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Tag Archives: claimed

Authoring & Editing, July Edition

24 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in The Writing Process

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alisha costanzo, anthology, atlantis, author, blood, blood phoenix: rebirth, book, Boot Camp, Broken World, Celampresians, claimed, cock, Dirty, distorted, dryad, editing, fantasy, heavy petting, horror, humor, hunger, likable characters, love, Loving Red, Marketing, mythology, NaNoWriMo, novel, odd character, orgasm, paranormal, paranormal romance, penis size, process, publishing, romance, sex, sexual tension, Shapeshifter, torture, Transmundane Press, Underwater, Untamed, urban fantasy, vampire, victims, war, werebears, weres, Werewolf, werewolves, writing

So, I’ve been absent from my social media outlets more than I would have liked this month, which means you get an odd post about the busy life of an author and editor.

July is NaNoWriMo Camp, or Writing Boot Camp as I like to call it. I’ve written 32,000 words thus far this month, and I’m still going. I won’t reach my 75,000 word goal by the end of July, but I’m still pushing, which means I’m still absent – mostly.

July also means marketing footwork for my up-coming novel, LOVING RED, which will be published on September 9th.  And after 100 or so review/promo request, I’ve received close to thirty confirmations for my release day efforts. Whoo! Who knew I could be such a marketing fool?

It also means editing. I’ve been hard at work editing the submissions for my new anthology with Transmundane Press, UNDERWATER, co-edited by Anthony S. Buoni. I’m struggling to get through the last three stories – not because they’re bad, but because I’m working so hard at writing 2,000 words a day, self-promotion, and having the kids here for the summer.

But I’m also finalizing my edits for LOVING RED. I’m on my last leg, the proof for my final read through after my editor gets his hands on it. And, well, he makes me laugh my way through it, which makes it such a better experience.

So, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite comments he left me. All highlighted in GREEN! (That’s not a book title; I just like green that much.)

Fun with torture! My poor characters get their fair share of violent treatment when they’re captured by the Celampresians. Apparently, I do some good work with evil dialogue. Woot!

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Sexual Tension… This isn’t the first time the two throw pheromones at each other, but I love when a scene ramps up the heat without any actual sex.

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Heavy Petting Award! What better way to distract characters from their impending doom? Besides, as Sev points out, better to feed the heart than feed the body in dire circumstances.

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Getting Down & Dirty! Finally, the characters get into some nasty business with each other, and not the violent kind. He mentions softening the language because the rest of the novel has a softer tone, but we can have an easy-going perspective and still get real in the bedroom, can’t we?

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BONUS ROUND, the “Penis Size Notes: Chart A.” Do I really need to explain this one? I have a penchant for the word, “cock.”

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Odd Character Alert! My dryad is too likable! I suppose something evil must happen to him. We can’t have him getting away scott free. No. No, we can’t.

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FINSIH LINE! Yes, this is a new series, but it’s also intertwined with Ria’s story line, and I plan to have the two merge at some point. I’m glad he saw the connections I made.

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I hope you can see those connections, too!

Add LOVING RED to your goodreads bookshelves, and check out the other Broken World stories so you don’t miss out on all of those links I’ve made, and you’ll be ready for Ari’s short story, “Untamed,” a fun bonus story at the back of the book.

BLOOD PHOENIX: REBIRTH (Book One)

BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED (Book Two)

DISTORTED (Contains Phea’s Novella, “Maiden of the Underworld”)

Time to hit the keys again. 2,000 words, here I come. Much love, y’all.

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Kickstarter Launched

10 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Uncategorized

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alisha costanzo, anthony s. buoni, author, blood, blood phoenix, blood phoenix: rebirth, book, bosex, Broken World, claimed, Death, drawing, dryad, editing, fantasy, folklore, gypsies, kickstarter, love, Loving Red, magick, miami, myth, mythology, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance, power, publishing, roleplaying, romance, self-publish, sex, Shapeshifter, sneak peek, tree nymph, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, werebears, weres, Werewolf, werewolves, writing

LOVING RED

For Sergeant Severins Bouvier, silence means tactical planning and a large death toll, and he can’t shake how danger threatens him on the beaches of Miami, especially after seeing one of his associates in a local sandwich shop. Worse, the enemy seems fascinated with the woman he can’t stop thinking about—a woman determined not to trust him.

Everything about Sev crashes through Kaia’s carefully placed boundaries, traps, and avoidances. Regardless of her lack of interest in the majority of men, the ones that did catch her off guard left a lot of collateral damage. Who better than a soldier to understand that?

The problem is that she trusts him. Just not with her heart.

Initial Goal: $1,500.00

What your donations support:

Professional Editing

Personalized Swag

Kick Ass Month Long Tour with Giveaways

Full Rights to the Cover

Check out the full campaign and fun swag here!

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BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED Teasers

13 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by alishacostanzo in Uncategorized

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alisha costanzo, blood, blood phoenix, Boden, book, Broken World, celampresian, character sketch, claimed, Death, distorted, fangs, fantasy, first kiss, gene, horror, humor, hunger, infantry, laws, leprachaun, monster, myth, novel, paranormal, power, publishing, Ria, sneak peek, tenth mountain division, Transmundane Press, urban fantasy, US Army, vampire, Watertown NY, writing

Yeah, I know. I’m a bit behind since BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED came out in October. But damn it, I get busy. So, here they are. All six of them. Keep tuned for updates on LOVING RED and its kickstarter campaign.

claimed teaserclaimed teaser 02claimed teaser 5

claimed teaser 3

claimed teaser 4 claimed teaser 6

Check out the teasers for BLOOD PHOENIX: REBIRTH and “Maiden of the Underworld” from DISTORTED.

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A Villain’s Story and Black Friday Sale

29 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Broken World Characters, Guest Blogs

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Something about a villain’s creation story appeals to most readers. Knowing someone means loving them, as many great authors have demonstrated, so as we know these villains, we can’t help but love them, too. The more complex an antagonist becomes, the more they feel like real people, and it grows harder to hate them, which conflicts with our rooting for the good guy. We story tellers have good reasons to give them purpose.

Because characters drive plot, they generate reason behind what happens to the protagonist. Knowing what makes them do what they do creates more tension for future conflicts via reader awareness. We feel the tension looming as we watch characters opposing each other. Opposition creates disharmony, more so when a tiny part of us understands them, and their viewpoints, too. Empathy is a powerful tool.

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As Chuck Wendig says, “Antagonists think they’re the protagonists. The antagonist is the hero in his own story…the antagonist thinks he’s right. And doing the right thing. Even when it’s awful.” They must have realistic motivations. Besides, evil just because is boring. In fact, antagonists, even villains, should fall short of being black and white. They need depth because bad guys don’t genuinely exist in real life, although we like to paint people this way, especially in our history books.

Writing from the antagonist’s perspective, and reading it, gives us time with them and their minds. Again, knowing them in this intimate way means that they fully bloom in our minds. Besides, they must create a real challenge. And since a protagonist needs something to do, making them believable with some advantage, we worry for the characters more. All of them.

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Phea is my ultimate villain. She runs the show either directly or behind the scenes for all of my stories, present and future (I’ve got about forty in the bleachers waiting as patiently as they can. Give them credit, those seats aren’t soft). But she’s not completely evil. Beyond being treated poorly, wronged by others, regret, and the internal struggle with knowingly transforming into a monster, she has another nasty little secret that secures her dementia and cruelty. And I’m not telling you what that is (because spoilers). Essentially, the downpour of shit that threatens to bury her in “Maiden of the Underworld” makes me feel sorry for her—at times. Does she have good reason for being the villain? You may just decide that she does.

Check out her creation story here.

And don’t miss out on my Black Friday sale, lasting until Tuesday morning!

Black Friday Sale

Get Rebirth Here and Claimed Here!

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The Hope-Filled Vampire: Release Day Reflection

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Uncategorized

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alisha costanzo, author, blood, blood phoenix, book, Broken World, claimed, curse, Death, fangs, fantasy, folklore, hope, horror, myth, novel, paranormal, paranormal romance, reflection, release day, religion, Ria, romance, self-publish, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, victims, writing

I’ve published my second book in less than a year. I can’t explain how ecstatic I am. Vampires have been tinkering around in my brain since I was sixteen after I read The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike, and unlike many others, my first vampire love was a woman. God, I wanted to be like her—brave, strong, and quick to act, yet she seemed so human at times.

Diabolique_Issue_13_HQ_Press_CORRECTED_PAGES_ONLY8Vampires are strange things, besides becoming more obscurely gentle or out to seduce all of mankind, they represent the evils in humanity. In the last fourteen years, I have seen a great many vampires: Bram Stoker’s, L.J. Smith’s, Anne Rice’s, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s, Justin Gustainis’, P.C. and Kirstin Cast’s, Laurel K. Hamilton’s, Rachel Caine’s, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s; and let me tell you, the list carries on and on. And the better ones, they find their root in some ancient evil, the ones from which vampire bore—in the dark places humanity couldn’t otherwise name.

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They intrigue me the most: the cause for disease, miscarriage, sudden deaths, and the most reproachable sins. Vampires were curses, not cursed. They embodied what couldn’t be explained and what culture deemed sinful. Why else would crosses and religious paraphernalia repel them?

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Why don’t they affect my vampires? A lot of myths don’t pertain to recent vampires as authors, like myself, seek to change the core principles of vampirism. Rather, they grow to highlight varying aspects of humanity—wrath, pride, lust, and greed, no doubt, but also temperance, diligence, patience, and hope.

I’d never thought of myself writing those words, but vampires represent hope: a hope that humanity does not always have to be inherently evil, or that when something more powerful than ourselves infiltrates humanity they will, too, have some with that spark of goodness.

It wouldn’t be a release day post if I didn’t say to check out my newly mythicized vampires in Blood Phoenix: Claimed, out today!

Claimed Cover

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway – Blood Phoenix: Claimed

12 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

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alisha costanzo, author, blood, blood phoenix, book, Broken World, claimed, fangs, fantasy, horror, leprachaun, magick, myth, novel, paranormal, publishing, Ria, self-publish, urban fantasy, vampires, weres, writing

 

Check out the cover for Blood Phoenix: Claimed, due out October 17th.

Claimed Cover

Who knew immortality would be such a bitch.

Boot Camp for Vamps has a new prisoner, and Ria is testing her new world of rules and regulations, fighting her oldest nemesis—conformity. Her key battle is keeping her individuality and hiding her phoenix powers.

With an uptight mentor, an estranged werewolf, and an unlikely band of humans on her side, Ria must first survive her trials, designed to break her by a queen hell bent on making her suffer…let the nightmare begin.

Add the book on Goodreads!

 

 

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Tribute and Author Interview with “The Lurker” RP Group Reader.

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Interviews

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alisha costanzo, author, blood, blood phoenix, book, Broken World, character development, claimed, editing, fantasy, folklore, horror, humor, interview, leprachaun, Lurker, myth, novel, paranormal, process, publish, publishing, rebirth, Ria, Roleplay, roleplaying, romance, RP, self-publish, sex, spotlight, urban fantasy, vampire, vampires, writing, writing tips

I found that one of my favorite pages is being deleted, and since I had so much fun with this person, I wanted to share our interview.

RPW2PA Interview with Alisha Costanzo Blood Phoenix: Rebirth
March 23, 2014 at 8:47pm

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The Lurker: Alisha welcome. Thank you for joining me today. *smiling brightly* I understand you had a book just recently published. But before you start on that, I was wondering if we can talk about you first. Can you give us a bit about your background, and what started you writing? I mean many know that you were an RP Writer for a long time. Why the change from RP Writer to Published Author? Was the switch hard to do? What experiences of RP writing were you able to bring over to your published writing? Tea? *Smiling still while holding up a hot cup of tea*, and not breaking stride.*

Alisha: Thank you for having me, Erin. This place looks a lot bigger on the inside. Ooo, tea. Thank you. I’m usually a coffee girl, but I like the switch every now and then. Okay, about me. I’ve been writing for a long time. In fact, I’ve been with these characters and this world since I was sixteen, thirteen years ago. But I wrote a ton of fan fics before then with my friends in script format. I had hundreds of them, and a few even made their way onto my computer. I remember disctinctly writing my first scene in prose, and it was a sex scene. I was twelve and oh so proud of my imagination. But I’m asked a lot, as all authors are, about what inspired me to start writing. And I honestly believe that it’s innate-both a product of my environment and my genetics. I was left to my own devices as a child, which left me with my sixty-seven imaginary friends, most of which have never left me. Plus, both of my parents are creative people. My dad is an avid reader, and he is a natural story-teller, as is his mother. He tells great oral stories that I hope to one day collect in writing, using his voice. My mother is a crafter, and she now runs her own stained-glass business. But I grew up with her running craft shows and being surrounded by an enormous amount of creative people. She also instilled in me a deep appreciation for true talent, original thought, and pride in high standards, which is likely why I earned my MFA in Creative Writing to ensure my craft was well developed.

As for my RPing, I LOVE Rping. It’s so completely different than writing stories on my own. The practice is organic and raw, like the writing process itself. I hope to continue with my characters since they drive much of my creative force outside my current main project. I’m actually revising a book based off of original RP characters. As for a switch, I’ve always wanted to publish my writing in a traditional format, and self-publishing seemed like a great option with the ways of the market changing. Plus, I’d love to publish other writers, which I hope to do with an on-going project I am editing with Anthony S. Buoni. Publishing was far easier than I thought it would be, even with all of the grueling revisions. But I don’t really like to think of it as a switch. RPing is as hard and as public as writing a book, if not more so. And my RPing characters have gained their voices again this month, which makes me ecstatic. Overall, RPing has become a staple for my traditional writing. It keeps me true to my characters and their stories.

 

The Lurker: Seems that your education and upbringing does provide anyone with the right ingredients to hone and express their creative side. Why publish this book now after thirteen years? So now that we are talking about your book Blood Phoenix: Rebirth. Can you tell us a bit about it and the characters?

Alisha: There comes a time when an author re-writes a book so many times that publishing is the only way to move on. Don’t get me wrong, I love where Blood Phoenix: Rebirth as it is, but it’s the nature of authors to tinker and tinker and tinker and tinker, and well, we always feel like we can improve something if we don’t let go of it. So I’ve let go of my first novel after thirteen years to focus on other projects-one of which is book two. The series is a melding of several genres: urban fantasy, horror, suspense/action, satire, and a bit of romance.

In book one, Ria, the main character, is thrown into a frightening new world only to find out she’d always been more than human. She struggles through the entire book to come to grips with what she is and how powerful she’s become. But more importantly, she struggles to stay alive. Her maker, James, doesn’t ease her struggle. He’s brisk and unsympathetic, and he can’t seem to reign in her turmoil enough to train her before she’s kidnapped, staked, and summoned to take audience with his queen and lover. Yet, Ria gets a bit of help along the way. When James deserts her on his queen’s orders, he sends an ally to keep her safe. Boden was meant to be just that, her temporary protector, but he turns into an integral part of Ria’s life. But no matter who has her back, no one can seem to protect her from the queen’s clutches.

 

The Lurker: Can you tell us which of the characters are more like you? Which one was the hardest to write for? Can you give any insight into your characters?

Alisha: Sure! Ria is the most like me, which makes her perspective both easy and hard to write. She’s far more of a brat than I am, but a lot of her smaller details are me-the meditation, the vampire myth trivia, the potty mouth, the English and communications background, and the obsession with coffee-although, I’m coming to find that’s a general writer trait.

Boden is the most fun to write because he’s so distinct with his accent and easy personality changes. As I mentioned in my earlier explanation of the story, he wasn’t meant to stick around, which makes the fact that he does organic. I have to get to know him the same way I get to know real people; we interact when I write.
And finally, some insight. I’ve found that James is one of the more misunderstood characters because, quite frankly, he’s an ass in book one. But he’s got a lot of shit going on in the background. He’s a pretty broken man, but he really does want to take care of Ria in his own ways. In their reality, he sacrifices quite a lot for her that the reader doesn’t get to see.

 

The Lurker: Many people are have talked about sex scenes in a book. Being too much or too little. I find that depending on my mood will depend on what I like to read. But then, I am not shy when it comes to sex. However, many people are shy and uncomfortable with this aspect of story telling. Can you tell us what your thoughts are on this type of story telling? When is it too much?

Alisha: I’m a sexual author down to the way my language flows, but I appreciate all types of sexual writing. And the genre determines my view. I have much more sexual tension and play in my novel than most urban fantasies-so much so that it falls borderline with paranormal romance, except the focus isn’t on romance. Most of what I write is graphic without being overly technical. I like real words for genitalia, like cock and pussy, and don’t mind some of the euphemisms for them, but I’d rather hear the descriptive dirty words than have it flowery.

A story can have too much sex and be too descriptive-again, too technical takes away from the romance of it. But there can be too much sex in a story. For example, I wrote a novel for July’s NaNoWriMo boot camp. It’s a paranormal romance/erotica, and currently, two-thirds of it is sex. That’s too much. Some chapters contain two or three sexual encounters, and it muddles the storyline. Balance is key. Sex should be used to give a bit of excitement and down time for the overall plot. And honestly, a little can go a long way in most cases. As a reader, tension, especially sexual tension, keeps me interested in a story.

 

The Lurker: RP Writing is alive, for now. But I am sure you are aware of the continuing issues that face RP Writers. The constant deletion of accounts and groups being devastated by losing large amounts of material. Some people are argue that it is the right of the fan. “Freedom of Speech.” But now that you are an author, do you consider a group of fans writing fan fiction about your stories an act of “Freedom of Speech”? Or maybe you feel it infringes on your copyright rule. How would you feel about it?

Alisha: A balance can exist between the two: freedom of speech and copyright infringement. As long as RP Writers give credit to the author for the world and its characters somewhere in their information, I see it as free advertising and marketing. Fan fiction and mimetics has been around for so long that the transfer to electronic forum seems natural. Writers learn from other writers. We’re trained to learn that way. We’re told that if we want to improve we must do two things: read more and write more. We are obviously influenced by what we read in some way or another.

When I entered the RPing world, I wrote as several of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s characters. It turned into a live writing exercise where I had to take established characters and be true to their forms in situations outside of their world. My writing instructors often suggested this practice. And I could never predict how a fan might respond to my interpretation of any character I play. But authors must realize that once their works have been published, their content is public, and readers are free to their own interpretations. This happens in English class when students have to write papers about stories and novels. In this way, a work grows beyond the author’s intentions, and RPing does the same thing. Essentially, I’m for it. 100%. I would love to see groups made based off of my characters. It’s on my bucket list.

 

The Lurker: *nodding in understanding* That is really good to hear. Lets come back to your book. We have touched on the premise of the book, and we have posted a thread for all to see the interviews with the characters of your book. *leans in and whispers* Which is brilliant by the way. *wink* But can you tell us how hard it was for you to publish your book? What experience and lessons have you learned that you may or may not apply to your second book? *blushing* You are doing a second book, are you not? *pleading look*

Alisha: Thank you, Erin. Now, actually publishing the book wasn’t as difficult as I thought. It was, however, a bit time consuming. Createspace offers templates for print, and several templates exist for Amazon and Smashwords, which can be utilized for the other e-book sites. This go around, I published it everywhere I could think of. For book two, I plan to only publish on the three I mentioned (Createspace, Amazon, and Smashwords). I will also not rush my publication date on the next book. For book one, I published too quickly to meet my deadline, and the first round of books were published with some glaring flaws, which I was able to fix and republish. Now, the overall process of publishing from start to finish is quite time consuming and difficult, and I don’t think a lot of writers are prepared for how in-depth the process is for quality work. I edited Blood Phoenix: Rebirth over a dozen times with various programs and word lists and etc. I hired an editor, Joe Martin of Ragnarok Publications and Nine Worlds, and I still combed through the book four more times after it left his hands. Revision and editing is the longest process for a book, next to the actual writing. And yes, book two, Blood Phoenix: Claimed, should be out later this year. I have two more revisions before it will be ready for my editor, and then a few more after that.

 

The Lurker: You have mentioned that you published your own book and may be looking to help publish other authors as well. Can you tell us how one would go about contacting you and what your requirements would be?

Alisha: I do! I want to give opportunities to other writers I believe in, as I am attempting to do with the anthology I am currently editing with Anthony S. Buoni, entitled Distorted. I also provide freelance work for authors as well, and my services are listed on my website. I hope to open my own small, online press in the next few years; however, if anyone is interested in submitting to me now for help with publication, I am more than happy to work them. I do have a bit of a disclaimer. As my students are well aware, I am a hard ass. I expect high quality writing, proper development, and clean language before I take my editor pen to a project. And although I do help with overall development, a writer must learn to create and edit on their own, which is the hardest lesson I learned in writing my MFA thesis. Now, for overall requirements, I like genre fiction, such as Fantasy, Sci Fi, Romance, Mystery, Horror, YA. and etc. I’m not a fan of pure literary works as I find them boring on most occasions. And I typically prefer works that push boundaries and mix genres. I love to read books that give new life to old ideas and satire, especially. (Satire and social conformity are my geek buttons.) So, in any case, contacting me. The best place to reach me for publishing is my email: transmundanepress@gmail.com

 

The Lurker: *shaking my head* Wow! I am really impressed. You have such a full and exciting life. What is next for the Great and talented Alisha? You mentioned a second book, it will follow up the first one I assume. But can you tell us a bit about it and roughly when do you think your fans should be on the look out for it?

Alisha: Yes, there is a second book coming. I hope to have it out late this year. It picks up where book one leaves off, with Ria struggling under the pressure of vampire life. She gains another mentor, Gene, and a group of varying allies, many of which are human. But vampirism hasn’t gotten any peachier. Ria’s put through her second trial, a renegade fight with a man she’d known as a human. And I think that’s all I can tell without giving away too much.

I also have a novelette about how Phea became the first vampire coming out at the end of this year, hopefully, in the Distorted anthology. I hope to show readers another side of my protagonist, since I don’t know anyone who likes her but me. She wasn’t always such a tremendously evil bitch.

 

The Lurker: What lessons have your learned so far in being not only a published author but also being self published as well? Have you found it has changed the way you write? How is this effecting your family?

Alisha: Self-publishing hasn’t affected the way I write. I will always strive for the best possible product, which means clean writing and engaging characters, etc. I must say that it will be nice to have more eyes on this next project before it goes out to avoid some of the hiccups that I had on the last go around. And I have a very proud and supportive family. They’re all my cheerleaders as are so many of my friends. My husband has been an enormous help. He brought the book to our university to show other students and hands out bookmarks for me. He’s a saint.

 

The Lurker: What can you tell RP Writers whom may have a special story they have squirreled away afraid to share but think it just might be something special, but to afraid to publish? What piece of advice would you tell them that you wish you had known in the beginning?

Alisha: Choose your first readers carefully. Friends will always love to read a friend’s book, but be sure it’s polished for most of them. Very few friends want to read draft after draft after draft. It becomes work. But there is always one friend who will read multiple drafts (I have a few). On that note, I say pull out those squirreled away stories, read them, take notes, revise, revise, revise again, get a reader, revise again, and either submit it or hire an editor and publish the damn thing. Writers don’t grow into their potential if they don’t let finished work go, like I said earlier. And I understand the fear involved with publishing work. Publishing means sharing something so incredibly private with the world without control. And negative reactions or bad reviews hurt, but you’ll be surprised by how many people there are who want to help you succeed. I sure was.

 

The Lurker: *beaming a bright smile* Okay, before we close this interview, I want to thank you for coming today and sharing your book, imagination, and wisdom with us all. However, I do have one more question about your current book. If there is one thing you want readers of your book to take away with them, what would that be?

Alisha: Thank you so much, Erin, for having me today. Everything you do for us authors is simply amazing. You are a saint.

To answer your question, I genuinely want to connect with my readers through a shared love of paranormal creatures and of the place where mythical history and new fiction meet, like Boden as my personification of old meeting new. I’ve really twisted vampire myths with pop culture references and light-hearted satire. More than anything else, I hope to bring readers over to the dark side with a new perspective and a sense of anticipation.

 

As a tribute to this wonderful woman, I want to thank her again for all of her time and love. I’ll miss you!

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Sneak Peek: Chapter Twenty-One from Blood Phoenix: Claimed

31 Saturday May 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

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blood, blood phoenix, Boden, chapter twenty-one, claimed, club, costanzo, feed, fight, gene, glamour, hunger, leprechaun, magick, power, red, sneak peek, tahe, vampires

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Talking with Tahe grew quick and easy, like with Ari. She’d moved to the swings, spinning the chains and letting out small giggles as she spun. Planting her feet on the ground, she checked the sky and stood. “It’s about that time. I know you had a bit from that bowl of lucky charms, but how’d you like to take a sample of my nightly menu?”

I stiffened and checked with Boden, who sat on the end of the slide. He shrugged and gestured his compliance with a wave of his hand.

Nibbling on my bottom lip, I nodded, my stomach gurgling. James was right; I was forever hungry. But was it smart to go feeding with another vampire? When I didn’t kill, would she report me? Or worse, kill my victims on the spot?

Tahe’s smiled held warmth I wished I trusted. She didn’t scare me like Felix or Vincent or Phea, but fear became such a normal part of my life that the lack of threat from Tahe made me wary. She gestured for me to follow her.

I stayed ten paces behind her with Boden at my back, his hands persistent in my hair, at my shoulders or back, before I took his hand in mine and forced him to stop fidgeting; his thumb danced along the back of my hand. His emotions ran over my skin like a radio broadcast—ready for a fight.

“You’ll like the selection, I promise. It’s a hot spot this time-a-night. Plenty willing to get something kinky on. Plenty willing enough to be bitten. Got my own private room there, too, when I want it.” She glanced back at us, her dark eyes flashing in the low light; we emerged from the wilderness of the park and hit the street.

Factory Street buzzed this early in the night, but she steered us off into the middle of downtown where men started ogling her. Silent at first they catcalled and competed for her attention. I swear, one man reached for her, but Tahe kept walking, slipping away with ease, as though she was used to the attention. She steered us down a side alley and into a solid-black metal door. A boom boom boom vibrated over my skin, making it tingle. Sweat, blood, and alcohol hit me like a sledgehammer.

As we stepped through the door, Tahe reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me straight for the dance floor. Panic gripped my sternum, but Boden calmed me right before we hit the crowd. The thumping of their blood grew stronger and the scent of their sweet blood surrounded me, forcing me to close my eyes and be pulled along. Boden’s hand sank into my hair, adding another layer of his magick to keep me calm, combating my growing hunger.

At first, bodies pressed against me, writhing and slick, but they gradually parted to give Boden and I enough space to pass through without so much physical contact. He used more magick than normal, and more than appropriate for a place so saturated with humans and God knew what else. I opened my eyes as we emerged from the crowd. Tahe smiled as if I passed her initiation, and I wanted to curse her. I was so sick of people testing me and using me and shoving me head first into situations I didn’t want to be in. I took my arm back and covered Boden’s hand with my own. She winked and led us toward the back of the building.

Off the dance floor, the humans made it hard to maneuver without touching them. We squeezed past one of the two bars on either side of the club and down a wide hallway lit up with red traveling lights. Black paint rubbed and chipped off the middle of both walls as if drunks dragged themselves down this hall with only the walls for support.

Tahe walked with confidence and power, almost militant. She stepped through the last before the emergency exit. I paused in front of the open door, my eyes adjusting to the extra light. The two corners opposite the door glowed soft, encasing a long leather couch in yellow tones. Three women lounged across it in revealing bits of cloth and hose and fishnets and leather. Several other matching chairs sat about the room with one or two females filling each of them. Tahe went for a small blonde woman lighting and shutting a Zippo in the left corner chair.

As Tahe approached, the woman sat forward, face illuminated. She looked tough but pretty with a hollow look, but her eyes flashed with excitement as Tahe knelt and kissed the woman.

Everyone in the room moved in awareness shifting, sitting up, and some standing.

Boden fell away, taking guard at the door. He nodded for me to go ahead and do what I came for. I stepped forward into the middle of the room and peered around, unsure if they had a system in place or ran a free-for-all.

A darker woman in the far corner of the couch stood and made a steady approach, stopping within arm’s reach. Her black eyes shone with an angry need, and her gaze jumped around my face. I stopped fighting my fangs and let them drop, and the woman quivered and let out a soft moan of anticipation. Her blood thumped hard; I closed the distance between us. The woman tilted her head to the side braced herself against my shoulders. My tongue darted out across her salty throat.

She groaned and grabbed me harder. “Please.” Her rough voice set off a red flag, but I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I pierced her vein, sucking hard on her blood. The woman gasped and gyrated against me. Her blood tasted like blackness, inky and bitter. I released her.

But she struggled to keep me against her, her body shaking more fiercely than I expected. “No. I have plenty more. Please. Please, take more.” Her nails dipped into my shoulder blades, and a hot, sharp pain tore into my skin.

I pushed her back, sending her flying into the couch. Spitting her blood onto the laminate floor, I met Tahe’s challenge.

“What do you do to these women?” I wiped my mouth, smearing bright blood against the back of my hand.

Tahe narrowed her eyes and stepped toward me. “I let them live. I ain’t a woman killer. The C.C. can pucker up and eat my damn rainbow for all I care. But you ain’t gonna hurt any of my girls.”

Not going to hurt them? Was she crazy? I looked over the girls again. Deep, black bags under circled their eyes, cheeks hollowed, and hair greasy. They looked like addicts.

A cold tremor zapped down my back. Had I done that to anyone?

“You don’t control them do you?” I met her gaze, and my skin prickled. Her eyes darkened. “You don’t control them. And now they’re addicts.” The inky blood stuck to the back of my throat. They used drugs in hope of achieving the same high, more and more until they became tainted and hollow.

“They enjoy giving me what I need, and they can keep a secret. Why should I have to control them? Break their minds? You ain’t no better than those fucked up vamps at the C.C.” She sprung toward me, angry energy sparking off her. I grabbed Tahe and spun her around, jerking her to the left and sinking my fangs into her throat. Rich and full like a strong malt whiskey, her blood washed away the bitter remnants. Tahe gasped as I swallowed my first mouthful of blood, her head dipping back further and her body arching against mine.

A low vibration started at the base of my spine, shooting up my body. Warm and subtle pleasure consumed me. Tahe’s breath hitched, but she didn’t struggle against me. Only her speedy heartbeat told me that the glamour affected her. It thrummed across my skin.

Warmth invaded my curls, and fingers guided me away from Tahe’s throat. I allowed Boden’s calming magick to pull me back as his thumb glided down the sensitive skin behind my ear. I released her, taking in the dark room. Awe slacked the staring faces around the room. Every thumping heart filled my ears. Their halting breaths raised a thick wave of desire.

Tahe stepped forward, wobbly from my magick and the blood loss, and her consort stepped forward to take hold of her. The small blonde woman looked me over with a harsh glare as I leaned back into Boden. His arms steadied me, and a sharp pang pinched my right hip and made me jump and swat at the bulge in my pocket before I realized my phone buzzed.

Boden slipped his hand into my pocket and pulled it out, swiping his finger across it as Gene’s name popped up. He held it to his ear. “What is red and green and can go hundred miles per minute?”

I reached for the phone, but Tahe pinned me with her gaze. “What’d you do to me? Ain’t no way this is normal.”

“Nothing I do is normal.” I tried to keep her in my line of vision and keep an eye and ear on Boden at the same time, this kind of multitasking proved difficult.

“You are supposed to guess, vinur, not expletive for me in Greek. She is with me, all pieces together, not to worry.”

Fuck. Gene is gonna have a freaking aneurism, and it’s going to be my fault.

A few of the women stepped to help Tahe up. “What kinda magick you got spinning around in that little body of yours?” Her gaze shifted from my face to my mouth to my throat, as if she played the cycle of biting through her mind. I didn’t know why I bit her to begin with, minus needing to wipe the black taste from my pallet.

Boden shifted, pacing in small circles in front of the door with a grin on his face. “Club. I am not from this place, so I cannot tell you. I take care of her, like I always do. Is what I am good at.”

This was not going well. Not at all.

“The kind that makes me dangerous, I suppose,” I said to Tahe, causing her gaze to fly back up to mine.

“Trying to intimidate me and all that? Ain’t gonna work, red. If my maker ain’t able, neither are you.” She shrugged off the women huddling closer and closer around her. “Off of me, would ya? Remember what I said about behind me if you’re scared. I ain’t gonna fight through ya very well.”

I smiled. She planned on protecting them from me, from anyone it seemed. I didn’t agree with what she did to them, but at least she cared for them. We’d have to talk about a way to keep them from killing themselves. “I’m not going to hurt any of you.”

“Look at what you did to Monique.” She grabbed the dark girl I bit and pulled her forward. She shook, her lips tinted blue and her eyes sunken in a bit more than before.

“I didn’t do that to her. You did. You let them remember, and they’re going to kill themselves trying to replicate the feeling.”

Boden laughed, and chills consumed me. He grinned with the phone pressed to his ear. “You have magick. Is good. I can feel over phone, even. Not too big affect from me, but still good. We meet. I show you mine.”

Uh. Oh.

Tahe looked at him, her big eyes luminous in the low light. “Is he retarded? You’re both fucking crazy. Ain’t none of this normal.” She addressed the women gathered behind her. “You’d better start vacating girls. I got a feeling this ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Yeah. Me either.

“Boden. Give me the phone, please.”

With a mischievous smile, he held up a finger. “You cannot track her? Is shame, vinur.”

“Boden.”

Women trickled through the exit door behind him, making him glimpse back at them as I reached my hand out for the phone, which he offered to me. “Is ended, Prinsessa. Greek vamp is on way over, I am sure.”

“You’ve tormented my mentor into coming to find us?” The black screen dropped anvils on my shoulders.

“No torment, Prinsessa. Good manly banter over female.” He reached out to touch my cheek, but I stepped back and stuffed the phone back into my pocket. Gene was going to skewer me and leave me out for the animals. “You fear for his place in your heart?”

The thought of that being true made my chest burn with anxiety and denial. “No. I’m afraid of the repercussions of the last half hour.”

“I will not let him hurt you.”

Tahe snorted further into the room, acquiring our attention. “You two ain’t got your heads on straight. Eugene is wound up tighter than a damn tornado. And my ass is finding shelter before that shit touches down.”

The door flew open, banging hard enough against the chair behind it that the heavy wood base of it cracked and splintered. Gene stepped through, his cobalt eyes sparking as he took in the room.

“Aw, fuck me.” Tahe retreated to a spot between the couch and the furthest chair.

My thoughts exactly.

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Sneak Peek: Prologue of book two, BLOOD PHOENIX: CLAIMED

12 Monday May 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Sneak Peeks

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Prologue

Thick air pressed in on me, diluted only by small wisps of breeze and the scent of jasmine in the night air. Earlier in the night, I lit fire to a bowl of dried jasmine to calm the child within my belly. The night was warm enough, and my contractions frequent enough that I could not find sleep, even nestled in the strong circle of my husband’s arms.

My hair twirled teasing strands around my naked body as I stood with the moonlight, bathed in its power, which set my pale skin aglow. The moon swelled to a hair’s breath of being as full and round as my belly. My child would arrive soon. I found the anticipation unbearable. We had waited for a child since the night we laid together after our hand fasting, on the night of my twelfth birthday. Two days hence, I turn seventeen, old for my first child. I had thought myself barren.

He awoke. The bed rustled behind me in our tiny home. Seconds later, his wide warm arms wrapped around my shoulder and cradled my belly. His lips danced against the curve of my neck, sending small sexy shivers along my spine. Our child kicked at his hand, greeting his father. Satisfaction slipped over me. This would be the first child of, hopefully, many.

My husband took me by the hand and led me out into the silvery light, skyclad. His sapphire eyes made my body warm, the reaction to an innate mating call. I followed him in small wobbling steps, past our fire pit, and into the woods. A small, soft circle of grass greeted my bare feet with the gentle whisper of a song. Gene pulled me to the center of the clearing and helped me to sit with an arm around my hips and his hand over mine.

He walked to the far edge of the woods, reached within the brush, and stepped back to my side with a white marble bowl in his hands, our ceremonial bowl. Gene set it beside me and sat by my other side. Reaching his hand across my hips, he pulled my body onto his. His shaft lay hard against the swollen underside of my womb.

I straddled and rubbed my sex against him. His length bubbled need within me. With the slow movement of my hips, I took him inside my body and moaned at the way he stretched me to accommodate him.

Gene gently pushed his hips up to meet mine, pressed against my cervix, making my body convulse. His hips fell back to the grass, and he reached for the marble bowl. The deep curve of the marble collected a salve to prevent undue harm to both the baby and myself. Almond, black haw, wild lettuce, cinnamon, peppermint, and lavender swirled around my senses. Gene dipped three fingers into the soupy mix and spread a glob across the top of my belly.

I pressed my hips against his, and he shuttered beneath me.

He pushed back in small circles. His bow-shaped mouth smiling up at me. “Behave, Colista.”

The salve dripped over my navel, sending fuzzy little tingles through my flesh. The baby kicked against Gene’s hand as he spread the dizzy smell over me. He traced the symbol fehu, for good health, love fulfilled, and good fortune; uruz, for physical and mental strength, fertility, and new beginnings; gebo, for love, partnership, and luck; jera, for reaping rewards from seeds sown in the past, and joy and celebration; sowilo, for wholeness, light, energy, and victory; berkanan, for growth and new life; ingwaz, for unity, love, and peace; and othila, for home and family.

My whole body lightened with power, glowing from the inside. Gene grabbed my hips roughly, holding me above him as he finally thrust himself inside of me in a rhythm that made me quake. Oh Goddess, how could a man still feel as good inside me as he did the first time. I tried to meet his thrusts with my own, but he held me immobile with firm hands.

Freeing my hip of his right hand, Gene rubbed my cleft. I flung my head back, moaning, and my heavy breasts tightened with need. He finally allowed me to ride him free of restraint. I thrust myself against him so hard it hurt, but the pleasure rode the pain away. My life’s aura spread, embracing my husband beneath me. My sex spasmed and quivered around his length. I fell over onto my hands, panting as the explosion over took my legs and hips and sex. Gene shuddered with in me, sending an echo of my orgasm through me.

Pain enveloped me as my swollen belly shook. I gasped at the sharp, penetrating slivers tearing at my stomach. I screamed wordlessly at the moon. Gene rolled me onto my back.

“Breathe, Colista. Breathe. The Goddess has heard us and will make us wait no longer.” He brushed his hand across my forehead, smoothing away the hair from my eyes.

Chapter One coming soon!  

In the meantime, check out book one: Blood Phoenix: Rebirth

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Valentine’s Day Deleted Scene

15 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by alishacostanzo in Uncategorized

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blood phoenix, Broken World, claimed, deleted scene, reincarnation, reunited, sneak peak, Valentine's Day, vampires, visions, writing

In the spirit of love and Valentine’s Day, a deleted scene that will one day be resurrected in another story.

From Blood Phoenix: Claimed

After shedding the restrictive and smothering under layers of my skirts, I brought two bowls of vegetable broth to the small and wobbly round table for my children to sit and eat. There were woolen blankets to be beaten before I could come in for the night, eat my dinner and tend the fire until I went to my lonesome bed. I ruffled my son’s hair on my way out of the shack, where I hoisted my blanket up over the branch beside my home.

Clip-clop-clip-clop-clip-clop.

A sudden awareness pulled my spine tight in my back, turning me from the blanket, switch hovering half way to the rough material.

It cannot be.

The sound of the horse’s hooves drew nearer, morphing from the sharp tones on the shoes hitting cobblestone to the muted thuds of the dirt road. The switch dropped from my hand as I gathered my overskirt and moved to the front of my home in time to see the brilliant brown beast trotting around the street bend.

Please. Please be my husband.

It had been two years since my husband had left, forced to go fight in a war for our king.

Please. Eugene, please come home to me.

My eyes closed, and my body trembled as the horse grew silent. His dismount  equally as muted on the rough dirt road, but the air pulsed, crackling and familiar. 

“Colista…”

My eyes sprang open to the tall, dark and broad figure of a man before me. His hair matted and windblown and much longer than I had ever seen it. His beard was rough and poorly shorn. His eyes a deeper blue than I remembered. My heart flew inside me, bouncing against all of my insides as he stepped forward.

“My wife…”

A sob erupted from my throat as I flung myself at him, my arms wrapping around his neck, falling across his broad shoulders. His arms circled me, lifting me from the ground and twirling me about. I pressed my face into his shoulder, unable to keep myself from blubbering. “I believed that I would never see you again.”

Gene’s hand found my hair, and he pressed me closer, his body noticeably shaking under mine as my feet found the Earth again. “I told you that I could never leave you, and I meant it.”

I once believed myself to be in much more control of my urges, but I launched myself upward and pressed my mouth to his, unable to resist the sweet taste of him. Of my husband. Gene seemed as hungry for me as I was for him as he gathered me up in his arms again, carried me toward our home, and re-met our children.

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