Sleepless Over going wide, Kari Okay coming soon

Hey sistahs,

Just wanted to let you all know that I finally decided to send Sleepless Over out to all the other ebook venues after a successful Amazon-exclusive run. So you can look for Sleepless Over to appear on Kobo and Smashwords within the next 24 hours, if you'd rather get it there.

As for Nook, Apple and all those other places Smashwords distributes to, expect the usual, pokey trickle-out. I have some books over a year old that still aren't on iTunes, but not for lack of trying. Gee, thanks Smashwords. LOL.

Anyway, the other big news item is that I'm close to done with my first novel-length book, which will actually be less erotic than most of my romances and stray into New Adult territory. The book is actually more intense with the dramatic content and doesn't contain much more sensuality than you'd find in the average James Patterson book.

It'll be something new, something interesting, and there's definitely some "first-time lesbian" content, but not as much in a "bedroom fun" sort of way, but more in a "part of a character's journey" sort of way."

That should be coming in time for the holiday season so long as proofing goes quickly.

Look for Kari Okay on Amazon first, and elsewhere later on, in 2014.

Title change for Virgin Bliss

Hey there, all.

As some of you may have noticed, one of my best-selling titles had to undergo a title change recently. Virgin Bliss, which collects all four installments of my first story arc with Jaz Jimínez, has recently come to be called College Bliss on Amazon. Why?

Like most of the college flirtations I write about... it's complicated. You see, once upon a time a few short weeks ago, in the UK, some idiot decided to write about all the "horrible" eBooks that UK book retailer WH Smith was making available to readers by these nasty, unethical indie writers, via their eBook portal, serviced by Kobo.

A few people at WH Smith pretended to go loco and blamed Kobo. Because, you know, traditionally published stuff that's kinky is something they never sell, right? Right, all you 50 Shades of Gray readers? Is that your final answer?

Anyway, Kobo freaked out and pulled most everything out of their UK store that was indie, most particularly the stuff distributed to them by secondary sites like Smashwords and Direct2Digital. So, in effect, Kobo blamed indies, too, and also pointed fingers at their partners. Can you handle this much classy?

So, meantime, while indie authors (whether they wrote something risque or not) are being treated like carriers of the bubonic plague in Europe, Amazon gets cold feet about indies, too, and started pulling a bunch of titles from sale.

But not everything, like Kobo did. Just stuff that didn't measure up to arbitrary rules: rules mostly about book titles rather than actual content.

Gals, you've read my books. I write some risque stuff, sure, but it's all fun among consenting college-age adults.

Some of the code-words Amazon targeted were targeted because they are used in something called pseudo-incest, as well as "barely legal" stuff and whatnot. Hey, whatever, no judgment here, but that's just not the stuff I write.

So among those words targeted in titles were words like "sister," "brother," "uncle" "stepfather" and a whole lotta words with "step-" added to them as a prefix.

And also, the word "virgin."

Thus, one of my titles got pulled until I fixed it. Not that Amazon gave me the slightest clue what needed fixing. I had to beg, borrow, and inquire before I even found a hint of what had gone wrong.

Finally, some fellow writers clued me in that it was probably the word virgin in my book title, since that was the only title of mine Amazon pulled.

Virgin as a "keyword" is completely odd.

First, it's simply a medical term that indicates someone who is inexperienced, usually sexually, though virgin can mean a different type of inexperienced, or at least I hope so every time I visit the grocery store and pick up some Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I mean, c'mon... sex is fun, but if my olive oil is sexually active, then "extra virgin" might not be enough. I'd want the super-colossal, USDA tested and approved, one-hundred-percent-guaranteed absolute virgin olive oil, please. Yikes!

Anyway, I guess the word virgin in Amazon's new Paranoid Dictionary equals "underage." I wish they would have given me a phone call about this. I would have loved to debate them on it. I can picture the conversation now:

"Hello, yes, this is Amazon. How may I help you today?"

"Yes, this is Sarah. I understand you've pulled one of my books from sale temporarily until I fix it. And even though you haven't clued me in at all as to what's suddenly wrong with my book that's been happily selling copies for the past couple years now, I understand it's the word virgin that's bugging you. Is that so?"

"Officially, I cannot confirm or deny anything."

"You'll have to some way, or I won't know what to change."

"Well, officially I can't. Unofficially, it's the title."

"Well, my title that you pulled consists of only two words. Is it the word bliss?"

"We're fine with bliss. People can be blissful."

"I should hope so. So then it's the word virgin that's got your panties in a wad?"

"..."

"C'mon, give me something to work with, here."

"Well, if it's not bliss, by process of elimination, we think you can figure out the problem."

"So it is virgin. Well, at least I know what to change now. Thanks. However, I just have to say: really? Virgin is your big problem with my book that's been selling nicely for us both for the last couple years with no complaints? Even though virginity is among the most prized states of being among certain religious and ethical moralists?"

"We have to treat everyone equally."

"That's interesting. Did you also ban the book The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides? And don't lie, because I have it on screen in front of me at this very moment."

"Well... no, obviously not."

"Why not? His book has the word virgin in it, too."

"True, but it's different."

"You're right, they are different books. My characters are a pair of college girls. Consenting adults over the age of 18. In Mr. Eugenides' book, the virgins in question are as young as the age of thirteen, with the oldest being seventeen, yet he writes extensively about their sex lives and sexuality."

"Well, that's really not the point."

"I agree. Mr. Eugenidies' book ends with all five girls attempting suicide. Three of them are immediately successful and a fourth takes her life successfully on a second attempt. By comparison, the two girls in my book receive a happy ending. Kind of makes you go hmm, doesn't it?"

"I can't comment on that."

"But I thought you said Amazon was concerned with equal treatment of all writers during this purge?"

"Mr. Eugenidies' book was traditionally published."

"True, but many traditional publishers accept and publish erotic fiction. Especially the romantic kind. And again, all my characters are above the age of consent. Which is a bit silly considering it's just a story and no one actually got kissed in the making of the book."

"Mr. Eugenidies is a literary writer, not an erotic writer."

"Seems to me his books are awfully obsessed with the sexual lives of his mostly underage characters."

"Yes, but--"

"So you're saying it's because I'm an indie writer. Therefore, I cannot be trusted."

"You're indie, and you write erotica--"

"Pretty vanilla lesbian erotica, mind you."

"Whatever. You're indie, you write erotica, and you used the word virgin in your title."

"So, therefore, the only possibility is, what?"

"That you're trying to be cagey about writing about underage sex."

"Both characters are college-age girls."

"Granted, but--"

"And there's nothing cagey about my books. They're erotic romances, centered around lesbian or questioning characters, and they feature a happily ever after ending. What's the problem?"

"It's just not believable."

"What's not believable?"

"That you're not trying to disguise the fact that you're writing about high school girls under the guise of calling them college girls."

"Oh, really? They live in dorms, rather than with their parents. They're said to be eighteen or older in the book. The book doesn't hide the fact that it's an erotic romance. I have no interest in writing about high school girls."

"That's what you say, but you used the word virgin in the title, so..."

"So what?"

"So, it's just not believable."

"Now what's not believable?"

"Let me put this simply, Miss Salari. Girls aren't virgins by the time they get to college."

"Oh, really? I mean, I imagine some are not by then, but it sounds to me like you're suggesting no girls are virgins by the time they reach college."

"Essentially."

"That would come as a surprise to several girls I met my freshman year in college."

"That was long ago, Sarah."

"Not that long ago! And you don't get to insult me like that and call me Sarah."

"Still, today's teens are far more sexually active than in decades past."

"Oh really? So you're admitting girls are sexually active before they turn eighteen, and that's why you consider the word virgin a problem? Because if someone's a virgin, they can't be any older than eighteen. Is that right?"

"I see where you're going with this, and--"

"Do you? You're admitting that girls have sex before they turn eighteen."

"Right, but--"

"But we can't write about it, can we? Unless we're Jeffrey Eugenidies, of course. He's special, He's literary. He's also a fifty-three-year-old male writing books that drool over and ponder the sex lives of teenage girls. For him, that's okay, even with the words virgin and suicide in his book title."

"That's not quite what I said."

"Close enough. So all I need to do is change the title, right?"

"To something without the word virgin in it, yes."

"Have you ever read my book?"

"No, of course not. I don't read smut."

"Erotic romance, you mean?"

"That either."

"Fine. I'll change it. But, off the record? Y'all are insane."

End of scene.

Yeah, I would have loved to have that phone-call for real.

So, anyway, that's why this...:

Now looks like this:

Boy, that just changes everything, doesn't it?

The new title isn't appearing yet on Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords and their affiliates. Eventually, I'll get the new version out to them, as well, just for the sake of consistency, though.

Anyway, I wanted all of my readers to know: don't let the title change confuse you. College Bliss is the exact same book, on the inside, as Virgin Bliss was. There's nothing new, missing, or added. It's just a title change I was forced into because, apparently, not being named Jeffrey Eugenidies means I'm the suspected pervert.

As if.

Thanks, gals!

Just wanted to say thanks to all my sistahs out there helping boost my new release, Sleepless Over, to the moon on Amazon during its debut free run!

So far, I've made it to number 64 on the "free erotica" list. Go, you gals!

In fact, I'm so pleased that I've decided to keep SLEEPLESS OVER free on Amazon through Wednesday! So if you want to grab it for free, grab it soon, before it goes back to paid!

I'm pleased with this little free run so far, and wanted to just say thanks, all, for not abandoning me after I took such a long time getting out something new. It's really inspiring me to work hard on my next release.

Let's see if we can keep this rolling and boost SLEEPLESS OVER even further up the Erotica list while we still can!

And hey, once it goes back to paid, I hope you'll all agree it's still a fun read that's well worth the money.

Okay... back to work for me. Gotta finish my next release so I can keep you all happy!

Announcing Sleepless Over!

Hey there, sistahs!

I just wanted you sweeties all to know that my latest is on its way to you as we speak. It's a longish short-story called Sleepless Over and it involves all-new characters.

It's not the start of either of the two series I've been hinting at for a while now, but instead is a 9,100+ word standalone story I wrote just to tide you over while I put the finishing touches on the opening installment of the lesbian sci-fi series I've been hinting at.

That's coming as soon as I can manage, but in the meantime I wanted you all to have something new to enjoy. And Sleepless Over should fit the bill.

Here's a sneak peek at the cover:

The cover for Sleepless Over was designed by Sarah Salari and is © 2013.
It uses an image © DNF-Style and licensed for use on this book through Fotolia.com.

So there you have it. Doesn't it look sexy? Well, that's because it is. And it's available exclusively through the Kindle Store on Amazon, starting now!

The book will also show up on other platforms in a few months.

And now, sistahs, it's back to writing for me. I have a lesbian science-fiction tale I've been promising that still needs some work...

Announcing the Summer With Sarah Sale!

Hey there, gals and pals!

I'm pleased to announce that I'm finally gearing up for my big relaunch. I have a standalone short story cumming your way soon, plus I'm even closing in on the release of the first installment of my new lesbian sci-fi series.

But to gear up for all that, I've just initiated across-the-board price cuts on all of my backlist titles, except for BLISS KISS, of course, which was already free.

Starting soon, Beyond Bliss Kiss, Pure Bliss, and Steamy Bliss are all dropping from $2.99 to only $0.99 each. Meanwhile, Virgin Bliss, which collects all three of those stories plus Bliss Kiss, will be dropping from $5.99 to only $2.99 ... the exact same price you'd pay separately.

As for my other series, Holiday Seductions, those titles are receiving new price cuts as well!

Thanksgiving Bliss, Hanukkah Bliss, Christmas Bliss, and Valentine's Bliss are all dropping from $3.99 to only $2.99 each. New Year's Bliss, which used to cost $2.99, will now be dropping to $0.99.

Accordingly, Holiday Seductions Volume 1, which contains Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, is dropping from $6.99 to $5.99, while Holiday Seductions Omnibus Edition, containing all five holiday seduction stories, is dropping from $9.99 to a mere $7.99, making it still the best bargain of the bunch.

All these lovely new prices should come into effect at finer eBook retailers everywhere, soon. Most will change over within the next 24-48 hours, which means the new, lower prices will be in place at most retailers in time for July 4!

If your favorite eBook retailer is dragging their feet, please trust me that the new prices are coming... some retailers just take longer than others to catch up!

So, now's a perfect time to catch up with all my old stuff!

Because I expect to release my first new short in over six months, sometime in July, and my new lesbian sci-fi adventure series with erotic hijinks mixed in will soon debut as well. Get ready ... there's never been a better time to be a Sarah Salari fan!

Sarah Salari books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, NookBooks, and Smashwords. They are also generally available at most other fine retailers through the Smashwords distribution system.

Are you ready for something new?

Hey all, it's me, Sarah.

I've been a busy little bee the past few months, but I'm finally getting close to publishing something new. Are you ready for something new?

I really hope so.

I know it's been a long time, and it's almost like we never see each other anymore. But I promise, the wait is gonna be worth it.

My next release, if it proves popular, will become the launching point for one of two all-new series I've been working on.

Want a tease?

Okay.

The first book you'll be seeing from me... sooner than maybe you think... is going to be a wonderful historical tale with a twist!

The twist is that it's actually some time-travel science fiction! And because it's me, you know that there will be some sexy girl-girl hijinks going on.

How's it different from my Bliss series?

Well, the time-travel stuff is different. And each book will take place in a new era, where you'll get a very Sarah Salari take on the past, and maybe even the future.

But there will be a series character and it will not involve Jaz, star of the Bliss books. This is someone new. Someone different. Someone with her own story to be told.

And the other thing that's different about it is that there's gonna be more of an adventure plot to this series. Sure, there will be erotic good times to be had, but there's also going to be a colorful cast of characters to meet in each time period, a recurring cast, evil baddies to be fought... so plenty of adventure, and not just the between the sheets kind.

If you like stuff like Doctor Who or Quantum Leap, but wish those shows were sexier, you'll like this series.

It's a bold new direction for me, and if you trust me I'm hoping you'll find the reading deeper and more satisfying, yet just as fun-in-a-naughty-sort-of-way as always. Call it a Lesventure tale!

And later this year, I hope to also find time to launch my second series, which mixes the familiar erotic lesbian fun with ... crime fiction with a sense of humor.

Oh, gals, I wish I could tell you more about both series, but it's still a bit early. All I can suggest is that you stick around and look for new title reveals, cover reveals, and publication announcements, because 2013 is soon gonna be known as the summer of Sarah Salari! (Or at least the summer of my big comeback!)

Toodles,


Sarah