I have so much to share with you this post! Okay, here goes...
First off, Rekindled is officially live on Amazon. It will appear in the near future on Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iBooks (Apple), and in paperback as well. Woot! I'm so excited for you to read Alex and Grace's story.
Thirdly, I've received the rights back to 4 of the 5 books in my Suspense Series, and have revised them. Some are already up for sale in both digital and paperback, and hopefully all of them will be available in both formats by next weekend.
Here are the gorgeous new covers and the scoop on the new editions:
Book #4, Relentless: ditto, although it's not expected to be up at retail sites until late next week.
Book #5,Absolution: my favorite book of the series! I've tightened it and tweaked a few things. I love the cover image of Luke with his distinguished head of gray-streaked hair, and Em wearing her long wig while she faces her brave battle with breast cancer.
I hope you love this new look for the Suspense Series as much as I do! I'll be holding a Facebook and Twitter party to celebrate the release of Rekindled in about 10 days, so stay tuned for more details!
This weekend I went up to B.C.'s wine and lake country (our Okanagan region--the city of Kelowna, specifically) for a mini family reunion. I got to see several uncles and a bunch of my cousins that I rarely get to spend time with, and I had so much fun! One uncle's mother-in-law is married to a former US Marine, and I got to chat with him yesterday morning at the family breakfast we had.
He's from Arkansas, so he's got a charming Southern accent and all the swoon-worthy manners to go with it. Add in his time in the Corps, and I was in love with him in about three seconds. We talked about all sorts of military stuff, including his two tours in Vietnam. Such an interesting man, and a real sweetheart despite everything he's gone through. He and his wife live in Oahu during the winters, so they invited us to come stay with them and show us around all the historical sites. Um, yes please! Being shown around Pearl Harbor and all the other spots with a decorated former Marine? That's my idea of a great time.
He had to leave the Corps suddenly after 21 years of service, having attained the hallowed rank of Master Sergeant. For the latter part of his career, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, just south of Los Angeles. We passed it on our way from Disneyland to Legoland this past March, and I was so excited to see a Chinook and two Black Hawks flying close to the highway.
So there we go, Kaylea has a new crush :) My hubby just smirked and shook his head at me yesterday at breakfast, but he doesn't seem mad or jealous, lol.
Got home last night and received word that both Cover of Darkness and No Turning Back have finaled in the 2011 Aspen Gold Awards! I'm kind of surprised that those two books seem to be the ones judges like best. I really think Relentless and Absolution are the best books in the series, but perhaps it takes the first few books for readers to understand the characters and story arc enough to make the last two books shine. Hmm. Something to ponder for the future if I ever do another series.
Have any of you out there met military veterans that have made an impression on you? Would love to hear your stories.
Yesterday was one of those rare days when everything went right. I sent off edits to my Carina Press editor in the morning, and got an e-mail just over an hour later saying that not only had she read and approved all my changes, but she was going to send it straight to copy editing. In the publishing world, that's light speed fast. I'm kind of proud that we didn't need to do a second round of edits.
Later on I came home after running errands to find two more e-mails from my editors, both asking for new stories from me. That tickled me immensely. I even received the preliminary cover for Deadly Descent yesterday. It's very hot, and I'll show it to you as soon as it's approved.
Last but certainly not least, I found a message on my answering machine from the coordinator of the Kiss of Death RWA chapter's Daphne du Maurier Award contest. This is pretty cool, because she was actually my cabin mate last year at the Wild Rose Press's retreat in Texas.
Anyway, she'd personally called me to say that Cover of Darkness was a finalist! The winner will be announced at RWA Nationals in NYC later this month, just like the National Readers Choice Award winner will be. Had I known I would final in these prestigious contests, I would for sure have attended Nationals! I'm so bummed. To think I could have sat with Roxanne St. Claire and Brenda Novak--twice--and schmoozed with NY Times bestselling authors.
I'm thrilled by this, and sales have been going very well for my little series this past month (truly, ever since Osama bin Laden was killed), especially Cover of Darkness. I assume it's because my hero is a SEAL, but maybe word of mouth has spread from readers who judged my entries for the Daphne? Not really sure, but I'm loving it!
Look what I got in the mail today! I know, wearing this necklace makes me a geek, but I don't care. I'm a Civil War nut and proud of it, and besides, General Lee and I share the same birthday. That makes us kindred spirits. And now he can hang around my neck and help me churn out more pages! He graduated at the top of his class at West Point, after all, and was a master of organization. If anyone can whip my muse into shape, good old Marse Robert can.
I've just finished reviewing galleys for my first erotic romance story that will be published under a different name, but no word yet on a release date. I've subbed the 2nd story of that series to my editor over at TWRP and hope to hear back soon. The two others I have with Carina Press won't be out until winter this year.
In other news, another side benefit has come about since the death of Osama bin Laden. Since that day--literally--Navy SEAL romance books have seen a spike in sales. Including mine, Cover of Darkness. Actually, the whole series has seen a bump in sales this past month. I couldn't be more thrilled about that, and I hope my new readers will learn something about the various branches of the Spec Ops and Special Forces world that they never knew before. That's my favorite compliment to receive (other than the readers loving the story and my characters, of course)--that the reader appreciates the effort I've put into research for each book. I know I won't always get all the details right, but I hope I always get most of them right :)
With my desk pretty much cleared off, I'm back working on my CCT novel, Crash and Burn. Again, I've had more great input from my CCT contact (thank you, A.L.!) and it's just a matter of getting the words down now. Hope to finish off the draft within the next couple of months.
How's everyone doing out there? If you're in an area prone to tornadoes, I hope you and yours are keeping safe and warm. My thoughts go out to to those affected by these horrific storms this year.
I'm finally home, safe and sound after all the excitement of my trip, and I'm glad to be able to put my feet up for a while. That was a wild vacation, for sure. A tsunami, a 4.6 earthquake on the big island, then exposure to some low level radiation all the way from Japan in California the day we left. Yup, home's looking pretty good right now.
In writing news, I got word last week that Carina Press has acquired my latest naughty novella I sent them, tentatively titled Touch Me. Very excited! I love being accepted :) Have to say, writing these spicy novellas has been really fun, but after finishing this next project for TWRP, I've got to get back to my Bagram Special Ops trilogy and finish Crash and Burn. I've left my poor hero in the midst of a night-time HALO jump deep behind enemy lines, and that's just not right.
Starting today, the fabulous bloggers over at Guilty Indulgence Bookclub are featuring me on their blog for the entire week! I'm very flattered by that. I'd love some company over there, so feel free to drop by and visit with me. They're going to feature the books in my romantic suspense series and I'll talk more about why I love to use special ops soldiers as my heroes. But really, what's not to love?
Also, I'm being featured at author CR Moss's blog as well, and I'm giving away a copy of Cover of Darkness there.
Last but not least, both Cover of Darkness and No Turning Back have been nominated for best romantic suspense of 2010 by The RomanceReviews. If you'd like to vote for either of them, please follow this link.
Hope to "see" some of you at these sites this week!
I'm anticipating line edits for Deadly Descent in the next week or two, and in the meantime I'm working on another short hot story for Carina. That's a lot of fun, but today the awesome Katie Reus is hosting me on her blog, as part of her 30 Days of Danger and Secrets party. I'm talking about Special Operations and why I love writing about them, specifically why I use those elite soldiers as my heroes. Kind of self explanatory, I think, but I know there are people out there who don't share my love of the subject. (Blasphemy! Who are they? I want names and e-mail addresses!)
Today I'm featuring Cover of Darkness, but the winner can choose any book from my backlist. Stop by and leave a comment to enter!
Over the weekend I got word that Ben has finally bested Dec in this little rivalry going on between them, and he's pretty damn smug about it. In the few contests I've entered both books, so far they've jockeyed for position in the top three, with Ben tying or coming in second to Dec. But this time, No Turning Back has won the 2010 Laurel Wreath Award for best romantic suspense, and Cover of Darkness came in third. So now they're even. Of course that's not okay with either of them, though. Hopefully a tie breaker will decide this at some point in the future, but for now the boys will just have to cope.
So Zosia, if you're reading this, Ben's preening with a huge grin on his face.He's so high maintenance. Even after I've finished writing about him he's still a handful. Some things never change I guess :)
This morning I was notified that two of my books, Cover of Darkness and No Turning Back, have both finaled in the EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) eBook Awards Contest.
I'm very excited about this, since both of my entries finaled and that gives me a better chance of placing in the top three. Plus it's a big contest for our corner of the publishing industry.
Relentless and Absolution didn't qualify for this year's contest, but I hope to enter them next year. Winners aren't announced until March, and at this point I have no idea how many other finalists there were in the romance with mystery/suspense category. You can be sure I'll inform you of where I placed when the time comes.
In terms of writing, I had a pretty great weekend. I submitted my first erotic romance novella, and on Friday I got word that Romantic Timesgave Relentless a 4 star rating with a glowing review, so that was pretty great. But as of about twenty minutes ago, something even better happened.
I just found out that Cover of Darkness won first place in the romantic suspense category of the Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Awardscontest! I get an engraved trophy and everything. And, as if that wasn't reason enough for me to think about drinking a celebratory mojito (because I rarely touch alcohol), No Turning Back won second place. You know what? I'm totally okay with coming in second to myself :)
I had my suspicions when I wrote the books that COD was the best of the series. I love NTB too, but it's really graphic and I wasn't too sure how readers would feel about that. I'm so happy people are loving my books! Luke's is due out in a couple months, so I've got high hopes for that one too because it's the most emotionally wrenching of the five. Guess we'll have to wait and see what the consensus is.
I haven't gotten a trophy since my last years of competitive softball in my mid-twenties, but you can bet I'm putting this one right on the mantle in my bedroom so I can see it every day. It's going to come in very handy for those days when I doubt my ability as a writer. Fingers crossed that people will love Absolution as much as I do! Now let's hope this will help generate a few more sales for this series :)
Just got the word that both Cover of Darkness and No Turning Back are finalists in the romantic suspense category of the Heart of Excellence Readers Choice Awards (held by Ancient City Romance Writers). The contest moves into the final phase of judging now, where librarians and booksellers make the final decisions. Winners aren't announced until September, but I'll keep you posted!
Getting a good review is a huge relief for us writers. It affirms that a) we can in fact write our way out of a paper bag, and b) that someone out there liked our stuff. At heart, I think most of us are pretty insecure and sensitive creatures. Why is it that negative criticism carries so much more weight than the positive? Even if the positive is 90% or more of the feedback you receive?
Just last week a writer acquaintance of mine stopped by for a visit, and we got talking about writing. He's not a romance fan, but he did read my first book out of support and maybe curiosity. Anyway, I'm sure he was trying to be helpful, but he went on to tell me all the things I could have done to make it a better book. It could have been he was trying to point things out to help strengthen my future projects, but really, why tell me all of that when the book's already been published and there's not a thing I can do to change it? It's not perfect, of course not! It was my first book, after all. But it also won an RWA published Laurel Wreath award for best romantic suspense of 2009, so it isn't awful.
In happier news, I have received several glowing reviews so far for Cover of Darkness. Trust me, I so needed some good news right now in my writing world, so they couldn't have come at a better time. I'm going to post a couple of lines here for future reference, when I might be tempted sometime in the future to strangle myself with my laptop power cord because my writing isn't going well :) And because I realize not all the feedback I'll receive in the future will make me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Wonderful. In Cover of Darkness Ms. Cross did exactly what a writer should do. Almost from the first page I wanted to be the heroine even when danger and chaos lurked around every corner. I admired Bryn’s dedication to a father she rarely saw, her strength and determination to do whatever it took to survive, and her compassion. Mostly, I envied her opportunity to be rescued by several hunky men. Although Dec is obviously and spectacularly the hero in this story, the other men who circle Bryn like satellites should not be disregarded. In fact, I suspect they won’t be. Cover of Darkness tells Bryn and Dec’s story, but it also drops tantalizing hints about the lives of several others and left me wanting more. I enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to see whose story is next. Well done, Ms. Cross.
The many intriguing secondary characters and their motivations, the subterfuge, hate, and the love make Cover of Darkness a breathtaking and a heartbreaking story of life in a war zone and what it takes to survive. The price is sometimes high. The excitement, fear, and horror keep the adrenaline pumping at top speed as the story unfolds. How love survives and even thrives in such times is a mystery and a miracle.
Kaylea Cross’ writing style plunks the reader down into the middle of the action, traitorous deals, and the horrors of war as she mines the best and the worst of human nature to create a phenomenal love story.
Reese over at Night Owl Reviews gave it 4 stars and a "top pick rating". She said:
Kaylea Cross writes romantic suspense at its finest. She does an amazing job bringing to readers an exciting new Navy Seal romance. Dec was HOT HOT HOT. The details in the story were believable and there is a great blend between the romance and the military details. Readers will also be sucked into Luke Hutchinson's own personal problems. Cross is an author to keep your eyes on.
(Yay, because Luke is my favorite and I want everyone who reads my books to be sucked into his personal problems!)
And while this is not exactly a rave review, a reader from Nights And Weekends wrote:
At the beginning of the novel, I was tempted to compare it to Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series, which is also about Navy SEALs. But as the novel progressed, I saw that I couldn’t compare the two. Cover of Darkness is very pro-America and pro-military, whereas Brockmann’s novels are written from more of a liberalistic viewpoint, which doesn’t accurately portray the military mindset.
Unlike Brockmann’s “heroes,” Declan McCabe would never be caught dead questioning whether or not Americans are the good guys or why they were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first place. He might be concerned about, say, collateral damage, but he never doubts his mission. I will grudgingly admit that Brockmann is the better writer, but I feel more connected to Cross’s characters because they think more or less the way I do. I also think that Cross writes far more believable military men—men who think the only good “tango” (terrorist) is a dead tango. But Cross is also very careful to show “good” Muslims, the people who live their day-to-day lives by the actual teachings of Islam (there is one elderly woman who—despite grave danger to herself—shows compassion to Bryn) and not the more twisted fanatical teachings.
(Okay, I'm just tickled to be somewhat favorably compared to Suzanne Brockmann, one of my favorite authors of all time. Who'd have ever thought that would happen?)
That's it so far, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for other good reviews in the future.
Okay, if you've never seen Tribal style belly dance before, this is going to look mighty odd to you. It's an edgier, slinkier version of belly dance, and in my opinion, the hardest form to do. Let alone do well.
The costumes are a wild and funky fusion of Gothic, tribal and urban elements. The music has a techno edge with a heavy beat. And the dance itself? It's belly meets break dance. The muscular control this takes is unbelievable, and you can take my word for it. I started out with the Egyptian style (cabaret style, mentioned in earlier posts), but this form intrigued me from the first moment I saw it. It's so sinuous and sharp at the same time. Mesmerizing. And really damn hard. Ever tried moving your rib cage independently from the rest of your body while remaining absolutely still everywhere else? It's called a rib cage isolation, and if you want six pack abs, this is the exercise workout for you.
Try this: stand with your feet hip distance apart and bend your knees slightly. Tuck in your butt and hold your abs in by sucking your belly button back toward your spine. Nope, nope, you can't hold your breath. Keep breathing. (This is hard enough already, right?) Now move your ribcage to the right. Just your ribcage. Hold your spine, head, and lower body completely still. This is called a rib cage slide. Try a set of ten. Keep practicing. Hard, eh? Feel the pull/burn in your upper abs and between your shoulder blades? You haven't let go of your lower abs, right? Uh oh. Busted. Gotta keep holding everything tight to be able to isolate the muscles and make the movements crisp and sharp. Now move your ribcage to the left and do a set of ten. Try moving it outward (forward, by sticking your breasts out) and then back (contract those upper abs so your ribcage sucks backward). If you're feeling adventurous by this point, try moving your ribcage in a smooth circle without moving your hips even a fraction of an inch. Uh-huh. Feel all those muscles pulling that you never knew you had? Good. Now imagine being able to isolate every part of your body like that and you'll have the merest inkling of appreciation for what these dancers can do.
One of the most famous tribal dancers is Rachel Brice (excuse me while I have a fan girl moment). I haven't had the pleasure of seeing her live yet, but I own about four of her teaching DVDs and my abs scream every time I use them. Love it.
Here's a clip of Rachel from a few years back so you can see what I mean. I want you to watch this with an open mind if it's your first time seeing this dance form. Pay special attention to her abs and the way she can isolate one part of her body in a lock while the rest of her remains absolutely still. Really. You have to see it to "get" it.
Okay, so even if that style isn't your cup of tea, you've gotta give it to the woman. Have you ever seen abs like that in your life? She's a vegan (which explains her extremely low body fat percentage) and a massage therapist (yay us!). What stuns me the most is her muscular control of her abs. With a lot of practice I was able to learn to "roll" my belly up and down, but not nearly as smoothly as she can. I can even isolate my upper abs from the lower ones and do some belly locks, but I've never seen anyone who could isolate their abs into three or four separate zones like Rachel can. She's slinky and snakey and strong all at the same time. And even with all that makeup and harsh costuming, you've gotta admit she's pretty damn sexy. Whew. Wish I could move like that!
Here's another clip, and this time I want you to watch how flexible yet amazingly strong she is. Guess that comes from her years as a devoted yoga teacher/practitioner. Jeez, maybe I should get into the yoga thing.
Is your jaw hanging open? Did you see the part when she bent in half and then fell back to the floor (on purpose)? And then got up without using her arms while still managing to look graceful and sinewy? I mean, crap-on-a-cracker, man. The mind boggles. FYI, In Cover of Darkness Bryn does that same move (because she's got abs just like Rachel), using a blend of Egyptian and tribal styles in the scene where she's onstage performing for Dec in the crowded club. If that kind of display wouldn't raise a man's blood pressure, I don't know what would.
I'll probably post more about tribal style belly dance later, but I hope I've made you admire the sheer talent of these incredible dancers.
I'm over at Naughty Author Chicks today talking about my latest release, Cover of Darkness (have I mentioned how much I love this story?). I'm giving away a digital copy to one commenter, so stop by if you're interested in entering the contest.
I'll be checking in periodically, but less so between the hours of noon to 4 pm PST, because we've got a very important hockey game going on here in Vancouver today (a little match for the gold medal between our boys and the Americans). GO CANADA!!!
Today is the official release date for Cover of Darkness! It's available in both digital and print formats from my publisher. Hope everyone loves Bryn and Dec's story as much as I do, and I hope it keeps them up late turning the pages because they just have to find out what happens next.
Blurb:Targeted by a terrorist cell, Bryn McAllister survives a bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut only to be left to die in a desert cellar. When she is rescued by Navy SEAL Lieutenant Declan McCabe and his team, Bryn must rely on the handsome officer to get her to safety. But just when she thinks the nightmare is over, family friend and legendary CIA operative Luke Hutchinson recruits her and McCabe to help track down the terrorist mastermind responsible for the attack.
With Bryn determined to see the terrorist brought to justice, Dec joins up to protect her, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep her safe during their dangerous mission. Battling the explosive attraction between them, Dec fights to keep his distance from her so he can do his job and keep her alive. But when plans falls apart and Bryn is captured, he must make the agonizing choice between his duty as a SEAL and the life of the woman he loves.
Excerpt: We’re not going to make it. Instantly Dec grabbed her and pushed her into a darkened doorway, shoved his gun in his waistband and lifted her leg to wrap it around his hip. She gasped, grabbing his leather jacket to steady herself, staring up into his shadowed eyes. What was he doing? They waited, listening, their bodies pressed so closely together she could feel his chest move as he breathed. His body heat warmed her, his fresh scent enveloping her. A minute ticked by. Two. He didn’t ease up from her. She quivered against him, part fear, part arousal, and his body responded. She held her breath and stared into his face, their gazes locking. A muted voice floated through the darkness. “A woman…dressed in a dance costume. Did you see her running this way?” Arabic. A muttered reply followed, then the footsteps resumed. Closer with each passing second. What were they going to do? She tightened her fingers on his shoulders. “Bryn?” She swallowed, afraid even though he was protecting her with his body. Or rather, because of it. “What?” “Go with this, okay?” He didn’t give her a chance to reply, just took her face in his hands and leaned down to cover her mouth with his. She gasped, and he took advantage by angling his head, sliding his tongue along her lower lip before stealing inside. Her fingers clenched as she arched upward, a moan of confusion escaping as he explored her mouth with skill. Shouldn’t they be running? His mouth was so warm, and he was so good her eyelids fluttered down. A thumb swept over her cheekbone. His other hand trailed down her throat and over her shoulder, sparking electricity in its wake. She made a murmur of protest, not understanding how she could be responding to him, under the circumstances. The treads on the sidewalk grew louder, but he continued to kiss and caress her as though they were about to fall onto a bed somewhere, as though they weren’t in mortal danger. She shook in his embrace, torn between wanting him and the fear they would be shot dead any second. When his hand slid down over the curve of her breast, she gasped into his mouth, eyes flying wide as those footfalls grew louder and louder while her body trembled under his touch. “Shhh,” he murmured against her lips. “Kiss me back.” Footsteps echoed. Their pursuer was almost on top of them now.
I'm over at Skhye Moncrief's blog today discussing some of the research I've done on military special ops for Cover of Darkness and the rest of my series. Pop over and say hi!
In keeping with my belly dance theme prior to the official launch of Cover of Darkness, I've interviewed a very talented B.C. belly dancer and instructor, Wendy Williams, of Get Bent Yoga and Belly Dancing in Penticton. I was lucky enough to take a workshop with her two years ago, and we learned some tribal techniques that were awesome. I'm looking forward to learning more about that style, plus the workout I got with Wendy left me sore for days. It was awesome :) Get Bent teaches three styles of belly dance: Bollywood, Tribal Fusion and Modern Egyptian. I asked Wendy to describe the three styles for us so you're not confused (and FYI, most of what I know is Egyptian style). So without further ado, here's Wendy.
WW: Bollywood Dance: Get Bent created the Bollywood Belly dance style by bringing in Classical Indian Dance Teachers, as well as Punjabi and Ragisthani Choreographers, to share the arms, eyes, posturing, music and of course, costuming. Using all that information as influence, the hip, torso and traveling movements have stayed rooted to belly dance, but the "top" is loaded with Indian dance. Bollywood music has a quicker and bigger tempo. Done to Bollywood movie music. Bollywood performances usually incorporates theatrics and story lines. The costumes are very bright, loud and sparkly. They move in all directions and are full of texture.
Tribal Fusion Dance: Tribal Fusion at Get Bent is very isolated, slinky and intense. Rachael Brice's work-
KC: Sorry, had to interrupt. OMG, I love Rachel Brice!
WW: Her work has been an influence. It's done to industrial, modern, heavily mixed music. The dance brings the audience attention to the torso, and the ability to isolate and control the body. The costumes are dark with a contrasting colour and focus on movement and straight lines. No noise (coins etc). The whole focus is to highlight to isolation of the body.
KC: Just a side note for my audience, but Rachel Brice's abs and muscular control over them are mind-boggling. (More about her in an upcoming post)
Egyptian Dance: Modern Egyptian is commonly referred as the Ballet of Belly dance. It is the classic elegant, light and flirty style. Traditional Egyptian and, more commonly Arabic music are used. Arabic music has more of a modern sound and is easier for audiences to relate to. In classes Get Bent dancers also train with drums, and zills as the middle eastern rhythms learned in this style are a foundation for all other styles. Egyptian is pretty and soft. Also very graceful. The focus can be on technique, but mostly it's just a simple and pleasant dance to watch. These costumes are very put together. The skirt and top are usually a clearly matched set. There is lots of beading and again, minimal noise. This style is not commonly used on stage, but in more intimate restaurant locations.
KC: What got you started in belly dance and then Tribal style?
WW: Get Bent started 8 years ago in Alberta. My mom belly danced - I absolutely did not.(We had many arguments in the living room while she tried to teach me) There were a few people that wanted to have a belly class, and at that point the studio was offering yoga and other dance classes. My mom couldn't teach but I was good at it, and I couldn't dance but she was good at that, so we decided to do it together. She would demo and I would explain and break things down. It worked surprisingly well, and I also learned how to dance. It was a very interesting few years.
KC: Tell us about your company.
WW: As previously mentioned, Get Bent has been around for a while. There are three programs here at the studio. 1. Adult classes - Yoga, Belly in the three styles, Salsa etc. 2. Youth and Teen Programs - Belly, Cheer, Drama 3. The Get Bent School of Performing Arts
The School of Performing Arts is of most interest to serious dancers. There are five troupes. People audition, and once accepted, they then spend the year learning dance techniques in the three styles, learning many elements regarding how to perform, and they also rack up the performance experiences.
Tour Group - This is the stage production that travels throughout BC. The tour show is 45min, and we partner with a local group in every city we visit. The tour is put on by the Get Bent Active Arts Society, a non profit organization that uses the tour to bring a high caliber show to smaller communities that perhaps don't have the exposure to this style or level of dance. By offering workshops it can help increase the instructor skill and talent base in each community. The society offers the opportunity for funding to teachers and students of all communities and active arts disciplines to improve their craft. It's a great way to have youth exposed to arts. Belly dance is so good for young girls. Delivered correctly, it can be such a valuable tool for self esteem, self respect, and artistic development. If anyone is interested in a donor/sponsorship package, the studio can get you in touch with the Active Arts Board. 1-250-462-1025.
KC: Yeah, belly dance is amazing for self-esteem! Worked wonders for me, let me tell you (remember, I told you writers are introverts! Belly dancers don't have that luxury, so it forced me well outside of my comfort zone).
Tell us about this YouTube footage.
WW: This clip is a promo for the 2009 season. It just highlights some of the pieces and shows the variety of costumes, music and performance style.
KC: Who are your favorite dancers?
WW: Nath Keo from Sacred Centre Dance Company would be my absolute favorite. After belly dance became a focus for the studio and the system of the school was started, myself and the other faculty made the decision to come together and form our own style and grow our own ideas to the fullest.
For the first three years we did not watch videos of other dancers, we didn't go to shows of other groups, we didn't study with anyone but ourselves. It was really tough because the community of belly dancing is so fun - but we wanted to get settled with our style and branding before "venturing out". The idea being that we would develop our own style free of influences. By bringing in specifically select teachers -Usha Gupta-(Kathak Classical Indian Dance), we formulated our own clear vision, only being exposed to what we though we should include. That time has of course long past, and as mentioned before Rachael Brice's work has become an influence to the tribal style. I enjoy her performances a lot.
KC: Any suggested DVDs or CDs for interested belly dancers out there?
WW: Get Bent has a great multilevel DVD. 1/5hr class. Different levels, 5 routines, easy to follow. Voiced over discussions about dancers as they perform Their strengths, what makes them special etc. There is also a rhythm section of musicians so anyone can dance by yourself and not follow anyone. Contact the studio for more information. Ahh....shameless marketing....
KC: Tell us about your upcoming performance/workshops.
WW: Right now the Society has booked us for: Penticton - The Hamlets -1 show Feb 24th Penticton - Clealand Theatre -1 show March 6th Victoria - Metro Theatre -2 shows on March 13, workshop on the 14 - Sacred Centre Dance CO. Duncan - Garage Showroom -show on the 15, workshop on the 16 - TBA Creston - Creston Hotel/Resort -1 show March 20th Cranbrook - Stage Door - Workshops April 9 and 10 (plus show) Kelowna - TBA -1 show April 24 Vancouver - TBA The workshops vary, depending on what the local group we partner with thinks is the best fit for the community. This season the options are:
Bollwood: Bollywood song and dance can be best described as enthusiastic, high energy and for everyone whose ever seen a Bollywood movie…..Cheesy. Bollywood Belly dance is Get Bent's trademark style. It is energetic, vibrant and exclusively taught at Get Bent. Bollywood Belly dance is a truly unique blend of Belly Dance, Bhangra and Classical East Indian Dance.
Arms and Posture - Stretch and Strength Arms and posture are the defining factor that elevates top performers. This can only be achieved when there is adequate knowledge of the structure of the upper body and a clear understanding how these muscles groups function and affect the posture and presentation of dance.
Yoga for Dancers Even the most basic of yoga practices will benefit dancers, however, as with any intense and specific exercise there is a risk of injury due to over use and muscular and postural imbalances can develop. Having a yoga practice that addresses these concerns specifically can be of even greater benefit to improve technique and physical development and to keep injuries to a minimum and injury recovery time to a maximum.
KC: Thanks Wendy! Best of luck with your tour, and I hope I get to take another workshop with you. I love the way you kick my butt ;)
At long last, the second book of my romantic suspense series with The Wild Rose Press is available. Cover of Darkness is in print right now, and the digital release will follow on Feb. 26th. I'm so excited! It feels like forever since Out of Her League was released, and I can't wait for everyone to meet the rest of my cast of characters.
This is Bryn McAllister's story (whom you met in Out of Her League), and while I realize I'm slightly biased, I love her to bits. She's definitely an alpha female that knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to go after it. You'll see what I mean ;) Click here to purchase the print version. I hope you enjoy it!
By now if you've been reading my blog you know what a research nut I am. My second release is due out next month, and I thought I'd share some research I did for Cover of Darkness. It features a Navy SEAL, so of course I devoured about a half dozen books on SEAL training and past missions, including Lone Survivor, which is still one of my favorite books. The heroine is Bryn, from Out of Her League. She's half-Lebanese, and moonlights as a belly dance instructor when she's done her day as a social worker. I was already pretty familiar with her from writing the first book, but I knew squat about belly dancing other than what I'd seen at Greek restaurants. So, naturally I signed up for classes. Turns out there are different kinds of belly dance, but I started with cabaret style, the kind most people are familiar with.
I started my classes about a month or so into the drafting phase, and I loved it. Loved. It. My second son was only eight months old, so on top of getting me out of the house for some exercise away from the gym and giving me some adult interaction, it gave me the best ab workout I've ever had. Even better than the core classes at the gym. And there's something intensely powerful about belly dance. Want to feel ultra feminine and erotic? Try belly dance. I'm telling you, there's nothing better to get in touch with your inner diva than shaking it to Shakira (also half-Lebanese, by the way). It's empowering.
I loved dancing so much that I wound up caving in and performing for a while, which my husband loved :). And before you all point out the obvious, yes, I realize I'm in desperate need of a tan in these photos. After performing for a while, however, I wasn't enjoying it as much anymore. Too much pressure for something I'd taken up as a hobby. Let's face it, I had more than my share of pressure during my years as a competitive softball pitcher facing national and international-level batters. Dancing was meant to be fun, for crying out loud. I didn't want to be stressing over memorizing complicated choreography and worrying about wardrobe malfunctions. So I stopped.
But I missed it. Not the performing, but the dancing. I missed feeling sultry and alluring and strong all at the same time. Missed moving to those heavy, exotic beats and getting a fabulous workout that didn't really feel like a workout. So I started up again last week, and I'm loving it. I adore feeling that burn in my abs and butt again! My hubby's pretty excited, too. I'll be posting more about belly dance as the February 26th release date for COD approaches, but I'm hoping I inspired at least a few of you to give it a try. There are some good DVDs about belly dance instruction if you're too chicken to join a class. Rachel Brice and Jillina are two of my favorites,so you can check them out online. I once took a very intense one day seminar from Jillina, and was sore for a week afterward. It was awesome :). We learned new combos and layered different movements while using veils. Very sultry and mysterious. In a later post I'll talk about a Tribal belly dance seminar I took, and maybe even get the fabulous teacher to do a post. She's amazing!
Today is a gorgeous day in Vancouver, and the sun is sparkling off the water in my little town. After I pick the big guy up from school later, I'm going to take the boys for an ice cream and walk on the pier to see the purple starfish that like to cling to the rocks at the end of it. It's little warmer than usual for mid-January, so warm the cherry blossoms are coming out two months early. That's going to look a little odd to the world when they see coverage of the Winter Olympics in a few weeks' time. But hey, I'm loving it, since January is usually so gray and rainy. And to burn off the ice cream, I'll do some shimmying and locks later on. Now get out there and dance! If you've never tried belly dance, do. You won't be sorry :)
NYT and USA Today bestselling author of edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense.
I love military alpha male heroes, dark chocolate, the Civil War, gardening, belly dancing and baseball (but my heart belongs to the Boston Red Sox).
I also write steamy romances as Callie Croix.
Hasn't it just been forever?
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A.B.
*Hi Rejects*: It's been three years since I posted last. I've struggled
with Long COVID all these years and am finally feeling much better.
Sympt...
Falling for Bella release day
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*FALLING FOR BELLA IS OUT!*
*Her enemy proposes a fake relationship to help save both their businesses.
If they can pull off that Halloween miracle, may...
Tactical Strike Blog Tour
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Only one week until Kaylea Cross's newest military romantic suspense book
comes out! To celebrate, she's doing a blog tour for Tactical Strike and
giving a...
Look what I got in the mail today! I know, wearing this necklace makes me a geek, but I don't care. I'm a Civil War nut and proud of it, and besides, General Lee and I share the same birthday. That makes us kindred spirits. And now he can hang around my neck and help me churn out more pages! He graduated at the top of his class at West Point, after all, and was a master of organization. If anyone can whip my muse into shape, good old Marse Robert can. 
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