Archive for the ‘Guest Blogging’ Category

Heroes and Villains

Sometimes there is a very fine line between the two. Call it the bad-boy syndrome or the anti-hero, but many story “heroes” often flirt with both sides. It can make for a nice dynamic, particularly if the heroine isn’t entirely sure what to make of it. And of course, she’s most likely going to be attracted to him, just for that reason. If he’s truly bad, can he be redeemed? And will she be the one to do it?

For myself, I don’t mind it if my heroes straddle the line, because people generally tend to exist in shades of grey, and that’s exactly how I like my characters. I enjoy watching a hero’s layers slowly peeling back as we discover what makes him tick and what those inner motivations are. Often we find certain actions that may have appeared villainous or untoward at first become much more heroic once we know *why* he did them.

Not that those reasons necessarily excuse them from being an asshat, but it lends a certain amount of sympathy to their plight and it can be much easier for a reader to connect with that character. We can make allowances as to why he very well *should* end up with the heroine.

In my debut, A Brush of Darkness, Brystion the incubus has a certain element of the anti-hero in him. He’s motivated by the need to rescue his sister, but my heroine Abby has very little incentive to trust him, particularly when she has her own set of missing people to deal with. Of course, they end up having to join forces in the end…but things aren’t always what they seem. As much as Abby is attracted to him, she’s also very much aware that Brystion is an actual daemon, and one known for his overly seductive traits. Although she does give in to him (partially due to attraction and partially due to a deal they worked out), there is always a niggling of uncertainty in the back of her mind. Will he love her? Or betray her?

Here’s a little excerpt of A Brush of Darkness:
“I wasn’t trying to seduce you. The offer was genuine.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “It’s a little disconcerting to be turned down by a mere mortal.”

“Just a mortal,” I snorted. “Real nice. I’ll see what I can do about soothing your ego, O gracious and tactful one.” I chewed on my lower lip thoughtfully and gave him a sly smile. “Of course, you probably shouldn’t feel too bad. After all, I am wearing a magical amulet now.”

His mouth pursed. “You are?”

“Sure. It’s made of silver and moonbeams and blessed by a flatulent dwarf,” I intoned gravely. “It’s a guaranteed ‘plus four’ against Incubus Seduction.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Kiss, kiss, darling.” I fluttered my eyelashes, puckering my lips in mock affection.

His hand snarled into my hair, fingers twined tightly at the base of my head. “This is a complication I don’t want, Abby.” He growled the words, but there was no mistaking the desire that smoldered behind his now glowing eyes.

“The bulge in your pants says otherwise,” I retorted, perversely nudging my hips against him. A little voice in the back of my mind was going into apoplectic fits at my boldness. As far as I was concerned, the incubus had been acting like some sort of preternatural cocktease since we’d met and I’d had enough.

He let out a stifled groan, his other hand snaking down to grip my ass. “You’ll regret it,” he breathed, releasing his hold on my hair to trace a curious thumb over my jaw. His face drifted closer until his mouth brushed mine. I shuddered at the delicate intrusion. His fingers slid up to the small of my back.

“Probably.” I sighed, my mind happily unable to focus on anything but the way he was nipping at my lower lip. “I regret a lot of things.”

The incubus stared at me, an unnamed emotion flickering across his face, and then his lips were on mine, fierce and possessive. He devoured me utterly. There was only the sweetness of his tongue, probing hot and wet into the velvet contours of my mouth. It swept shallow, lingering to taste the soft edges, and then moved deeper, pulsing and rhythmic to match the rapid beating of my heart. I jerked forward to bury my hands in his hair, my ragged breathing giving way to a low cry of longing.

“How’s that ego?” he purred.

“Rock hard from the feel of it,” I gasped. “Just the way I like it.”

Book blurb:
I had a naked incubus in my bedroom. With a frying pan of half-cooked bacon and a hard-on. And a unicorn bite on his ass. Christ, this was turning out to be a weird morning.
Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and as sexy as sin incubus who shows up searching for his sister—and is convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invading her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As Abby is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, she realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

Author Bio:
A marine biologist in a former life, Allison Pang turned to a life of crime to finance her wild spending habits and need to collect Faberge eggs. A cat thief of notable repute, she spends her days sleeping and nights scaling walls and wooing dancing boys….Well, at least the marine biology part is true. But she was taloned by a hawk once. She also loves Hello Kitty, sparkly shoes, and gorgeous violinists.

She spends her days in Northern Virginia working as a cube grunt and her nights waiting on her kids and cats, punctuated by the occasional husbandly serenade. Sometimes she even manages to write. Mostly she just makes it up as she goes.

Contact Info:
Website – http://www.heartofthedreaming.com
Blog – http://mynfel.blogspot.com
Group Blog – http://word-whores.blogspot.com

Facebook: – http://www.facebook.com/apang
Twitter: – http://www.twitter.com/allison_pang
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3965895.Allison_Pang

Why Being Bad Can Feel so Good

by Beth Kery

My upcoming print release from Samhain, Velvet Cataclysm, involves clones, one who is evil to root of his bones and the other who struggles against his vampiritic, parasitic nature.

We all have a selfish, ego-maniac residing deep, deep inside us—go on, admit it—which is one of the reasons it’s so fun to write and read about a truly nasty anti-hero. Especially when said anti-hero is a gorgeous, walking god. Teslar, the bad-guy in Velvet Catalysm, does bad things because it gets him what he wants…or it feels good. He accepts his nature without doubt, and you’ve got to love a guy who’s decisive.

His face may have been Saint’s, but his luxurious mane of blondish-brown hair hung down his shoulders and back. While Saint wore a neatly trimmed goatee that was a shade darker than the burnished hair on his head, this man was clean-shaven. He wore a pair of circular, mirrored sunglasses that hid his eyes.

“Well, well, well. What have we here?”

His voice was very much like Saint’s—resonant, rich, and mesmerizing. She felt his eyes on her even through the dark glasses.

Heat bloomed beneath the surface of her skin. (From Velvet Cataclysm)

Freud was the one to break down why the bad in us can feel so good. Those id-impulses are alive and well in all of us; that part that would to bare our teeth and claws when we’re pissed or let the clothes fly and get down to it following a passing sexual attraction. There’s a good reason we don’t let things fly, of course; things like morality, the law, loyalty, compassion, etc. Yes, these things are worth the struggle to damp down the beast in all of us.

Yes, we know the superego is good and necessary for civilization and individuals to grow.

BUT, it sure is fun to let that bad girl or guy out occasionally, and books or movie give us that outlet.

The thing that I like about Saint, my hero, is that he’s not the opposite of Teslar. He actually completely identifies with Teslar, and understand that Teslar is—in essence–him. He understands he has the parasitic nature, the bloodthirst, the nearly uncontrollable hunger and lust. Saint’s power is that he chooses to fight it to gain something higher. Sometimes he fails, but the friction of his struggle grants a damned, inhuman creature the unimaginable—a soul.

The soul in this context incorporates Freud’s idea about the ego. The ego negotiates the impulsive beast (id) and the stuffy authority figure (superego) in all of us. It represents something higher than a combination of both. This is the transformation that Saint must undergo to be worthy of a soul…and an amazing woman, Christina.

Do you have a favorite bad guy/gal in a book or movie, someone you secretly root for? If I were an actress, my ultimate role would be a brilliant, ruthless…busty villainess. What about you? Comment to win a print book OR ebook version of Velvet Cataclysm, the first book in the Princes of the Underground series from Beth Kery and Samhain Publishing.

 

Beth Kery

Velvet Cataclysm, in bookstores, March 1

Bio:

Beth Kery is the National Bestselling author of more than twenty novels. She writes for Berkley, Harlequin and Samhain Publishing, both as Beth Kery and Bethany Kane. Beth holds a doctorate in the behavioral sciences and spends a busy life balancing her family life and two careers.

www.bethkery.com

Those wonderfully flawed heroes…

Heroes and villains—often two sides of the same coin. We can have heroes with rough edges, questionable backgrounds, possibly scarred or crippled—either emotionally or physically—and yet they’re still heroic, they still come through for the heroine, and they always leave us wanting more. The same with villains—a villain can have a few good points and still be thoroughly evil, though a good villain is rarely redeemable—unless, of course, he’s going to appear in a later story as a hero.

Then, of course, it generally takes a good woman to redeem him, right?

But what about those flawed heroes—the ones who make mistakes and screw up, who are somehow damaged or imperfect—what is it that makes us want more of them? I’ve become intimately acquainted with a terribly flawed hero, a man who has greater strengths than most, and yet who continues to make the kinds of mistakes that make you want to strangle him. And yet, in spite of his flaws, I find him one of the most compelling men I’ve ever met within the pages of my own books—he’s Anton Cheval, my über-alpha in the long running Wolf Tales series.

The spirit guide Igmutaka describes Anton perfectly: “His power appears absolute, at times, but what makes all of us love him the way we do is that he is very much, at heart, a simple man. He’s not perfect. He makes mistakes. When he succeeds, he does it with great modesty, when he fails…Ig’s chuffing snort had to be laughter…when he fails, he does it magnificently.

Ig is right. Nothing Anton does is done without passion. He’s never half-hearted, never merely trying. He does. He errs, and yet when he realizes his mistakes, he never hesitates to ask forgiveness, to apologize. And sometimes, when he’s done something wrong for all the right reasons, he will apologize with the caveat that, if faced with the same circumstances, he’ll probably do the same thing again. No, he’s not a perfect hero—he’s complex, he’s flawed, and to me, he’s a more powerful character because of those flaws.

One of his most redeeming traits? Anton loves unconditionally. He loves his packmates, his mate Keisha, his closest friend Stefan. He loves his daughter Lily more than life, and he recognizes Lily as the finest accomplishment he’s ever achieved, and that’s only because half of her DNA comes from Anton’s bonded mate. He’s quick to recognize Keisha as the true head of their pack—even though he’s more powerful, he respects her common sense, her good heart, and her ability to turn him inside out with a single glance. He loves her, and while he occasionally infuriates her, everything Anton does is motivated by love.

And what of the beta hero? The average man thrown into extreme circumstances who is still able to prevail? That would be Dawson Buck, the hero in my upcoming DEMONSLAYERS story, StarFire. Dawson Buck is an average guy, a veterinarian in a small Arizona town, a true geek at heart who loves his work and knows he’s chosen animals to care for because they rarely come with emotional baggage. But when he’s thrown into an unbelievable situation—asked to care for a badly injured woman from another dimension—Dawson not only rises to the challenge, he goes above and beyond what is asked of him. He becomes a true hero in every sense of the word.

In spite of his fears, in spite of the unbelievable situation, Dawson prevails. He’s afraid, he doubts his abilities, and yet he puts fear and his lack of confidence aside and takes unimaginable risks for the greater good. And, he also manages to find the love of his life along the way.

So what makes a hero heroic? I think it’s his willingness to give everything to keep his loved ones safe, his ability to make mistakes and then correct those mistakes, to admit when he’s wrong, to keep quiet when he’s right (no, gloating is NOT allowed!) and to love without reservation.

I write my heroes from the perspective of a woman who’s been married to her very own hero for almost forty years. There’s a lot of my man in every hero I write—his quirky sense of humor, his powerful need to protect, even his ability to admit mistakes. Neither of us is perfect, but I think that’s part of what makes a marriage work, and it’s what makes a fictional hero more heroic—the chance to make mistakes, and the courage to make them right.

BIO:

Kate Douglas is the lead author of Kensington Publishing’s Aphrodisia imprint and the author of the popular erotic romance series Wolf Tales as well as the Zebra series, The DemonSlayers. She is currently working on her newest Aphrodisia series, Dream Catchers. Kate and her husband of almost forty years have two adult children and five grandchildren. They live in the beautiful mountains of Lake County, California, north of the Napa Valley wine country

www.katedouglas.com
www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance
www.facebook.com/katedouglas.authorpage
www.twitter.com/wolftales
kate@katedouglas.com

 

1st chapter excerpts:

StarFire: http://www.katedouglas.com/id56.htm
Wolf Tales 12 (Adults only): http://www.katedouglas.com/eroticromance/id67.htm

 

Contest:
Comment to win your choice of either Wolf Tales VII-11, Sexy Beast VII & VIII, DemonFire or HellFire! Good Luck! Winner Announced at the end of the month.

Heroes, Villains and In-Between…

by Ann Jacobs

Heroes always get the girl. But why?

Dark and dangerous, emotionally and/or physically wounded, my favorite heroes often have flaws that both attracts and repels the heroine. For the most part, they’re Alpha guys, Doms who compel their women to submit.

Guy, the hero of PLEASURE SLAVE, coming March 9 from Ellora’s Cave, has all these traits and more. Gravely injured and restored with cybernetics, he can never return to Earth, where such enhancements are forbidden. Posing as a sexbot, Guy entrances the Earthling woman he has chosen for a mate–but it takes all his powers of sexual persuasion to entice her to give up the life she knows to become his mate and make a brave new world with him in an unknown place–Luna Ten.

What makes a hero? I think it’s a tarnish on male perfection. For instance, consider Jared, the wounded soldier in ROPED; Kurt, the workaholic in A MUTUAL FAVOR who one wife has left and who needs another to play mom to his troubled son; Dave, the washed up pro quarterback looking for new life and a new love in HOT IN THE CLUTCH; Jack, who hands control of his sex life over to his Mistress to protect his career in END RUN; and all the others of my heroes. They have different problems, different limitations–but all sixty or more of the heroes I’ve written have found ways to solve their inner conflicts and find love.

Troubled heroes appeal to me in other authors’ books, as well. One of my favorites, a RITA winner from a long time back, is Justine Davis’ THE MORNING SIDE OF DAWN, about a former baseball player who lost both legs in an accident and now has trouble believing a gorgeous supermodel can possibly love him as he is.

I guess my taste in heroes can be summed up by saying I want them to be tortured–either emotionally or physically–but they must grow beyond their conflicts into the man their heroine can love.

 

 

Bio:
Ann Jacobs is a sucker for lusty Alpha heroes and happy endings. Erotic romance, to her, is the perfect combination of sex, sensuality, deep emotional involvement and lifelong commitment—the elusive fantasy women often dream about but seldom achieve.

First published in 1996, Jacobs has sold more than fifty books and novellas. She is currently nominated for Romantic Times’ 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in erotic romance, as well as having had books nominated by RT reviewers for best erotic romance in 2007 and 2008. Her books have earned awards including the Passionate Plume (best novella, 2006, second place contemporary, 2008), the Desert Rose (best hot and spicy romance, 2004) and More Than Magic (best erotic romance, 2004). She has been a double finalist in separate categories of the EPPIES and From the Heart RWA Chapter’s contest. Three of her books have been translated and sold in several European countries.

A CPA and former hospital financial manager, Jacobs now writes full-time, with the help of Mr. Blue, the family cat who sometimes likes to perch on the back of her desk chair and lend his sage advice. He sometimes even contributes a few random letters when he decides he wants to try out the keyboard. (Most of the time Blue just curls up, hides his eyes with his paws…and sleeps!)

She loves to hear from readers, and to put faces with names at signings and conventions.

Links:

To Visit Ann’s Website Click Here

Click Here to join Ann’s newsletter group.

Click Here to join Ann’s chat group.

Heart of the West Myspace

d’Argent Vampires Myspace

 

Ah, Villains. My favorite. They add tension, conflict, danger, and suspense to any story. And in the case of The Zero Dog War, they bring the humor by the busload.

Yes, I just finished writing a comedy Urban Fantasy. It stars a heroine who is a mercenary captain trying to save her team from bankruptcy and save her heart from a potential rival—Green Beret Jake Sanders. But the craziness really ramps up when the villain strolls onto the scene. Meet Jeremiah Hansen, capitalist necromancer whose business plan involves using the zombies he controls to work in a factory that produces powdered gelatin. The Zero Dog mercenaries are ordered to stop him, and wild zombie-fighting mayhem ensues.

And if that scenario wasn’t wacky enough, Evil Overlord Jeremiah has a few odd personality quirks that sometimes hinder, sometimes advance his plot for world domination.

1) Jeremiah is a necromancer overlord and entrepreneur who hates golf. Hates it. He’s horrible at it. And despite the golf course being the “green boardroom,” he still can’t get a handle on the game. When he rules the world, golf will be banned.

2) He transports his zombie hordes around in a yellow school bus. This is by necessity, and not a stylistic choice, as school buses generally score low on the Villain Cool Scale.

3) He robs banks. With zombies. Enough said.

4) He has a crush on the heroine. And I think we can all guess this can only end badly.

5) Keeping zombies in line is a thankless, 24 hour a day task. Yes, when your employees are largely hungry mindless undead, it can be a struggle dealing with HR issues, productivity challenges, and manufacturing safety. If a few zombies end up in the powered gelatin mix, he’ll never be able to get the factory ISO 9000 certified—not to mention it throws off the color and taste of the lime flavor product.

6) All this and more! Seriously, there’s a ton more jokes/humor/comedy in this book. Everything from nudist-inclined werewolves to mages who can summon alien ferrets and demonic kittens.

Also includes: Action, romance, more action, forklift accidents, dark elves, and fire.

Here’s the blurb:

The first bullet is always free. After that, you gotta pay.

Zero Dog Missions, Book 1

After accidentally blowing up both a client facility and a cushy city contract in the same day, pyromancer and mercenary captain Andrea Walker is scrambling to save her Zero Dogs. A team including (but not limited to) a sexually repressed succubus, a werewolf with a thing for health food, a sarcastic tank driver/aspiring romance novelist, a three-hundred-pound calico cat, and a massive demon who really loves to blow stuff up.

With the bankruptcy vultures circling, Homeland Security throws her a high-paying, short-term contract even the Zero Dogs can’t screw up: destroy a capitalist necromancer bent on dominating the gelatin industry with an all-zombie workforce. The catch? She has to take on Special Forces Captain Jake Sanders, a man who threatens both the existence of the team and Andrea’s deliberate avoidance of romantic entanglements.

As Andrea strains to hold her dysfunctional team together long enough to derail the corporate zombie apocalypse, the prospect of getting her heart run over by a tank tread is the least of her worries. The government never does anything without an ulterior motive. Jake could be the key to success…or just another bad day at the office for the Zeroes.
Product Warnings
Contains explicit language, intense action and violence, rampaging zombie hordes, a heroine with an attitude and flamethrower, Special Forces commandos, ninjas, apocalyptic necromancer capitalist machinations, absurd parody and mayhem, self-deluded humor, irreverence, geek humor, mutant cats, low-brow comedy, and banana-kiwi-flavored gelatin.

Get it here! Samhain Publishing

And Get it Here! ARe

And Don’t Forget Here! Kindle

Or Here! Nook

How about Here! Borders

 

Keith Melton
BIO:

Keith Melton writes Urban Fantasy. He is the author of the Nightfall Series and the Zero Dog Series. His next book, 9mm Blues, releases in April.

Hero or Anti-Hero? By Marie Treanor

For me, the hero of a romance is the lead male character who gets the girl.

I don’t mind if there are two heroes. I don’t mind if he’s got fangs, fur, dubious habits, immoral – or even amoral – behavior, so long as he has that something to make my toes curl. In fact, I’ve always had a soft spot for the hero with a hint of bad – or even a villain with the tiniest hint of good feeling. I like my heroes and my villains to have layers (like Shrek and onions ), so I suppose it’s not surprising if my boundary between hero and villain gets blurred occasionally.

 

Saloman, the hero of Blood on Silk (and of the whole Awakened by Blood trilogy), was described in a recent review as an antihero. And although he’s certainly the male lead, I suppose for much of the book he doesn’t behave a lot like a true hero. For a start, he aims to kill our heroine (which is hardly “cricket”!) and throughout the story, he murders without an obvious qualm. Well, he’s a vampire. He’s meant to drink human blood. And besides, he’s very sexy, and Elizabeth, the heroine in question has the sneaking suspicion that one night with him might just be worth dying for.

Let’s face it, we’re all attracted to bad boys from time to time. We like the risk (even if it’s more comfortable to read about a romance heroine taking that risk for us!). And vampires are the ultimate bad boys. I had great fun with the wicked sides of Karoly in Hunting Karoly (also in the Seducing Scots anthology), and of Max in Loving the Vampire (City of the Damned ebook collection). They paved the way, to some extent, for Saloman in Blood on Silk.

So what makes Saloman a hero instead of a villain? Surely not just the fact that he inspires all those inappropriate, not to say inconvenient, feelings in Elizabeth, even while she knows she has to kill him before he kills her?

To me, he’s saved from villainy in the end, by his “differentness.” He isn’t a human so he doesn’t think like one. Gradually, throughout the series, it becomes clear that Saloman does indeed have a strict moral code, even if it’s not one that a human can easily understand, let alone identify with. By his own lights, he’s behaving perfectly reasonably. And I think that has parallels in older and greater stories – for example, the heroes from two of my earliest favourite American novels, Mark Twain’s eponymous Huckleberry Finn, and Joseph Heller’s Yossarian from Catch 22, both of whom behaved in unconventional ways and held unconventional views that would have been considered anti-heroic at best to many of their contemporaries, even though they’re perhaps more clearly heroes to modern readers.

Now, I couldn’t behave or even think like Saloman and I don’t want to. Neither does Elizabeth (mostly!). But I don’t believe that makes him a villain. What do you think? Is Saloman a hero or an anti-hero? If you like, read the excerpt below to see if it helps you decide .

BLOOD ON SILK: an AWAKENED BY BLOOD novel
By Marie Treanor
Out Now from NAL – Signet Eclipse.
Order from Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Borders; Book Depository; Penguin; Kindle; Nook; Penguin ePub

Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk is spending the summer in Romania researching historical superstitions for her PhD. While she is tracing local folktales, one subject in particular sparks her imagination. His name is Saloman, legend’s most powerful vampire, a seductive prince staked centuries ago. Now, in the ruins of a castle crypt, Elizabeth discovers the legends are real. Her blood has awakened him. Her innocence has aroused him. But Elizabeth unleashes more than Saloman’s hunger.

An army of vampire hunters has amassed to send Saloman back to hell. Sworn to help – yet fearing Saloman’s deadly blood lust – Elizabeth seeks to entrap him, offering her body as bait. But something stronger than dread, more powerful than revenge, is uniting Elizabeth to her prey. Caught between desire and rage, Elizabeth must decide where her loyalties lie…and what the limits are to a yearning she can no longer control.

***

Saloman went very still, and for a moment, she wondered if she’d won a breathing space at least. Then his lips closed on her throat, caressing and teasing her skin. She was sure he even flicked the vein with his tongue, tapping it like a nurse before inserting a needle.

She trembled, both yearning and dreading and unable to distinguish one from the other. Saloman relaxed the pressure of his body on hers, and the hand on her chest slipped lower between them and closed over her naked breast. She let out a tiny, inarticulate sound that might have been a sigh or a sob.

Saloman lifted his head. His black eyes burned into hers. “I know,” he said, and dropped his gaze to her mouth, to her breasts. His palm moved, gliding over the aching peak of her nipple.

“Know what?” she demanded with desperation, having lost the thread.

“That Zoltán attacked you. He has no finesse.”

“You were there,” she blurted. “You were the other shadow. . . .” And yet she could have sworn she’d surprised him by her original revelation.

“The other shadow? I’m not sure I like that. It offends my sense of superiority.”

A breath of laughter escaped her, as unbidden as it was appalling. “Are you for real?”

“Oh yes.” His hand released her breast to draw the sheet farther down. “Don’t I feel real?” His fingers touched her lips, parting them with a downward sweep that continued over her chin and throat and down between her breasts to her navel. She moved with the caress, arching under his hand because she couldn’t help it. She felt like a musical instrument, played by his careless, talented fingers.

“I began this meal the night you wakened me,” he whispered. “And I will finish it. All of it.”

She swallowed, trying not to squirm under his devouring gaze. Jesus, no one had ever looked at her like that, with such greedy, urgent passion . . . but then no one had ever regarded her as a meal before either.

His finger circled her belly button, dipping in and out.

She gasped, “What do you mean, all of it?” Was there a choice? Could she convince him to leave her alive?

The almost- smile dawned and died on his lips.

“Sex,” he said unexpectedly. She blinked, and his gaze moved up to her face, mocking, yet scalding in its intensity. “That’s what you call it these days, isn’t it? When you’re being polite.” He laid his whole hand flat on her stomach, then swept outwards and downward to her thigh. “Let me say it in my own more familiar terms. Tonight, I will pleasure you. I will take every delight your sweet flesh can give me. And just before sunrise, I will finish the meal.”

Could she negotiate for one without the other? Burning up with his words, she wanted all of it. She remembered the staggering bliss of his killing mouth on her throat, and she was only too aware of her helpless reaction to his touch right now.

He could make me orgasm just by looking at me. . . . Oh shit, what is the matter with me?

“Well, that’s novel,” she managed, with what mockery she could summon, forcing herself to be still under his idly caressing hands. “Dalliance and dinner instead of the other way round.”

His lips quirked. “I offered them both together, as I recall. I believe I can still manage that. Afterward.”

She squirmed, and he smiled, pleased and predatory.

Fighting herself at least as much as him, she tried for further delay. “Why didn’t you just do it then? What’s the point of all the cat-and-mouse?”

“Fun,” he replied, as though surprised. “And the fact that I barely had the strength to stand, let alone fuck.”

Her face flamed all over again, and his hand on her nape massaged the muscles there, sending shivers all the way down her spine. They felt more like bolts of lust.

He said, “I’m better now,” and drew her forward by the nape until her naked body rested against him. There was no time to struggle, if she could have forced herself to it, before his mouth closed on hers in the most sensual kiss she’d ever known. His lips dominated, tasting, then sucking, while his tongue thrust in deliberate simulation of sex. She felt his teeth, those terrible fangs, and without really meaning to, just unable to resist, she touched one with her tongue.

A sound like a groan escaped him. She was swept closer into his body, her breasts crushed against his hard, powerful chest while the hand not caressing her nape splayed flat against her naked back and began to play among her vertebrae, spreading wild, devastating lust straight between her legs.

He opened her mouth wider with his, deepening the kiss. She felt dizzy, as if she were falling, and realized he was pressing her back into the pillows, moving the rest of his body onto the bed with her.

This is it. He’s really going to do it; have sex with me. Everything in her leapt toward that goal, that yearning which had become a need, a necessity. In just an instant, she’d feel the weight of his hard, muscular body. As he removed his clothes, she’d feel his naked skin on hers, his hardness pressing between her thighs. This amazing, beautiful being wanted to have sex with her.

And then he would kill her.

Blood on Silk is available now .
Blood Sin is released on 5th April and is available now for pre-order.
Hunting Karoly is available in e-book from Ellora’s Cave, and in the paperback anthology Seducing Scots, also from Ellora’s Cave.
Loving the Vampire is available as part of the City of the Damned (Book 1 of the collection, Loving the Wolf, is available for $.01 at Changeling Press) e-book collection from Changeling Press.

Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.
You can find out more about Marie and her books on her website: www.MarieTreanor.com.
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Join the party on her new blog: Marie Treanor’s Romantic Theme Party.

Tie Me Up, Please!
By Vonna Harpe

Welcome to my world, a kinky, great fun world IMO! Here’s a poorly-kept secret. I love writing bondage/capture stories. Its my fantasy, where I go in my mind when the world gets heavy or simply for fun.
For those who think I’m blowing smoke, here’s an example from my recent Loose Id release Brought Down.

http://www.loose-id.com/Brought-Down.aspx

“Yes, my captive, yes. Right now, you don’t believe me. I don’t blame you.” His expression sobered. “You believe the only way I can get you to cooperate is by force, but force breaks the spirit.”
The whole time he’d been talking, his rough fingers had tightened and relaxed, tightened and relaxed, sending strange sensations throughout her lower leg. There was nothing forceful in what he was doing, and his grip was far from painful. To her shock, she regretted it when he stopped.
“A woman’s body is quick to heat,” he went on. Releasing her shin, he pressed the heel of his hand against the side of her calf. “Just as a wolf answers to his belly’s needs, a woman heeds her sex.”
What had he said? If not for those words, surely her attention wouldn’t have turned to what lay hidden between her legs. No longer just pressing on her calf, his hand now moved back and forth. Even more disconcerting, he’d started lightly raking his nails over her knee. The touch put her in mind of a bird’s wing.
No, not a bird’s wing.
She couldn’t get away. Struggling would serve no purpose. As he continued his unexpectedly gentle exploration, she relaxed a little. She should fear this man with the thick, rich black hair that brushed the tops of his shoulders and bushy eyebrows. Unlike some men who wore beards, he’d taken a knife to his cheeks and chin, but not for the past few days. The shading added to his wild appearance.
“I didn’t think your flesh would be this soft,” he muttered. “It should be rough from the wind.”
His uncertain tone pulled her back from her study of his appearance. For the first time, she noted curiosity in his eyes and wondered if today was as much a journey for him as for her. Yet the differences were telling. He was in control of his journey, while she had no say. He’d captured her simply because he could.
Sighing, he changed from a crouch to kneeling. Once settled, he ran his hand along her thigh. Both dreading and anticipating what was going to happen, Kahsha breathed through every inch of the journey. He could be cruel yet wasn’t. Could draw blood but hadn’t. Instead he studied her while slowly, so slowly, guiding his hand to the inside of her thigh. Her dress barely covered her crotch, yet he didn’t take advantage.
“You can’t want this,” he muttered. Leaning forward, he exhaled his warm breath on her leg. “You hate everything I’m doing.” He sighed. “At the same time, you want to know what’s going to happen. That will make you tremble, and in the trembling, you’ll give up pieces of yourself. Hand your body over to me.”
He was right about the shivering. To her disbelief, insisting she wanted nothing to do with what he was doing would be a lie. Surely it would be different once she fully recovered from whatever he’d injected her with.
Ah, that was it; there was still poison in her system. Nothing to do with wondering what his fingers on her core would feel like.
Maybe he’d tapped into her thoughts, because after patting her knee, he slid his hand between her legs. It’s going to happen, his deep eyes said.
“Time,” he muttered, “to begin.”
Barely believing what was happening, she stared at his forearm and what she now could see of his wrist. The upward march fascinated her so that she couldn’t concentrate on remaining erect. His rough skin burned hers. She tried squeezing her thighs together, only to sob and let go when her muscles threatened to cramp.
He was saying something in a language she’d heard a few times but understood nothing of. Only the tone, soft and low, mattered. Perhaps what he was saying had nothing to do with her, but maybe he was detailing everything he had planned for her.

Anyone except me hot and bothered now? What’s truly amazing to me is that before I dove into the world of writing erotica, I kept my fantasies under wraps. Why? Because of my upbringing. Let me explain.

In purely psychological terms, Freud was a nut. In 1908, he declared that, “a happy person never fantasizes, only a dissatisfied one.”
Fortunately, a great deal has changed since those uninformed days with such experts as psychologists Harold Leitenberg and Kris Henning doing extensive studies on peoples’ sexual fantasies. Their conclusion: only about 5% of people don’t dream up sexy romps. In fact, it’s now considered pathological not to have such fantasies.
Whew! Good news for me because my erotica banks on readers’ need and desire for the aforementioned. But it isn’t enough for an erotica writer to simply open the bedroom door wide and call a pussy a pussy. There has to be a reason for the pussy to get into the act, like a plot to go with the sex. Many times I decorate my plot around bondage.
Good choice because psychiatrist Ethel Person of Columbia University reports that 51 percent of women imagine being forced to have sex and another third get off on pretending to be a slave who must obey a man’s every wish. Yep, I’m in good company, something I didn’t know back when the muse (or my carnal imagination) compelled me to write my first Ellora’s Cave capture story, Forced. http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-5333-77-forced.aspx (Ask me how much I dig the cover)
In it, a downsized lady cop gets pegged to go undercover to expose a slavery ring. Unfortunately—or fortunately—the first step calls for her being taught what it’s like to be a sex slave. With every like-themed book, I kick up my own fantasies another notch and judging by reader reaction, I’m on the right track.
So why do scenes full of ropes and chains touch so many people’s hot buttons? For the answer, I went back to the shrinks. According to Leitenberg and Henning, “Women who find submission fantasies sexually arousing are very clear that they have no wise to be raped in reality. In their fantasies, women control every aspect of what happens.” According to the article, “Power, Desire, and Pleasure in Sexual Fantasies” by Eileen Zurbriggen in the Aug, 2004 Journal of Sex Research, women who fanaticize about submission have a more positive attitude about sex and are less sexually guilty and more open to a variety of sexual experiences. Female submissive fantasies may be one aspect of an open, positive, guilt-free sexuality.
Why is that? Blame or credit the brain. The brain is as potent a sexual organ as the genitalia. As a result, our imagination allows us to safely explore our sexuality without waiting for Mr. Right or Wrong. No one is going to judge and criticize our thoughts. We can let them run wild—or handcuff and hog-tie them if we so choose.
I’ll choose the handcuffs, thank you very much. And throw in a blindfold and dildo for my helpless, writhing, and over-the-top excited female captive while I’m at it. And, most important, add one (or more) male hunk who can’t keep his hands off her helpless body because real women get off on being desired. As Leitenberg and Henning put it, “Women tend to envision something being done to them and to concentrate more on their partner’s interest in her.”
In his Psychology Today article, “The Safest Sex—Sexual Fantasies”, Peter Doskoch maintains that men have Playboy to prime their pumps while women turn to the “cookie-cutter” Harlequin romances which always include an emotional, passionate romance for mental and otherwise stimulation. Well, guess what. Those vanilla romances aren’t enough as witness by Ellora’s Cave’s phenomenal success.
Women readers want and deserve and are now getting more, a hell of a lot more. Their pumps are primed because erotic bondage (and its relatives) include emotion and passion, in spades.
In other words, it’s a short step from book to bed.

Just because, my latest Samhain release, Predator, also touches on capture themes. http://store.samhainpublishing.com/predator-p-6252.html

I’ve always been fascinated by the cougar craze. I even tried it on for size – once. I much prefer to write about it. Though I have to admit younger can be better in a lot of ways. In fact the DH is younger, but only by a few years.

When the ladies of the Cougar Challenge asked if I’d be interested in writing a book I jumped at the offer. I’ve written a few older women/younger men stories, so I was up for the challenge.

My story – Gettin’ Lucky will be available from Ellora’s Cave on November 17^th. Here is a little interview I did with my heroine.

Amber: Marcy what made you decide to take the challenge?

Marcy: Lucky is a massage therapist and knows what to do with his hands. Need I say more?

Amber: I heard your husband left you for a younger woman, was this your way of revenge?

Marcy: No. I was hesitant to go after Lucky because I didn’t want people calling me a cradle robber like my ex, but again, Lucky’s a massage therapist and he finds all the right spots.

Amber: So how did you find out about the cougar challenge?

Marcy: Through my mother if you can believe that. My mom was in the recovery room and flirting with the young doctor. I was so embarrassed, but the nurse said it was normal. She gave me a card for my mom to visit the Tempt the Cougar blog. Needless to say I kept the business card for myself. *grins*

Amber: So do you ?get? Lucky?

Marcy: You’ll have to read to book to find out. Oh and for those of you who like m?nage, Lucky has a brother. *wink*

You can find this and all the other Cougar Challenge books at Ellora’s Cave.

Amber’s Bio:

Amber is a multi-published author who spends her time crafty sexy, steaming romances for readers to indulge in. When away from creating fantasies she spends time with her husband, kids and three dogs.

Amber can be found in the following places:

www.amberskyze.com

http://amberskyze.blogspot.com

http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com

http://apinchofromance.blogspot.com

email: amberskyze AT gmail DOT com

Blurb:

A standalone story in the Cougar Challenge series.

Marcy Brown can’t get enough of Lucky, her massage therapist. Lucky’s fingers linger dangerously close to her womanhood and ignite a fire deep within. Marcy isn’t looking for a relationship, but a friend with benefits would be right up her alley. The women of Tempt the Cougar blog swear by younger men, but Marcy doesn’t want to train someone. She wants a man who can give her orgasm after orgasm.

Lucky offers to be her secret lover and help her realize all her fantasies. Marcy will discover the excitement of being taken from behind and unexpectedly. She also savors the deliciousness of being with two men.

All bets are off when this Cougar is challenged to get her growl on.

An Excerpt From: GETTIN’ LUCKY

Copyright ? AMBER SKYZE, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One

?Isn’t he hot, sweetie??

?Mom!? Marcy groaned.

?What? Is there something wrong with me thinking the young doctor is sexy??

?Mother, please.? Not that there was anything wrong with her admiring the younger doctor. Shit Marcy fantasized about younger men, but she kept it under wraps. She didn’t speak the words out loud.

Marcy wished she could crawl under a rock and die. They were in the recovery room. Her mother had just undergone surgery for her broken wrist. It wasn’t like they were alone. The room was full of other people who had come from surgery too, along with their family members. Marcy looked around to see if anyone else was listening to her mother’s tirade. She couldn’t believe her mother was talking about how hot the doctor was in front of all these people. Christ, he was young enough to be her son, possibly grandson.

?Thank you,? the doctor said. ?Now I want you to rest for the next few days. No using those fingers, either. You need to give your body time to recuperate.?

?Anything you say, Doctor.?

Marcy watched as her mother made googly eyes at the doctor.

?Do you make house calls?? she asked, reaching out with her good hand to touch him.

He chuckled.

?They don’t allow us to go to patients’ homes, but I’ll see you in a few days at my office. All right??

?If you insist.?

?I’ll see you soon.? He patted her mother’s leg before rushing off to his next patient.

Marcy looked down at her mother.

?I can’t believe you just said those things to the doctor, Mother,? she whispered.

?It’s all right, Ms. Brown,? the nurse said. ?There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of women enjoy the company of younger men.?

Not my mother and certainly not me. Though she couldn’t deny the growing attraction she’d been feeling for Lucky. Lately every time he massaged her he came dangerously close to her pussy, stirring up tingling sensations she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Thankfully her vibrator gave her the relief she craved after leaving her weekly massages, because she couldn’t risk losing Lucky. Entering into anything sexual with him would cross too many boundaries for her. She might have to change massage therapists and that would be a pity.

?I appreciate your understanding, but that doctor could be her grandson.? She knew she was exaggerating, but seriously. Her mother was too old to be drooling over the doctor.

The nurse laughed.

Marcy didn’t find anything funny about her mother fawning over the young stud. Yes, he was cute, not her type, but nice-looking.

?Stop being so uptight, Marcy. Just because Dan wasn’t smart enough to stick around doesn’t mean you’re a dead fish. You can have a little fun if you know what I mean.? Her mother winked.

Marcy wanted to flee the recovery room.

?It’s the anesthesia.? The nurse patted her hand.

?Thanks.? Marcy looked at her name tag. ?Elizabeth.?

?No problem. I have a few things to check on, but I’ll be back shortly. Don’t worry about your mother. Once the anesthesia wears off she’ll probably forget the things she said.?

God she prayed the nurse was right. She couldn’t have her mother talking like this.

?I appreciate your understanding.?

The nurse nodded before heading off. She returned an hour later.

?Here are your discharge papers,? Elizabeth said. ?And here’s something just in case your mom is serious.?

Marcy took the business card.

?Tempt the Cougar? What’s this??

In a hushed tone, Elizabeth explained. ?It’s a blog where women who want to experience the thrill of younger men gather.?

?Oh no. My mother definitely doesn’t need this.? Marcy attempted to hand the card back to her.

?Take it. You never know.?

?I’m sorry, but I do know. This is not something my mother would be interested in.?

Elizabeth shrugged.

?Then keep it for yourself. You never know, you might find it interesting.? She rushed off before Marcy could object.

Shifting Gears:

Buy from EC http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8723-600-shifting-gears.aspx

Shifting Gears Interview:
Lynn Madison: So, Sloan, we meet again. How do you like being on this side of the questions?

Sloan Desai: Somehow it’s a little less fun over here.

Lynn: Ha! Well, don’t expect me to go easy on you. You certainly enjoyed harassing me a few months ago.

Sloan: Yes, but that was before we were friends. Before we realized we shared a love for erotic romances and ended up dating inseparable men.

Lynn: Is that what you’re calling it?

Sloan: I mean, that sounded bad… what I meant was…

Lynn: I’m not embarrassed to admit our friendship is a little more involved than most, you don’t have to hedge for my sake. Look, our guys are best friends, we’re best friends, the four of us hang out constantly as we travel the world on the race circuit. I don’t think it’s a big stretch to admit we’re compatible in a lot of ways.

Sloan: I suppose you’re right as usual. Remember the day we all went to Cheung Chau off the coast of Hong Kong? I think I knew from that day on that the bond between the four of us would last forever. It was also the first time I noticed the tension between Sebastian and Marco.

Lynn: Good thing you channeled that energy into something constructive, a positive way to work off all that excess energy.

Sloan: You know there are lots of strangers out there reading this, right? I’m not sure Sebastian and Marco are ready for the world to know about their feelings for each other.

Lynn: Too late, hon. Didn’t you know Jayne Rylon wrote a book about us? There are no secrets left. You can read all about our foursome in Shifting Gears.

Sloan: I hope she made me hot.

Lynn: You and me both! Come on, let’s head back to our guys before they can get into trouble without us.

Sloan: I hope they get into trouble with us.

Lynn: You and me both. Again.

An Excerpt From: SHIFTING GEARS

Copyright ? JAYNE RYLON, 2010

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One

?Oh my God!?

The woman on the corrugated aluminum bleacher several rows in front of Sloan turned with wide eyes when Sloan shouted. She caught Sloan?s stare on the sexy cover of her erotic romance novel and flipped it closed?cover side down?discretely.

?Sorry, didn?t mean to startle you.? Sloan smiled. ?I know how it is when you?re lost in a good book. And that book is fan-fucking-tastic! I love Mari Carr. Her stories are smoking hot. Especially the m?nages. Yum.?

The woman grinned and nodded. ?I?ve read almost all of hers. My reading group back in the US mailed me this one. It arrived last night and I?m halfway done already. I tried to ration it out?a chapter a day?but it?s impossible.?

?Thank God for ebook readers, huh? I don?t know what I would do if I didn?t have access to all the new releases from this side of the globe.? Sloan stepped into the stands then picked her way down the incline, closer to the woman, careful not to slip in her three-inch heels.

At least she?d worn jeans to the race site today instead of her usual skirted suit. ?I hear that. It can get lonely being a foreigner in a country where you don?t speak the language. Especially one as difficult to pick up as Mandarin or Cantonese. Reading keeps me from getting too homesick, though it leads to other?complications.?

When the woman laughed, her entire face brightened. Around Sloan?s age, close to forty, she seemed carefree and infectiously happy. ?I know what you mean. Or at least I used to. Now I have a young stud to keep me occupied when I get revved up. I?m engaged to Sebastian Fiori. The driver for??

?Oh! Don?t worry, I know who he is. Sexy as sin and a four-time world champion rally car racer to boot. So you must be Lynn Madison, you bitch.?

The humongous diamond flashing on the woman?s finger had confirmed Sloan?s suspicions.

Talk of Bastian and the alluring cougar who?d tamed him had run rampant this season. Scores of young sex goddesses mourned their loss. Many had tried for years to snag him or his luscious navigator Mark Rossi, but none had succeeded in tempting either guy into more than a one-night stand.

Until Sebastian fell head over heels in love on first sight last season. Everyone agreed he?d never performed better. Lynn must be good for the man.

What was good for the driver was good for the sport.

And that was good for Sloan.

?It?s true.? Lynn sighed and her eyes took on a faraway look. ?I?m the luckiest woman alive.?

?I?m Sloan Desai, by the way.? She held out her hand, but Lynn hugged her instead of shaking it.

?Sorry, but after two minutes I feel like I?ve known you forever. Have a seat.? Lynn gestured with the spine of her novel toward the racetrack, which snaked past the base of the stadium they sat in. ?You know, Bastian?s mentioned you before. I think we might?ve even talked on the phone once when you scheduled some of his interviews. You?re the publicist for the league, right??

?Yep. That?s me.? Sloan winked. ?In charge of keeping the boys out of trouble with the media, managing their images and bringing fans in by the truckload.?

?Seems like you?re doing a great job. I heard the first couple days of the exhibition are sold out.?

?They are. Thanks.?

?So how do you like China so far??

The event would take place in Guangdong province, about a half-hour outside Guangzhou, in a few weeks?a great chance for the teams to tune up or experiment in the off-season. The crews had arrived early to acclimate, which meant Sloan had to be on-site to defuse any?situations?that could cause trouble with the local hosts.

Full of testosterone and daring, the guys in the league sometimes crossed the line.

?I haven?t been able to do much sightseeing. I have to stick fairly close-by.? Sloan shrugged.

?Yeah, I know what you mean.? Lynn grimaced. ?The teams do tend to get rowdy on occasion. Maybe you can take a day trip or two with me. I write travel guides for a living, so I like to check out as much as I can in the areas we visit. Sebastian gets nervous when I?m out on my own though. Especially in locations a little more exotic.?

?You don?t seem like the kind of woman to sit around and wait for a man simply to ease his mind. A woman after my own heart, by the way.?

?You?re right, I?m no shrinking violet.? Lynn grinned. ?But I worry that if he?s worried, he?ll be distracted. The sport is dangerous enough as it is. Plus, I miss him if I stray too far.?

?I hope ?him? is me.? A deep growl sounded from behind their spot on the bench. Sitting side by side, neither woman had heard the soft soles of Sebastian?s racing sneakers on the concrete as he approached. ?Or I?ll have to kick some ass and those days are supposed to be behind me.?

?Old man.?

Sloan swallowed hard at the jibe from the other guy who strode toward them?Mark Rossi. It was either that or moan aloud at his spectacular build. Thick muscles filled out his racing jumpsuit to perfection. She wished she?d seen him going instead of coming so she could check out his killer ass, but the bulge at his crotch and the humor in his warm eyes made for scrumptious consolation prizes.

She?d spied him from across the room at events she?d arranged, but usually she had a job to do while in attendance. Of course she?d found herself staring at promo shots of him on more occasions than she cared to admit, but never before had she been able to take her time and study his legendary features in person?bold cheekbones, olive skin and glossy, sandy hair.

And, shit, now she was staring.

Maybe her imagination played tricks on her, but it seemed as if he might be gawking in return.

Hi! I’m so excited to have been invited to do an interview on your blog, Selena! My subject is the heroine of my Cougar Challenge novella, “Nothing but Sex”…Lee Blackhorse.

Fran: Welcome, Lee! I’m so happy you could join me here today.
Lee: I’m a bit nervous, Fran, but here I am. Thanks for inviting me.
Fran: Lee, could you tell our readers a bit about yourself, and how you decided to become a Cougar”?
Lee: OMG! I am still not certain how I finally decided to jump into Cougardom, but I know that it was mostly because of the gals over at the Tempt the Cougar Blog. If I hadn’t found them, I would probably still be single and I would never have taken that leap.
Fran: What do you mean? You didn’t actively set out to snag a hot younger guy?
Lee: Me? No way! Well…maybe…after I finally got up the nerve to post a comment on the blog, they e-mailed me back and encouraged me to at least try. I tell you, it scared the tar out of me to think of tangling with another hot guy at my age!
Fran: Tell us a little about this hot younger guy.
Lee: Um…well…I’d known Mike for a long time. I mean, hell, he was just a kid when he came to my front door and asked me for some odd jobs. He was barely out of high school. I sorta thought he looked kind of hot back then, but you know how it goes…cradle robber stuff. Besides, I was still trying to make a bad marriage work. When I finally grew a brain and divorced Howard, I did my best NOT to think of Mike as a possible lover. I’m twelve years older than him.
Fran: When did you finally start seeing him as a possible lover?
Lee: I had a really bad day…a nasty argument with the ex…and I was crying my eyes out on my front porch when he showed up early for the chores he always did every Saturday. He’s always been such a great guy about helping me. Well, I have always thought he was hot…built…the kind of guy you always wanted to find. But I just couldn’t get past the age difference. Until after the fight with Howard. I found myself looking at those long legs in skin tight jeans…and the way his T-shirt hugged every muscle. OMG! I ran inside and got a big glass of ice water, and looked out the kitchen window…there he was, tugging that sweaty T-shirt off and tossing hay to the animals…I almost orgasmed looking!
Fran: Yeah…I saw the picture you uploaded to the blog. YUM! So what happened then?
Lee: I headed for my computer and logged into the blog. I decided to say how I felt. I thought just commenting would be enough, but then the gals started to IM and e-mail me, and I realized how silly I was being, letting my age stoop me from enjoying looking…and touching…
Fran: So, the others encouraged you to get past the cradle robber ideas?
Lee: And how! If not for their encouragement, I would have let that man slip through my fingers.
Fran: I’m so thrilled that you didn’t! And even more thrilled that you allowed me write your story. Would you mind terribly if I let the readers have a little excerpt from Nothing but Sex?
Lee: Not at all. Please do!
Nothing but Sex
http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8365-554-nothing-but-sex.aspx

Fran Lee

Excerpt:

She was unnerved by the feel of his hard, eager body shoving her out the clinic door and toward the car, but when she felt his cock ram between her butt cheeks, she almost gave a yelp of shock. Heat flashed through her as she fumbled to climb into the car and when he asked for help with his seat belt, she tried to hide her hot face from him. Dear Lord! The scent of him nearly made her lose control of her hands. He smelled like a dark pine forest?and like man. Probably from using pine cleaner on the concrete floor of the tack room, and working hard. The combined scents did not repel her. They made her damn mouth water.

But when her knuckles grazed his cock through his jeans and she heard his intake of breath, she lost hold of the buckle and had to fish it back over his lean frame. She clicked the buckle into the latch and sank back into her own seat as he breathed what sounded sort of like ?Heaven?. And then she managed to pull her thoughts back together enough to start the car and pull out of the gravel parking area and back onto the highway.

?I?ll get you back to the ranch and bring Shorty or Jack back to take your truck.?

?Take me to your place.?

She jammed on the brakes and jerked her head around to stare at him. ?My place? Why? It?ll be easier to just take you home, so you can be comfortable.?

His dark eyes were in shadow, but she could feel them on her face as she hesitated in the entrance to the clinic parking area. ?I want to be with you.?

His quiet statement nearly put her into cardiac arrest. It took a few moments to compose her thoughts to reply.

?With me??

?Just turn left and drive. Please.?

She found herself turning toward her place and she drove slowly, terrified that her agitation would show in her speed. Not another word passed between them until she pulled into her own rutted driveway and cut the engine. As she unfastened the buckle of his belt, then her own, she murmured softly, ?If you?re hungry, I have some leftover stew??

Before the words were out, his left hand slid into her hair and caught the back of her head and she was pulled halfway over the small console between the seats as his mouth covered hers in a hot, sensuous command. The hand swathed in metal, leather, and tape was cupped over her left cheek and as she opened her lips to ask what he was doing, his tongue slid in to stop her protest cold. O.M.G. No one had ever kissed her like this. Her belly was doing a hot tango and her breasts ached to be touched. Her pussy clenched and warm cream flooded her panties as she gave a throaty groan of surrender and let him plunder her mouth.

The sound of the deep, visceral growl that rolled from the wide chest beneath her flattened palms almost made her orgasm on the spot. Thoughts of a shifter romance she had recently read tore through her and she moaned as he eased the kiss and nibbled her full lower lip gently, while his injured hand slid down her throat and over her collarbone to cup her supersensitive, aching breast. The unexpected and very embarrassing orgasm that rolled from her pussy to her nipples and back brought her off the seat with a mewling sound of pleasure and white-hot sparkles of lust threaded their way through her body, bouncing around joyfully.

He slowly squeezed her throbbing breast through her shirt and lifted his head to stare down into her glazed eyes. His lips curved wickedly into a grin and his voice whispered huskily, ?Damn, I must be good.?

Lee: I can’t believe I did that! But I loved every minute!
Fran: I loved writing your story! Thanks so much for being here today…and thanks for being a friend!

Thanks, Selena, for letting us have your blog today!