As a former member of the military, a brat to a career Air Force dad, with a sister, brother and daughter all having served time in the military, you could say it’s in the blood. I love the military men and women who represent our country and fight for our freedoms so many take for granted.

These men and women are heroes!

Each branch has their own special operations forces and I love to write about each. But lately, I’ve been reading and writing about the Navy SEALs. These men have some of the toughest training, are smart, physically fit and mentally prepared to face danger head-on. Even at home as I’ve portrayed in SEAL’S SEDUCTION.

SEAL’S SEDUCTION

Available April 28th
(That’s next Tuesday!)

A Navy SEAL puts his training to the test when he must rescue a sexy news reporter from a hostage situation

Home on emergency leave, Navy SEAL Dustin “Dustman” Ford didn’t expect  to run into his high school sweetheart, local news reporter Jenna Turner, figuring she’d have shaken off the dust of their hometown a long time ago. A woman as addicted to action and adventure as he was, he thought she’d have moved on. But she was still there, and every bit as distracting as she’d been when they were teens.

Jenna Turner never got over Dustin, but moved on with her life, establishing herself as a news reporter for the local station. In an effort to take on more than reporting social events and weddings, with the help of a cousin and an inside connection on the police force, she chases the hotter news items, determined to make her break into the national news scene.

Now that he’s older and wiser and his father is on the mend, Dustin tests the heat with his old flame and finds it’s sizzling. When Jenna is caught in the crossfire and taken hostage in a religious compound, Dustin and his brothers stage a rescue operation to bring her and others out alive.

Pre-order here: Amazon| Kobo

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is a former IT professional and retired Army and Air Force Reservist. She writes romantic suspense, mysteries and paranormal romance that keeps her readers on the edges of their seats to the very end of every book. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling to exotic and wonderful places, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her four-wheeler, dreaming up new stories.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

We all have stops along the way. They’re what make us ultimately who we are. And my stops brought me here, to a writing life. It took longer than probably most authors’ experience, but I’m here nonetheless. So let me tell you about my stops, or rather the times of my life that brought me closer to being an author.

I love to read and started at a young age. First my mom and dad read to me, then they taught me to read for myself. By the first grade I was probably considered an obsessive reader. In fact I won an award for reading the most books that year. But I didn’t stop there. I kept reading, advancing from bunny and puppy stores to Nancy Drew Mysteries.

Then, one evening in my pre-teen years, my mom gave me a 1939 edition of Gone With the Wind. The cover was tattered from age; it had obviously been well-read and well-loved.  She said she treasured it and hoped that I would too.

I remember asking her why I’d never seen this book before, and she answered. “Because you weren’t ready.” Bless her, she knew my penchant as a child for marking in books. Of course in my mind I was enhancing them with my illustrations… but that’s another later stop.

Well, from that point, reading was my passion. I truly can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have at least a dozen novels stacked on my bedside table. Except for college. That stop got me off track, at least for fiction. Too many things to learn, too many outside influences… you know, like boys and fun. And beside I wanted to be a great archaeologist. I didn’t think fiction would get me there. It may not have gotten me there, but it sure got me somewhere else!

My next stop came as I began my life as a military wife. I found myself in a third-world country even before I knew what that meant. I spent almost three years on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. When we weren’t traveling, I was haunting the base library until there were no more books to read. And I was watching the people, soaking in the culture as I’d learned to do as an anthropologist.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba was my next stop on the journey. For four years I snorkeled, partied of course, worked occasionally, and read obsessively. The base library was again my friend.

The next stop was a sad one but ultimately got me back on my track to writing. A divorce, being a young single mother, and back to my roots… Texas.

After a few years of struggle I was able to go back to school and obtain an MA in Anthropology again thinking I could be that famous archaeologist, this time with my young son by my side.

Okay, now the stops got closer together. I was writing… technical reports, research papers, a master’s thesis, raising my son… but at the same time I found out that illustrating a book (as I did as a child) could be an actual profession in and of itself. I became a rather well-known Archaeological Illustrator. That stop was fun, but it wasn’t writing.

For many reasons, and the details should go into a memoir and not a blog, I left that stop searching for something else.

In a restaurant having lunch with a friend one day, she said to me… “I’m bored. We need to do something. How about opening a bookstore?”

So I said, “Okay,” and we did. Not as easy as it seems though… there’s an actual class sponsored by The American Booksellers Association: How to Open a Bookstore. It’s true. And even after that class with the dire warnings about our success or lack thereof, we found a location. But we knew we needed a hook… just like in a book. You have to ‘hook’ your readers within the first few pages or they won’t continue.

Our hook was wine. Yes, A Thirsty Mind Words & Wines was founded. We think it was the first bookstore/wine bar in the country. I don’t have proof of that, but we certainly didn’t see any other bookstores like ours.

That stop was fun, and I got to read… actually I had to read. Publishers sent us boxes of ARCs (advanced reading copies, those unproofed copies sent out by publishers in hopes of garnering reviews.) I tried to read them all. But my customers also relied on me to give them recommendations. So I had to know my market. And I had to research. A customer came in one day and asked, “I picked up a book in Florence about a church. The author’s name started with an R or a K. I left the book in my hotel there, can you order it for me?”

Not much to go on, I know. But using my skills as a researcher, honed in graduate school, I found it… Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King. I even amazed myself!

During this stop as a bookseller I got to write again. Blogs, newsletters, advertisements. And I got to meet authors. We had many events in the shop featuring local authors as well as others traveling the country on book tours. It was inspiring.

I loved that bookstore, it was my life. But there were more adventures ahead for me. So when Amazon got so popular and the economy crashed… not related of course… I closed my shop and went on my way to my next stop.

One day a bookstore customer and author called and said…“You know Microsoft Word, don’t you? Amazon has a new self-publishing venue. Can you read up on it, and maybe help me get my books republished there?”

Well, of course I could, but this was in the early days of indie-publishing and the rules were changing quickly. Lucky for me there were already guides online with tips on formatting, not many but they were useful.

So my new stop… A Thirsty Mind Book Design.

However, another upheaval in my life came along just a few months later… I could no longer afford my perfect Texas house. Actually it was the taxes I could no longer afford, particularly in the early days of this new business. So I packed up and moved north to Maine, to a piece of property I’d owned for many years, actually from my military wife years and the divorce. A small farm on the coast of the most eastern piece of land in the U.S. The perfect place to build my business as a formatter and self-publishing consultant. All I needed was the Internet and a laptop.

I wallowed there in contentment for a year or so, then after all that time studying sentence structure, word usage, as well as formatting, I thought to myself. “I have thousands of stories running around in my head. Why don’t I try to get them out? It’s no longer necessary to find an agent or publisher, thank goodness. I can do this by myself. I can be my own publisher!” So for six weeks between formatting and editing jobs, I wrote.

After those exhausting weeks, I thought: I’ve written a novel! What do I do now?

Well, the now was solved by another phone call. Would I like to be on a panel at the NINC conference in New York in October? NINC of course is Novelists, Inc., an organization of published authors. Of course I said yes. I could talk about self-publishing and all that I’d learned, and I could meet authors!

NINC was an eye-opener. You could make money as an indie-author… but it was hard work. And writing more books than one seemed to be the key. And there were contests to join, beta readers to find, mentors. Obviously my book was not done yet. But I was almost into the station.

A year and a half later, after 16 more versions of Stone Bay, I formatted and published the book to Amazon. Then I sat back and watched it… do nothing.

After agonizing over that for a couple of months, I was reading an issue of the RWA newsletter (Romance Writers of America) and found in the classifieds a couple of editors’ ads. I contacted one and asked if she would look at Stone Bay. Something was wrong with the story, and I couldn’t figure out what.

She said yes and a few weeks later I had a much better book. I understood POV (Point of view), conflict, timing… well better than before anyway. I was learning my craft, my last profession/stop.

A few months later (and with the help of an editor before publication this time) my second book found its way to Amazon; Stone Cold, a romantic suspense. Now a few months after that book, my third book, Stone Heart, is in final re-writes with my editor, and as soon as my incredible cover artist finishes the print and digital covers, it will be winging its way to readers worldwide.

You might ask, how did all those stops along the way help you get to the final station as a writer? Reading. Reading. Reading. Research. Art. Marketing. Learning a craft. Education. And my Mom. I’ve taken her name as my pen name, Min Edwards, because she was the start of it all. She read to me. She taught me to read. She gave me Gone With the Wind.

Books by Min Edwards

Stone Bay Contemporary Romance series: available at Amazon
Stone Bay: amzn.to/1eL74Fq
Spindrift: coming soon

High Tide Suspense series: available at Amazon
Stone Cold, Book One amzn.to/1wdl6eM
Stone Heart, Book Two: coming soon

Others in the series available in the next few months
Stone Fall
Precious Stone
The Russian Phoenix: prequel to Precious Stone

Talon, Inc. Archaeological Suspense series:
Triton Bay, Book One: coming in 2016

Pam Headrick
A Thirsty Mind Book Design
https://www.athirstymind.com
format@athirstymind.com
https://athirstyblog.com

Writing as Min Edwards
https://www.minedwards.com
info@minedwards.com
https://www.minedwards.com/minblog
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMinEdwards
https://twitter.com/MEdwardsAuthor
https://www.pinterest.com/minedwards

I love reading and writing BDSM stories.  I find a sexy alpha male taking control in the bedroom to be hot, hot, hot and I find this kind of relationship working its way into most of my stories in one way or another!  Sometimes the heroine is even pushing the hero to step up and take control when he is trying to resist his dominant urges.  🙂

Mostly, I explore the Dom/sub relationship, where one character gives up control to another.  What I’m interested in exploring is the exchange of power between the characters.  On the surface, it seems that the submissive is giving up control to the Dominant, but during the course of the story, the sub discovers her own power in the relationship.

Usually in my stories, this giving up control is a new thing for the heroine, so I take my readers through the journey of discovery with her, because the heroine is experiencing these things for the first time.  In the process, she discovers something important about herself.

When I started exploring this aspect of sexuality in my writing, I wondered, given how long and hard we’ve worked for equality between the sexes, why a woman would give over control to a man.  Generally, women have a natural attraction to strong, dominant men.  This makes sense in a primitive setting where we want someone strong, skilled, and confident to go out and hunt for food, to protect us and the family.  Things may have changed, and we can take care of ourselves, but that primitive instinct is still there.  In fact, in our current society, where women have a great deal of power, sometimes in the bedroom, giving control over to someone else—someone we trust—is exactly what we want.  The key is that it’s a choice.

As an author, I need to understand what purpose these elements play in the character growth and in the story.  Is it just a fun element being added to a sex scene or two to make for more interesting sex, or is it fundamental to the story being told?  In my stories, I use the D/s relationship to push the characters’ issues and cause them to grow, so these elements are fundamental to the story and the character growth.

I want to point out that in this exchange of power, it looks like the Dominant has all the power, but in fact, he is responsible for satisfying both their needs, so he must know his partner very well, and be able to read how she is reacting to what they’re playing out. He must be constantly alert and aware of her needs and desires.  How sexy is that!  🙂  Also, the sub has the power to end what is going on at any time.

Here are some examples of how I use D/s in my stories:

His To Command – by giving up control to Matt, both physically and emotionally, Kate learns to give up control in her life so she can take risks (i.e. not play it too safe) and stop limiting herself.

His To Claim – Rafe Ranier is the younger of two billionaire brothers, but Rafe was abused by his father because he didn’t feel Rafe was good enough.  Rafe feels the desire to dominate Melanie in the bedroom, and she wants him to, but he resists, struggling with his fear that he will be abusive, just like his father was.

Riding Steele – in this book, I explored the negative aspect of D/s as well as the positive.  At the beginning of the book, Laurie is in a relationship with a billionaire Dominant, but I turn it around from the usual sexy rich Dom by having this be an abusive relationship.  She tries to break it off with him and things turn violent, and she’s rescued by a tattooed biker.  She then finds herself under the protection of Steele, the leader of the biker gang.  She is now extremely distrustful of dominant men, and she believes this biker is a dangerous man.  When she finds herself falling in love with him, and longing to be dominated by him, it becomes clear that in order to find her happily-ever-after, she needs to come to terms with her desire to give over control to someone, realize it’s not a weakness, and overcome her issues about trust.

In my stories, I typically have the hero (or several heroes) as the dominant, but occasionally I like a female Domme.  What about you?  Do you enjoy a female Domme, or do you prefer the hero to be in control?  Everyone who comments will be entered in a draw to win a copy of “The Office Slave series, Book 1 & 2” collection.

~~~~~

Played by the Master

(available exclusively in the Mastered 2 boxed set)

Opal’s new story, Played by the Master,  is initially being released as part of the Mastered 2 boxed set coming out tomorrow (April 21).

Jacqueline Bell desperately wants to help her sister out of a jam.  But to do that, she has to find a way to talk to billionaire entrepreneur Race Danner, and have him drop the charges against her brother-in-law.  She discovers he holds an exclusive poker game once a week and finds a way in.

Race Danner is bored with his life, despite his wealth and extreme hobbies.  He doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking for, but he’ll know it when he sees it.

When Jacqueline Bell walks into his life, he knows she’s it.  She wants something from him.  And he wants her.  A combination made in heaven.  In a delicious game of cat and mouse, he will leverage his advantage to lure her into his game.  And he fully intends to win.

Warning:  This story has Domination, submission, bondage, punishment, and a lot of other fun things, plus explicit, wild sexual encounters.  After all, if you’re going to play, play hard!  😉

Excerpt:

He smiled and at the predatory look in his eyes, Jacquie realized he was going to win.  The blood drained from her face as he flipped over his cards… revealing a full house.

Oh, God, she’d lost her opportunity to try and convince him to help her brother.

“Come over here.”  His silken voice curled through her and she stood up.

Now he would touch her… probably cup her ass with his big hand.  Maybe, if she seemed willing…who was she kidding, she was willing… to succumb to his touch, then maybe he would listen to her after all.

Shock vaulted through her at her own illicit thoughts.  She wasn’t going to sleep with him to help her brother.

No, just strip down to practically nothing.  Then let him touch her.

Did she really know where her boundaries were? Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks for inviting me today, Delilah. I’d like to share a life lesson I learned about ten years ago with your readers.

My husband chews loudly. Seriously, you can hear him eat potato chips in the next room. And he sniffs. Instead of finding a tissue or taking a Sudafed, he sniffs. Repeatedly. I’ve come close to losing my mind during allergy season.

And, he buys too much broccoli.

My retired Navy husband is an awesome man, nicknamed Commander Integrity because he exemplifies an officer and a gentleman. He’s also an awesome husband—when not chewing or sniffling. Since he’s fully retired, he takes care of everything in our house, yard, and lives, so I can teach school by day and write books at night. I try not to complain about anything, yet that’s just what I used to do.

He does the food shopping and all the cooking. My job is to write the weekly menu and put the food away when he returns from the grocery store. Without fail, he buys too much broccoli. I mean, Army sized rations of broccoli. If it’s on the menu for one night that week, he buys enough for three nights. I used to roll my eyes, shake my head, and explain to him how much is in a serving of broccoli for two people. I don’t do that anymore. I simply love him.

One day about ten years ago, I was putting the groceries away—and rolling my eyes at the volume of broccoli—when God hit me with a spiritual two-by-four. It came to me that someday Commander Integrity could be gone from my life. I saw myself wandering the produce aisle of a grocery store and having an emotional meltdown in front of the broccoli. I then chastised myself for obsessing over something so stupid when I should have simply been appreciating having this wonderful man in my life. And the fact that he does the shopping. And the cooking. And all the other wonderful things he does for me.

I sat on the floor in front of the vegetable bin of my refrigerator and had a good cry that day. Then I took a vow that every time my husband does something unimportant that annoys me, I will focus on one of the fabulous things he does for me. Did I mention that he scoops and cleans the cat boxes? And cleans house now that I’m teaching again? How about car maintenance? He takes care of all that to ensure that I’m safe on the road, with exactly the right tire pressure. He not only pays the bills, but pays them with his money. And does all the yard work. (It’s true. I sleep with my yard boy.) And he checks Metric Junkie every morning and evening to track my book sales.

And did I mention that he puts up with me? Commander Integrity is a quiet, left-brained engineer. I am a right-brained, zany, impulsive, talkative, ADHD, creative person who is either doing five things at once or sound asleep when work needs to be done. Just tolerating living with me is a full-time job, I’m sure. And he excels at it.

I decided I did not want to be an elderly widow, standing in the produce section, saying, “Why wasn’t I nicer? Why did I complain over the silly, little things he did that annoyed me. I would give anything for him to be here right now, chewing loudly, sniffing repeatedly, and buying too much broccoli. If only I had the past forty years back so I could focus on all the good things he did for me, instead of complaining.”

Thank you, God, for giving me those forty years to do just that. It’s never too late to make this decision. We all do annoying things. And we all love people who do annoying things. If they are unimportant things, this is a way to tune them out and focus on a person’s good qualities instead.

Think about the lives lost on 9/11. More than three thousand people went to work and did not go home at the end of the day. Now is the time to appreciate everything about our loved ones.

Now, when my husband comes home with too much broccoli, I just smile and appreciate that I have him—and remember all the wonderful things he does for me. And I plan another meal or two with broccoli.

What annoying habit does your loved one have? And what positive trait of theirs can you focus on instead when they do that irritating thing?

UNFORGETTABLE

The 9/11 spirits aboard USS New York are back! Their mission: help Adam, Gwyn, Mike, and Cate find their happily ever afters—and stay alive. As the only person who can see them, Lieutenant Gwyn Pritchard tries to help the spirits move on to the light. That is, when she’s not helping Gunnery Sergeant Adam Connor heal from his PTSD—or falling madly in love with him.

Captain Cate Hawkins, has run from her unconventional childhood by becoming a Marine Corps pilot. But when a mission in East Africa goes awry, she finds herself in a race for her life. After burying the hatchet with Cate, Navy pilot Mike Nikolopoulos wants nothing more than to rescue his new love. If the spirits help him save her, they’ll finally be free to move on. But can Mike overcome a sudden fear of flying to find his way to Cate before terrorists repeat “Black Hawk Down”—with a female American pilot this time?

Buy at:  Amazon | Nook

HEATHER ASHBY – BIO

Award winning author, Heather Ashby is a Navy veteran who taught school and raised a family while accompanying her Navy husband around the United States, Japan, and the Middle East. In gratitude for their Army son’s safe return from Afghanistan and Iraq, she now writes military romance novels, donating half her royalties to Fisher House Foundation in support of wounded warriors and their families. Her son serves as her cover model, helping to raise money for Fisher Houses around the world. Heather lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her retired Navy husband. Unforgettable is the fourth and final book in the “Love in the Fleet” series.

CHRISTOPHER BERGERON – BIO

Christopher Bergeron is a retired Major in the United States Marine Corps, with twenty-four years of service. His ten deployments include combat tours in Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Somalia; Kosovo; Haiti; Fallujah, Iraq; and Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Chris’s travels have covered the globe, including more than twenty countries. He lives with his wife and son in Rockford, Michigan, where he is currently a Communications/Marketing student at Grand Valley State University. Unforgettable is his first novel.

www.heatherashby.com
Twitter: www.@HAshbyAuthor
Facebook: Heather Ashby Author

These are a few of my favorite things…

Raise your hand if you heard Julie Andrews singing that line. *raises hand proudly*

As I was brainstorming possible blog topics, my mind took off in about forty directions. The part that came back into focus was singing that song so, I figured I’d go with it.

In no particular order, here are few of mine:

1. Chocolate chip cookies (without nuts).
2. Saturday afternoons with no plans and nothing pressing on my to-do list so I can read or write or make jewelry to my heart’s content.
3. The feel of a fresh, warm breeze blowing on my face while the sun shines down on me.
4. I just love pretty new colors on my toes.
5. Holding my sweetie’s hand.
6. The smell of the original Baby Magic soap on a freshly washed baby.
7. Getting the email from an editor or publisher saying “We love your manuscript and want to publish it!”
8. Being presented flowers gathered from the yard by one of my kids.
9. The smell of summer rain.
10. Having the kids greet me with enthusiasm when I get home from work or when I pick them up. “Hi, Mommie” or “Momma!” is just the best. Shoot – even the dog greeting me at the door with a toy in her mouth and her tail wagging makes me smile.
11. Getting a phone call or text from that special someone, for no reason at all. Just because they were thinking of me. HI!
12. The sound of falling snow after the ground is covered. Yes, there is a sound. If you haven’t heard it, when winter rolls around again, listen for it. The still of the night is the best time to hear it.

I could keep going on, but I want to hear from you. What are a few of your favorite things? Things that make you smile just thinking about them?  Everyone who leaves a comment will be included in a drawing for an ebook copy of any of my backlist books (Risky Business, Cherie’s Silk, Working It All Out, Mystic’s Touch, Ghostly Persuasion or Loss of Control).

Be sure you check out my new release, Your Wild Heart.

Wildlife biologist, Isabelle Acker, meets sexy park ranger, Wyatt Powell. His Wolf sits up and takes notice of her, but when he learns why she came to the park, he becomes wary of her intentions. After all, as far as the general population knows, there are no wolves in the Black Hills.

Ordered by his Alpha to keep an eye on the smoking-hot biologist, Wyatt finds it difficult to keep his hands to himself. He wants to possess her, to share everything about his life, but that might endanger the Tao Pack. But the attraction proves too great and, unable to deny his Wolf, he takes her with a passion he didn’t know he possessed.

However, their sexual bliss is short-lived, and on the night of the full moon, more than one secret is revealed. When all is said and done, they must each decide—is what they have between them true love or just hot sex?

Your Wild Heart book trailer:  https://youtu.be/jnHJqD0Y1kg
Check out the entire Black Hills Wolves Series on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook/BlackHillsWolvesSeries/
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Your-Heart-Black-Hills-Wolves-ebook/dp/B00UKLM7C8/
Apple iBooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/your-wild-heart/id976843890?mt=11
ARe:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-yourwildheart-1777491-149.html
B&N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-wild-heart-dena-garson/1121707026?ean=2940151320276
Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Dena_Garson_Your_Wild_Heart?id=LosyBwAAQBAJ
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/your-wild-heart

Author Bio:

Dena Garson is a Process Redesign Specialist by day and a writer and jewelry designer by night. She is raising two rowdy boys who play lots of sports which forces her to spend way too much time on the practice field and/or sidelines. Thankfully she has a loyal and loving Labrador Retriever to listen when she complains and a spoiled cat who reminds her daily she is merely a servant.

Website – https://www.denagarson.com/
Blog – https://denagarson.net/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/dena.garson.7
Twitter – https://twitter.com/DenaGarson
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/dgarson
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/DenaGarson
Google+ – https://plus.google.com/+DenaGarson/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/denagarson7

Hi, again!  I recently did a guest post about 5 reasons to get a tattoo.  Why?  Because I love biker romances and one of the things I love about bikers is their hot, sexy tattoos!

And, of course, I love writing about bikers!  Why?  Here are my nine top reasons.

1. Domination

I love writing stories where a strong alpha male takes control of a woman and a rough, tough, leather clad bad-boy biker is as alpha and dominant as they come!

“You’re mine now.  I’ll do whatever I want to you, and you’ll do whatever I tell you.  Now and while we ride together.

(From Wild Ride.)

2. A sense of danger

These bad-boys are big, rough and intimidating.  I love the breathless excitement the heroine experiences when he takes control

In a sudden movement, she felt herself pushed back against the building.  Her breath caught as his big, solid body crushed her tight to the cold brick wall.

Oh, God, had she made a mistake?  He was so big and intimidating, and right now, he looked determined and… almost feral.  He pivoted his hips forward and she could feel a hard bulge against her stomach, proof that he was aroused by her.  Anxiety spiked through her, and a little fear, but right alongside those feelings was a wild surge of excitement.

He grabbed her wrists and pushed them over her head, then held them tight, his striking midnight eyes locked on hers.  She could feel the erratic pounding of her blood pumping through her veins.

She had never felt so alive.

God, she wanted him to take her.  Right here.  Right now.

(From Hot Ride.)

 3. Attitude and sheer sex appeal

These men have a cocky, bad-boy attitude and love to shock.  In Hard Ride, I love it when Shock says to Liv:

“Sweetheart, it’s not a date I want from you.” He leaned in closer, his hot breath stirring her hair. His groin pressed against hers, the hard bulge of his erection telling her exactly what he did want.   “I want you naked and moaning,” he said, “my hard cock driving into you. I want your hands all over me,”— his gaze dropped to her lips— “your mouth all over me. I want to fuck you so hard, you scream my name at the top of your lungs.”

The hand on her lower back pulled her tighter against his pelvis, so she could feel exactly how long and hard he was. “And after you do that, and you’re lying gasping on the bed, I want to do it all over again.”

(From Hard Ride)

4. Camaraderie

Steele’s gang of bikers is not a typical motorcycle club.  They are six friends who ride together, running from the shadows of their past.  They share a closeness I admire, with playful banter and very serious trust.  They are a close knit group that shares everything.

Wild Card gestured to Steele, still asleep on the ground. “That man always has my back. Same with every one of his crew.” He locked gazes with her. “If you let him, that man will protect you and take care of you to the best of his abilities. And believe me, that’s saying something.”

(From Riding Steele)

5. Group sex

As I said, these six hot bikers share everything.  That’s the perfect opportunity to have my heroines enjoy a romp with not one, not two but… yes, all six men.  Gotta love that!  😉

6. Deep, dark secrets

All of my bikers in the Ready to Ride series have a deep, dark secret from their past that is explored during their story.  One of my bikers, Magic, even has a tattoo with script that says “My secrets are my own.”

7. Danger, chaos and happenstance

Anything can happen.  In both the first two stories, Rip, who is an ex-cop, gets drawn into a bar fight, prompting his heroine, Raven, to say:

“So will this be a regular thing now that I’m riding with you?  Being thrown out of bars?”

(From Wild Ride)

Then there’s Wild Card, whose name tells you right off the bat that he’s trouble in the making.  Wild Card means well, but sometimes gets them into trouble, like when he “accidentally” kidnaps Laurie in Riding Steele, prompting Steele in frustration to ask him:

“How the hell did you miss the fact that the plan was not to kidnap the woman?”

(From Riding Steele)

8. Protectiveness towards his woman

I love the intense masculinity and authority of the hero, contrasted with the incredible protectiveness he feels for his woman.

9. Possessiveness towards his woman

Not only are they protective of their women, but possessive, too.  (Yes, even though they share.)

Steele pulled her into a deep kiss. “You’re mine. And nothing and no one is going to change that.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded. She should say something. Set him straight.

But she liked the possessive look in his eyes. Directed at her. Despite the fact he was willing to share her, it was clear he wouldn’t give her up to anyone.

(From Riding Steele)

What about you?  Why do you love biker heroes?  Everyone who comments will be put in a draw to win a copy of Hot Ride!

~~~~~

Hard Ride (Ready To Ride series)

Opal’s latest book, Hard Ride, is initially being released in ebook form as a novel in three parts.  The first part came out last week (April 7) and the second part this week (April 14).

Being forced to submit to a dominant biker may solve all her problems, if she doesn’t fall for him.

Liv never expected to find herself trapped in a dark alley facing a band of rough bikers. And she certainly never expected to see him again. Back in college when they dated, he was heir to his family’s business empire–and their fortune. She expected him to become a billionaire. Instead, he’s the heavily muscled, tattooed member of a rough biker gang…and just as sinfully sexy as ever.

When Shock sees Liv again, he’s ready to pay any price to have her in his bed and on his bike. Shock has his own scars to deal with, but he soon learns that Liv is in desperate need of financial help, though she won’t tell him why. So he offers her a sensual deal: his help for her complete submission. Can Liv entrust Shock with her secret…and how can she stop herself from falling for the hard rider?

Excerpt:

Once out on the street, which was pretty deserted at this time of night, Liv started walking down the road.  She wanted to grab a cab, but there were no cars at all on this road right now.  After a few minutes of walking, heading toward a busier street, she started to get nervous.  It was at times like this she wished she still had her car, but with the drain on her finances, it was a luxury she could no longer afford.

There were some men hanging out on the corner ahead.  Rough-looking men.  Maybe she should go back inside and have the bartender call her a cab.

She turned and started to walk back, but as she got close to the bar, a few more rough-looking types exited the bar and started walking toward her.  Their gazes locked on her.

Her stomach clenched and a chill quivered through her.

Damn Carl for leaving her stranded here.  Ordinarily, she would never come to a place like this, especially alone, but Carl had insisted the only time he could meet her was after his shift as a bouncer at a nearby bar.

She turned down an alley beside her.  She was pretty sure it led to the next block and she could probably catch a cab there.  Or at least slip into the all-night diner she’d seen on the way here this evening.

But as she walked down the dimly lit alleyway, she wondered if she’d made a grave mistake.  She couldn’t see very far ahead, but shouldn’t she see streetlights from the next block?  Or headlights of cars driving by?

She heard a sound behind her and glanced over her shoulder as she picked up her pace.  Her breath caught at the shadowy shapes of three men behind her.  She lurched forward and ran smack into a big, solid body.  She gasped as she pushed herself back from a man with a broad, muscular chest and thick, tattooed arms.

Oh, God, the guy from the bar. Read the rest of this entry »

I think writers of all genres get asked this from time to time and, if one writes erotica, the question sometimes comes with an implied ‘What sort of weird/depraved/ plain odd/ person reads these?’

I have two utterly and totally true stories I love to tell in reply.

First one was shortly after my very first erotic short story was published in Best Women’s Erotic 2000. (Yes, we are going back a bit.)  I was at some corporate function or other – before the dh retired I went to quite a few as I am a really nice wife.  Anyway I was talking to a group of similarly really nice wives, when a young woman, I’d only just met said, ‘I understand you write erotica.’ Now, all I knew about her (other than that she was also a company wife) was she’d once been a Baptist missionary. So, bracing myself for some sort of lecture or snide look, I replied in the affirmative, and waited.  She asked the title of the anthology. I told her, keeping my voice as neutral as I could but biding my time to pick up the cudgels, if necessary. Then, to my astonishment, she went on the tell me how, by the time they got their three small children to bed, she and her dh were exhausted and to liven things, they used to read each other erotica to ignite the spark.

After I closed my mouth, I couldn’t help myself smiling and almost hugged her. I think I offered to send her a signed copy.

Second story was some years on. I was at a group book signing organized by my publisher in a Borders in Akron.  (The fact it was a Borders rather dates this too.) This lovely, old lady came up to the table and picked up a copy of Power Exchange. Now, when I say ‘old’ lady I don’t mean someone in her 60s. Her hair was totally white, she was slender but had the no waist no hips, body shape some really old women have and in addition, her skin had that translucent quality I associate with extreme old age. At a guess, she was in her mid-eighties if not older. And there she was with a copy of Power Exchange in her hand and all I could think was ‘Dear Heaven! If she reads that, the poor old soul will have heart failure.’

As tactfully as I could, I said, “That’s BDSM erotica.” She gave me the most gloriously, wicked smile and said. “I know dear, it’s it best, isn’t it? I love your books and my online friends have been saying I must get this one. “ She went on to tell me she’d been a widow for 20 years and never had been one to troll the bars looking for men but, with a nice, sexy read and her vibrator, she was a very contented and satisfied woman.

She went down the table, bought an armload of books and went off. I decided I wanted to be like her when I grew up.

So, for whom do I write? I write for twenty-something Baptist missionaries who are worn out after running after preschoolers all day but still love and desire their husbands, and I write for eighty or ninety something widows who still feel the need.

And everyone in between.

And for a taste of my naughty short stories, I invite you to try Three Short Stories or one of my companion volumes of shorts. Links to buy at:
https://madeleineoh.com/shortstories.html#threemore

And meanwhile, here’s a sample story:

A String of Pearls

©2014  Madeleine Oh

“For you.”

When  Robert speaks, in his slow, deep, ‘I’ve got a surprise for you,’ voice, he gets my undivided attention. Chicken with Holy Basil can’t compete.

This was our wedding anniversary and I expected a surprise. But what? A bright, red butt plug with a green ribbon round the base?  A pale-as-the-inside-of-an-oystershell, vibrating egg?  Quilted, purple silk restraints? That had covered Christmas and Easter and my birthday.

Our first wedding anniversary could be anything.

He set a black, velvet jewelers box on the table. Had Robert turned conventional? Buying me a string of pearls or perhaps an add a bead necklace. Possible but highly improbable.

He nudged the box closer to my wine glass. “Open it.”

I had it opened just enough to glimpse the white satin lining in the lid, when our waiter reappeared. All he wanted was reassurance our meal was perfect but I almost slammed the lid on my finger. Maybe it was matinee length pearls but you can’t be too cautious in public. Not when you’re married to Robert Kelly.

Checking to make sure no solicitous waiter or maitre d’ loitered, I snapped open the velvet lid. It was pearls alright but I’d never wear these to the opera – I hoped.

Nestling against the velvet padding and almost reflected in the gleaming satin lining of the lid, were six, large pearls: strung on a fine twisted cord, one end sporting a polished metal ring, plenty big enough for hooking and tugging with a strong middle finger. Read the rest of this entry »