Authors After Dark

Authors After Dark is coming QUICKLY and OMG this year is going to be INSANE!

As always AAD is about the readers, and the amount of awesome we have put together for you this year, you would be INSANE not to attend….

First, our amazing Master of Ceremonies is none other than Alexandra Ivy! She will be doing a cool little event to celebrate your favorite gargoyle, Levet on Friday! Wanna know more? Check out the FB group where Alex will be talking about the awesome that she has going on!

Torquere and authors BA Tortuga and Julia Talbot will be Sponsoring our Welcome event, the Midnight Rodeo… And it looks like We will have some VERY COOL goodies and… Riding… happening… *SNICKER*

How about Parties? This year we have a special event called the Leather and Lace Ball! Curious? We thought so! Take a ride on the wild side and let your inhibitions fly with five New York Times Bestselling Authors of erotic romance. Cuffs and corsets encouraged.

With:

J. Kenner, Liliana Hart, Carly Phillips, Janelle Denison, Jasinda Wilder and Lorelei James

The ladies will be talking more about this on the FB group starting soon!

New for 2014 is the Paranormal Party! Join over 20 Paranormal authors who will be giving away goodies, some books and hanging out with you to snack and chat! Wanna know what authors are involved? You will have to join the FB group to see!

And of course, we have the amazing Masquerade Ball! This year it’s the SINS AND VIRTUES BALL! Are you a sin or a virtue? Join us for a wild costumed event! Prizes for the best costumes, including a 200$ gift certificate to Lori Ann Costumes!

Your Sins and Virtues Sponsors:

Sin Lust
Boone Brux
Opal Carew

Sin Pride
BA Tortuga
Andrew Grey

Sin Envy
Stella Price
TJ Michaels

Sin Gluttony
Desiree Holt
Saranna DeWylde

Sin Greed
Ann Mayburn
Heather Long

Sin Sloth
Lizzie T. Leaf
Julie Morgan

Sin Wrath
Stacey Kennedy
Marianne Morea

Virtue Charity
Kerry Adrienne
Trista Ann

Virtue Chastity
Jenn LeBlanc
Annabel Jospeh

Virtue Humility
Milly Taiden
Donna McDonald

Virtue Kindness
CJ Ellisson
Alexandra Ivy

Virtue Temprance
J. Kenner
Sidney

Virtue Diligence
Denise Grover Swank
Jenna McCormick

Virtue Patience
Lousia Bacio
Kallypso masters

And if THAT isn’t enough awesome that will be going on… This year we have an amazing off site costumed event… the Ladies on the Green event sponsored by the AAD Anachronistic Society! This will be an hour and a Half on the famous GREEN in Charlotte (a half block from the hotel). It will be a Costumed event (though Costumes are not required they are encouraged!) to celebrate Gothic, Victorian, steampunk dark historical literature! Your hosts will be: Sahara Kelly, Amanda McIntyre, Leanna Renee Hieber, A.L. Davroe and S.A. Price. Prizes and readings will happen, as well as photo ops!

And NEVER forget the Amazing Open bar with Mel Schroeder and friends! They have SO MUCH awesome set up for you just before the Bookies… you do NOT wanna miss that!

Getting excited yet? How about some info on the AWESOME mini events we have going on? Ready?

On Wed. Night,  Join Sasha White and Joey W. Hill for a wild party and Q&A, Also, the Blind Date Book Party will be open to start your con right! (If you have never done a BDBP, you are MISSING out! You need to attend, Get your blind date book, find the author that wrote it, and hang out with them!)

Thursday?  Panels up the wazoo, and the Bookie Awards----- goodies and books to be given out! The hangout with The GNO girls lead by CJ Ellisson and Boone Brux for some crazy fun! And if that wasn’t enough?  Readings and a Blogger Sleepover party as well!

Friday? More panels, a games carnival with Nina Gooden and Pals, Name that Author with Cat Johnson, and some other fun surprises!

Saturday? A few panels, the Big ass booksigning with 100 authors,  the Cowboy Stampede party, the Readers Mad Tea Party with Hildie McQueen, An after the bookies event with a special publisher sponsor, And Jess Michaels’ Birthday extravaganza!

SEE? SO MUCH AWESOME! All the authors that are involved with parties will be talking about their involvement on the FB group, so join up and get ready to rock.

Oh? You say you’re not registered for AAD yet? You need to be! All registrants get put in the hat for the welcome party prizes, and these prizes are AMAZING! Breakfast with authors, Booze and Books, side trips to Carrowwinds…. We have a minimum of 90 special prizes…. So…

You need to rock this con! And as if this wasn’t enough…. AAD will be giving away something really awesome to registrants…. Wanna know what?

How about 5 VIP registrations for THE NOVEL EXPERIENCE 2015 in LAS VEGAS? YES… 5!

And…

How about this… If we hit 100 more registrations from TODAY April 10^th to June 10^th, we will give away 2 AAD registrations for 2015…  2!!!!! So get registered, get your room and get ready for one HELL of an amazing year with us!

 JOIN US! WE CANT WAIT TO HANGOUT WITH YOU!

AAD REGISTRATION

Stella and Audra Price Risktaking Romance (Also writing as Dagmar Avery)

Crashing the Boards--Seduced by the Game Charity Anthology for Cancer

Here's a sneak peek at my contribution to this anthology due to be released next week.

Chapter 1—Shutdown

Cooper Black skidded across the ice on his ass and slammed into the boards behind the net, taking the puck with him. The Boston defenseman was on the puck like Coop’s old tabby cat attacking the neighbors’ chickenshit dog. Cooper scrambled to his feet, digging the blades of his skates into the ice, trying to get his balance, only to fall again. Stevich fought like a crazed man, gaining control of the puck, and executing a perfect pass to his center.

If Cooper hadn’t been so preoccupied with keeping one eye on the clock winding down and the other on the puck, he might’ve seen the Russian coming on his blind side. He might have had one more chance on goal, one last desperation shot for a tie to send game seven of the semifinals into overtime.

Only he didn’t get that chance.

The final buzzer sounded.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to end with Boston celebrating on the Giants’ home ice. His five-year-old nephew skated better than he had tonight. Struggling to his feet, Cooper skated around the victors and headed for the locker room with his head down. Boston moved on to the Finals, and his team moved on to prepare for next season. Always next season.

He couldn’t avoid the press blocking his exit. Too weary to put up a good fight—he’d left all his fight out on the ice—he patiently answered their inane questions.

How do you feel after coming so close but coming up short?

“How do you think I feel?”

What are your plans for the off-season?

“Take a few weeks off for my body to heal and go back at it.”

How many more seasons do you plan on skating?

“Heck if I know.”

And so it went, he’d just managed to extricate himself from the bloodsuckers when the Giants’ PR guy pulled him off to the side. “There’s a group of kids from Make-A-Wish anxious to meet you for pics and autographs.”

Cooper almost said no. He was that tired, but he never said no to kids, especially kids with disabilities. He’d never forget his childhood hero walking right past Cooper and his little brother as if they didn’t exist despite their pleas for an autograph. They’d waited outside the visiting locker room shivering from the cold for what seemed hours, and the jerk couldn’t take one minute to make two small boys’ dreams come true, completely destroying Cooper’s image of the man. Cooper would never be that guy. As long as a kid wanted a moment of his time, he’d give it.

Several minutes later, he put on his best team captain face and yanked open the locker room door. Despite how miserable he might be inside, he’d never let the guys see him defeated or discouraged. Cooper paused in the doorway and swung his gaze around the solemn locker room. He’d attended funerals more cheerful than this.

“What the fuck is going on? Who died?” Cooper faked a grin he didn’t feel and strode into the room, the picture of upbeat confidence. There were too many young guys on this team to let this setback get them down.

No one even looked up at him.

“Hey, guys, we'll get ’em next year. We were that close.” He held up his hand using his thumb and forefinger to illustrate just how fucking damn close they'd been to winning that last game and making it to the Finals—the dream that had eluded him for thirteen years.

Finally, Cedric, his best buddy on the team, lifted up his head and rubbed his beefy, scarred hands over his face. Heaving a deep sigh, he turned toward Cooper. Cedric’s stricken expression struck fear deep in Cooper’s gut. “They fired Coach.”

“They? Who the fuck is they?”

“Our new ownership.”

Cooper stared at his friend, certain he’d heard wrong. “New ownership? I've been gone from the locker room thirty minutes and we lost a coach and gained new owners? You guys are playing me.”

Ced just stared at him.

“Right? You're bullshitting me. Isn’t he, Crandall?”

Crandall glanced up and then buried his head in his hands again. The young guys wouldn’t even look at him.

A cold shiver sliced through him. They weren’t shitting him.

“What new owners?” Sure, there’d been all sorts of rumors, but there’d always been rumors. He’d been with this organization since he’d come up from the minors, thirteen years ago. And he’d heard every rumor known to man until he quit listening.

“The Puget Sound Hockey Alliance.”

“That Seattle group that's been stalking every team with a shaky fan base and money-starved owners?”

“The very one.”

“They do have deep pockets, so that’s a good thing.” Cooper forced himself to remain positive. The team’s now former owners had been douches that bled the team dry.

“Sure, if you like rain.”

Cooper sank onto the bench. “No.”

“We’re moving to Seattle.” Cedric confirmed his worst nightmare.

Cooper’s future turned as dismal as a gray Seattle sky. He knew all about Seattle weather. As a kid, he’d been forced to spend a few weeks there every summer with a crotchety old aunt. He hated it there, swore it was one place on earth he’d never live.

He looked at all the down faces in turn, and the truth was reflected in each one. “We’re going to Seattle.” He said the words with such despair, a guy would think he’d been sentenced to death row. In his mind, he was.

As captain of this team, he should be singing Seattle’s praises, waxing poetic over the billionaire owner, and convincing the team this was the best thing that had ever happened to them.

He wasn't that noble. In fact, he was fucking pissed.