by Amanda Milo
To Randi Carter—sprout bookmarks, adorable otter stickers, AND a rock from Glacier Park’s Lake MacDonald <3 YOU ARE WONDERFUL.
Pam Gardner THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I love my hat. (Ready for some Firefly love? “I walk down the street in that hat, and everybody knows I’m not afraid of anything.” ;D) =D
And to Lizandra Navarro, who said she needed more Ekan in her life—THANK YOU!!! ♥ I hope you had fun!! :D
But we’re not done. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a sea of stars to help spread the word about a book. Yet I’m afraid I’m missing large chunks of the constellations.
To Kim Aziz of Ruby Dixon’s Blue Barbarian Babes. Kim is a ROCKSTAR, with a tremendous amount of work put into every month’s book club chat. Thank you for the warmest of welcomes and for inviting me to join; I had an absolute blast!!
To Nancy VanSpunky Palmer, from East Coast Chicks Blog and If It’s Not Romance It’s Crap group. To Cyndi at Audiobook Romance, to Under the Covers Book Blog, to Jo Bubbles the Book Pimp Blog, to the Jealous/Possessive Hero book group, and to Reverse Harem Readers: SO MANY THANKS!!!!
To Kate Botting at Romance with Aliens: Thank you so much for sharing my books, and for inviting me to chat about them!! ♥
To the incredible Ruby Dixon, Jeanette Lynn, and Laurann Dohner for your kind words about my stories, and for sharing. Seriously: you are awesome. To Naomi, Kelsey, Tiffany, Poppy, Emmy, Bex, Honey, and the rest of the gang: same.
To Kristen Ashley, if you go to your Fantasyland series page at https://amzn.to/2Ix8vik, I don’t want to alarm you, but Dax Lahn-of-this-world’s story is missing. Please send help. Or the book. Preferably the book, which is all the help I need at the moment. (Note: my needs may multiply if you keep introducing more characters who need books.) *mwah-smooch XOXOXO*
To Marian C., who bolsters courage with beautiful skill, and kind words—and for sharing nunca llueve a gusto de todos. Muchas gracias ♥
To Romy Villegas and Lori Sophia Ann again for so passionately promoting the audiobooks, and everyone who’s given my stories a shout-out when friends are asking for recommendations! You are stars, warmth, and helium straight to the chest cavity *SQUEEZES AND <<
To Shawn and Mary, thanks for game nights with us! You guys are a hoot! Thanks for letting us play with ‘our’ guinea pigs. :D
To Scott and April, it was so cool to meet you in person! #LLAMAQUEEN & #LLAMAKEEPER
To Becky; brats, burgers, dogs, and *sort of* S’mores (Shout-out to Mike & Kira for introducing us to Mud Hen Bars, they deserve a Fonzie: “Whoa.” XD) and talking books with us!
And last, you gotta hear this one. SHOUT-OUT TO THE STONE FAMILY, who welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their lives. They named their son Milo.
AWWWWWW!*!*!*!*! <3 <3 <3!
Mrs. Stone shared photos of newborn Milo tricked out in his otter-printed baby diapers: OHMYLANDTHECUTENESS!!!!!! *GOGGLE-EYED GRIN*
What a beautiful, fabulous family. May your lives be full of love, happiness, and prosperity ♥.
Swipe on for some Q&A...
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION:
Q: Will Bash get a story?
A: AHHH THANK YOU FOR ASKING AFTER BASH!!! *HEART EYES* <3
I love this grumpy Rakhii. I’m happy to say YES! =D I’m hoping to squeak his book release in before Crispin & Laura’s story is published.
Q: When will we get Crispin’s book?
A: Seriously, seriously—I have to tell you how much I appreciate that you’re up for Crispin’s story! He needs his Happily Ever After told, even if there will be some seriously dark material to work through. But when? <*winces and scrunches very small*> Guys, you know I’m so, so bad at advance publication dates. I’m sorry. I’m nervous as heck about this book, but I’d like to release theirs this year, and that’s the current plan. I’ll holler from the top of a rookery when it’s done!!!
Q: Does Baskian get a story?
A: (*A great big hug that you asked after Baskian!* :} ) If I’m nervous about Crispin and Laura’s book, I’m downright anxious about Baskian’s. I still get emails and messages expressing horror over ‘the rape-baby plot,’ but you know what? *I* want this story too. I’ve loved Baskian and Tika, and—man, THANK YOU!—I’m heartened that you’re willing to follow me on their adventure. ♥
Q: Why Did You Change Narrators? Or, Why isn’t Nick Cracknell narrating the latest audiobooks?
A: Awww! =(—believe me, I loved Nick’s voice too, and his accents. (If anyone’s looking for a fabulous narrator who can nail any accent you throw at him, (and who can handle a *large* cast, no less) I highly recommend his talented self.) Unfortunately, producing your own audio is extremely expensive. We footed that considerable, ulcer-inducing upfront cost three times, and we threw everything we had into it. Now if you’re an audiobook listener, you know audios SELL. It’s true, they do! But sci-fi romance audios? ...Sadly, not so much. Not in our experience, and not in our friends’ either. There’s just not enough of a listener base to offset the cost of production, and the cut taken by the seller. A few fellow authors have tried various methods to produce and sell audios, but came to similar, disheartening conclusions; the market just isn’t there yet. We thank you for wanting them though! I feel your hunger; I love, love, love audiobooks too, and sci-fi is my favorite place to be. So what can you do? If you want to help your audio authors and narrators: review & recommend your favorites when you can :) If you’ve already been doing this, then WAY TO GO!!!! =D May the Creator of the cosmos bless you and your house! It goes a long way. Perhaps Nick can join us for more projects in the future.
Why did the narrator change? Because the company who approached us to produce future audios doesn’t have Nick Cracknell locked down in their stable of hot-voiced narrators at this time. (Trust us, we totally want them to abduct him too. **You know—with his consent of course. Not just rip him away from his unsuspecting family and keep him trapped in a sound-foam-covered booth reading his brains out for audios all day. We’d respectfully request that they give him lemon tea breaks. It’s good for his vocal cords. We’re not *monsters.* XD) They do however have Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton, who I knew well from happy listens & relistens of Mariana Zapata audios. I love them. (And looking at the number of audios they’ve released in the last year, it’s pretty clear they are locked in a sound-foam-covered room somewhere. Hopefully someone’s parceling out some tea!) I’m thrilled they agreed to take on Blind Fall.♥♥ :] However, be aware: neither the narrators nor I have complete guarantees on who voices future projects. What I’m saying is, the voice actors could change in the future too.
Q: Why isn’t Won by an Alien available as an Audiobook?
A: We’re actually not able to say much more than the contract has been signed, but we can at least confirm that much! =D If all goes well, it is slated to be produced and released, and I can’t wait to listen to Won either! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU FOR WANTING MORE!!! =D
Swipe on for Trivia!
TRIVIA FUN!!!
Beth Inspiry:
When I was young and impressionable, I read the Three Sisters trilogy by Nora Roberts. (I’ll link you right here because if you’re like me, you’ve already opened up another window on your ereader and are ready to feed your TBR: https://amzn.to/2K6NsXc And bless you, you beloved BookDragon you!) I swooned so hard when Nell, a battered woman on the run, flinched at a thoughtless movement from gentle Sheriff Todd. (This was ages ago, the book may not hold up to the times, I believe there are pagers instead of cell phones in it, your mileage may vary, rotate your tires twice a year, etc etc—but trust me, at the *time*, I was in mad love with the scene.)
(And then I snapped up book two, with kick-ass, smart-mouthed heroine Ripley and I fell in love with sexy booknerd heroes SUHWOOOOON.)
(I want to write a heroine named Ripley. You’re almost always guaranteed she’s a badass with a hot caramel-center heart.)
***
Zeebolt the dog:
&nbs
p; Zeebolt is a nod to Patricia Briggs, who created the wonderful Siebold Adelbertsmiter—he’s just the coolest curmudgeonly sweetheart German fae.♥ Why a bull terrier? Because those ridiculously exaggerated egg-shape faces are so bafflingly cute! Our dream-pack of dogs doesn’t fit one of these in the mix, (Or a pool slide-loving otter! Downright stifling, I tell you) but by God, I wanted a fictional one!
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Annalise:
Readers played NAME BETH’S BABY GIRL GAME and CONGRATS =D to Sara Pearson for Annalise! Beautiful!!
And when I saw Serenity by Dana Chapman Wood, I had to have it. Tiernan’s puppy got herself a Firefly-related name, thank you, Dana!
Lisa MarieTree offered up Darla because she’s with a bunch of rascals XD XD XD—so this became Ekan and Qolt’s spawner.
Honorable mentions: Sahara by Tina Entzian, Jessie by Laura Davis (awww! Love Jessie), Contessa by Yashika Bailey (who added "Little Countess" as the translation—so, so perfect, awww) Cristabell by Tatiana Joyce (OH I have to use this one someday!) Rose by Katerine Rose Spence, Faithy by Tammy Cavin, Bridget by Bronwyn, Destiny by Melody Brown Steeger, and Serena Buffaloe offered up Aurora. I love this name too! I’m excited to tease you that an Aurora exists, and I cannot wait to share her with you...
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Tiernan’s tea blends:
These were inspired by DAVIDsTEA (seriously, that’s how they branded their name, and this spellcheck is like, “COME ON! Are you even TRYING?” ;D) Midsummer Night's Dream and Banana Nut Bread. Poppy Rhys got me addicted to this Canadian lovely, and I’m left wondering at what point tea stops being a relaxing beverage and starts being more like a dangerous treat. Because these two aren’t only for steeping! I dump the steeped goodness right back into the water and devour it. Ohmygoodness guys—OHMYGOODNESS. These blends probably contain unicorn tear extract—which would explain the rarity, which would explain the cost. It’s probably deeply inhumane to make a unicorn cry for the purpose of making a deliciously good drink/treat, but believe me, this tea is so good, you won’t feel too guilty. (No, I get no kickback for promoting this tea, and, in fact, this tea is no longer available in the USA locations, Poppy! POPPY, NOOOOOOO!!!!! XD
Ahem. Moving on…
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Vera:
This sex droid is a nod to Jayne Cobb’s trusty weapon on the TV show Firefly. Jayne had a deeply appreciative relationship for his Vera’s skills. It really added beautiful dimension to his character. So did his excellent taste in hats.
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Bleeding sap: When Tiernan lets Beth cut the stem of the ‘bleeding’ plant, the result is based on dragon blood trees. Their sap really does look like blood. I wanted that wild detail somewhere.
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Na’rith Baby Batter: The inspiration behind the Na’rith’s arousal is a Coconut Coffee Shower Scrub. This stuff smells delicious! (Note: the accompanying delicious taste is only fiction because sadly, weirdly, in real life, this stuff just tastes like soap. Crazy!)
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Lyatubmar fruit: This was based on Lychee/Rambutan fruit. Bright red, creepily hairy, they’re just all-around Whoa, how alien! These are some seriously weird-looking tasties. We had a lot of fun the day we sliced them open and popped them out of their hairy shells (husks? Skins? Sacks?) for the first time. XD
***
For the music lovers...
Just for fun, here are some Songs for the Stable:
Ekan: Friend Like Me by Robin Williams in Aladdin https://amzn.to/2IvSCJ3
Oquilion: Yours If You Want It by Rascal Flatts https://amzn.to/2F1WmRE
Qolt: Scream by Usher https://amzn.to/2KaOCRk
Tiernan: Count On Me by Bruno Mars https://amzn.to/2MDzWfA
Prow: Why Should I Worry by Billy Joel https://amzn.to/2IA7Cp4 (Yes, from Disney’s Oliver and Company (a Disney animated spin on Oliver Twist :D) and Just the Way You Are https://amzn.to/2KD5Eaa by Bruno Mars.
Beth has two songs. The first is Symphony Fantastique by Hector Berlioz https://amzn.to/2KDYanq (a theme song in the movie Sleeping with the Enemy, where a survivor of domestic abuse flees her cruel husband and later devises ways to cope when she encounters the triggers of her terror). And Fight Song by Piano Guys (filmed at gorgeous locations in Scotland if you see the video https://youtu.be/mOO5qRjVFLw). Check out their album cover art because it’s a hilarious nod to their love of the INDIANA JONES MOVIES, how fabulous is that?! (Charming the cobra with the cello bow cracks me up every time, ha ha! XD) https://amzn.to/2WyDX4Z
Swipe on for some cures if you have a bookhangover!
Cures for a Book Hangover
What is a Book Hangover?
/bo͝ok ˈhaNGˌōvər/
noun
a severe condition caused by an engrossing book reaching its end, which causes the reader to become quite distraught. The only pleasant cure is to find a new, equally absorbing book, thus the reader becomes quite ensnared in a mostly-welcome but quite vicious bookcycle.
Example:
"I binge-read Kristen Ashley’s Fantasyland series, and now I have a bookhangover. When will Dax Lahn of this world get with Circe?! I NEED IT."
To help you recover if you desire a cure, here is a list of book recommendations. GOOD LUCK, MY FRIENDS! =:D
Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie. This is my favorite story of hers, because Fred. And Alex, with his inside-out shirts and adorable shorts (I know & love someone with his fashion sense! ;D). But mostly Fred: https://amzn.to/2WUd7IA
As discussed earlier, the Three Sisters Island Trilogy by Nora Roberts:
https://amzn.to/2K6NsXc
(Just Nell’s book if you’re only looking to dip a toe in: https://amzn.to/2K6xaNQ )
Also as mentioned earlier, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (Siebold is a secondary character who gets screentime in many of her Mercy Thompson series’ books):
https://amzn.to/2FayHi7
The Princess Bride by William Goldman https://amzn.to/2K6LjL3 (And you know what? The movie adaption is worth the watch. It is one of those rare productions that does its book proud: https://amzn.to/2Iyu0zq)
After An Alien Nanny for Christmas released, I started getting notes from readers who were surprised and delighted to find out that Gwen’s not kidding about an entire genre revolving around Amish romance. LOLOL! XD Yes, it exists—it does, and it’s got a HUGE following! Curious to try it out? This is what Gwen’s talking about when she says these books are tragedy bingo bingefests. At the time I’m writing to you, Book 1 is currently free in this series: ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS by Beverly Lewis https://amzn.to/2WZgoGq
“Why aliens?” I get asked this a lot. It all started at a Scholastic book fair with a handsome, blue centaur-like alien with a scythe tail, eyestalks, and who had an adorable addiction to Cinnabon. Don’t start with this book in the series, but click on this link to see what his hot also-alien father looks like: https://amzn.to/2IsQ1j2
(And this is a weird cover—the original covers of the ‘90s were much cooler, and much less terrifying. Here’s a link to Book 1 in the series if you’re curious: https://amzn.to/2F1uJbk)
My adult blue-alien pleasures are Ruby Dixon heroes. Speaking of, HOT NOT-HOTH COVER ALERT!!! Have you seen this?!! <*Drool emoji belongs here*> https://amzn.to/2K7wh7N
The Gorison Traveler Incident by Laurann Dohner was a great read! https://amzn.to/2EYNJXN
Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata was another hit! https://amzn.to/2IzfgQy
(Technically, this one’s not out yet in ebook *yet*, because it’s exclusive to audiobook until October.) Getting Played by Emma Chase: https://amzn.to/31kmsZL
Book 1 in the series is available in both formats though, and here’s the ebook: https://amzn.to/2F1wuWa
Books & Audiobooks by Amanda…
Arokh and Angie’s story ebook: https://amzn.to/2A6sH9T
This book is also available in Audio, narrated by the talented Nick Cracknell: https://adbl.co/2N7WXHF
Zadeon and Callie’s story ebook: http://amzn.to/2EZEitg
> Audiobook voiced by Nick Cracknell: https://adbl.co/2Nx8WxR
(WARNING: This one has some Dark times. This couple’s love is beautiful though, and they get their Happily Ever After.)
Brax, Tara, and Tac’Mot’s story is here: http://amzn.to/2FeuFGl
(Audio coming soon!)
(If you had to classify this one, it’s almost Reverse Harem. This is an MFM book, which means there are two (alien) guys and one woman but it’s not *quite* menage, because Brax is a Rakhii, and you know this means he doesn’t share his female. Slight problem: his female is bonded to Tac’Mot.)
Dohrein and Gracie’s story: https://amzn.to/2Qn4lwo
Audiobook voiced by Nick Cracknell: https://adbl.co/2s6gN96
Blind Fall, the standalone story that answers the question you’ve all been asking me: “Is the guide dog okay?”
Spoiler: She’s MORE than okay. ♥ This is Breslin and Sanna’s story. If you read this one, I hope you have fun.
https://amzn.to/2PvoaAm
Audiobook narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton: https://amzn.to/2WImX17
A fun side project *Not* related to the Stolen series:
Valos of Sonhadra Series
Alluvial, Book 1: https://amzn.to/2OhfX33
Tempest, Book 2, written by Poppy Rhys: https://amzn.to/2uPfihv
Galvanizing Sol, Book 3, by Amanda Milo & Poppy Rhys: https://amzn.to/2AgxDZE
About the Author
Amanda Milo is a collector of the randomest trivia. Did you know that Kiwi fruit plants have separate genders? You need both in order to make Kiwi fruits happen. Isn’t that cool??
She’s concerned about river otter bite pressure—she hasn’t had a chance to test this out, but frankly, this is the part that’s holding her back from appropriating and testing the relocation (aka wildlife theft) of a small family of adorable river otters.
