On behalf of all the team at Between the Covers, I’m here to wish you a fabulous holiday! We hope today brings you lots of smiles, fun and pleasure. Let it be the right holiday for you, whether that is a big family day, snuggling up with a loved one, or a quiet day with a good book.  Happy Christmas everyone!
 

My first full-length novel, DOUBLE DARE, has been out for two months now. An exciting time! One of the new experiences that happened following on from that is that I’ve been interviewed by a number of different people over the last few weeks. It’s been a rather strange experience for me, I must admit. I’m quite a shy person, and I honestly think it should be all about the books, not me. Sure, I have to speak for the books, but maybe you know what I mean.

As well as my contemporary fiction, I’ve also got my first fantasy novels coming up next year, which means I’m being interviewed from all angles. For example, tomorrow I’m doing an interview for a UK magazine focused on how the erotic is becoming mainstream. Alongside myself as the writer in the feature, there is going to be a woman who is an adult filmmaker, and the owner of an erotic underwear company. Should be fun! I was recently featured in a local paper, and that one was very much from a “my dream career come true” angle. Another one I did was for a fantasy publication, looking at my start as a fantasy short story writer in the mid-90’s, to a full time writer, writing across genres, ten years later.

The one I’ve felt was most about DOUBLE DARE is the featured interview at the Erotic Authors Association this month. I’m so honoured to be there!! The interviewer, Pamela Weatherill, an Australian writer, had some great questions about the novel. If you’ve read the novel, or you are interested in strong heroines in contemporary erotic fiction, you might be like to take a look. Here’s the link.

Meanwhile, wish me luck as I gather my thoughts for the next interview!   It’s a funny old life being a writer!  

I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in England, but I never turn down the chance to join in a celebration!  So, to spin the fun out a bit longer, I’m going to run a giveaway today.
 
I’d like to give thanks for my writing career, and all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way, including the Berkley Babes here. Friendship across the miles means such a lot.
 
Leave me a message in the comments and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of SUGAR AND SPICE, an anthology of erotic short stories published in 1997. This is where I started out! My first paid publication is in this book, which is also the very first Black Lace short story anthology “by women for women.” The book is long since out of print and hard to come by these days. This is my last spare copy! Help me celebrate 10 years of writing by leaving me a message, and have your chance to win.
 
I’ll pick a winner at 10pm GMT time, 5pm EST.

UPDATE: Many thanks for all your messages and your interest in the book. I wish I could give you all a copy! I got my Real Life Hero to pick a number between 1 and  11. Congratulations to number 2, Tammy G, who wins the book. Mail me: saskiawalker @ gmail . com (with no gaps) with your postal address. Thanks again, everyone!

I’m very excited about the next novel I’ll be working on, but I’m having a difficult time deciding on my hero’s name, so I thought I’d ask readers to help me decide. 

The novel is an erotic paranormal thriller entitled RAMPANT. It’s set in Scotland, but my hero is what I call a "citizen of the world," he’s British by birth and education, but has travelled because of his career, researching the occult, challenging misuse in the dark arts while also nurturing interest in pure, pagan magic. His character is to the occult what Indiana Jones is to archaeology – a kind of hands-on sleuth expert with a talent for being on the spot with the heroine in his arms when bad things happen!

We recently had a bit of an experiment on the home front, so I thought I’d share it with you, for fun.   My real-life hero, Mark, got us a starter kit for the automated home. He’s always trying to find new ways to make life easier for me, (no really,) and this was the latest. He pointed out how great it would be to have the ability to phone home after being away, and turn the heating or the oven on remotely. Me? Well I had visions of the place being on fire by the time we got back, or the house (and us) being taken over by "the system," (too many sci-fi movies,) but I kept my thoughts to myself. I’m always game for a bit of fun, so I went along with it. 
 
When the package arrived he was like a little kid, running around doing god knows what with bits and bobs. After a while he came downstairs with a remote control in his hand and asked me to observe. After pressing a button on the remote, what sounded like the CD player in my office, (upstairs,) came on, and I could hear loud rock music blasting out for the cat’s benefit. I was impressed! This was great fun. I couldn’t imagine why I would want to put my CD player on in my office from downstairs, but Mark had said this was just a demo.  Next up, the real thing. The remote control came into play with our bedroom light. Instead of having to stumble in the dark, Mark said, I could now switch lights on from bed. I smiled encouragingly. I didn’t tell him that the first thing that comes to mind when I look at a remote control is the hours of my life I spend looking for them down the back of sofas, etc etc. Let’s face it, they are never where they are supposed to be, are they? To cut a long story short, the result of that part of the experiment is that we are back to using the light switch, which never moves, hides or gets lost.
 
The most exciting part of the starter pack was a movement sensor that would automatically switch the light on when you come into a room.  Mark suggested we put this on the upstairs landing, so that we wouldn’t have to fumble for light switches on visiting the bathroom in the night. It would automatically illuminate the landing, making our journey across it so much easier.  Now, there wasn’t a remote control involved in this particular part of the procedure, and I could see the little red light flashing on the sensor that he fitted to the banisters. I couldn’t immediately find any flaws in this plan, and although I usually don’t bother with lights at all if I get up, I was quite hopeful that this part might actually be useful to us.
 
That night I half woke and moved in the bed, at which point Mark said, “don’t forget that the light will come on automatically.”  I was merely rolling over in my sleep at the time, and nearly leapt out of my skin.  He claimed he was trying to stop me being startled…  by the light… 
What the heck, I was awake… I might as well go to the bathroom.  So up I got and trundled off on my usual eyes-shut-route across the bedroom and out onto landing. Past the red flashing light I went, (I peeked,) and into the bathroom.  I was just about to shout out, “it didn’t work,” when the light came on.  Hurrah! He shoots, he scores!

Did my business in the bathroom, came back out onto the brightly lit landing, got three steps across it and the light went out, dropping me into darkness after I’d just got accustomed to the light.  How odd, thought I. Not only that, but I’d made it back into bed when the damned thing came back on again, having sensed me on my way back. Programmed by a joker? Maybe.
 
Mark said he’d look at it the next day.  He did. After several experiments (hours) moving the sensor, walking about on the landing and so on, he told me that for optimum effectivity I needed to get out of bed slower, and do my business quicker. My response?  Yes, you’ve guessed it: “who is being automated here, the home, or me?”

The other day I had the TV on in the background while I sorted through paperwork, (one of my least favourite jobs, hence TV on in the background ) The show was the 100 top-selling singles of the last 50 years, or some such compilation.  We’d got quite high up in the charts, when “You’re the one I want” from the film Grease came on.  The film was a total favourite in my teens when I first saw it, (like a lot of us, I suspect,) but I hadn’t watched it for years. They had various media people chatting about the film, the song, and the singers, while showing bits of footage. I remembered it in detail, lyrics and all, but had forgotten the huge impact of the ending, you know – the bit where Olivia Newton John turns into a complete sexpot. 

As I watched it, I remembered how I felt when I saw it as a young teenager.  I recall that I thought it was wonderful that John Travolta’s character was changing for her, but - oh my - when she transformed into that ultra-sexy, confident woman, and he was literally bowled over, I got such a buzz.  I bet I’m not the only one?
 
When I put the proposal for my forthcoming KINK novella, Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape, to my editor, she said that she loved my strong, sexually confident, independent heroines.  I never really thought about it before, because it’s just a part of my view on what modern women should and can be. Not bad girls exactly, but bold and assertive. When I watched the transformation of Olivia Newton John and remembered how I had felt in the cinema the first time, I wondered if that’s maybe where it had taken hold. I always love to analyse how this stuff gets in my head.  Sandy was an absolute sweetie before the transformation, but I got to say. I totally admired the woman who had the man at her feet… 
 

 

       

Next week is the official publication date of my first Berkley Heat novel, DOUBLE DARE.  You can see the sexy cover over on the right, with the gorgeous red-haired cover girl wearing the black leather corset. The book has already started shipping from some online sources, and will be on shelves soon.  This is my first print novel, and I’ve got to tell you it’s both exciting and nerve racking!  When an author is at this stage of the process the book is out of our hands, and yet the connection is so strong, because of the desire for it to be a fun, entertaining read for any readers who might pick it up. 
 
I’m surprised how anxious I am, to be honest.  My Real Life Hero, Mark, isn’t surprised, though. I think he knows me better than I do myself.  He foresaw this, and in a true act of heroism booked us a few days away from home, the very week the book was due out. Now, when he first announced this, I was horror struck.  What, go away from home, without my PC, the very week my first novel is due out?  Are you mad?! 
 
He just smiled knowingly. 
 
It began to sink in. Yes, he is right. I do need to get away and celebrate. I’ve been working towards this for a long time, haven’t had a break for ages, and stressing by my PC won’t really help at this stage.    That’s when it occurred to me how truly unique the most romantic gifts are.  Mark recognized what would be a special thing to do for me, something that would be fun and romantic, as well as meaningful in my life at that moment. 

He took a BIG risk, though, didn’t he?    I could have got really annoyed, I might have even insisted he cancel it or move it to another week. One of the things I love about writing romance heroes is putting them into these dreadful angst-ridden dilemmas, where they have to decide how the heroine is going to react to a decision or situation. Naughty me! I do this to Zac, the hero in DOUBLE DARE, so it’s quite appropriate that my lovely man has gone through this dilemma over the past couple of months.  Yes I am smiling here.  
 
Here are some snippets from the advance reviews for DOUBLE DARE.  If you pick up the book I hope you enjoy the story!
 
For those fans of Ms. Walker’s shorter works, you will immediately fall in love with Double Dare. From the emotional interactions of the characters to all of the heart stopping sex, this book is a brilliant romance that has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. Caye Kim, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Outstandingly sexy and superb, this red-hot romance is a fast-paced tale that will leave your head spinning. Romance and intrigue are the bases for this story, with exceptional characters and some interesting secondary characters that will amuse and entertain you. A witty dialogue and some sizzling sex scenes are woven in, tying this all up together for one magnificent read.  Wateena, Coffee Time Romance
 
These two characters are a perfect match and the combustible love scenes throughout the book serve to underscore their compatibility. I also enjoyed the unique flavor that Saskia Walker, as an English writer, adds to all of her books. Serena, Fallen Angel Reviews

I’m on the run up to the release of my first Berkley Heat novel, DOUBLE DARE. Just a couple of weeks to go. It’s an exciting time for me! I’ve been working towards this for years, at first with short stories then moving to longer work, learning all the time. To see my first print novel come out is the most amazing experience. In view of that, I thought I’d say a bit about why I write erotic fiction. 

Let’s zip back a good few years, to when I first started reading romance. I was 11, and I happened to pick up a Barbara Cartland novel in my Catholic girls school library. (Yes, you’ll find all the clichés are here, naughty catholic girl, etc) The novel was called STARS IN MY HEART, and reading it was a truly pivotal moment for me. I adored the story. You won’t find me being embarrassed by the Dame; we owe her a lot. What’s wrong with being pink and fluffy anyway? I do pink and fluffy, I just wear it with lots of black and shiny too  

So, the Dame set me off on the road to romance. I read avidly and widely, lots of spy stories – James Bond and Modesty Blaise — but from that moment on there was always a good bundle of romance in there too. I like the adventurous stories: Russian counts rescuing maidens, or humble secretaries whisked away to exotic resorts. You know, the glamorous stuff. 

There was only one problem. I’d be glued to the pages, but as soon as the author described the hero’s broad shoulders looming closer and the heroine’s fluttering breath, followed by a description of the flames in the fireplace, and then cut to the heroine’s blissful happiness, naked in his arms in bed, I was perplexed. I turned the pages back and forth, looking for the missing scene. I wanted to know what exactly had brought about this state of ecstasy in the heroine. Had some unscrupulous reader torn the pages out? I really did check, because it didn’t make sense to me. (Yes, I was naughty and somewhat innocent too, a lethal combination LOL)

Seriously though, sexuality is part of human nature, and for writers like me it just doesn’t seem right not to include sexual relationships in a story about intimate relationships between people. It’s part of what being human is about, and the most basic as well as the deepest of human emotions and experiences can be found and portrayed in the act of physical love. Moments of conflict, too, can be profoundly moving during intimacy. In erotic romance, it’s an integral part of people exploring each other, responding to chemical and physical attraction, falling in love and expressing that to each other. I also write erotica with sex for fun, and there it’s about adventure, the thrill of the ride, the danger of the unknown, the heady pleasure of decadent sex - all those things that call to the wilder side of our souls. As well as contemporary set stories, I write fantasy, and paranormal too, but in all my work you’ll find lots of naughty goings on.  Speaking of which, as I glance over at the cover of DOUBLE DARE in the sidebar, I’m noticing it looks as if the guy on Julia’s THE BARGAIN and my cover girl could just reach around and turn into each other’s arms. LOL Is that just me?

Click here to read an excerpt from DOUBLE DARE

We all have bad days, you know the sort, where nothing seems to go right and you wish you hadn’t got up at all. Here in Yorkshire, they call it a “mare” of a day, like a nightmare. I like that description. It happened to me last week. My printer died at the most inopportune moment, just as I was trying to print out my RWA membership form. On top of that, I couldn’t find the most recent version of a file I needed, and my email kept bouncing. I was having a “mare” of a day. In fact after a couple of hours of accumulative chaos, I was ranting like a crazed old crone. Not a good state of creative mind to be in.   I knew what I needed to do – get out of the house. So I drove out across the moors to visit a small village about 12 miles away from where I live, Howarth. Isn’t it pretty?

Do you ever take a moment to consider what life would be like, without books? I often do, and it’s scary. Around the desk where I write, I have quotes and images pinned up to inspire me. One of them is a picture of a big old comfy armchair. On the arm of the chair is a book just waiting to be picked up and read.  The slogan says: "a book is the best friend you can have." Well, it’s a different kind of friendship, I can’t see my book collection coming out on the town with me.    But it’s so true.  A book is always there, ready to share, and opening up that first page is like walking over a threshold into a different world. 

I grew up an only child, a total bookworm. My parents travelled and we lived all over the world. We bought and borrowed books in some amazing places, from a ship’s library, to the dusty library in a British consulate in the Emirates, an odd collection of books left behind by other ex-pats. I still remember my horror at reading H. G. Wells THE TIME MACHINE, and the possibility that in the future there would be no books, they’d rot away to nothing and people wouldn’t even know that experience.

It’s really no shock that I became a writer myself, and when I found that readers were enjoying my stories, I was thrilled to bits. I’m also a bit of a book horder, are you surprised?   I’ve been better about it recently, but there are several shelves of books I could never part with.  I’m going to name just one book that I go back to again and again, and that is WINTER ROSE by Patricia McKillip. Awesome. The story and the writing literally enchant me. I couldn’t part with it. Every book I read enriches my life, but some become part of it. Do you have a book you return to again and again, or one that you couldn’t part with?