November News

Happy November to all the Readers and Fellow Authors!

Writing News

This month Im keeping track of my writing word count since I've noticed that I haven't been meeting my usual goals. Inspired by November being National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, I've set up a little counter on my Writing.com portfolio and hope that will light the fire under my behind to get some works in progress done. So far I did my 2,000 words today! Anyone interested in joining in at the official site check out: www.nanowrimo.org  

Upcoming Events

Join me in celebrating the works of Carol McKenzie who recently passed away after her battle with cancer. Her publisher, loveyoudivine, and her fellow authors will honor her with a live chat on November 14, 2009. Carol was the inspiration behind the anthologies Cowboys and Men. She was a talented and business minded author who wasn't afraid to delve into several different genres of erotic romance. I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to know her and have her inspire me to step outside my usual writing norms. Over the years I have both designed cover art for her, and edited many of her stories. Her very first anthology completely penned by her, The Ex-Factor ,contains her interracial works, one of which was the first I critiqued in my writing group. The story, Taneka's Cowboy ,went on to become a best seller. The chat will be held 12-8pm Eastern time on loveyoudivine's Yahoo Group . Hope to see you there.

If you are looking for a hot spot to meet new authors and pick up some books to read, stop in at this month's Anastasia's Author Party in Coffee Time Romance's Latte Lounge. The Author Party is for any author to drop in and let readers know what's going on in their writing world. There are always silly questions, hot excerpts, interesting stories, sometimes recipes, and many times freebies or fun games to take part in. The next date for Anastasia's Author Party is November 21, 2009, all day long. If you plan to attend and never have before, please download the informative PDF Coffee Time has provided which will help you get started. It's on my website at www.RabiyahBooks.com under the Author Party link. It is very important that you create your account well in advance of the chat day to ensure that you are able to participate. Don't be on the outside looking in. We want you in there with us!

That's all I have planned so far this month. If you need a break from life, stop by my site and pick out a new story to read.

Anastasia Rabiyah

www.RabiyahBooks.com

Carol McKenzie

I began writing for publication thinking I wanted to only write fantasy works. Through my online critique groups I met a wonderful lady and fellow author named Carol McKenzie. We exchanged many reviews over the years and at one point I was her editor at Forbidden Publications. She encouraged me to keep writing and her reviews of my stories were always helpful and packed with advice that only someone who has been there done that could share.

Carol offered help to many aspiring authors. She has helped authors create websites, given them her ideas about how to promote their books, and shared so much of her experience if only to keep those new authors on the right track. She was a friend that helped me on my way to publication too.

I found out this morning that she passed away not long after finding out that she had lung cancer. She will be missed. I am thankful to have known her and to have benefited from all of her advice and encouragement. I am thankful also that I played a small role in her writing career by serving as her editor and cover artist in so many of her projects. Her first print book completely authored by her, The Ex-Factor, was one that I had the privilege of having designed.

Carol McKenzie - you will be missed.

You're Invited August 15th, 2009

Hi Everyone!

Tomorrow, August 15th, 2009, is my monthly all day chat at Coffee Time Romance's Latte' Lounge. I'm inviting readers and authors from all over. Authors, we want to know what inspired your stories. Was it an old flame, the love of your life, a stranger on the subway? What caused you to write your latest and your backlist of books? We want to know!

Stop in sometime tomorrow. The chat will be going on ALL DAY LONG and the coffee will be fresh. I'll be hanging out in the lounge waiting to hear from you.

Latte Lounge Link: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=435 

Also invited are authors from Amira Press, Purple Sword Publications, Sugar and Spice Press, loveyoudivine Alterotica, Whimsical Publications, and all the members of The Muses Three Yahoo Group!

Anastasia Rabiyah
www.RabiyahBooks.com

Life is a Whirlwind

Whew, I feel like I can't keep up with all the things I want to get done. I'm listening to Michael Jackson and still in shock that he's gone. So much beautiful music that he still had to make. There is never enough time. That's how I feel today.

For any out there following me, I have my hands in too many pots (as my mom would say), and I hope you learn from my mistake in doing that. Don't bite off more than you can chew or you'll be chewing for a very long time.

Nevertheless, I keep at it.

I have three releases this month: Last Kiss of the Clan Dancer and The Skeleton's Shadow at www.PurpleSword.com, and A Walk Between Worlds at www.AmiraPress.com. In each story I do see the theme that a reviewer once wrote I always include in my stories: Love is redemption. She said it right, and I had no idea I've been writing that theme into everything until I read her review. In my life that has always been an underlying theme. Love changes things for the better. It makes us who we are, and makes us want to strive for more. Love is the force that gives us the courage to reach for the stars. Love means that we are accepted just the way we are.

I hope that you have someone that loves you, that lifts you up when you're down, and that pushes you toward your dreams when you feel like you can't reach them.

New Release: A Walk Between Worlds

Dear Readers,

Today, I have a new release for you which is available at AmiraPress.com. I was asked to write a story for an anthology about winged men, and Kolar Darkwing was born. Cast off as an infant in the burning pits, he was taken in by an evil demon king and trained to kill as he grew to adulthood. A rare cross between demon and angel, he belongs nowhere and is loved by no one. A Walk Between Worlds is a high fantasy set in a world fraught
with demons and tangled up in a three way war. The unlikely love found between Kolar and the outcast Telen princess Treila will warm your heart, and the fiery attraction neither can deny is sure to warm you in other ways.








A WALK BETWEEN WORLDS
by Anastasia Rabiyah
Published by Amira Press 

Treila
is the second born twin and heir to the Telen throne after her sister’s
untimely death. Her sister, whose magic was of the light, of faith,
love and hope, was the one intended to rule Telen, not Treila, whose
magic is so obviously of the darkness. Faced with having to wed the Nor
King in order to save her city from destruction, she leaves Telen,
hoping to discover what became of her sister. She ventures to the
cliffs of Plemae where the angels dwell, for it was a dark angel who
stole her sister away, but before she can get any answers, she is
captured and brought before the demon king in the sky palace. There she
is thrown into an unwieldy alliance with the very dark angel who
kidnapped her sister—Kolar, now an outcast traitor for standing against
his master. Together, she and her enemy must escape the demons and
return to Telen before the full moon and the Nor King’s attack. As much
as she wants to hate Kolar, Treila can’t deny her heated attraction to
the dark winged angel despite who he is and what he has done to change
her life.



EXCERPT:
 
With both hands he heaved the door shut on his former
prison. Out of breath from the adrenaline in his veins, he knelt beside
the woman and tenderly brushed her cheek. “Are you . . . all right?”
She didn’t respond. He ran his fingers over her body to check for
injuries. Satisfied she was unharmed in any noticeable way, he turned
her on her side.


Even in the dim light, he knew her face, the curve of her
cheek, the pout of her full lips. Her eyes flickered and opened,
fixating on him. “Minai,” he whispered, incredulous. “How can this be?
I saw him kill you.” He traced her throat to be sure. No line or scar
marred her perfect dark skin. But her long hair had been chopped short.
He lifted her hand and placed her palm to his cheek, hoping to feel the
light inside her wash over him.


“I know you.” Her voice was low and pained. “I know you.” She
blinked and tried to sit up, pulling her hand away. “Bastard!” She
slapped at him. “Get away from me, you monster!”


He stood and stepped away, watching as she got to her feet.
The clothes she wore were not the finery of the Telen princess he had
stolen. Streaks of war paint and dried tears stained her cheeks. Her
full lips were drawn in a dangerous snarl.


“I’ll kill you for what you’ve done!” She charged at him, her fists curled tight, her eyes narrowed.



He remained still, standing in place to take each blow she pounded
against his chest. The strikes were nothing compared to the pain he
sensed in her. She had suffered because of him. He suffered, too. Their
pain and loss were the same, but he doubted she would see that.


The woman beat on him until she grew weary. Her breaths choked
with sobs, she finally stopped and stood there, eyeing him with hatred.



“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I didn’t want Minai to die. I had
hoped . . . when I saw you here . . . that she . . . that you . . .” It
was no use. She was not the woman he had stolen. Minai was lost, dead,
forever a reminder of something beautiful and good that he passed into
his master’s hands.



“Why did you take her from me?” She sobbed and raised a fist again, holding it in midair.


“Because my master told me to take her.” He bowed his head. Her
hand slapped his cheek, knocking his face sideways. He deserved much
worse.


Outside the room, the sounds of hooves clopped across the
stone floor. Someone was coming, perhaps just a guard checking in on
those prisoners in the torture rooms. Perhaps someone worse. Kolar
raised his face. “Let me take you from this place.”



“I don’t trust you.” She glared at him.



“You must. There is no one else, and someone is coming.”