Thursday, February 16, 2012

Musa Blog Hop



There's a I Love Musa Blog Hop going on from the 16th to the 19th where the writers are telling everyone why they love Musa and drawing attention to some of their favourite works. To start the hop and read mine drop by my website. There's also a chance to win my m/m contemporary romance to receive as soon as it's available in August.

Pop along to http://www.sharonbidwell.co.uk

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Fancy a free read?

The latest Changeling ezine is out and I have an Encounter in it: that's a free short read for those of you who don't know. Pop along to A Cheeky Changeling and download 'Something Special' to get to know Peter and Christopher from my book, 'All Washed Up' available from Changeling Press.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Faerie

When Adam overreacts to his mother's matchmaking owing to stress, and insults an old friend, little does he know he's closer to the truth than he thinks. Calling Lane a fairy isn't the slight he thinks it is. Adam has very clear ideas concerning the type of man he's attracted to, and Lane isn't it.

Little does he know he's also goaded the other man into acting on feelings long suppressed. For both of them what they feel during sex and afterwards, brings more than a little magic into their lives. If they can survive their own mistaken beliefs and prejudices, and outside threats, they might just find something lasting together, and Adam might have to change his mind over the importance of physical attraction and what it means.

While Adam's shop burns around him, can he salvage more than the precious items for sale?


Footnote: As of a couple of weeks ago, I received my release letter from AMP. All titles previously released by them now revert to me. I will continue to support the other writers in the matter as much as possible until they are satisfied, but for me I consider the matter closed.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Texture of Winter

Winter has textures. Soft and sharp. Rough and smooth. For one woman, winter has always embodied a feminine persona. Now, seeking an embrace as ultimately forgiving as that of a mother's love, she wanders a bleak path leading to an end that is at once brutal as it is loving.

A work of experimental fiction from our short story line The Lab.

Click on the cover to go to the publisher's site to purchase.





Excerpt:

Strange that winter should be feminine.

The world had turned white, yet that was untrue; it held so many more hues than milk, or chalk. There was grey in the pallor. Some of the scenery looked dull. Elsewhere, it looked so bright that it sent a sharp pain stabbing into the eyes. Hints of blue, purple, and rose refracted the light. The sun tried to pierce a grey dawn, but the clouds sent its rays back in defiance.

She felt cold. Tears once cried became frosted gems. Reaching up with stiffening fingers, she brushed at the frozen moisture on her cheek and gasped in surprise to stare down at the diamond that came away in her hand. Nature had studded the landscape with similar crystals.

Bending, she scooped up some of the ice to place on her tongue; it melted in the heat of a moment. She swallowed more, holding so much in her mouth as to make her teeth ache. The sensation flooded out into her face. When the pain made her moan, she swallowed what remained, the cold so fierce it burned her throat. The ice trickled all the way down inside, amazing her. How strange to feel something having felt numb for so long.

She kicked off a shoe.

To step onto the ice felt like walking onto cold steel. The ache quickly penetrated her foot, sunk down into her flesh in search of bone. The muscles of her calf began to tremble.

Leaving another shoe behind, she started out barefoot.

(c) Sharon Bidwell

Thursday, October 13, 2011

BLOG HOP

Anyone following the weekly Alternative Read Blog Hop please pick up my answer on my WEBSITE.

Thanks.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

A Heartfelt Plea

Please don't buy any of my titles published by Aspen Mountain Press. Although it sounds like and even feels as if I'm shooting myself in the foot, the fact that I'm not receiving royalties from this publisher means I'm doing the opposite.

I'm not receiving royalties (which were already in arrears when they ceased). I'm not receiving calls. I'm not receiving emails or anything in the mail. The owner, Sandra Hicks, hasn't even appeared on the AMP authors' official loop for sometime -- has even banned authors from there possibly coincidentally after they have spoken out and ask pertinent questions. When she did stop by it was to make statements that did not address the serious issues her writers are asking her. Issues including why do out of contract works -- in some cases MONTHS out of contract -- continue to be sold despite repeated pleas from the authors for them to be removed. In the last email I received from Sandra Hicks I was promised two of my out of contract works would be down end of September quarter, and yet they remain up for sale. I can only speak for myself and comment on things I've seen and heard, but I have been assured by many of the writers at AMP that they have received similar promises in the past all to no avail. I have emailed Sandra Hicks to tell her I do not wish to be associated with a company dealing in illegal practices -- I have received no reply.

Fortunately, many of the subsidiary sellers have been paying attention and are starting to remove AMP books from their sites. The owner of AMP has failed to respond to them as well, and I'm assuming they also have to consider the long-term legal implications of breaking copyright. A heartfelt thank you goes out to them from all the authors involved.

Do not purchase my titles. You will be putting the proceeds into another woman's pocket, not mine. Should you stumble across any AMP titles by other writers I suggest you contact those authors or read their blogs to see if they feel the same.

When cases such as these occur there's often split reaction as to whether the authors should remain silent or not. My view on this is that it 'depends'. Certainly in the beginning one tries to reach an amicable solution with the publisher, but when a publisher goes AWOL what can one do? AMP is now listed at many warning sites and in all conscience that is a relief -- the 40+ writers mired in this mess would hate for any newbies to walk into this. So please, if you're considering submitting to Aspen Mountain Press, I must advise you to think twice…and then a third time and a forth. You'll save yourself a lot of heartache.

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Trouble at Aspen Mountain Press

I will not be issuing anything except factual personal statements, and my hope is not even to do that.
For those of you wondering what is happening at Aspen Mountain Press, please see this post at Writer Beware: http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2011/09/trouble-at-aspen-mountain-press.html