion in order to protect the innocent... and yes, the guilty, too. That, and it avoids pesky lawsuits.

Have I based any of my undesirable characters on real life influences? Well, no more or no less than I've done with my desirable characters. Which characters and on what real life people and situations, you may ask? I'll never tell. >:)

New Blue Ruin bar opens in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

A new bar has opened in NYC's Hell's Kitchen district featuring "attractive, sassy female bartenders dispensing flaming shots as well as your usual beers". Or, as the owner promises, “People are going to come here for the girls."

The bar's name? Blue Ruin. I'd say this real life bar is a bit different from my fictional one, but then again, Miss Doreena's got sassy girls under her employee, too, while she's been known to dispense a few flaming shots at her audience!

More on the new Blue Ruin bar here:

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/04/bellevue_bar_space_reborn_blue.html

If you're in New York and venture into Hell's Kitchen, snap me a pic and I'll post it on my blog! For those of you still wondering what the heck "blue ruin" means in the first place, I posted on that one a while back:

http://katrina-strauss.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-does-blue-ruin-mean-anyway.html

Progress Report: Off the Beaten Path, Blue Ruin 4, and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:49:00 +0000

I finished writing my latest m/m story Off the Beaten Path last week and turned it into my editor. I had projected it to be novella length, but as it happens I ended up with a novel slightly longer than Blue Ruin 1. I'll announce the official release date once I have one, but I do know it will be some time this summer as part of Loose Id's "Vacation Getaway" theme.

While I await edits on that one, I'm re-reading the first draft of Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight and making notes for the second draft. Once BR4 is done, I'm revising Eldritch Legacy 2: Lessons Learned, which will be reprinted by Loose Id later this year. As for other scheduled releases, Windswept is slated for reprint this August from Tease Publishing as part of their "Love's Immortal Pantheon" imprint.

And after all that? I have a few projects simmering on the backburner and awaiting my attention. There's an offshoot novel featuring secondary characters from the Blue Ruin series, but I can't divulge much lest I give away key plot elements to Blue Ruin 4. There's a potential sequel to Sleight of Hand, and maybe, just maybe, a companion story (note I don't use the term "sequel") to A Roof for the Rain. And then there's that YA novel I've been itching to write, though that one will be under a different alias.

Who knows what else may crop up. Two months ago, I had not even foreseen or conceptualized Off the Beaten Path, so one never knows what surprises the Muse may throw one's way!

Congrats!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Congratulations to friend and fellow author Kayleigh Jamison on her graduation from law school! I guess this means she's going to start charging by the hour for all that legal advice I like to glean from her? ;)

Law school, I'm sure, is no easy feat. On top of that, during the past three years Kayleigh found time to edit my earlier titles, as well as those of other authors, while she was neck-deep in exams and such. All that, and she still found time to craft her own wonderful stories. She has continually served as in inspiration in that so long as one puts their mind to it, anything is possible. Well, that, and maybe missing a few nights' sleep? :D

Show Atty. Jamison your love and check out her latest Regency romp, Reckless Liasons, available in both print and e-book from Black Lyon Publishing, as well as through most major online retailers and select bookstores.

Meanwhile, I suppose I should start picking someone else's brain for that free legal advice...

A Roof for the Rain hits top 20 SciFi reads at All Romance!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:27:00 +0000

A Roof for the Rain is currently in the top 20 SciFi/Fantasy titles at All Romance eBooks! Readers who prefer to purchase their e-reads from secondary distributors rather than direct from the publisher, and/or All Romance club members, can find A Roof for the Rain for only $1.99 at at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-arooffortherain-16464-144.html

Bishie samurai on rice, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:34:00 +0000

I originally caught wind of this one at Anime News Network, though I checked additional sources and gleaned a few more details that seem to have been lost in translation. Mangaka Chimaki Kuori (Gundam Seed Destiny and one of my current favorites, Sengoku Basara) has been commissioned to illustrate rice bags as a tie-in for Japanese historical drama Tenchijin. Specifically, the rice is of the Koshihikari variety, with that grown in Chimaki's home prefecture of Niigata considered the finest quality and often most expensive. The 5 and 10-kilogram bags feature Chimaki's bishonen interpretation of famed 16th century samurai Naoe Kanetsugu.

Here's a purported image of the real life Kanetsugu:

And here he is as portrayed by actor Tsumabuki Satoshi for Japanese historical drama Tenchijin:

And last but not least, here is our lovely bishonen version currently gracing bags of Niigata-grown Koshihikari. My, what big onigri you have, bishie-sama!

Nothing wrong with a little sexed up history, no? Kudos to Chimaki Kuori for such an awesome commission. If you read Japanese and deal in yen, you can get your bishie samurai on rice here: http://www.echigonouen.com/SHOP/ni004.html

Catch my radio appearance, live and online tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Just a reminder that tonight, May 5th, 8 PM EST, I'll be appearing on Net radio show Seduction Under The Stars with celebrity psychic and medium Sherri Starr. You can catch me live and fear mah Texas twang by clicking the "Listen Live" link at:

http://www.themixtalk.com

So be sure and tune in tonight! (The show will be archived in case you miss it.)

Kuroshitsuji musical announced

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:34:00 +0000

A live musical adaptation of manga/anime series Kuroshitsuji (aka Black Butler) will run at Tokyo's Sunshine Theater, located in the Ikebukuro entertainment district, between May 28th to June 7th. I'd actually be up for seeing this, if anything for what's likely to be pretty stage sets and, *cough*, the hot J-pop singer playing my favorite demon butler.

For comparison, here's the original manga characters of our fair butler Sebastian and his 12-yr-old master Ciel:

And here are their live action counterparts, with Yuya Matsushita as Sebastian and 16-yr-old Sakamoto Shogo as Ciel:

The official Japanese site for the musical may be found here: http://eplus.jp/sys/web/s/kuro/index.html Anyone up for a trip to Tokyo?

Radio appearance next week!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Just a heads up: Next Tuesday on May 5th, 8 PM EST, I'll be appearing on Net radio show Seduction Under The Stars with celebrity psychic and medium Sherri Starr. You can catch me live and fear mah Texas twang by clicking the "Listen Live" link at:

http://www.themixtalk.com

You may want to visit the site ahead of time to ensure you have compatible audio software. So be sure and mark your calendars! I'll post another reminder the evening before the big day!

Latest review rounds for Katrina Strauss!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:25:00 +0000

I've received favorable reviews on a few titles this past week, so thought I'd share with the group!

First of all, m/m reviewer Boylove Addict has read and favorably reviewed.... m/f novel Secrets Revealed! I definitely take that as compliment! Boylove Addict says: "I discovered that I can enjoy almost any type of erotic story when written by the masterful hand of an author whose style I adore... I really want to put this book in the hands of readers that are always whining about the 'complete' lack of strong heroines in m/f." See what else Boylove Addict has to say about the mostly het happenings between Inga and Lord Eldritch here: http://boylove-addict.livejournal.com/40152.html

Next, Val Kovalin of Obsidian Bookshelf offers glowing praise for my steam-fueled Victorian m/m tale Sleight of Hand. Kovalin says: "This is a jewel of a novelette that will delight fans of homoerotic fiction, steampunk, the Victorian era, and beautifully written supernatural coming-of-age stories. Highly recommended!" Catch Kovalin's complete review at: http://www.obsidianbookshelf.com/html/sleightofhand.html

Jenre of Well Read also enjoyed Sleight of Hand and reviewed it as one of her "Saturday Shorts". Jenre says: "I really enjoyed reading this as the historical setting was a bit different; the character of Edwin was likable and easy to identify with; and the sex scenes were tender and nicely written... A great short read which gets a grade of 'Very Good' from me." See what else Jenre has to say at: http://jenre-wellread.blogspot.com/2009/04/saturday-shorts_18.html

And last but certainly not least, Kassa of GLBT-specific Rainbow Reviews says of futuristic m/m short A Roof for the Rain: "Surprisingly well developed characters and a beautifully written story fit perfectly within the shorter length and combine to offer a story that is easily one of the best I’ve read this year." Kassa's 4-1/2 star review may be found here: http://rainbow-reviews.com/?p=1231

Man thanks to each of the above reviewers for their kind and encouraging comments!

#amazonfail and they fail it big

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:35:00 +0000

As the current Amazon debacle sets the blogosphere ablaze, I have nothing constructive outside of "WTF???" and "Massive Fail!" to offer but the following:

Please support your favorite authors via venues outside of Amazon. If you read e-books exclusively through the Kindle 1, you may purchase unprotected Mobi (.prc) files through multiple legitimate sources.

Check out the frequently updated Dear Author or Smart Bitches for current news, as well as information on how you, the reader, can make your voice heard.

Oh, and Amazon? Two words for you: Amazon Rank

Thank you, and that is all.

Random gankage du jour

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:06:00 +0000

How come I've never had a cool flight attendant like this?
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100284668?v=4743429&l=4418225

If you haven't already signed up, check out the M/M Romance Challenge, ongoing until August 31, 2009:
http://iheartpaperbacks.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/the-mm-romance-challenge-sign-up/

Anyone want to blow Wolverine?
http://community.livejournal.com/the_yaoi_review/78640.html

Yaoi-themed stamps! From China!
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/03/16/yaoi-stamps/

Yet at the same time, the Chinese government is cracking down on erotic audiobooks:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001455.html?categoryid=19&cs=1&nid=2562

Funny stuff from Korea! Here's the original girl group video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E77r2hvgU8o&feature=PlayList&p=10DEB95921171B9A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

And now watch the crazy guys who parodied it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_JPOV9Vyvc

My hero! Thai fireman in Spider-Man costume rescues autistic boy. According to the article, our hero "keeps the Spider-Man costume and an outfit of Japanese television character Ultraman at the station in order to liven up school fire drills." Awesome:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090324/od_afp/thailandchildrenoffbeat

Who says today's youth aren't resourceful? UK teen paints giant phallus on roof for the benefit of satellite imaging.
Image here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/newsbeat/newsid_7961000/7961224.stm
More detailed article here: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/51302_teen-paints-giant-phallus-on-roof-of-parents-home

Hello Kitty online MMORPG to launch in North America:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-28/hello-kitty-online-mmorpg-to-launch-in-north-america

And in e-book news, Barnes and Noble rumored to be collaborating with Sprint on an e-reader to compete with Kindle:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10483464/1/tech-rumor-of-the-day-barnes-noble.html?puc=_tscrss

Hmm, maybe they'll give the "Vook" a try?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/business/05stream.html

While we're at it... Ganked from Jessica Freely: New Yorker article on Japanese cell phone novels. Interesting to note the female-dominated market with what some deride as a "pulp fiction" like genre. Reminds me of how erotic romance has driven the e-book market here in the States, even as it's been derided or ignored by more literary types, before folks like Oprah discovered this new-fangled technology:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12/22/081222fa_fact_goodyear?currentPage=all

That's all for today!

New acceptance - Off the Beaten Path

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:56:00 +0000

My m/m novella Off the Beaten Path will be released this summmer by Loose Id as part of their special vacation theme. This one's a little lighter than my usual fare, though features a quirky cast of characters in what I hope is a unique vacation setting. I'll announce an official release date as soon as I have one. In the meantime, here's a blurb to whet your appetites:

Travis Bell is openly gay to family and friends, but as a college athlete, he chooses not to define himself by his sexuality. When he covers for a friend’s misdeed, he’s forced to negotiate his future as a student without losing his lacrosse scholarship.

The last thing Travis plans on, however, is a “volunteer vacation” in the remote wilderness with members of Omega Beta Pi, aka Off the Beaten Path, a fraternity devoted to gay rights and environmental causes. To make matters worse, he must share a tent with Kyle, an opinionated activist who also happens to be the hottest guy Travis has ever laid eyes on.

Kyle Schafer is a proud activist who disapproves of Travis’s ignorance on issues affecting the environment and gay community. To his even greater annoyance, Kyle finds himself attracted to his shallow tent mate on a purely physical level. Travis goes against everything Kyle believes in, but that doesn’t dampen the chemistry that sparks between them.

In battling their desire, can polar opposites Travis and Kyle find there’s more to one another than meets the eye?

Secrets Revealed reprint is out today!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:49:00 +0000

Available now from Loose Id!
Eldritch Legacy 1: Secrets Revealed

Lord Eldritch hides his face behind an iron mask, and his tortured past beneath a hardened soul. When the dark knight investigates rumors of a medicine woman practicing the forbidden art of magick, he finds Inga, a strong-willed maiden who ignites his passion and stirs memories of a love long lost. Sensing her mutual desire, he imprisons Inga in the castle dungeon where he may possess and keep her forever.

In time, Eldritch's seemingly hapless prisoner learns that, even in submission, she wields power over her captor. Can Inga unlock the hardness of Eldritch's heart while she, herself, resists the seductive lure of dark magick?

"Mystery, mythicism and sex at its elemental best." Lee, CK2's Kwips & Kritiques

"Will snare you from the beginning, keep you on the edge of your seat, and surprise you with all the twists and turns involved in this plot." Tara, TwoLips Reviews

"This is a dark fantasy, and the characters are definitely not Disney." Elise Logan, BDSM Reviews

Read an Excerpt:
http://www.loose-id.com/KSTEL1SRex.aspx

Buy the E-book:
http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Eldritch_Legacy_1__Secrets_Revealed-914.aspx

Kudos for a Roof for the Rain!

noreply@blogger.com (Katrina Strauss) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

A Roof for the Rain is currently ranked as Red Rose Publishing's #1 GLBT title, as well as placing in their top 10 erotic romance titles overall. It has also received some nice reader reviews. Here are quips and links to two:

Boylove Addict says: "A Roof for the Rain is everything I hoped for and more... [It] has the perfect balance of wistfulness and poignancy with drive and determination. As always, I am in awe of Katrina's ability to draw a detailed picture with a few well placed words."

Read the full review here:
http://boylove-addict.livejournal.com/29864.html

The Yaoi Review says: "[The story] lent itself to some beautifully descriptive language and bitter sweet imagery... Overall, I like the plot and think you will too. It's different, fresh and with men that could actually exist."

Read the full review here:
http://community.livejournal.com/the_yaoi_review/86695.html

Many thanks to Boylove Addict and The Yaoi Review for their thoughtful comments!