Mark Alders New Shiny Website

It's official: I have my own website (still tinkering with it so feedback would be most welcome. There is lots of stuff I still want to put onto it, but my main goal was to have a clean easy to read website) There will be lots of give-a-ways and heaps of interactive stuff included, too. I'm so excited to finally have my OWN website *grin*

http://www.markalders.com

There is a blog attached to this site, too, and all content will now be posted at this new 'official' site. My wordpress, tumblr and LJ account will be consolidated onto my new website.

http://www.markalders.com/mark-alders-blog. php

Click on the blog and enter my halloween competition. You have a chance of winning any one of my books :-)

I am still on twitter, so friend me

http://twitter. com/Markalders


Thanks all

http://www.markalders.com

Halloween Competition

I think it’s time I did a giveaway!

Now, seeing as Halloween is fast approaching, I thought it may be a good idea to hear from you—my readers—about any scary stories you may have that has happened to you. Just for a bit of fun.

It can be about anything, from actual ghosts and things that go bump in the night to something more earthly, like being faced with an infestation of mice in the back shed. Whatever!

To get things rolling and to help get you in the right frame of mind, here’s my scary story!

The scariest thing that happened to me was when I was a teenager. I used to keep and breed budgerigars (budgies as we call them here in Australia) in an aviary at the bottom of the garden. The cage was big enough for me to get into, but my movement was limited.

Anyway, one day during the breeding season I did my daily thing of checking the nesting boxes I had placed up high inside the cage. This particular day, when I checked the last box, a huge (as big as my hand—and no, the picture above is NOT me holding said spider!) huntsman spider jumped off the top of the box just as I peered into the hole the birds come out of.

I tell you, I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Everything went in slow motion as the spider jumped onto my face. I screamed and screamed like a girl and what’s more, I had nowhere to move because I was restricted and my hands were holding the nesting box so I couldn’t shoo it off my face.

Thankfully the spider, unperturbed by my fuss, just crawled up to my hair and sat there as if nothing was happening at all and this was it’s new lookout.

I Managed to calm myself and get out of the cage all the while sweating like a race horse and my legs going weak underneath me as the spider made my head its new home.

LOL (I can laugh now) Suffice it to say I have a fear of spiders now…oh, and I don’t keep birds anymore either…

So how do you ‘enter’ this little competition? Simple. Send me your story: mark alders at yahoo dot com (remove words and add symbols to give you a valid email address) or comment on this post. See...simple, hey?

You can then choose a book from my current release list if your story is chosen (randomly) as the winner! So easy, hey? I will also post the wining story with your permission, of course.

Call of the Hunted

Mama’s Heart

The Pauper’s Prize

The Cadet’s Officer

Hope to hear from you. Competition closes midnight on Halloween! Muhahahaaaaaa

Of Art and Things

The next release I have will be on October the 1st. A short story for eXtasy's Fantasy Garden series titled "The Cadet's Officer." I am so excited :-)

With my latest release "The Pauper's Prize" doing so well, and now the news of another release next month, I am in writing heaven...literally.

I don't have the cover for "The Cadet's Officer" as of yet, but I can share with you a little blurb. I am still madly doing the final edits--only a few weeks to go! Yikes :-)

Living on an exploration spaceship light years away from any civilization can get real lonely, even though there are thousands on board with you. Adam Wilkinson dreams of being with another man, and secretly he has a crush on the second in charge, Evan Cleary. But will the hunky, hard as nails officer want to be with Adam? Or more to the point, does the dreamy, absolutely perfect man even know Adam exists?

Also, today I went to see the Salvador Dali exhibition that's currently on at the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) The largest collection of his work ever presented in Australia. It was simply awesome! That man was a genius. There is no other word for it. To see what he could paint at 15, then move through his life to see such stunningly detailed surrealistic works blew me away. Even the tiny little ants looked life like! Leanne commented that when the man painted velvet, it looked like velvet! So true.


The other funny thing was, when we arrived a tour group was going through the gallery. A lovely elderly lady was the guide. It was hilarious listening to her say 'sexual' and 'genitals' many, many times over through the course of the tour she was giving. The best part was when she coined Dali's famous phrase: 'the great masturbator.' I couldn't help but chuckle! Classic! Also, to see his photographic work, his drawings and even the jewelry he did was amazing, let alone marvel at the paintings. Seeing them in a book does not do them justice. His paintings were alive!



I also got to see the famous lobster phone, too. The man had talent. Such an inspiration, especially as my work has lots of genitals and sexual content in it *grin*



So catch you all next week. Hopefully I can post an excerpt of The Cadet's Officer then...Have a chocolate filled week everyone :-)

Mama's Heart Release

Today is the day! Mama's Heart has been released! OMG!

Click here to grab a quick read chock full of action and naughty stuff for less than a cup of coffee! Can't ask for better than that, can you?

Here is the cover, too.


So go buy a copy and help me fund my chocolate addiction!

Also, I am now on twitter here

So much going on! I can't believe it...To win a copy of Mama's Heart, simply comment and next week I will pick the winner. Simple, hey?

Gay Anthology

There was a reminder email from the editor on their forum the other day…well, about 2 days ago to be exact, asking where the submissions were for their upcoming gay anthology. Yes, I had put my name down as one of the participants for the anthology. No, I didn’t miss the deadline, I had a completed story, I just totally forgot about when I was supposed to submit it *blushes*

Lucky my beta reader is an understanding fellow, because last night he was bombarded with my stuff. Thankfully my story was pretty much polished and ready to go. *phew* A few minor tweaks here and there and just then I clicked on the send button. My story is now on its way. It’s a good feeling, that’s for sure.

The story I submitted is titled ‘The Phoenix Rises’ it’s a fantasy short story about a young man that encounters a phoenix while hiking in the forest (as he has done all his life). The phoenix turns into a beautiful man, and of course, the young man falls for him. Events turn when a hunter shoots and kills the phoenix, leaving the young man devastated. We all know the phoenix can rise from the ashes, however, what the young man sees return from the dead is not what he expected. Not at all. Will he be able to love the phoenix in the same way again...

Happy 4th and Whee!!!!!

My book, Bloodlines, that I submitted recently, was accepted by the e-publisher!!! Woohoo!! I’m bouncing off the walls with excitement! It’s a paranormal romance, my favorite topic to write and read about. I’ll keep you all updated as I receive more information.

Happy July 4th to all the Americans! I thought I’d give you a few fun facts:

1. There are 30 places throughout the United States of American with the word “liberty” in its name. That’s a lot of Libertys. Iowa has more of these “liberty” places than any other state. Do you know the four cities in Iowa? They are Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

2. There are 11 places with the word “independence” in its name.

3. There are five with the word “America” in its name.

For more fun facts visit: http://www.chiff.com/a/fun-facts-fourth.htm

How many of you are planning on attending a Bar-B-Q? I’d love to hear any plans you have!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe July 4th!