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Archive for May, 2012



Guest Blogger: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Friday, May 11th, 2012

Why Hotel Sex Is Hot

I love hotels, and I love hotel sex! That’s why I edited Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories and the new anthology Suite Encounters: Hotel Sex Stories. To me one of the greatest things about a hotel is one of the most obvious: it’s not your home. Probably you’ve never been there before. There are all sorts of things to explore and examine and indulge in. I took a staycation with my boyfriend earlier this year at the Gansevoort Park Hotel, and it was fabulous because we ate dinner at the delicious restaurant Asellina downstairs and never even had to go outside. The bathtub made me want to move into it, it was so deep and luxurious. But I don’t think you have to stay at a fancy hotel to partake of good hotel sex (and that includes solo sex). Just the mere act of getting away can shake you up, just like how I sometimes go to a new location to write for a change of scenery. Those two things collided when I was in Milwaukee for business and stayed at the beautiful Intercontinental (if you are ever in Milwaukee, I highly recommend it!). I wound up eating dinner at the hotel bar and a sleazy guy started hitting on me, with the genius line, “You must be very smart” because I was, wait for it…reading a book (a galley of love and cooking memoir Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky, which I also recommend). He was a loser and made me wish I’d opted for room service, but I wound up turning that incident into the basis for a story!

I regularly schedule hotel dates because even when you don’t have time to travel, they are a way to get away from it all. The last hotel I stayed at was The Benjamin, and I made sure to take advantage of their pillow menu, though I couldn’t help laughing hysterically when I got to the “snore no more” pillow. One tip that I could have used: if you bring sex toys with you, make sure they’re all present and accounted for before you leave. I wound up leaving my riding crop there and was too embarrassed to call and ask if they had it!

In Suite Encounters: Hotel Sex Stories, my new anthology out this month, there are sex workers, staycations, a mermaid, a murder mystery weekend, bondage (at the holiday inn!) and much more. I think Suite Encounters, like its predecessor Do Not Disturb, showcases a range of the ways people use hotels to get off. My story, “Special Request,” is one of the more outrageous, less realistic stories in the book. It’s an over-the-top fantasy inspired by a stay at the Westin in Los Angeles where they would have brought a treadmill or exercise bike to my room, and seemed to imply they could get a customer anything their heart desired. In my story, that actually happens. Here’s a snippet:

“So I booked this room because I’d heard from a friend that you will do anything to fulfill your clients’ wishes. I’ve been unable to find anyone who could meet my exact specifications, but you look like you’ll know where to find what I need. And my wish is for, well, an orgy. Tomorrow night. I want a room full of hot men and women to pleasure me and each other. Not professionals, just regular sexy people looking to have a good time. And I want you to join us. That’s a must. As a guest, off the clock. Confidentially of course—I must make sure not a word of this gets out,” Claudine finished with a Cheshire cat–like smile. Read the rest of this entry »

A Quick Fly-By
Thursday, May 10th, 2012

I’m heading deep into the Ozark Mountains tomorrow for a writer’s retreat. I have tons to get off my desk today. So this will be quick!

First, yesterday’s winner of Ily Goyanes’s POWER PLAYS is Robyn Evans! Woot! Robyn, be sure to email Ily at ily.goyanes@ampersandeditions.com!

Also while I’m gone, I’ll have blogs pre-posted, so be sure to stop in. Remember, you still have plenty of opportunities to win that pretty pendant I’ll give away next Tuesday! I’ll have Wi-Fi at the lodge, so I can stay in touch. No problems there. I hope. I live in the boonies and satellite connection is often iffy here. This will be deep in the piney woods…

I’m almost at the end of the next Delta Heat book. Want to know the title? I don’t think I’ve shared it here. Well, it’s Fournicopia. Does that give you a hint of the delights inside this story? Yeah, you got it. Those of you who have heard me griping about the fact the story’s all sex know now that it’s living up (or is it down?) to its title. 🙂

Guest Blogger: Ily Goyanes (Contest)
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

Details of the giveaway are listed at the bottom of this post! Enjoy!~DD

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Before I start talking about sex, I’d like to thank Delilah for having me as a guest. I am proud (ecstatic, giddy even) to have her story, “Playing the Field,” as part of the lineup for my editorial debut, Girls Who Score: Hot Lesbian Erotica.

And now…let’s talk about sex, baby…

I always tell my friends (or strangers who have the gumption to ask about my sexuality) that I have a straight man, a lesbian, two bisexuals, a heterosexual chick, and a gay dude all living inside me—and they all get equal amounts of playtime.

My writing is proof that art imitates life. Even in the most fantastical stories, there are nuggets of truth about the writer. My stories include all of the aforementioned sexual orientations. Sometimes they include sweet, romantic and silly sex. Sometimes bondage, spanking and humiliation. Role play, cuckolding, strap-on play, exhibitionism, threesomes—almost everything is fair game—because in my bedroom it is (or has been in the past). If I’ve written about it, you can pretty much bet I’ve done it or had it done to me.

My sexual eccentricities are probably best captured in Power Plays, my latest release. It’s a ‘thrillogy’ – a collection of three stories. And although these particular stories all include some type of power exchange, they capture my unconventional sexual appetite pretty accurately.

There are two couples, a threesome, a one night stand with potential, some girl on girl action, some man on man mingling, a spanking party, bondage, and oh so much more. All of this in three stories? Yes—because that’s how I roll in my everyday life.

I like authenticity in erotica –whether it’s steampunk, fantasy, paranormal, or contemporary—the characters should be people that you can imagine meeting in real life. The dialogue should ring true—as should the motivations and desires of the characters. I don’t care if the MC is a vampire or a nymph—their personality should be real.

And so, maybe I’m divulging a bit too much (I tend to be too honest), but Power Plays best represents me in that it encapsulates the party that is my pants.

This is an excerpt from “Fun & Games,” one of the stories in Power Plays. I hope you like reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The leather belt lands on my bare ass with a loud smacking sound. I bite down hard on the towel for a second, preparing for the next blow. Twenty, thirty, hell, even forty or fifty blows could connect with my flesh without arousing the slightest reaction from me, but this is a spanking party and my ass is a rental. You know how people treat rentals, right? Let’s just say my ass had already been ridden for way over two hundred miles. Read the rest of this entry »

A bit of a wander, then a question…
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Psst! Don’t forget about The Glass Art Pendant Contest! Follow the link for details!
It ends next Tuesday!

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Elle is in Chicago, I think, but I’ll send her a message to see how she wants to select her winner. When I know, I’ll post the name at the top of yesterday’s blog. So check back!

Lord, I’m tired. I’ve been writing like a demoness. You’ve seen the list of books and shorts I have to produce. Right now, I’m working on a sequel to the first Delta Heat story. I hope to wrap it up by Thursday, because on Friday, I’m heading to the woods with my Diamond sisters. We’re having a writers’ retreat. There will be a dozen of us camped out in a lodge with a designated timekeeper urging us to write in two-hour blocks. Sound like fun? It is for me. I know. A little strange, right? 🙂

The best part is that my sister will be there. We have some co-written projects we have to hash through. Books we wrote a while back but got too busy to deal with. We’re going to revise them and let Samhain figure out what to do with them. They’re sexy romantic comedy. Texas tycoons, hapless heroines. Can’t wait for you to see. We still giggle over some of the scenes, so there’s magic in there. However, the gems need some major polish!

My daughter called me last night, asking if I was mad at her. Why haven’t I been over? Why don’t I talk to her as much as I used to? Of course, now I feel major guilt. She knows my schedule is insane, but she can’t help feeling a little neglected. Never mind that I swim in the pool with her and the kids at least once a day (she lives right across the street). I’m going to try my best to wrap things up early today so I can have dinner with her and the fam. Ain’t it grand bein’ loved?

Enough of my life now. Let’s talk about yours.

Do you have kids, siblings, parents whom you’ve neglected because you’re busy? What are you planning to do to fix that?

Guest Blogger: Elle James (Contest)
Monday, May 7th, 2012

Congratulations, Ebony Morton! You’ve won a free download
of Elle James’s HAUNTED!

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NEW YORK CITY..GOTTA LOVE IT!

I love visiting New York City. Last year the Romance Writers of America conference was held so close to Times Square I could see it out my window…all.night.long…. When they say it is the city that never sleeps, they are right! All night long, lights shine, people come and go and taxis honk.

I love it! As a writer, I live in my own little office, barely socializing with anyone until I come out of my cave for conference. So what a difference to go to New York City.

The city is so rich in culture, a variety of people and interesting places that stories abound. I returned home with the challenge to write a proposal for a paranormal story for Nocturne Cravings. Immediately, I knew I had to set the story in New York City. I wanted a kick-ass heroine and a sexy-as-hell demon hero. Having just walked through the streets, down some back alleys and through the shadows of skyscrapers of Manhattan, I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather write about. Thankfully, Harlequin bought my story idea and this month HOT DEMON NIGHTS released. ~EJ

 

 

!!!PRIZE ALERT!!! – I’ll give away a download of Elle James’s HAUNTED to one lucky commenter. So leave a comment on this post for your chance to win!

 

 

HOT DEMON NIGHTS

Rookie cop Katya Danske didn’t ask to become a member of Manhattan’s Paranormal Investigative Team or to be partnered with a sexy-as-hell demon. Then a zombie literally drops into her lap and she’s recruited to help Blaise Michaels battle an impending zombie outbreak.

Blaise is as exasperating as he is arousing, but while Katya’s head tells her she should keep her distance, her body wants something else entirely. Forced to work closely together, their investigation takes them into the darkest shadows of the Manhattan underworld and makes their attraction impossible to deny. But with the zombie threat rising, their hot nights together may be their last…

Buy at Amazon
Buy at eHarlequin
Buy at Barnes & Noble

Sunday Report Card
Sunday, May 6th, 2012

A Winner!

First, let’s take care of yesterday’s business. The random number generator chose commenter #3…Shannon! Shannon, congratulations! Be sure to email me to let me know where you want that free download of A Four-Gone Conclusion sent! I just love making someone’s day start just right!

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The Glass Art Pendant Contest

Don’t forget! The Glass Art Pendant Contest doesn’t end until May 15th. Every post between now and then counts as a new entry! Click on the link for details. It’s pretty, wearable art—and all it costs you is bein’ friendly!

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Sunday Report Card

This week was pretty much full steam ahead. As I mentioned a week or so ago, I have to finish 12 projects I’ve committed to writing by January 2, 2013. Well, oops! There are really 14 projects!

In that list are:

4 full-length novels (2 paranormal suspense, 2 BDSM)
3 novellas (1 Delta Heat, 1 Lone Star Lover, 1 TBD)
3 short stories
2 anthologies I have to edit (Wild at Heart, Smokin’ Hot Firemen)
1 novel to extensively edit & expand (it’s a secret!)
1 novella to extensively edit and publish

Where am I now? On Monday, I finished the edits my editor asked for on the first short story and shipped it. Count one short story done! (Throws confetti!) And I am a little more than midway through the first novella.

This next week I hope to wrap that one up, get my notes for the first full-length novel complete, and work on that novel that has to be extensively expanded. Plus, come next Friday, I’ll be joining my sisters from the Diamond State Romance Authors in a 3-day writers’ retreat!

I need those pom-poms swishin’! Go, Delilah! Go, Delilah! Go! 🙂

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Snippet Saturday: It’s Rainin’ Men!
Saturday, May 5th, 2012

On May 29th, the conclusion to the Logan brothers’ two-fer in the Lone Star Lovers series releases! Two Wild for Teacher is ready for pre-order now! In the meantime, get to know the Logan boys and see how well they work together…

“A FOUR-GONE CONCLUSION is a prime example on how a novella should be written; fast and fun, touching characters that pull you in and a story that is completely fulfilling.” ~4.5 Cherries, Long and Short Reviews

One devilish night…or a chance at heaven?

Sam Logan’s foster sons have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. Most of it earned. When it becomes clear they don’t plan on giving up scootin’ after ever pretty pair of boots in town anytime soon, he issues the one thing he knows they can’t resist: a challenge. Find a wife.

The oldest, Johnny, is actually grateful. He’s had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker for a long time, and Sam’s challenge is the kick in the pants he needed to ask her out. Except before he can make his move, his brothers kidnap her right out from under his nose. Now, instead of being one question away from victory, he has to compete for the woman of his dreams.

Ellie thought she’d be a dried up old spinster before Johnny finally untangled his tongue long enough to ask for a date. But instead of teaching him better uses for that tongue, his brothers have whisked her away to the ranch. At first she’s furious…then intrigued when she starts to wonder what it might be like…

Warning: Four handsome cowboys. Four choices. Would it be a single sordid night or a chance at heaven as she savors every luscious inch of the Logan brothers?

Note for Readers:
You must be of legal age in your country of origin to read this excerpt.

Johnny inhaled the sweet, apple scent of her as Ellie stepped into the room, a towel tucked under her armpits.

Her gaze went to the three near the bed, then swung, searching the room until she glanced slightly behind her and found him. He stared back, catching a look of panic in her wide eyes, but before he could react, she broke with his glance and turned toward the bed.

Her chest rose; a deep breath blew between her pursed lips. “Well, boys,” she said, her voice slightly husky, “you’re the experts. Someone gonna show me how this works?”

That her thoughts were so close to his own almost made him smile. She wasn’t as self-possessed as she’d like to pretend. The hand clenched at the closure of the towel betrayed her nervousness.

Johnny pushed away from the wall and walked up behind her, settling his hands gently on her shoulders.

She gave a little jerk then a short gusting laugh. “Guess I’m nervous,” she whispered. Read the rest of this entry »