Saturday 8 December 2018

Multiorgasmic! No, not a boast, but a new anthology...


I've just finished reading the enjoyable new release from Lucy Felthouse, Multi-Orgasmic Volume 2, an anthology of short erotic stories. And I'm more than happy to support her marketing release blitz with this blog post, to help other potential readers find out about it.

My own review on Amazon (I gave it five stars)...

This book is a collection of nineteen entertaining and very saucy short stories. With stories of only a few hundred words, there’s little scope for character development or a complex plot, and if you’re eager for that, there are plenty of other excellent books. But this is an ideal anthology for dipping into for a quick read, and every story will probably leave you feeling happy for the characters. And maybe just a teeny bit envious!



If you’re a fan of erotic short stories, then get your hands on this collection from the pen of award-winning erotica author Lucy Felthouse.

From famous movie stars to sexy farmers, holiday flings to seducing delivery drivers, and even unusual household items being used as bondage, this book has variety galore. It’s sure to get you hot under the collar and eager to turn just one more page.

Enjoy nineteen titillating tales, over 54,000 words of naughtiness packed into one steamy read.



Please note: Many of the stories in this book have been previously published in anthologies, as standalones, and online, but three are brand new and never seen before!

Buy links
*****

Excerpt:
“Yvette!” Jack snapped. “Are you even listening to what I’m saying?”
“Yes, Sir!” I’d only missed a bit. Maybe a couple of words. And it wasn’t my fault.
“So what’s the problem? Are you uncomfortable? Would you like a cushion?”
“No, Sir. I’m fine, thank you. It’s just…” As another noise filtered in through the double glazing, I was unable to stop my gaze slipping in that direction.
“What—?” Jack strode past me, all stompy and masterful.
I allowed myself a shiver of pleasure at his demeanour. He was sexy when he was grumpy, though naturally I didn’t enjoy it when he was grumpy with me.
He peered out the window to see what had distracted me. “Neighbour is mowing his lawn, that’s all. Can’t very well go around there and complain about that, can I?” he muttered.
Jack stepped back in front of me. “The window is closed, Yvette. I can’t really do any more than that.” He shrugged.
“It’s okay, Sir. He’ll be done soon. I can ignore it. It’s not that loud.” Ever since he’d given me that look and ordered me into the bedroom, my pussy had ached, and I had yearned for his orders, to do his bidding. To please him. I certainly didn’t want to displease him by allowing the next-door-bloody-neighbour’s garden maintenance to get in the way of our scene, but it’d be tough to remain entirely focused with that racket going on.
“Hmm. All right, then. Let’s continue. So, where were we?”
I hoped like hell that was a rhetorical question, because I’d been distracted enough by the noise outside that I hadn’t, in fact, heard all of what he’d said. I bowed my head and waited, mentally keeping my fingers crossed that Jack would answer his own question. Luckily for me, he did.
“Come here, take out my cock, and suck it.”
“Yes, Sir!” I almost got carpet burns on my knees as I eagerly shuffled forward. I reached out and undid his zipper. Slipping my right hand through the gap, I manoeuvred until my fingers closed around his shaft—which was rigid, red hot, and irresistible.
Carefully, I popped his cock out through the opening in his boxers and trousers, where it stood proudly, looking just as irresistible as it felt. All purple and swollen; raring to go. Licking my lips, I pumped my fist up and down his length a couple of times, before closing my mouth around his glans. Immediately, the delicious musky, salty taste of him hit my taste buds and I hummed happily and prepared to start sinking further onto him.
Just then, a high-pitched roaring sound reached my ears.
Jack picked up on my flinch. Stepping back—and slipping his dick out of my mouth in the process—he exclaimed, “Oh, for heaven’s sake! It’s really distracting you, isn’t it?”
I sat back on my heels and pouted. “I’m sorry, Sir! I can’t not hear. If I could switch my ears off, trust me, I would.”
Jack’s expression softened. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s just… kinda ruining what we’ve got going on here.”
I bit my lip. “Yeah, I know. But what are we supposed to do about it?”
*****

About Lucy

Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures (named in the top 5 of Cliterati.co.uk’s 100 Modern Erotic Classics That You’ve Never Heard Of, and an Amazon bestseller), Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award, and an Amazon bestseller), The Persecution of the Wolves, Hiding in Plain Sight and The Heiress’s Harem series. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 170 publications to her name. Find out more about her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk, or on Twitter or Facebook. Join her Facebook group for exclusive cover reveals, sneak peeks and more! Sign up for automatic updates on Amazon or BookBub. Subscribe to her newsletter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/lfnewsletter

Sunday 11 March 2018

Goldie’s Surrender (An Adult Fairy Tale)

I've just finished reading Felicity Brandon's Goldie’s Surrender (An Adult Fairy Tale), which was in February, 2018 by Stormy Night Publications.

As is my regular habit, I've posted reviews on Amazon UK, Amazon US and Goodreads. I happily gave the book five stars, as I thought it's an entertaining and well-paced read. I'm not a fan of present-tense writing, but I scarcely noticed it while reading this, which made me realise I was really engaged by it.


My review:

Most entertaining updated and very adult version of a fairy tale

I was intrigued to read this as I’ve not dipped much into adult “reimaginings” of classic fairy tales, and the result kept me entertained from start to finish.

Goldie is a spoilt young lady, the daughter of a fabulously rich but distant father. The three brothers whose home she finds prove to be gorgeous, hunky in spades and have some specific ideas about behaviour. Hers in particular. And how they might encourage her to think about it. And they also have a little secret... Well, a kinda huge secret, really.

The story is told in short chapters, each a different first-person view on the unfolding events, which involve some ego battles, lots of steamy scenes and more than a little spanking. There’s a nice bit of tension towards the end, when the men are forced into revealing their alter egos, and understandably worry about Goldie’s reaction.

Having read and enjoyed it, I'm delighted to help Felicity publicise her book by posting about it here. 

Guess who’s been sleeping in their bed?

The fairy tale is true…

If Goldie thinks one bear is her reckoning, how will she deal with three?


What if the fairy tale is real?

  We all remember the story of Goldilocks, the young woman who stumbles across the three bears' humble abode while wandering through the woods. You'd always thought the story was make-believe, designed to entertain small children, but what if I told you that you were wrong?

  Goldie Locks is very real, a spoiled young woman living in a bubble of her father's wealth and indulgence. It is this Goldie who makes her way into the forest, losing her way and eventually seeking sanctuary in the small cottage she finds there. But little does Goldie know who really lives in the deep, dark woods and what they will do when they find her asleep in their home...

  In this intensely erotic tale, beautiful, headstrong Goldie is left blushing crimson as she is sternly punished and thoroughly claimed by the three strict, ruggedly handsome owners of the cottage in which she foolishly dared to trespass. To Goldie's surprise, the bold dominance of her captors arouses her deeply, but will she run for her life when their shocking secret is finally revealed?


Here's a very naughty extract, as a teaser...

“You don’t have to be alone,” I begin, raising my hand slowly to stroke the soft strands of fair hair from her face. I pause, absorbing its rich honey tones, and wondering at how beautiful she is.
“What will you do to me?” she asks, her eyes loaded with sin, as though she is at this moment considering all of the debauch options.
“What would you like me to do?” I reply, deliberately throwing her one of my most devastating glances.
Her lips part at my question, and I swear I can hear the pounding of her heart. “I don’t think I’ve ever been with someone so…” She pauses, eyeing me up and down again before she continues. “Big before?”
This time I have no choice, and I laugh gently at the thought. “Do you think you can handle me?” I say, deliberately wishing to provoke her.
Her right eyebrow raises for the briefest second, and I know she has taken my bait. “Of course, I can handle you,” she says flatly.
“So then,” I answer her with a chuckle. “You have nothing to be worried about.”
“Hmmm,” she replies, “not unless you…” Her voice dries midsentence, and something about the resonance makes my cock throb painfully at my waistband.
“Not unless what?” I murmur, pressing myself against her sweet body.
An unconscious groan leaves her lips as she feels, apparently for the first time, just how keen I am to keep her company on this stormy night. “Logan,” she breathes, her gaze coming to rest upon my own once again.
“Not unless what, Goldie?” I repeat, allowing my exasperation to show just a little in my voice.
She stills, acknowledging the tone. “Not unless you spank me again,” she whispers, her dilating pupils evident even in this light.
I watch her with interest. What an intriguing young thing you are, I think. The one thing that you protested so vehemently, now appears to be the one thing on your mind…
“If you behave, then you won’t need to be spanked again,” I say, maintaining eye contact with her as I speak.

Her cheeks flush, although I can’t tell if it’s with arousal or an evocative blend of her excitement laced with the obvious fear she feels. She swallows, evidently trying to play it cool. “But what if I want to be spanked again?”




Felicity Brandon is a #1 international bestseller of erotic spanking romance.

She’s been reading and writing for many years, and loves to delve into the psychological intensity of sexual submission. She has written erotic titles in contemporary, historical and fantasy genres.

Fancy a FREE book, updates about new releases, giveaways, and hot reading recommendations? Sign up for her mailing list!

Website –  https://felicitybrandonwrites.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/felicity.brandon.3
Her readers group, Fierce AF - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FierceAF/
Author Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/felicitybrandonerotica/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/FelicityBrandon
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/felicity-brandon

Book & Main Bites - https://bookandmainbites.com/users/25706


Buy links:



Saturday 10 February 2018

Talking about Kay Jaybee's book "Making Him Wait"

Out Now — Making Him Wait by Kay Jaybee 


Yesterday, I finished reading "Making Him Wait - Erotica on a canvas of bondage and discipline", by fellow British writer Kay Jaybee. This is a re-release, by Sinful Press.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already posted the following review on the UK and US Amazon sites, and on Goodreads. Oh, with five well-deserved stars.

If this is art, I want to play...

I found this to be an interesting and unpredictable story. It has an unusual premise, with the main character Maddie being an artist specialising in very erotic work, who has to quickly produce enough work for a gallery show. Her models provide an interesting cast of characters, one of whom is a former lover who likes being dominant.

The electrician Maddie employs to help with lighting in her studio is drawn in like a moth to a flame, as Maddie explores her developing interest in dominance with him and her models. With the models, it’s all very hands-on and interactive. With the electrician, it’s provocative and teasing mind-games with him. But that’s a tricky game to play, and she needs to stay in control…


Blurb
  Maddie Templeton has always been an unconventional artist. Themes of submission and domination pulse through her erotic artwork, and she's happily explored these lustful themes both on and off the canvas. But, when Theo Hunter enters her life, she is presented with a new challenge.
  Maddie sets out to test his resolve as she teases, torments and toys with him. However, as Maddie drives Theo to breaking point, she soon becomes unsure whether her own resolve will hold out.
  At the same time, Maddie must put on the exhibition of a lifetime. As the hottest gallery in town clamours for her best work, Maddie pushes her models harder and higher until they are physically, sexually and emotionally exhausted.
  Will Maddie's models continue to submit to her, or will she push them too far? And will she be ready for the exhibition in time? The only way to find out is to wait and see...and the waiting only makes it sweeter!

Here's an extract from the very beginning of the book...

  Freya rocked a little on her bare feet as Maddie touched her lightly freckled cheek. “No need to look so worried, honey. You are doing brilliantly. It’s a difficult pose to hold for so long.”
  “Thank you.” Blushing an endearing shade of pink, Freya lowered the hands she’d nervously clenched before her, giving her employer another chance to see the neat triangle of her semi-shaved pussy.
  Maddie, her jeans and t-shirt smeared and spattered with all the mediums of her trade, did not feel the need to mention to Freya that her own knickers were sodden, nor that beneath her holster bra, her nipples were rock hard.
  A further buzz from her mobile alerted Maddie to the arrival of another text message. In fact a steady string of muffled noises from her mobile, coming from the pit of her handbag, had been announcing the arrival of texts every ten minutes or so throughout the morning.
  Smiling to herself, Maddie continued to disregard her phone and considered the exquisite outline of her companion’s porcelain frame. Most people came to Maddie to be drawn or painted, sometimes as a commission for a lover, husband or wife. Some, however, like Freya, came to the studio as a way of improving their self-confidence. Despite her generally shy demeanour, Freya had proved to be very good at posing as Maddie required and the artist had offered her an occasional job as a life model.
  Sometimes Maddie felt she was more therapist than artist – specifically a sex therapist – as men and women alike shared their most intimate secrets while standing on the other side of her easel. Maddie’s studio certainly had the air of an erotic fantasy confessional about it. She wasn’t complaining, however. No other life would do for her now. The job satisfaction Maddie achieved from listening to the dreams and fantasies of others while she recreated them onto canvas, went hand in glove with the personal physical gratification it gave her.
  Money being either plentiful or non-existent, depending on the current success of her commissions and sales, Maddie had been forced to develop an alternative form of payment for her models – a reward system for good work. Maddie could tell from the rise and fall of Freya’s chest and the glistening damp skin at the top of her thighs, that she was more than ready to be paid for today’s session.
  Closing in on her model, Maddie simultaneously cupped Freya’s slick pussy and left breast with her charcoal-blackened hands, causing an involuntary shiver to ripple through the younger woman’s body.
  “Your progress really is outstanding, honey. Few of my models can stay as motionless as you can.” Congratulating Freya on her skill, Maddie left two dark palm prints on the girl’s tits and tapped at the inside of her legs. “Open up. I think you have deserved a treat after all your hard work.” 
  Gliding her palm over Freya’s mound, Maddie slipped a gentle finger into the slippery canal of the model’s frantically clutching sex, enjoying the murmured mew of contentment that escaped from her lipstick-free mouth.
  Pumping gently, the artist brought Freya close to orgasm with steady increases and decreases of pressure – her own mind straying to her mobile. Maddie wondered where Theo was and what he was doing. She knew what he was thinking about. She always knew that. Theo thought about her...

Praise from others for Making Him Wait:

“Making Him Wait” held me captive, made me blush, had me yearning for more before I was even ready to let the previous chapter go. The story unfolds dripping with eroticism, every character wantonly submitting to Maddie’s artistic, commanding eye… Erotica’s “Queen of Kink” has nailed the freedom of Kink, fearlessly. Kay Jaybee writes with a masterful insight and sucks her readers into the fascinating domain of domination and submission. A realm where one’s words must be listened to very carefully and choices are empowering.’ 

Rose Caraway.

“Artist, lover, dominatrix, Maddie has sculpted from her surroundings the perfect life and Kay Jaybee in ‘Making Him Wait’ the picture-perfect set up for an unhurried, well-written, hugely entertaining, multi-media journey into classy erotica – men, women, whatever your fancy, Mistress Jaybee guides you through her Chinese puzzle of a plot in a way that stole my breath and made my underarms tingle…Mesmerising, thrilling, word perfect, a triumph.” 

Chloe Thurlow 

If you think it might be your sort of story, it's available as a paperback or e-book from all good retailers, including - Amazon (universal link), Barnes& NobleiBooks and Kobo

Bio

Kay Jaybee has over 150 publications to her name, including the novels Making Him Wait, (Sinful Press, second edition, 2018), and The Fifth Floor - The Perfect Submissive Book One (KJ Books, third edition, 2017). She has also written the novellas Wednesday on Thursday (KJ Books, 2017), Take Control (1001Nights Press, 2014), Digging Deep, (Xcite Press, 20153), A Sticky Situation (Xcite Press, 2013), and Not Her Type: Erotic Adventures With A Delivery Man (1001 Nights Press, 2014). She has written the anthologies The Collector (KJBooks, 2016), and A Kink a Day Books 1-3 (available via the Radish reading app).

Details of Kay’s work, past, present and future can be found at www.kayjaybee.me.uk

Kay also writes contemporary romance and children’s picture books as Jenny Kane www.jennykane.co.uk  and historical fiction as Jennifer Ash www.jenniferash.co.uk


Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.

Friday 15 December 2017

The Prison of the Angels, the new book by Janine Ashbless

Out Now – The Prison of the Angels, the final Book of the Watchers by Janine Ashbless (@sinfulpress)

After enjoying the first two books in this series, I was eagerly awaiting the third and final one. I read it as soon as I could, and it was worth the wait! 

This is the review I posted on Amazon, awarding it five well-deserved stars...

"Excellent story from a turbo-charged imagination

This is a romance with a lot of super-heated steam and the darkest shadows you can imagine, but I think it’s pretty good conclusion to a story which has built up a serious head of steam over the previous two books. In principle, this could be read as a stand-alone story, but I strongly enourage you to read the first two in the series. It’s imaginative, sweeping, full of twists and turns, and I genuinely had NO idea where Janine’s story was going right up until the end. She brings together myths from different cultures as well as archangels and angels who, being truly inhuman and created in a particular way, have a multitude of what we call human failings as well as unimaginable powers.

Wow."

To help a fellow author whose work I've enjoyed a great deal, I happily agreed to participate in a blog tour for her latest book.


When there’s a war in Heaven, on which side will you stand?

The Prison of the Angels is the new paranormal erotic romance by Janine Ashbless, and is the final novel in the Book of the Watchers trilogy.


“I thought I was a good girl. I thought that no matter what others did for my sake, I could stay innocent. I thought that as long as I acted out of love, I’d be blameless.
I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

Janine Ashbless is back with the third and final instalment of her Book of the Watchers trilogy, The Prison of the Angels. Unafraid to tackle the more complex issues surrounding good and evil in mainstream religion, Janine has created a thought-provoking and immersive trilogy which sets a new standard for paranormal erotic romance. The first in the series, Cover Him With Darkness, was released in 2014 by Cleis Press and received outstanding reviews. It was followed in March 2017 by In Bonds of the Earth, and finally The Prison of the Angels on 1st December 2017, both published by Sinful Press.


Blurb:


Milja Petak’s world has fallen apart.
Her lover, the fallen angel Azazel, has cast her aside in rage and disgust. The other contender for her heart, the Catholic priest Egan Kansky, was surrendered back into the hands of the shadowy Vatican organization, Vidimus, after sustaining life-threatening injuries.
She has killed and she has betrayed. She is alone, homeless, and at the end of her tether - torn apart by guilt and the love she has lost.
But neither Heaven nor its terrifying representatives on Earth have finished with Milja.
Both her lovers need her in order to further their very different plans, and both passionately need her, though they may try to deny it.
Milja is once again forced into a series of choices as she uncovers the secrets Heaven has been guarding for centuries. But this time it is not just her heart at stake, or even the fate of a fallen angel.
This time, the choices she makes will change everything.
This time it’s the End of the World.
The Prison of the Angels is the third in the acclaimed Book of the Watchers trilogy, following on from Cover Him with Darkness, and In Bonds of the Earth.


Excerpt:

  The cold water flashed like white fire over every inch of my skin. It burnt my eyeballs and my lips and the inside of my throat, and beyond the white fire was a darkness so immense that it swallowed me whole.
  I fell forever.
  Something grabbed my wrist. Something so hot that it boiled away the darkness, so that there was suddenly light flashing in my eyes. I felt myself grabbed up bodily and lifted. I felt heat against my lips, blowing fire into my frozen lungs. I saw the wooden posts of a flight of steps, and then I pitched forward onto hands and knees in the shallow snow, choking up pond-water. In front of my blurred vision an inchoate swirl of darkness poured up the steps onto the lit porch and then disappeared. Unseen, something slammed against the door, a knock that made the house shake.
  I was on the ground beneath the back porch of John’s house, I realized, shuddering.
  Mama. Oh Mama. The thought seemed to come from nowhere.
  Three times the knock sounded, and on the third the door burst open—outward, onto the porch—to reveal Egan in the lit room within; shaven, shirtless, and frozen mid-lunge for what I could only assume was a weapon of some sort.
  He stared.
  I tried to cry out.
  “Milja?”
  Grabbing his pistol he ran out barefoot onto the porch and looked around for enemies that were not there. Then he clattered down and pulled me up into his arms. I pressed my face to his neck and he carried me up the steps and over the threshold—not like a bride, but like a child he could hold tight against his torso, his wrists locked under my thighs. His skin blazed against mine. He hefted me into the kitchen and propped my ass on the table in front of the range.
  “What the hell?” he demanded in a low fierce voice, sweeping locks of sodden hair back from my face. My hat seemed to have disappeared. “What happened, Milja? What were you doing out there?”
  “Ice. I fell in the lake.” My jaw chattered. It was obvious I was telling the truth—I was soaked from head to toe, and after clasping me so close he wasn’t much drier himself.
  “Feckssake, woman!” he growled. “What the hell were you thinking of?” He shucked off my coat, which lifted a sodden ton from my shoulders, then stooped to pull my boots off; ice-water spilt all over the floor.
  I tried to strip off my gloves but my fingers weren’t capable of gripping anything.
  “Come here, come here,” he said softly from where he knelt at my feet, grabbing my wrists and peeling away the useless gloves. He pressed my hands on either side of his warm neck, holding them there. They must have felt like ice-blocks to him, but he didn’t wince.
  He looked like a knight kneeling before his queen, I thought. I could feel his pulse.
  “I’ll go get towels, Milja. Are you going to be okay a sec?”
  I nodded, though he probably couldn’t see it through the shuddering. He rose and hurried off, leaving me with the radiant warmth of the stove. I thought I should probably get the rest of my clothes off, but even after I struggled with my fly zipper my jeans seemed determined to cling to my bum-cheeks.
  I heard the back door bang shut and I flinched.
  Azazel?
  Had he been gathering himself to come get Egan? Was he the one who had saved me from the black waters? Where was he now?
  Egan came back in carrying armfuls of towels. “Alright?”
  “I’m okay,” I told him, smiling through my shudders. He was still shirtless, and I could see the faint Ethiopian scars on his arm and chest.
  He wrapped my hands one at a time in a towel, chaffed them dry, and then set them deliberately against the hard, hot wall of his torso.
  Oh God.
  Then he slipped all the buttons on my thick flannel shirt—the one I’d chosen this morning precisely because it wasn’t provocative or distracting—and he only slowed when he realized I was wearing just a bra-top underneath. My nipples stood in shamefully hard points under the stretch cotton. I tried to wriggle out of the long tartan sleeves of my shirt on my own, to spare his blushes, but everything clung like a freezing cold second skin and he had to help.
  The shallow slash on my forearm wasn’t bleeding anymore, but each brush of his fingers felt like hot coals.
  My wet garment made a slap as it struck the floor.
  He draped a towel around my shoulders and another over my head. He started rubbing the water from my face and hair and scalp, his movements precise and gentle. For long moments I was buried in a soft darkness. I reached out, blind, to put my hands back on his bare ribs. I could feel his heart pounding beneath them, like a beast pacing a cage.
  I have no idea when it all changed for him. When his grueling self-denial simply fell apart,
like a garment worn and washed until the fabric was weakened beyond all use. All I knew was that he dropped the towel off my damp head, cupped my face in both his hands and—absolutely without warning—kissed me.

The Prison of the Angels is available to buy from all major online retailers including:




Author bio:

Janine Ashbless is a writer of fantasy erotica and steamy romantic adventure. She likes to write about magic and myth and mystery, dangerous power dynamics, borderline terror, and the not-quite-human.

Buyer beware! If you like dark romance and a hard-won Happily Ever After, try "Cover Him with Darkness," "Heart of Flame," or "The King's Viper." If you prefer challenging erotica, go for "Red Grow the Roses" or "Named and Shamed" instead. All her other books lie somewhere on the spectrum between.

Janine has been seeing her books in print ever since 2000. She's also had numerous short stories published by Black Lace, Nexus, Cleis Press, Ravenous Romance, Harlequin Spice, Storm Moon, Xcite, Mischief Books, and Ellora's Cave among others. She is co-editor of the nerd erotica anthology 'Geek Love'.

Born in Wales, Janine now lives in the North of England with her husband and two rescued greyhounds. She has worked as a cleaner, library assistant, computer programmer, local government tree officer, and - for five years of muddy feet and shouting - as a full-time costumed Viking. Janine loves goatee beards, ancient ruins, minotaurs, trees, mummies, having her cake and eating it, and holidaying in countries with really bad public sewerage.

Her work has been described as:

"Hardcore and literate" (Madeline Moore) and "Vivid and tempestuous and dangerous, and bursting with sacrifice, death and love." (Portia Da Costa)

Author Links:
Janine Ashbless website: http://www.janineashbless.com/
Janine Ashbless on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janineashbless
Sinful Press website: https://www.sinfulpress.co.uk


Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.


Wednesday 12 April 2017

Today's guest is fellow British writer, Sam Thorne

I'm delighted to have Sam Thorne as my guest today, a fellow British erotica writer. I've enjoyed reading her work, so it's great to be able to chat to her, and ask about the recently-published anthology, Sexy To Go Gay Romance, which includes one of her stories.


Sam, I'm rather intrigued that I know so many female writers producing excellent stories about gay male relationships. Off the top of my head, I can think of Michele Micheal Rakes, Elizabeth Schechter, Meg Amor and Brina Brady, who all write excellent, engaging stories. Do you have any ideas why MM erotica is so popular with female writers?

Well I can only speak for myself, but I've witnessed the blossoming of a few relationships between men that just warmed me to the soul and made me want to relive them in my own time on the page. What I love to write (and read) for pure escapist purposes is the combination of the smooth, self-assured soul who's able to charm even the gruffest, most laconic bloke walking. I'm referring to the chemistry, of course. I think it's the chemistry that gets a lot of female MM writers, followed by the competitive forms of masculinity in the bedroom. I am not male. But I'm lucky to have a few gay male betas who will let me know quite bluntly if I'm going off-course with the horizontal shenanigans!


How did this anthology come together? I note that no-one is credited as being the editor, so did you "buddy up" to help each other?

In all honesty, I was directed towards the Sexy to Go set-up (who already have several successful anthologies) by my good friend Dale C Lowry. Dale and I have now appeared in three anthologies together and he asked me if I had a story available for inclusion within the word count for the collection. Both Haley Whitehall and Eva LeFoy (the administrative masterminds) were friendly, efficient and very welcoming to this total newbie to their set-up. I'm very grateful to them and hope to have the opportunity to support their future ventures, even if I'm not directly involved as a contributor.


What do you have in mind for your next writing project?

I have my eye on a couple of anthologies that I would like to submit to over the next three months, but I won’t name them because I’m superstitious. Most of my energies are being invested in a novel with the working title A Brotherhood of Bouncers, which is a sequel to Single-Syllable Steve. This short story features Celeste, a shy book-keeper at a London nightclub, who is hit by an ovary-squashing crush on the towering, taciturn and temporary doorman, Steve. Undermined by a horrible boss and surrounded by glamorous bar maids, Celeste is desperate to grow a pair and tell Steve how she feels before he leaves.

The sequel is about the difficulties in keeping a relationship going after the honeymoon period. Even with his two jobs as motor mechanic and doorman, Steve’s finances are in a dire state. When the cost of his father’s care package rockets, he’s driven to accepting a bodyguard job which is initially wonderful, but things quickly degenerate as he finds himself being put to work as a bailiff, then as a henchman. Meanwhile, Celeste’s struggling to get her family to accept Steve as a serious contender for the long term; her mother struggles to warm to the ‘deaf, over-sized Essex boy.’


I liked Steve and Celeste when I read their first story. I think it's great that more "real life" aspects of relationships are included in erotica, but I'll have to see how that tale works out. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can leave them happy. They both seemed pretty real, with strengths and weaknesses. Can I ask how you develop your ideas for characters? Are parts of you incorporated into any of them?

Parts, yes. In terms of affairs of the heart, I prefer my characters to have very different emotional battles to my own. I write for my own escapism as well as the reader’s, so I deal with any personal demons in my own time. That said, I’m a strong believer in drawing on real life experiences where they have potential to lighten the tone. Like everyone, I’ve had my share of undignified experiences, some of which I’ve later shared with friends. If those friends had a good laugh at my expense, I have no problem in fictionalising those less-than-golden moments if they have any potential for plot movement or character development.

A large part of my personal experience is that I’m profoundly deaf, but I lipread and wear hearing aids. I do appreciate that this presents something of a conundrum for a lot of people, who automatically associate profound deafness with sign-language. Several of my characters (like Single-Syllable Steve) are at least severely deaf, because that’s what I know. I had great fun writing Rebuilding the Future (where both Allen and Declan are hearing), but my very helpful editors and beta readers had to remind me to include sound effects in the earlier drafts!


Have you ever had a character just “do their own thing?” 

My characters tend to behave themselves while I’m creating them and writing them, but boy do they argue with each other! One of the most frustrating things in the world is to be driving along and having two of my characters engaged in a massive, fluent, word-perfect volley of needs, refusals and insults which will have entirely escaped me by the time I’ve parked the car and dashed behind my laptop. I’m sure most writers suffer some form of this…


What do your family and friends think of your writing?

My family will pat me on the back when I say I’m published again, but have absolutely no intention of reading anything I write until I produce something where the bedroom door stays shut. That’s fair enough. Most of my friends are encouraging about my writing—from a distance. I’m very content with this arrangement.


What book do you wish you could have written?

Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K Jerome. It’s my go-to book for escapist comfort. No matter how many times I re-read it, and no matter what mood I’m in, I never put it down without feeling happier than I did when I started reading.  


Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so how do you get past it?

If anyone ever tells me that they never get writer’s block, I politely ask them to go away and never repeat this little item of smuggery ever again in my presence. It is an absolute bane for me, and one of the reasons I’ve not exactly been prolific in the three years I’ve indulged in writing and reading erotica. The other reason is that I’m a very busy editor, and even when I’m not working, it takes time to come out of censoring mode and re-engage the creative part of my brain. I can’t produce anything while in editorial mode; it’s like trying to rub my tum and pat my head at the same time.

I can’t totally sidestep writer’s block (my pet block wouldn’t look out of place in Stonehenge), but I find that a few new habits have lessened the effect:

·    I stay off social media for a day or so. I’m delighted for all those people who have written another 6,000 since the day before, but while I’m not of their number, I’d rather not be reminded of my dwindling performance. Plus, I’m too inclined to spend hours looking at puppies.

·    I do the stop-watch exercise for a few hours. I type without stopping for five minutes, repeating for an hour. Then ten, then fifteen and so on. I just need to get my hands moving.

     I force myself to stop being obsessed with writing in such a linear way. I’ll leave a highlighted [PLACEHOLDER LIKE THIS FOR DETAILS I NEED TO COME BACK TO] and get the scene done. I won’t hamstring myself by trying to connect everything I’m writing fluidly.

      I keep reminding myself that I won’t be showing my dire scribbles to anyone until I’ve edited at least a few times. Sometimes that gives me the freedom to just hammer the words down and get the shape of the scene down on the page.


Thanks, that's a really interesting approach. Just to finish, a couple of off-the-wall questions, then you can tell us a bit more about the new anthology you've had a story included in.

If you could go anywhere in the world, but had to drop everything and go right now, where would you go? What pulls you there?

Hawaii. I dream of going to Oahu, and I’d love to watch Pele in action. And eat all the gorgeous fresh food. It’s all Meg Amor’s fault. Since I’ve been reading her Hawaiians series, I’ve had a craving to take a very long holiday over there.


If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I could do with a withering stare that’s actually effective. It would be a fantastic tool for day-to-day life, but wouldn’t be so conspicuous that I’d regularly get summoned from my work by some irritating police chief with a Krieg light. I’m not sure what symbol would best represent the need for a withering stare, though.


Thanks, Sam. I've really enjoyed our conversation. Would you like to finish off by telling us about the new anthology and your story?

Well, if you insist...


Sexy to Go Gay Romance

Sexy to Go Gay Romance by [Lefoy, Eva, Duran, Avery, Ellwood, Leigh, Idonea, Asta, Lowry, Dale, Payne, Jodi, Saddler, Shiloh, Thorne, Sam, Wasp, A.E.]Sexy to Go Gay Romance features nine scorching MM romances from some of today’s hottest authors, available for the first time in one book. Whether finding love at a Jewish singles dance or while crossing the River Styx, the men in Sexy to Go Gay Romance know what they want and how to get it. Meet a handyman who’s an ace with his tools, a king who kindles the passion of a Greek god, and an architect who erects more than buildings. From the everyday to the fantastical, these stories explore male-male love in all its simmering intensity. This collection contains Sam's story, ‘Rebuilding the Future’.










Summary

Allen's peace has been seriously disturbed. As the shy architect takes on the task of extending the home he inherited from his late aunt, his life becomes a battle. The building work is going fine, but he can barely contain his one-way lust for sexy foreman Declan, who's a one-man generator of testosterone and mixed messages. As the build completion approaches, Allen's ready to do just about anything to keep Declan around a little longer...
Excerpt

Allen was so cold the coffee cup rattled in his fingers. Declan, though, was purely chilled out, leaning back, mug in hand, sipping his brew. There wasn’t a single goosebump in evidence: not down the toned arms, across that lean gut, or the magnificent chest. His nipples weren’t even hard.

Stop staring at his nipples, for God’s sake!

“You alright?”

Declan’s sudden, direct gaze made Allen jump. “Yes! Yes…it’s just…I feel hypothermic just looking at you.”

Declan swallowed his coffee hastily, grinning around his cup. “I’ve been working next to a zillion-watt floodlight for the last half hour. I’m not cold, trust me.”

“Splendid,” Allen said faintly, tucking his lower regions away under the kitchen table. He still hadn’t got used to having the Adonis slaving around his house all day, every weekday. Even when Declan’s tanned, taut bod was tragically hidden under T-shirts, the sight of his dark brown hair curling into the nape of his neck, his green eyes, and blowtorch smile were enough to make Allen’s groin boil. It was a good job that Declan’s henchmen, Big Al and Screwtop, were slightly less decorative.

Universal buy link (includes Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, B&N, and Google in every country):
books2read.com/sexy-to-go-gay-romance

Individual buy links:
● Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B06XGRJM3D
● Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XGRJM3D
● Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1213537158
● Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sexy-to-go-gay-romance-eva-lefoy/1125914114
● Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sexy-to-go-gay-romance


Single-Syllable Steve:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y1NZFNO
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00Y1NZFNO
Excessica: http://www.excessica.com/books/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16&sort=20a&filter_id=156&alpha_filter_id=0

Monday 3 April 2017

My guest today is BK Bilicki, author of "Stage One: Hear"

I'm delighted to welcome BK Bilicki as my blog guest today. I’ve known him for a few years as a fellow contributor to the ERWA storytime constructive critique group. 

And I was among those who encouraged him to submit some of his stories to publishers. He may regard it as "nagging in an encouraging way", but he did it! Fireborn Publishing liked what they saw – “Stage One: Hear”, the first book in his "Voices From The Sanctum" series, was published last November

I purchased, read, enjoyed and gave it a five star review

"Engaging, fast-paced and full of twists and turns

Wow. This kept me engaged from start to end, always wondering what was going to happen next. Fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and lots of saucy moments within the context of a slowly developing relationship. A cast of varied and interesting characters, blending sci-fi and magic. This is clearly the first in a series, but it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger.

There may be some foreshadowing, but I won’t know that until BK stops teasing and gets Stage Two published!"


IS - So, BK, what do you have in mind for your next writing project?

BKB - My next new project will likely be volume four of the Voices of the Sanctum (VotS) series, tentatively called ‘Arrested Momentum’. It will center on two of the Sanctum’s members - Lob the Unmarred and Arms Master Juushin. We’ll meet Lob and get a very brief glimpse of Juushin in volume two and will get a much more comprehensive look at both of them in book three.

How do you develop ideas for characters? Are parts of you incorporated into any of them?

Some characters develop from a given situation and others are done in reverse with the situation matching the characters. For VotS, the only thing I had in mind initially was that I wanted to write about characters that would work in ongoing series. After I tripped across the word ‘psychoholic’ and started pondering what that could possibly mean, I started crafting characters to play with it. And yes, a lot of my characters tend to pull bits of their creator along for the ride. Kana’s knack for assigning inappropriate nicknames to people and things is a good example.

Have you ever found a character just “do their own thing" while you were writing?

My characters are forever going off and getting into trouble with little input from me. A lot of this is due to how most of my books came to be. They started off as short stories that made fans want to see ‘more chapters’ of them. In those cases, I hadn’t plotted out anything to cover those, so I just let the characters get into it and see what happens. Much of my writing feels like I’m spying on other dimensions and just writing down what I see.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I play computer games, watch anime, and work down in my lab. I’m an electronics technician in real life, so I spend a lot of time fixing electronic things for friends, family, and the occasional side-customer.

What do your family and friends think of your writing?

Both of my moms (birth and adoptive) are fans. My kids are supportive with a bit of careful detachment. My youngest son once happened upon one of my short stories. He thought it was very good until he realized that his dad had written it. My daughter has playfully forbidden my granddaughter from reading my stuff until she’s thirty.

What book do you wish you could have written?

There are a few stories by Bob Buckley about the Palatinae (Paladins) that I’ve read on the ERWA mailing list that I thought were brilliant. I have a brief reference to them in the second VotS book. The Merely Players books, as well as the related Mark/Maggie stories, by a chap named Ian D Smith are also a big favourite. His characters are very likable and work together very well, unlike many of mine.

Thank you for the kind words! Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t asked?

Nothing much, other than to reply to my fan's most popular question; "My next chapter/book/project is coming out ‘soon’." This may mean days, weeks, months, or even years, but it/they will come out sooner or later. This year, I intend on having volumes two and three of VotS published, along with the rewritten version of an earlier book called ‘One of Those Nights’ which was written from Jan 1998 to Jan 2003. That one was wildly popular on the ERWA (then ERA) list and could possibly do very well.

Well, I do hope your book finds you more appreciative readers, and encourages you to develop your other ideas. Do please visit again when you've a new book to tell us about


Stage One: Hear (Voices of the Sanctum Book 1) by [Bilicki, B.K.]Stage One: Hear (Voices of the Sanctum Volume One)

Kana Morel is possibly the Sanctum's most powerful caster. Training Jamyn Siska as her new acolyte should be easy. When she accidentally discovers his hidden passion for her, how will she contain the ensuing firestorm?

Buy links:








Excerpt

"All the things you said about my abilities were very flattering." Her nerves started to jostle. "Way over the top, but still—"
"You're easily the most powerful caster in the Sanctum," he said, his voice suddenly resolute.
His intensity startled her at first but she waved him off with a brief chuckle. "Nahh," she replied quietly. "I'm sure there are a couple around here who could give me a run for my money." Seeing the defiance rising in his eyes again, she held up a hand to him. "Regardless, your words were very much appreciated. Thank you."
"Any time." He replied with a small bow. Her hand on his cheek stopped it and he raised his head again to find her staring directly into his eyes.
"That covers the first part," she whispered. "Now about the second." His face flamed into a full blush. He started to turn away but she firmly cupped his chin, halting his retreat. "Hey!"
He stopped trying to move away and looked back at her. "What?"
"Did you mean all the things you said?"
His eyes started to water and he swallowed hard. "Every word."
"Hmm." She considered his reply, trying to keep her expression neutral while her heart charged up to her throat. "Then I thank you again for showing such intense loyalty to your master." She released his jaw and thought over her words. Deciding to throw caution aside, despite the warnings screaming in her head, she corrected herself with a coy smile. "Your mistress."
"You're welcome, Kana," he whispered in wonder.
She arched an eyebrow.
He swallowed hard and returned her smile. "You're welcome, Mistress Kana."
"I would prefer you only call me that when we're alone." Even as she quietly warned him, she wondered if she would end up regretting her abrupt decision.
"Of course."
She leaned forward and brought her face right up to his. She considered the soft glow in his amber eyes for a second before easing forward and kissing his lips.
She pulled back just enough to break contact and whispered, "You're sweet."
"And you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known," he whispered in reply.
Her eyes widened in alarm and she whimpered. "Damn. And you were doing so well too." Her choked words barely made it past her lips.
"Huh?"
She sat back, her cheeks burning. "Making me blush isn't usually a healthy idea." She turned away from him to hide the tears gathering in her eyes. "I think we're done here."
His hand on her cheek stopped her slow retreat. He turned her face back to his and smiled mischievously. "Mistress Kana should learn how to take a compliment," he whispered, staring directly into her eyes. He came forward and landed a brief kiss on her cheek. "Call if you need me." With this, he leaped to his feet and calmly walked out of the room.
She barely heard his words, having caught sight of the obvious bulge of his erection straining against his pants. Confusion, lust, and gratitude all warred within her trembling body and she struggled to get her thoughts in order. Taking several deep breaths, she got her nerves under control at long last and looked again at the door her acolyte had just slipped through.
"I need a drink and I need to hit something." Staggering to her feet, she headed straight to Evrok's.


Social media links

www.facebook.com/bk.bilicki
BK_Bilicki@wi.rr.com


Short biography.

Having spent over two decades scribbling curious little stories, gathering fans on several continents, and failing to make any sense out of either, B.K. Bilicki has now embarked on Phase Three of his writing career - actually getting something published. When not spending his lunch hour writing, B.K. can usually be found performing various miracles with a soldering iron. Furor Scribendi can be chastised by fans new and old alike at BK_Bilicki@wi.rr.com. Grr-ya.