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Tag Archives: alisha costanzo

Did You Know…An Ethology Lesson on Shifters

05 Wednesday Sep 2018

Posted by alishacostanzo in Did You Know...?, The Lily Graves Series

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, ethology, humanity, Mythologies, new release, Paranormal high school, shapeshifters, The Girl with the Glowing Hair, The Lily Graves Series, YA Fantasy

Like vampires, I have shared a few different versions of them on here, and I’ll list them below, but the shifters in Lily’s world aren’t quite the same as what I’ve written before.

According to Lily’s Ethology textbook:

Shifters build packs as they bond, traditionally with the alpha, whose goal it is to create a cohesive unit that cares for and protects each other. Litters are encouraged to express themselves openly both verbally and nonverbally, making their bonds stronger than most.

burnbright.jpg

I’ve been fascinated with how other authors create alphas and packs; how some alphas create such dominance that others plot their overthrow or flee the oppression on their free will; how some rile up their followers for war and keep secrets; how so many of the strongest seem to also be the meanest; how many are bullies and animals.

Granted, they are animals, but hey, we all are. And that seems to be a running theme in Lily world as she noted:

My ethology book weighed down with post-its, connecting what I read with what I saw and what Adam taught me. 

Vampires and shapeshifters were strangely like their mythologies, but like not. 

Demons and angels were less opposite than they’re depicted in religions, but like not. 

All of them weren’t exactly as people had noted, how they had noted each other. But we were all strangely…human. Whatever that meant. 

Arya_and_nymeria_by_vvjonez-d370kfi.jpg

Instead of focusing on the negatives, the ethology strips that away and allows Lily to see them in a neutral light, which is important. As Lily is meant to be a part of the police force—a REPper, more on that soon—neutrality is a necessity, and something far lost in the tiny town of Saint Siena.

In that light, shifters of all varieties aim to create community and peace, because more often than not, they want peaceful lives instead of violent ones, they want families instead of enemies, they want love instead of rivalries.

Essentially, shifters are who have the most common with humanity in general.

 

Lily’s book, THE GIRL WITH THE GLOWING HAIR, has its full cover and a publication date: October 1st, my birthday!

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

Alisha Chambers.The Lily Graves Series.The Girl with the Glowing Hair.PRINT

 

Want to learn more about different types of shifters, check out some of my previous Did You Know… posts.

Did You Know…About the Jackal People?

Did You Know…About the Berserker?

Did You Know…About the Navajo Shapeshifter?

Did You Know…About the Portuguese Werewolf?

Did You Know…About the Japanese Werewolf?

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I’m back with Cheap Reads!

30 Monday May 2016

Posted by alishacostanzo in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, beta readers, blood phoenix, blood phoenix: imprinted, book boyfriend, Broken World, Celampresians, cheap reads, did you know, editing, fantasy, folklore, giveaway, humor, insta-love, Loving Red, myth, mythology, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance guild, readers, review, romance, Sale, Shapeshifter, Transmundane Press, urban fantasy, vampires, weres, werewolves, writing, YA novel

Hey, lovely readers!

I’ve been slacking. I know it, but this month has been CRAZY! Personal stuff, business stuff, writing stuff, teaching stuff. You don’t need the details, just know that I’m back, and I have new blog posts about the editing process, about BLOOD PHOENIX: IMPRINTED and beta reader opportunities, new giveaways, a new YA novel, and some new Did You Know posts. I’m also working on another newsletter and short stories.

But for now, my latest novel, LOVING RED, is on half off (on sale for $1.99) until June 6th.

LovingRed_ebook_Finalbonus1

Here’s the latest review:

“When I first started reading this story, I was afraid it was going to be one of those insta-love stories. However, although the book only spans about a week’s time, it doesn’t feel like insta-love.

Severins is a wolf shifter on leave from the army. His impeccable sense of smell picks up Kaia’s scent during a bus ride, and he knows he has to have her but not just for a one-night stand. He goes to her job and pretends to be a client to con her into going on a date with him. He is unaware that Kaia, a human, knows of his world, and that she is in danger.

It isn’t specifically stated, but I feel like Sev immediately thought she was destined to be his. He instantly has a drive to protect her and to claim her as his but, like the romantic he is, he wants her to be the one to decide about their relationship. Swoon.

The two have an immediate attraction, but Kaia is leery because of a past relationship with a shifter. As the danger gets closer and closer to Kaia, the two must go on the run from the Celampresians who follow them.

Sev is 100% book boyfriend material. I loved his character. He is so caring and protects Kaia and Shawna with every part of his being.

I’m not completely sure how I feel about Kaia. I originally thought she would be portrayed as a weak human who needed saving, but the only time she comes across as weak is when she is, for lack of a better word, possessed. Many times she shows mental and emotional strength, but she never becomes an active participant in physical fights.

This was a great read that I would recommend to my closest friends. I really enjoyed the story and most of all Severins!”

Review by Tina, Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

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Not so perfect video reading…

27 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, anthology, Broken World, cats, charismatic, excerpt, funny faces, hate, laugh, magick, Nani, paranormal, Pika, reading, romance, royalty, shocking, singing, The Rainbow Sprite, Underwater, urban fantasy, vampires, whatevs, writing

So, yes.

I recorded myself reading a video excerpt from “The Rainbow Sprite.”

No, I’m not as charismatic as you might you think in front of the camera.

I know, that’s super duper shocking. Like how dare I not be as cool  on video as I am in person or on paper. It’s rather ridiculous.

But. Here it is. Enjoy it. Hate it. Laugh at me. Whatevs.

And also…

…Funny faces I made when I recorded this:

Weirdo

Just be glad you didn’t hear me singing to my cats… ❤

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“The Rainbow Sprite” Teasers

25 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

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alisha costanzo, anthology, blade, blood, breasts, Broken World, corpse, cruel, Death, fae, faerie mound, fantasies, feel, flesh, groin, heart, magick, myth, new york, paranormal, power, scruff, sex, taste, teasers, The Rainbow Sprite, Underwater, urban fantasy, vampires, whimper, woods

New teasers for my upcoming story, “The Rainbow Sprite.”

Sprite Teaser 1
sprite teaser 2
sprite teaser 3
Sprite teaser 4
Sprite Teaser 5
Sprite Teaser 6
Sprite Teaser 7

All full of sex and magick – just the way I like it.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a video excerpt, read by yours truly.

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What do you think I am, a machine?

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by alishacostanzo in Broken World Characters, The Writing Process

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, Ari, blood phoenix, Broken World, character development, connections, Imprinted, inferno, Mark, Nani, nude, Ria, simultaneous, sprite, The Rainbow Sprite, to-do list, Underwater, Untamed, Vincent, water

I write a lot of stories simultaneously. Many writers that I know say that this is crazy. Some others do the same. But with the number of books and stories on my to-do list, this seems to be the only way.

Don’t get me wrong, I tend to focus on one LONG work at a time because, otherwise, I’d never finish anything, but currently, my plots overlap quite a bit, which leans me toward shorter works, splitting up long stories, so that characters’ arcs don’t get jumbled or left out.

And that’s what “The Rainbow Sprite” does. Just as “Untamed,” (Mark and Ari’s first story) I felt it necessary to introduce hidden tensions within my major series. You know, the one that features Ria and her on-going struggles as a vampire/phoenix mix.

It seems that I’ve taken a liking to the serial nature of stories so that every one influences another…like in real life. And I like how it’s worked out for me so far.

So here’s what I’ve discovered. After writing about Vincent and his water sprite, he’s evolved as a character in BLOOD PHOENIX: IMPRINTED (which is also 4,000 words away from being finished. I’m behind. Yeah, I don’t know why either. I’ll get my ass in gear. Promise).

In fact, there’s one scene where Ria pulls a memory of her from him. It freaks him out to put it mildly.

It would me, too, if I had their queen breathing up all my free air. (One of my BIG pet peeves by the way. Don’t breathe my air).

Is the influence gigantic? Not really. Not yet at least, but it will be in book four (BLOOD PHOENIX: INFERNO—not started yet. What do you think I am, a machine?)

Any-what’s-it. There you have it. My world is way too complicated to fit it all in one character’s perspective. Serials will be the way I remedy that until I can find the place where their full stories sit.

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks from UNDERWATER, a video of me reading from “The Rainbow Sprite,” some teasers, and an uber inappropriate release day post.

Meet Vincent and Nani:

daniel+garofali-kevin_mcdermott-7
images

They’re my lovely main characters for “The Rainbow Sprite.” (Don’t mind Vincent, he has a tendency to go nude).

 

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Cover Reveal for UNDERWATER

28 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#releasedaychallenge, #sociallinks, alisha costanzo, amazon gift card, anthology, anthony s. buoni, author, bell, blood, blood phoenix, book, Broken World, cover reveal, Death, excerpt, faerie mound, faeries, fantasy, folklore, giveaway, heroes, horror, Hulk, humor, magick, mermaids, myth, New Orleans, paranormal, publishing, romance, sharks, spells, sprite, synopsis, The Rainbow Sprite, Underwater, urban fantasy, vampires, writing

✰✰COVER REVEAL✰✰

Underwater edited by Anthony S. Buoni & Alisha Costanzo @TransmundnePres @bookenthupromo

Genre: Fantasy Anthology

Release Date:February 29, 2016

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions (http://bookenthusiastpromotions.com )

#BuyNow

Amazon US:http://amzn.to/1JgjdYa

Amazon UK:http://amzn.to/1njorJ3

#Giveaway:

Enter here ➜ ➜  http://bit.ly/1T2eagc

Add the book to Goodreads ➜http://bit.ly/1QmcmxN

underwater official cover

#Synopsis:

When was the last time you came face-to-face with a mermaid?

Ever explore a hidden underwater cave or been haunted by an unearthly creature? Did that passionate childhood fantasy turn into a real, sexy encounter? When was the last time you discovered a bell concealing the entrance to a faerie mound? Have you wondered what would happen if New Orleans was entombed in radioactive water?

UNDERWATER features sixteen exploratory tales that delve into decrepit landscapes and strange magic, inhuman heroes and crushing experimentation. Two-thirds of the world is submerged—experience what happens within, from the fantastical and erotic to the horrifying and triumphant, UNDERWATER showcases stories that will inundate readers with uncharted territories.

#MeettheEditors

Alisha Costanzo is from a Syracuse suburb. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Central Oklahoma, where she currently teaches English. She’s the author of BLOOD PHOENIX: REBIRTH, BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED, and LOVING RED, and is co-editor of DISTORTED and UNDERWATER. IMPRINTED, her new novel, is undergoing serious edits for its 2016 release. In the meantime, she will continue to corrupt young minds, rant about the government, and daydream about her all around nasty creatures.

Anthony S. Buoni prowls the gas lamp lit streets of New Orleans, playing moonlight hide and seek with Ouija boards in the Crescent City’s foggy, above ground cemeteries. Anthony is the author of Conversation Party and Synchrony, co-editor to Distorted volume 1, and editor to both Between There anthologies. His stories and articles have been featured in Meow, Small Happy, North Florida Noir, and Waterfront Living. When not haunting swamps and boneyards, Anthony keeps it scary, writing dark fiction, editing, and watching horror movies, using his afterlife to DJ, write music, and conjure other worldly creatures with tarot cards, elixirs, and dreams.

#SocialLinks

Website:http://www.transmundanepress.com/

Facebook:www.facebook.com/TransmundanePress/

Twitter:twitter.com/TransmundnePres

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9831879.Transmundane_Press

Newsletter:http://eepurl.com/bLVkaH

#Excerpt

From “The Rainbow Sprite” by Alisha Costanzo:

My vision filled too often with bloody fucking rainbows, and my tongue craved the taste of hot, spring rains. I found myself wired and explosive in my daily duties, biting a claimed renegade but imagining the sprite instead. My queen punished me fittingly for it, caning the bottoms of my feet. I left with a hard-on.

She went easy on me, giving me a lesson in my more preferred manner, because I offered information that pleased her. Now, my orders sent me where I wanted to go: for a way to infiltrate the underwater faerie mound. Mine was through the rainbow sprite.

The woods changed with charms, glittering under the moon like beckons. Nevertheless, I found Nani’s watering hole, armed with a bell and her ring—both held the most curious magick.

Spring rain didn’t greet me as my toes slipped into the brisk water. Instead, a peaches and cream scent emitted from the waters before a pale, golden fluff bobbed to the surface above the slender face of a boy. His features matched Nani’s except that his eyes were a soft orange and freckles kissed the center of his face like a frangipani.

I leaned in as the boy hovered there and coaxed him closer. “Are you the little bugger that dropped a bell in there?”

His minute nod propelled him further forward, close enough for me to snatch him up. My grip found his throat, and I swung him onto land with a thunk of his shoulder blades against the grass. Teeth bared at him.

Sweat beaded along the kid’s forehead and wisps of fear wafted from him. Burning seeped into my chest at his touch, slow and eating at my skin like acid. “Will your blood poison me?”

The scent of his fear matured as he nodded again.

Liar.

I pulled the bell from my pocket and jingled it by his face. “What does this do to you on land?”

“Headache.”

“And if it touches you?”

The boy’s gaze hopped to the bell and back to me. “Make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I get angry.”

Was this pipsqueak quoting the Hulk at me?

I dropped my fangs, flaunted them in his face to the joy of his hyperventilating and pissing himself.

“Pika?” Long, blonde hair slicked back from Nani’s wide, rainbow eyes before they slanted and her mouth puckered. “Vampire.”

“Is this yours?” I pushed his head back to elongate the boy’s throat.

“Nan.” The boy’s voice so brittle it threatened to break.

“You let him free.”

“And why would I do such a thing?”

She tread closer, the water parting to her bare shoulder and dripping down her collarbones. It made me hungrier. “I will make a trade. Me for him.”

I wanted her blood more than the boy’s. “Out of the water.”

Nani climbed into the grass, circling around us and into the tree line.

“Nan.”

“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me.”

I will, but I won’t kill her. Not yet. “Aw. Isn’t this sweet.”

Terrified eyes blinked up at me.

“You have five seconds to disappear before this bell hits the pond.” I jingled the bell at him for emphasis.

“Go,” the sprite told her brother.

He shot out from under me, splashing as I counted, tossing the bell in after him. Rolled onto my back, I smiled up at Nani. “I do believe I scared the piss out of the little bugger.”

#ReleaseDayChallenge

For the next month-until release day-I pledge to post EVERYDAY with excerpts, author interviews, insights, and other fun stuff. I’m excited for you to learn more about these excellent authors. So stay tuned!

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Writer’s Chatroom Interview, Part I

30 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Interviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, anthology, author, blood phoenix, Boden, bosex, Broken World, Celampresians, character development, Dev, editing, editor, faeries, fantasy, folklore, horror, inspiration, interview, kaia, kiss, leprachaun, leprechaun, life, lore, love, Loving Red, magick, mermaids, myth, mythical race, mythology, myths, NaNoWriMo, new release, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance, published, publishing, queen, Recipe, Roleplay, roleplaying, romance, satire, Sev, Shapeshifter, shapeshifters, shifters, students, teaching, Transmundane Press, Untamed, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, vampyr, war, Watertown NY, were-creatures, werebears, weres, Werewolf, werewolves, wolves, writing, writing tips

LovingRed_ebook_Finalbonus1

Chatroom: Welcome, Alisha! Let’s start with your latest project, the urban fantasy novel in your Broken World Series, LOVING RED. How did Facebook play into the creation of this novel?

Alisha: Well, I am a former role-player addict with over 30 active profiles on facebook for a time. Severins Bouvier was literally made for Kaia, and he was based off of a Sherrilyn Kenyon character, Dev Peltier.

See, Kaia and Dev fell in love off screen, and that wasn’t allowed. So to fix it, I made Sev, hence the similar names, personas, and physical appearance.

The book doesn’t follow the post on facebook yet. Most of them are love-posts or snuggle-scenes. (I’ve been watching too much Simpsons).

But playing them on facebook first allowed me to dig deeper into their personalities before I wrote the novel. And well, it was fun.

 

Chatroom: So they both had profiles, run by you, and you played them like real people? Sorry, but I want to make sure I’m understanding this. 🙂

Alisha: Yes and no. I played Sev like he was a real person, and my friend, who I actually call Kaia even though her name is Laura, played Kaia in the same fashion.

It was interesting when time to write the novel.

196225_170480136337155_8035701_n

Chatroom: Please introduce us to your heroine, Kaia.

Alisha: Kaia is a spunky red head that’s had her share of male attention, but she’s wanted none of it. Instead, Kaia craves adventure, bored sick of her accounting job and repeated conversations with her father about marriage and children.

Essentially, she perpetuates my ideals for strength: smart, resourceful, witty, and sensitive. She’s not afraid to cry, and she won’t break easy. Finally, her faith powers her through torture, a violent chase, and control over her own mind.

I envy her that, but she’s also a bit naive, sheltered by her Swedish heritage, customs, and wealth. Yet, exposure to Severins and his world (as a wolf)–his past–improves her keen awareness and clever mind.

LR teaser 2

Chatroom: Thank you. I probably should have started with this question, but better late than never! Please give us some background on your Broken World Series. What is it about, and what can we expect to find in your books?

Alisha: Well, the first two in the series are Urban Fantasy novels, and this third is a Paranormal Romance (different characters in the same world). Their world is one run by a vampire queen.

Her army is called the Celampresians. But there is another group, the Assetato, who oppose her. The first two novel follow a newborn’s entrance into this world with her human best friend and her maker.

I love playing the mythology and pop culture, so I make a lot of internal references to Buffy, Twilight, Dark Hunters, and others.

So there are a lot of laughs, but also, a lot of snark, dark times, and sex.

For LOVING RED, Sev is a member of the Assetato, so they drop into an on-going war at the start of the novel.

 

Chatroom: How did you research for your characters? Your descriptions are pretty detailed. You must have been thinking about them for a while before applying a pen to paper, so to speak.

Alisha: For Kaia and Sev, I had facebook for. (And I may have used facebook a bit for my other characters). However, I’ve been playing in this world for the past fifteen years before I put serious effort into their stories.

This was after graduate school as there were no vamps allowed in writing classes.

For Kaia, I asked a lot questions of my friend before I finally felt comfortable writing her on my own.

And Sev is partially based off of my husband, an Army Sgt.

He even makes a cameo in the novel.

Screen shot 2011-03-27 at 9.31.08 PM

Chatroom: Did you say Sev was a wolf? I almost missed that earlier. 🙂

Alisha: Yes, he is.

I call them bosex instead of weres or shifters.

Kaia is human.

 

Chatroom: Lines you will not cross as a writer?

Alisha: At this moment, I’m not sure that I have a clearly defined line. I can say I don’t like rape for titillation, although it has been a major part of one of my storylines. I enjoy writing death, torture, and sex with varying detail.

But my characters have done some heinous things in my novels—both on screen and off.

 

Chatroom: You have a lot of fun with character interviews – is it fair to say you have a LOT of voices bouncing around your head? 😀 How do you keep all your various character details straight?

Alisha: I have SOO many voices. Sometimes, they can be overwhelming and keep me from grading papers. But I’m often able to satisfy them all by giving them a few minutes during my week to show me things they feel the need to before I get back the grind.

Also, a character book helps.

unnamed

Chatroom: On your blog, you’ve published a recipe related to the novel – do you actually have recipes listed in the book?

Alisha: I do not, which is why I posted it on my blog to share. My editor did suggest creating a cookbook for Sev, who is a trained cook.

I’m meddling with the idea.

 

Chatroom: Do your English students realize that their teacher has a dark side?

Alisha: Usually. I’m very open with them, some say I might share too much, but I enjoy connecting with them as people and adults rather than keeping that barrier between teacher and pupil.

So, I’ve mentioned my books and some of the material I’ve written, but I’m sure they don’t know just how dark it is inside my head.

 

Chatroom: Must be an interesting class.

Alisha: I try.

 

Chatroom: Do you think your interest in roleplay helps in creating characters? How so?

Alisha: I t does. That’s why I have so many. Kaia would often send me pictures of models that would spark a character’s voice for me. So, we’d set them up, give them lives, and explore them via interaction with each other on the page.

Most of them have ended as romances because that’s the type of writing chemistry we have.

But when we introduce new characters, they have secondary characters, and thus, we create more and more.

Since my character has to respond to hers, I find that I learn more about them than if I pushed them myself.

It’s strange, but a fun way to develop, and then I don’t have to make them all up myself. (It kind of feels like cheating).

 

Chatroom: So half the profiles on Facebook are really your fictional characters?

Alisha: Yes, they are! And my friends. I’ve made a lot of real life friends that way. By the way, I’m trying hard not to be a tangent queen, but sometimes I can’t help it.

And I can show you guys some profiles if you’re interested. They’re all inactive at the moment.

Severins.   Kaia.   Ria.

Alexandria (Ria) is my newbie vamp in the first two novels, but there are Sev’s and Kaia’s. And there are spoilers, so beware. 🙂

 

Chatroom: Do all the FB friends know that they are “friending” a fictional character?

Alisha: That I can’t be too sure about, but when I was in a big group, ran by a moderator with a heck of a lot more people, the majority of them knew because they’d read the books.

I wound up creating my own because I’m a control freak.

So, I’d say most of them knew.

I wish I could keep up with them as much as I’d like.

 

Come back for Part II in January 2016!

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September’s Top Ten YouTube Videos

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Top Ten

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alisha costanzo, batman, beard, Broken World, busta rhymes, cartoons, Comedy, Cyanide & Happiness, dancing, dangerous, darcy oake, emma approved, food, hang with me, homemade ice cream, illusion, jane austen, justsomemotion, Loving Red, magic, parov stelar, robyn, satire, ted talk, top ten, two face, watercolor, YouTube, ze frank

Hey, y’all. So, I liked making my top ten list last month, so I thought I’d make another one. I seem to find a slew of varied videos, and I like how my list looks. Most of these I’ve watched more than once, and in some cases, more than a hundred times.

You might notice that I like to include TedTalks, cartoons, drawing, comedy, and food along with my music. This month, I watched a weblog series remake of Emma by Jane Austen, so I have a casting video in here, too. (I know. I’m a weirdo. Deal with it.)

There’s also a dance video in here, and it reminds me of an upcoming character, Lawson (both with his moves and his general look).

In any case, enjoy!

  1. Robyn: “Hang with me.”
  2. JustSomeMotion (JSM)-Parov Stelar-All Night #neoswing
  3. Digital Art in Watercolor – Gyoushi by KR0NPR1NZ
  4. Darcy Oake’s jaw-dropping dove illusions Britain’s Got Talent 2014
  5. Cyanide & Happiness – The Beard
  6. Homemade Ice Cream (No Machine) with only 2 Ingredients – Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking Ep. 21
  7. Ze Frank web playroom
  8. Busta Rhymes: “Dangerous.”
  9. Joanna Sotomura & Brent Bailey Unscripted w/ James Brent Isaacs – Emma Approved
  10. Batman Meets Two-Face

Don’t forget to check out my new release, LOVING RED.

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The Release of LOVING RED & the first Broken World Recipe!

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Broken World Characters, Sneak Peeks, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

alisha costanzo, author, Broken World, fantasy, folklore, giveaway, horror, humor, Loving Red, magick, myth, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance, Recipe, release day, romance, Shapeshifter, Transmundane Press, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, werebears, weres, writing

LOVING RED is finally here! I’ve got some great reviews so far, and they keep trickling in. Thank you to everyone who’s supported and reviewed and promoted me. I appreciate you.

And now for a bit of a release day twist. In the novel, Severins shows his skills in the kitchen and pulls together a meal in the backwoods of Alabama while visiting his wild cousins. And here’s his recipe so that you can try it at home. I know I love it.

Severins’ Hodge-podge Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

½ stick of butter, divided

2 lb boneless and skinless chicken breast, halved

½ sweet onion, diced

1 8 ounce package of mushrooms (portabella or button), chopped

1 eggplant, diced

6-8 ounces pasta of your choice, cooked (I used shells)

¼ cup chicken broth

2/3 cup heavy cream

garlic salt & parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

Heat skillet on medium-high heat.

Trim chicken into four pieces, sprinkle with garlic salt on each side.

Spread butter over the hot skillet and cook chicken until a golden brown crust forms (about 4 minutes). Flip and repeat.

Once chicken forms a crust on both sides, reduce heat and cover until fully cooked (about 5 minutes).

Set chicken to the side to rest.

Increase heat back to medium-high and add an additional tablespoon of butter.

Add onions, stir to soak up the bits and flavor left over from the chicken.

After the onions are coated, toss in the eggplant and mushrooms.

Stirring occasionally, add cook until eggplant grows soft (about 8-10 minutes, which makes this a good time to cook your pasta).

Add chicken broth and cover immediately so that the moisture doesn’t evaporate. Leave covered for 2-3 minutes.

Chop or shred the chicken.

Once eggplant is cooked all the way through, add the chicken, remaining butter, cream, and drained pasta.

Stir to coat each piece.

Here you can add more garlic salt to taste or salt and pepper if you prefer.

Plate and garnish with parmesan cheese.

And enjoy your pasta as you read the book!

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UNTAMED excerpt – Living and Loving Ari

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

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Tags

alisha costanzo, Ari, awkward, blood phoenix, bosex, excerpt, fantasy, horror, humor, hunk, itch, love, Loving Red, Mark, naked, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, Shapeshifter, shifters, sneak peek, Transmundane Press, Untamed, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, weres, Werewolf, werewolves

Bitches7

I’m gearing up for release day! And although I’ve been pushing LOVING RED pretty hard on social media, reviewers, and blog posts, I thought it was time to give you a glimpse into the other story coming out with the novel, “Untamed.”

If you’re familiar with Ria’s story from the BLOOD PHOENIX novels, you know her best friend, Ari is a sassy, kick-ass human sidekick who totally deserves her own story. And she’s got one…sort of.

Well, she’s got the first part of one.

“Untamed” is part one of her full journey into the manic world of vampires and shifters.

So, without further ado, let’s the awkwardness commence!

Excerpt from Chapter Four:

The apartment got smaller the more times Ari paced through it. She’d never spent much time at home—any home. Boredom bounced her off the walls, even with her daily excursions to Chris and Ollie’s for dinner or a group hangout at Brad and Mark’s—sans Mark most of the time.

He was far too awkward for such a gorgeous pack of hunk meat.

Turned out to be plenty of those roaming around this compound, or maybe the itch had started, and everyone merely looked good to her.

But Mark switched on her inelegance. Flimsy and faulty, she needed to get that shit checked out by a professional. It screamed eighth grade all over again, and she refused to cope with that.

Banging around the place a few more times sent Ari out the door. Maybe she could borrow a few books from Brad or something. God, she despised the boredom. And the longer she stayed in the apartment, the more likely Felix would appear.

She knocked and waited, twisting the longest pieces of her hair around her finger. Unable to keep still, her pacing reborn in smaller circles until the door swung open to a bare wolf with a towel snug around his hips. His skin damp and pink, making her flush.

“Oh.”

“H-hey,” he said, his voice deep but sweet.

“Hey.” Discomfort bloomed silence between them. What had she come for? “Ooh, I mean hi. Um. Is…is this a bad time?”

“No.” Mark smiled at his feet and shook his head. “I’ll get dressed if you want to come in.”

Did he have to?

They seemed stuck until he backed out of the way.

Right.

Everything’s normal here.

Following, she closed the door, taking her time to keep from ogling him so hard. “Are you home alone?”

In the middle of the living room, his hand gripped the front of his towel, seemingly at a loss for what to do next. Had he never had company himself?

“Brad’s on an errand with Legend. He should be back in a few hours.” He looked around the empty room before he seemed to remember how naked he was.

Ari bit her lip, hanging onto the chair by the door and anchoring herself to the spot. She might tear off that towel and take him through a Brooklyn rodeo if she let go.

“Right. I’ll go grab some…clothes.”

Enjoy this? Buy the book!

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