When I first started “coming out” as a romance writer to my family and friends, I often got some wry looks, and comments like “that must be the sexiest job ever.” I love what I do, but let me tell you: writing smut is not always as glamorous as it sounds. Reality, as we all know, has a tendency to be a lot more clumsy, messy, funny and sometimes not-at-all-sexy as romance books are. Case in point: several months ago, I asked hubs to help me block out a scene for my upcoming release, The Hierarchy of Needs, which comes out tomorrow! It went something like this:

Me: Honey, are you busy?

Hubs: Why?

Me: I need you to tie me to the bed.

Hubs: *drops everything* Not busy!

(At this point, hubs followed me into the bedroom, where I told him I needed to see how easy it would be to use a belt to tie someone to a headboard. Hubs then proceeded to dig into the dirty laundry basket to find his belt, which was still attached to his jeans. He, of course, was wearing a hoodie and flannel pjs bottoms. Sexy, right?!)

Me: *settles onto my back on the bed* *grins salaciously* Tie me up, baby.

Hubs: *climbs on top of me* *stares at headboard* *tries to figure out the logistics* Okay, hold on.

Me: *winces as hubs’ sweatshirt ties start batting me in the face* You need some help there, honey?

Hubs: *huffs* No, I’ve got it. There! *belt slips free* Okay, wait, let me try it again.

Me: *ducks head down as sweatshirt ties go in my mouth* Babe, you’re kinda choking me here.

Cat: *jumps on bed* Meow. *bats at sweatshirt ties* Meow?

Hubs: I think I’ve got it. *belt loosens again and falls down behind the bed* Please don’t put this in one of your books.

See? Not as sexy as it sounds! (But a good story, though!)

Here’s a little snippet from the scene in The Hierarchy of Needs that I ended up writing. Thankfully, Jamie and Dean’s experience with a headboard and a belt was a lot sexier than reality!

***

Stripping away the last of her clothes, Dean walked her to the bed. He kissed her again and pressed her down onto it, fingers weaving through hers, clasping their hands together and drawing them once more over her head.

“Hands on the headboard,” he ordered softly. “Around the slats.”

She did as she was told, hooking them onto the wooden poles. Dean stepped away,

returning a moment later with a condom, and his belt. Her eyes widened.

“To keep you still and help you let go.” Dean knelt beside her and waited for her answer. “Yes?”

She paused, glancing at the belt, then back at him. She’d felt so liberated when it was Dean’s hands holding her down. Nothing would help her let go as much as being fully restrained.

She wanted this. Fuck yes, she wanted this.

Jamie offered him her hands. “Yes.”

He placed the condom on the nightstand, then carefully wrapped the belt around her wrists and slid the leather through the buckle. She closed her eyes when he brought her bound hands back above her head, feeling the pull as he looped the belt through the rungs, tugging once to remove any slack.

The backs of his knuckles stroked over her cheek. Jamie opened her eyes.

“You can pull free pretty easy if you get scared,” he said.

It felt snug enough. It was all the illusion she needed. “I trust you.”

***

Giveaway: For a chance to win a free e-copy of The Hierarchy of Needs from the retailer of your choice, tell me: what’s your sexiest moment that became unfortunately un-sexy? You have until Friday, July 10^th to tell me your tale!

The Hierarchy of Needs

The Portland Rebels, Book # 2
Samhain Publishing, 7/7/15

Once you figure out what you want, it’s impossible to ignore what you need.

Jamie Matthews is stuck in a rut. After hitting a wall with her dream career, she’s back in her hometown, living a life as monotonous as swimming laps in the neighborhood pool.

Being surrounded by her perfect brothers is a painful reminder of her failure to launch. The last bonfire of the summer is an ideal way to let off steam, especially when she runs into Dean Trescott, the playboy friend she had one hot-as-hell night with back in high school.

Since the day Dean met Jamie, he’s loved her beauty, talent, and smile that lit up the whole damn block. But dating isn’t an option. She has a bright future ahead of her, and he refuses to chain her to his—helping run the family business that’s barely staying afloat.

A “what-happens-in-Vegas” weekend was supposed to get their craving for each other out of their systems. But neither counted on the past repeating itself, drawing them together in even hotter and dirtier ways and dangling the possibility they might both be able to get exactly what they need…

Warning: A friends-to-lovers twice over story that contains some hot ’n’ heavy kissing in the waves, hair pulling, and a man who knows how to use his hands. It may also feature a few practical jokes—only the fun kind, of course. 

Buylinks:
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Rebecca Grace Allen writes kinky new adult and contemporary BDSM romance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, as well as a Master of Science in Elementary Education, both of which seemed like good ideas at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she’s returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.

You can find Rebecca at:

Website: www.RebeccaGraceAllen.com
Twitter: @RGraceAllen
Facebook: RebeccaGrace.Allen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomRebeccaGraceAllen

It’s a Mega-#Hot Summertime #BoxedSet! Naughty Escapes highlights high jinks around the world

The Naughty Literati are delighted to present a new boxed set—their fourth!

“But OMG!” you cry. “Who, or what, are the Naughty Literati?”

The Naughty Literati are a group of authors who’ve come together to showcase their epic talents in stories filled with powerful eroticism and satisfying romance. Their tales range from heartwarming and sweet to scorching hot erotic; medieval to futuristic; humans to aliens and shape-shifters; vanilla committed couples to kinky ménage fun.

Naughty Escapes features eleven short stories set around the world. Read about couples discovering love in all kinds of sexy places: a penthouse playroom in San Francisco, the shore of Lake Superior, a deserted island in The Bermuda Triangle, a Mob-controlled nightclub in pre-revolutionary Havana, along an English river, a Parisian sex club, a nude beach in Barcelona, the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, a villa overlooking Lake Como in Italy, a Berlin honeymoon, and a swanky condo in Zurich.

Introducing Suz deMello, the author of numerous bestselling novels. Suz has written nineteen books in several genres, including nonfiction, romance, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

Here’s a little about Suz’s story, One Hot Havana Night.

Havana, 1958… On the eve of the revolution, journalist Ellie Wheeler dreams of the biggest story of her life. Two hot men make all her dreams come true—even ones she didn’t know she had.

Guess what? It includes a sexy M/F/M ménage.

Here’s an excerpt to sharpen your appetite:

The big doors closed behind her with a click.

She turned to see Almonte leaning against them, eyeing her with predatory interest gleaming in his dark eyes. Her belly fluttered. She’d exposed corrupt union bosses and crooked politicians, but this was really the first time she’d played with the big boys. Organized crime was nothing to treat casually, and she’d thought she was ready.

Maybe not.

He stalked toward her. “Take that stupid thing off. It fools no one.” He tugged at her wig.

“Ow!” She put a hand up to her head to stop him. “My hair clashes dreadfully with my dress.”

“Then take off your dress.” He slid one long, dark finger along the curve of her neck to her shoulder. The contact tingled in a way she hadn’t before experienced. “Strip for me.”

She turned to him, her eyes wide.

He laughed. “I thought you said anything for the story. You knew what would happen when you came up here. Shall we not pretend?”

She swallowed hard. How had she gotten into this predicament?

By being Hell on Wheels. Everyone thought she was brassy and bold. They had no idea she was still a virgin.

*~*~*~*

Here’s where you can score a copy!

https://tinyurl.com/NaughtyEscapes 

One of the most common questions I get is: “Where did you come up with the idea for your book?”

Well in the case of Mist Revealed, the simple answer is: from quite a few places. Mist Revealed mixes a little of Norse mythology and a dash of my imagination, but there’s also some science twined into the storyline. For me, combining them was a lot of fun.

A documentary about global warming and the rapid melting of the world’s icebergs planted the initial spark. I couldn’t help but wonder what might be uncovered when the ice melted which then reminded me of a Scooby-Doo episode I’d watched with my children. In it, a caveman who’d been frozen in ice came alive after the ice it was encased in melted. Those thoughts lingered in my mind over the following days. I couldn’t help but think it would make a basis for a great book. And when I read a science article about an ancient virus found in the Scandinavian permafrost a few days later, my imagination went wild. I became officially obsessed with melting icebergs and ancient secrets.

I turned my research to Greenland where icebergs are melting at an alarming rate and started to delve into their culture. It seemed a natural progression for me. I love mythology and building worlds from it is a lot of fun. Being that Greenland was populated by Vikings among other races, Norse mythology became my next focus, and the tale of Ragnarok, the Norse myth surrounding the end of the world, fit the current crisis of melting icebergs and global warming perfectly. From there, I selected my players and weaved a tale that grew from what I’d originally planned. I can’t give any other details away, but I will say that I’m looking forward to future stories involving ancient alphas and their “unusual and unique” human mates.

Mist Revealed

Elemental Desire, Book 1

A woman seeking answers…

Cat, a renowned scientist, embarks on a quest to uncover the source of the unknown deadly virus that claimed her sister’s life. What she finds is a man shrouded in mystery who manages the impossible—swaying her devotion from logic to passion. But Rune isn’t simply a lover. He’s a weapon, one that has the potential to save her or destroy her.

A man searching for treasure…

Rune, a child of the mist, awakens into a world hovering on the verge of destruction. Ragnarok is coming. His enemies have been released from their prison. And he’s discovered the one woman who can thaw his frozen heart. But the race to stop the final battle isn’t the time to fall in love. Or is it?

A discovery that will change everything…

Life evolves, and what was lost can be recovered. But the truth revealed isn’t the one Cat or Rune expects. The impossible has become reality. And two lovers must make a choice—adapt or die.

Author’s note: Mist Revealed was previously released as Mist Unveiled and has been reedited.

Excerpt: 

Unable to resist the scent of heaven that had lured him to her in the first place, he buried his face into the fall of her raven hair. She smelled of something fruity and exotic. He couldn’t place the scent, but it compounded his craving. He wanted to devour her.

Deep breaths filled his lungs with her signature fragrance. Dizziness gripped him. He tightened his hold on her to stop himself from swaying and unleashed his will to influence her. With the few drops of his blood in her body, he wasn’t sure it would actually work, but he had to try something.

“Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”

He waited a moment for her to succumb completely to his order, but her tense body and rapid heartbeat didn’t lessen as they should have. More expletives whipped through him at the implications of her resistance. He took another breath to slow his racing pulse.

“You’re going to bring the authorities here. They’ll harass me, maybe toss me in jail, all for kissing you. You don’t want that.”

“Don’t I?”

Shit. He let his forehead fall to her shoulder and reined in his power. It was pointless to expend the energy if she was resistant to it. “No, you don’t. You can’t blame me for losing control when faced with temptation. You’re beautiful, Cat.”

She turned her head. He eased back and met her probing eyes. “How do you know my name?”

I lurked in the shadows and listened to your conversation with the innkeeper.

“I’ve been assigned to assist you in the investigation of the…” He considered what to call the deaths. Murders? Careless feedings of the eldjötnar? The crime he and his brethren were supposed to ensure didn’t happen. “The tragedies that occurred here.”

“Who are you? I wasn’t told of anyone helping me.”

***Only $0.99 for a limited time***

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A little about Nancy…
A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

Hey y’all!

Thanks so much to Delilah for letting me take over her blog today! I need to chat about my new book. NEED to. It’s my first release with my newest publisher, Samhain. It’s a MMF menage where everyone touches. It’s about small town Colorado, a porny old book, and three hot people who get even hotter for each other.

Here’s the official blurb.

Dark magic draws them together, but they’re generating sparks all on their own.

Culper, Colorado, is a one-everything town. One stoplight. One post office-slash-pawn shop-slash-bakery. And one bookstore, which Shiloh volunteers to watch while the owner is on vacation. It’s a nice change of pace to her lonely life.

While perusing the shelves, Shiloh finds a book that contains some shockingly naughty illustrations. When all sorts of mystical disasters start happening, Shiloh is sure they’re somehow connected to the book. But by then it’s too late to simply put it back on the shelf.

Liam and Elijah’s response to the town’s call for help is a first. Their first paranormal case, and their first in-person meeting. They’re longtime online friends with a common interest in the unexplainable, but they’re shocked by the sparks that fly, not only between the two of them, but between them and Shiloh.

Somehow the book’s dark magic is not only the catalyst, but is also feeding off their sexual attraction. They must work together to figure out how to put the escaped entity back where it belongs—before it closes the book on their budding relationship.

***

I’d love to share a wee excerpt with you, too!

Here we go!

As soon as Bella left, she Shiloh went to put out the incense.

Last thing she needed was to have a vision and burn the bookstore down.

That would make Bella grumpy.

She giggled, then clapped her hand over her mouth when the sound echoed. Looked as if it might be a long day.

The notes behind the register were incredibly clear, written in Bella’s perfectly legible blocky print. Every possible problem for the next few days had been explained, answers carefully outlined. She grinned. No, Wilhelmina was not allowed to put up any posters. Yes, Aramina Gersham, the sweet eight-year-old whose mom made llama hats, could come in and sit with Peanut Butter in the afternoons. It went on and on.

Shiloh grabbed a book randomly from the shelf. Oh, erotic divination. Delicious. Just think of all the crusty old dudes that had pawed over this one. She put it back gingerly, immediately wanting to run for the hand sanitizer.

The shelf was filled with esoteric tomes mixed with the Babe on a Broomstick titles. Crazy. She’d seen enough weirdness to not be a bitch about it, but her mother, college and living in Dallas for a bit had instilled a strong streak of skepticism.

She chuckled at the book simply labeled, Summoning in an old-fashioned Goth-y font. Summoning what?

It was dirty and smelled in that amazing way of old books—dust and history, ink and something that was only books. Shiloh imagined it was probably glue and paper and solvents or something, but damn it, it was a book about magic, she could romanticize, right?

She flipped it open, grinning even wider at spells to summon genies and selkies, wizards and goats. Why the hell would anyone bring forth a goat?

Not that she had any issues with goats. Mick had some great nannies and the best goat cheese on the Western Slope, but you could just go ask him to borrow one…

Oh. She squinted at the book. That was just a guy who resembled a goat with… whoa.

Oh, that was impressive. There were a bunch of them—well-endowed men with huge racks of antlers or horns. It was…well, obscene, but a little erotic and incredibly fascinating, especially for such an old book. She could use one or two of those, especially the one on the next page.

The thought made her look around to make sure no one was peering over her shoulder.

Just her, the smoke and the animals Thank the goddess.

She did run her fingers over the hottest-looking number with a wide chest and a big, uh, sword. “I could so handle you, buddy.”

Hell, the men in Culper were either taken, old or just passing through, and Shiloh knew how the locals treated their own who dabbled with the migrants. Even a hippie-free-love town with a hot springs wasn’t really all that permissive.

Shiloh didn’t need anything long term; she didn’t need a commitment. She needed a good, hard fuck.

Snorting, she put the book aside for later, when she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone coming in.

Still her brain kept going back to those horns, that heavy, hard prick.

By the time she closed the shop, she was a little obsessed. She wanted to take the book home. No one would notice, right? She could just stare all night.

What would it possibly hurt?

Bella wouldn’t mind. Shiloh tucked the book into her bag before locking up. She would drop Peanut Butter off at Cindy Moss’s place, where he could spend the night like a puppy pasha, and then hit the Dog House for a hot dog before heading home.

The big old house stood at the edge of town, a sentinel, gothic and wonderful. It resembled the Addams’s family house, only in better repair, and it was the main reason she’d ended up in Culper as an adult.

Daddy had loved this house with a passion, had spent hours, days, years, working on it, repairing this and replacing that. The floors were buttery smooth now, the old built-in china cabinet lovingly restored to its walnut finish.

Shiloh smiled as she wandered toward the kitchen. It was a touch bittersweet still, but mostly sweet. She could feel Daddy in every inch of this house.

She sat at the table and munched her hot dogs and fries before heading to the small back parlor to light a little fire and curl up with her book. She pulled a blanket over her lap and started reading the chapter titled Invoking the Spirit of Eros.

That was what she needed. Eros. The power of the masculine and sex. A nice big cock. She giggled at herself. Right.

That was her, slut extraordinaire. Hell, she hadn’t had a relationship in five years, easy, and she’d never just had someone for a one-night stand. Her fingers traced the image of the horned man, the muscled body, the long, needy erection.

He was so compelling. She could see why people worshipped him. She mouthed the first few words of his incantation, sounding them out.

A god that chased you through the forest, someone to make you feel things you never had. To make you wild with need. Relentless in his quest for pleasure. She pressed her thighs together, the tingle between them long forgotten, thrilling.

She traced the odd looking symbols with one finger, her fingertip sliding on the page. A shiver went through her, and she glanced at the door, wondering where the draft came from.

Silly girl.

***

Thanks so much for hanging out and reading with me! You can find Book of Love here: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5478/book-of-love

I’m Julia Talbot, and I also write as Minerva Howe. Find me at www.juliatalbot.com

XXOO

Julia

Living the life of a full time writer is a dream for many of us. There are other dreams, too – perhaps, in retirement or upon winning the lottery, we’ll travel the world; visit the grandkids regularly; go to each national park in the system; or take up underwater basket weaving. But what shall we do until we can do what we want to do full time?

We could say, well, that’s not for me and go about living our lives without incorporating parts of our dreams into our daily round. But that sort of existence lacks fire and passion. It’s far better to include pieces of our dream in the now, so that we can enjoy them and prepare for when we can fully engage with them.

Here, try this: take out a sheet of paper and write down the numbers 1 through 10 on the left side. Then, writing as quickly as you can, answer the question “If I could do it full time, and money was no object, I would…” ten times.  Write as fast as you can and don’t stop to think, just answer.  Would you scuba dive in the Caribbean? Take a ride-along with your local police department? Travel to Paris to have tea in the shadow of the Eifel Tower?

Now, take a look at your list.  What are the common elements?  Art? Travel? Pets? A new place to live? People to see more often?  Whatever the commonalities, what kinds of things can you incorporate into your daily round now? If you want to write full time, why not write in the corners of your current life? You can use your lunch break at work, or get up a half hour early.  If you want to visit family, why not get some cards at the dollar store today and write them a note? If Paris calls your name, do some recon and find out where to say, what to do, and subscribe to some newsletters about the Paris travel scene?

We don’t have to wait to enjoy the life of our dreams.  If we want it enough, we can incorporate elements of it now, while we’re preparing for our full time reality.  After all, practice makes perfect.

So tell me, Dear Reader: what’s one exciting dream from your list of ten?

—

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
– E.E. Cummings

The Persis Chronicles:
Book 1 EMERALD FIRE

**New** Book 2, EMERALD KEEP, out April 8th 2015!
SEALED BY FIRE, an All Romance eBooks Bestseller!

**Coming Soon!** Watch for Book 2, SEALED BY MAGIC, out August 4, 2015!

The Chicagoland Shifters series:
Book 1 BURNING BRIGHT
Book 2 TIGER TIGER, an All Romance eBooks Bestseller!

**Coming Soon!** Watch for Book 3, CAT’S CRADLE, out Summer 2015!

Other Fun Stuff:
Check out COOK LIKE A WRITER

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I recently retired from a job I’ve had for almost 20 years. You’ll notice I said a job. Yes, that’s right. It wasn’t a career, or my life’s work, or even my life’s passion. It was, simply stated, a job. One I went to everyday and got paid for.  And I’ll admit – did well.

But it wasn’t what I really wanted to do with my life, how I wanted to spend my days here on earth. No, that job didn’t fulfill me.

So I retired from it. You might ask, how are you going to support yourself now that you have no income accruing every week?

Good question, but irrelevant to this conversation. Suffice it to say, I’m okay. No worries. I won’t be starving in a garret or panhandling any time soon.

What I will be doing – and am doing– is living my dream.

And by living my dream, I mean WRITING.

Instead of devoting myself 8 hours a day to patients and insurance companies, I now am a devotee of my laptop. My “dream” has always been to write without any restrictions on my time or finances.

So, I am actually living my dream. Pretty heady stuff.  I often wonder what would have happened in my life if I’d been able to support my writing lifestyle when I was in my 20’s. Then, I look at the life I lead from twenty up until today and I realize I needed those extra 30 years of life experiences to be the person and writer I now am. I know in my twenties I didn’t have enough life views and occurrences I could have translated into my writing. I knew about life, but hadn’t lived enough of it yet.

In my twenties, my social circle was small; basically friends and family. Once I got into the workforce I was able to include other employees, and supervisors. And still, I don’t think the pool I could cull from was wide enough.

In my thirties I became involved in local businesses and on the fringe of local government…more people with diverse backgrounds were added to my expanding sphere. I learned more in depth knowledge about people, what makes them tick, what drives and motivates them. I also started realizing the very true fact that every person has a distinct and personalized story of their own. Stories that I was now able to incorporate into my writing banks and use for information to invent characters and situations.

In my twenties, love was all encompassing. Every breakup was a disaster emotionally and spiritually. In my thirties, that was still true, but I learned you can be more selective and discover what to chose and what definitely not to chose as far as a life partner went.  Forties were the time for using all that knowledge to ensure a relationship of stability and longevity.

Now, in my fifties, I know my writing is richer, fuller, and tru-er due to all those life experiences, both personal and professional. I can write an emotional scene and know I got it right, because I’ve lived through it and come out on the other side of the emotion. Better, stronger, richer for the experience. It’s a heady feeling.

Yup. I’m living the dream… and it’s a dream come true.

Symphony pianist Moira Cleary comes home after four years of touring, exhausted, sick, and spiritually broken. Emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of someone she trusted has left her gaunt, anxious, and at a crossroads both professionally and personally.

Moira’s best friend, veterinarian Quentin Stapleton, wants nothing more than to help Moira get well. Can his natural healing skills make it possible for her to open her heart again? And can he convince her she’s meant to stay home now with the family that loves her – and with him – forever?

“Remember when your cousin Tiffany got married in the backyard here?”

Confused, Moira nodded.

Quentin rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “When the Reverend told Cole ‘you can kiss your bride,’ and he swooped her off the ground, spun her around and kissed her silly? Remember what you said?” Read the rest of this entry »