Better Late Than Never

I completely forgot what day it was! I’m here now and in honor of my new freshly signed Ellora’s Cave ebook contract I’m going to feature my other two EC ebooks today.

First up,

BLURB

Camryn is taken captive after Earth is invaded by hostile aliens. She is sold as an exotic, an expensive sex slave. Camryn is willing to do anything to survive and escape captivity. That includes convincing her master that she enjoys his touch. Then she is purchased by the sexy warrior Venn. Now she must convince herselfthat she can resist a male whose every caress ignites a passion she has never known.

Venn is an empathic and hyper-sensitive tribal lord from planet Ordan. He has never owned a slave, yet he cannot resist the beautiful Earth woman. She teases his heightened senses and pushes past the control he has over his emotions. Venn struggles to own Camryn’s body with scorching sex and a firm hand. And when his possession of her body is complete, he’ll try to claim her soul.

EXCERPT

The following excerpt is for those readers who are 18 and over only.

Copyright © Stormie Kent, 2011

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

He crowded her back and she watched in the mirror. He was dressed for meetings in a black dress coat, crisp white shirt and fitted black pants. The contrast of her nude body pressed against his fully clothed form made her press back against him to feel the pleasure of the smooth material against her hot skin.

“I didn’t tell you to move, sweet.” He stepped back.

She groaned. Her eyes clashed with his in the mirror.

“What’s with the restraint?” she asked.

“I know you like it when I hold you down, but I wanted to use my hands today. And you did say it would take chains to keep you in one place,” he replied.

She remained as still as possible and he watched her for a while before moving behind her once more. She wanted to think she would resist him, but she couldn’t. When he got like this, he wasn’t going to be put off and she liked how he handled her too much. She liked that he took all the passion and barbarian in himself and locked it down, only for it to emerge again once he’d made her mindless. She knew it was there, just sitting under the surface of his skin. She could see it in the way his smile didn’t match the fire in his eyes.

He gathered her hair in one hand and wrapped it once around his hand. He pulled her head gently to the side. She curled her toes into the carpet so she wouldn’t move.

His other hand came up, but only one finger trailed her throat from her hairline to her shoulder. His mouth followed and his cool hair swung forward and trailed over her arm and breast. He did the same thing over and over again to the back of her neck and then transferred her hair to his other hand and worked the same magic on the other side of her neck. He tugged harder on her hair and the pleasure shot straight to her cunt.

He stepped beside her and leaned forward, raining kisses on her chin and neck. Then he turned her loose completely. She whimpered.

“Keep your eyes on your face and body in the mirror,” he said, lacing his voice with command.

She stared into his eyes in the mirror. Then she lowered her gaze to her own face. Her eyes were slumberous. Her bottom lip was swollen where she’d bitten it in concentration and she was flushed.

“Beautiful,” he said.

*****                                                    *****                                                    *****

 And released earlier this year,

BLURB

Niki is captured by hostile aliens after Earth is invaded. Once a soldier, she is now a slave. She is sold to the highest bidder, and then lost in a game of cards to a tall Ordanian spaceship captain, who claims to have been sent to rescue her. They work together to survive the dangers of the United Universe, while Niki battles her desire for the only man to ever enflame her mind, body and soul.

Captain Rhine’s mission is to reunite the Earth woman with her family. Outmaneuvering beast shifters and a crazed stalker are the very least he is willing to do to keep her by his side. Her touch ignites his passion. Her scent drives his lust. Her strength eases his soul even as she challenges him every step of the way. In the end, Rhine understands, the biggest battle is for her heart.

EXCERPT

The following excerpt is for those readers who are 18 and over only.

Copyright © Stormie Kent, 2013

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

He pushed a button on the captain chair controls and turned to Niki. He stood. He observed her tense body and intense expression. She gazed back at him. Hostile was too mild for this woman.

“What?” she asked.

His next move wasn’t going to make her any more docile. Before he could think too much about it, he snatched her from her seat and cradled her in his arms. He ran his hands over her back as he made sure to slide her along his front.

“What the hell are you doing? There isn’t time for you to feel me up, you perv.”

She pushed against his chest. Her struggles to free herself helped accomplish his goal and enflame his senses at the same time. Her full breasts pressed and jiggled against him as he clutched her ample ass. It was enough to make him forget his true purpose.

He caught her wrist before her palm connected with his nose.

He spun her away quickly. “I needed my scent to be fresh on you.”

She watched him through slit lids. He forced his eyes from her heaving breasts and focused on what was important. Her wide leg stance and fisted hands. He knew how fast she was. She wasn’t as quick as him, but she could do a lot of damage if he happened to be distracted, which he was. He sidestepped her first pass, moving away from the fist that almost struck his jaw. His right hand deflected her side kick and he used his left hand to grab her arm and jerk her around so that her back was flush against his front.

He crushed both her arms to her sides and jerked her away from anything she could gain leverage from with her feet. He couldn’t resist pressing his face to the crook of her neck and inhaling. Somehow their little sparring session was arousing him more than it angered him. He jerked his face back quickly as she turned her head to bite him.

“Calm down. You will be among strong hypersensitives who won’t believe I own a level one exotic and haven’t touched her.”

“Warn me next time, asshole. I don’t like surprises and I definitely don’t want to be manhandled.”

He leaned close to her ear and spoke softly. “You lie.” Her nipples were hard against his arms and the sweet spice of her pussy clouded his judgment. His cock pressed against her back. Her struggles stroked him nicely. “You call me Sir in alien company.”

Want more? Click the link for another excerpt.

Happy Reading!

Stormie Kent

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Regency -- Easter and Churches

In Regency England, the church was an important and essential part of everyone’s life. Most likely the large London churches had more fashionably-dressed parishioners on Good Friday and Easter Sunday than would otherwise have attended, but they would be there – regardless!

In other areas, there might have been an Easter faire, and I’ll bet that many a fast was broken by indulging in the luscious Hot Cross Buns, so symbolic of that holiday.

Being a Regency nut, and nearly always having a camera in my hand, these are a few remembrances of my visits there. Jane Austen could easily (and might well have) visited any of these places during her lifetime.

My first trip to England was in September 1997, and I was desperate to see a Cathedral. It happened to be that of Wells – unique in its style and setting. And, what could have been more perfect than the happy coincidence that the day I was there was Colin Firth’s birthday? A tour of the Bishop’s Palace revealed many pieces of furniture which surely existed during the days of Jane Austen.

Sadly I never made it to Winchester to see her burial site, but did also spend time in Bath. On your first visit to such a splendid work of architecture as the Bath Abbey, your eyes don’t know where to look first: down, to note the many memorial stones marking burial spots, some centuries old, or up – at the gorgeous fan-vault ceiling.

  

 Or maybe the busy outside precinct immediately adjacent to the church itself. on a bright sunny September day, the happy visitors were being treated to an impromptu concert! (In back of where I was standing to take this photo are the legendary Pump Rooms!)

In London, the Tower of London is named after the White Tower, which was originally painted white. It dates back to William I (the Conqueror). No matter how busy the nobles of that era or how war-like, religion was of the utmost importance, and St. John’s Chapel is a beautiful example of their faith.

 Likewise in Windsor, the chapel there is named for Britain’s patron Saint George. Pennants hang in the small side chapel, denoting the members of the Order of the Garter. It is indeed beautiful when there is a slight breeze to stir them. In the foyer is a lovely white marble memorial to Princess Charlotte, who died in childbirth in 1817, and is buried there.

Among the most famous churches of London is Westminster Abbey. This is a side view from the adjacent garden. These photos may not be typical visitor photos, but I am devoted to ancient structures and architecture. 

 Try to imagine the complexity of building such a structure as these a thousand or so years ago! And they’re still there! 
                                                  

Saint Mary the Virgin Silchester is by far the oldest British church I visited on any of my trips. It’s late Saxon/early Norman era, dating to the early 1100s. Should you want to visit, it’s located near the Duke of Wellington’s country residence in Hampshire. The sense of peace here was incredible. 

Wherever – however – you --or your characters -- celebrate Easter or Passover, my very best wishes for a wonderful occasion! 

A perfectly splendid resource if you’re looking for British traditions of any sort is the book British Folk Customs by Christina Hole. Published in 1976, you may be lucky enough to find a used copy. It’s well worth the effort! 

Hetty St. James 

When Life Gets Too Real

You've all heard the--ack!--cliches:
"You're never given more than you can handle."
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
"That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

I've been having that kind of month--the "how much streeeeetch is left in this rubber band, anyway?" kinda day-after-day. I offered to trade w/Atlas. He said no thanks. If one more person mentions a light at the end of the tunnel or the end of the rainbow, I'm gonna scream! <LOL>

But weirdly enough, you can use it as inspiration for writing. Because all the "experts" tell you that whenever you get into a writing rut, "up the stakes." Which is basically, making it WAY worse for your characters than it already was. Up the stakes. Increase the tension and the drama. Make it way more interesting for the reader, even as your characters plot to stab you in your sleep...

You really have to look at the level in the cup and decide how the character would view it. The level of "can do." Because wallowing is human nature, but at some time the heroine has to put on her big girl panties and say, "Know what? This PITA situation's not gonna resolve itself, and I'm sick of the way things are." She either fixes it, or throws it aside and moves on. Change is scary, but the best kind of character to cheer for is the one who TAKES ACTION. Even if they don't succeed at everything (hard to relate to that perfect superwoman), you want your readers to recognize a character's humanity and be able to relate to them.

I want to be a good role model for my kids, be someone they can look up to and admire. I know my
situation's not the worst in the world, but it's causing some hard choices and that's not necessarily a bad thing for kids to see and realize that nothing comes without cost--for everything you get or do, something else has to be let go. Prioritize. Plan long-term. Teach them to survive. Teach them the difference between want and need.

Characters are the ideal--you can let them have the victories that elude you. You can tie up all their loose ends. No matter the setting or time period or scenario, people all have certain things in common. What Campbell used to call universal truths. Nothing's more inspiring than taking a bit of heart from a story or legend to get you over a bad spell. When things happen, how you respond is what keeps you growing and changing and moving forward.

Be the hero in your own story. Give yourself something to look back on with pride. Be the kind of grandma your kids tell tales of to THEIR kids!

Never quit.

What's in a setting?

In fiction, authors use details of setting to define location and character, drawing on readers' knowledge and sometimes cliched impressions about the elements they use. Location and time, for instance, implies climate and sometimes draws on stereotypes of the people living there. Readers might automatically think of freewheeling partygoers in New Orleans, violent criminals and their victims in Chicago, or wealthy retirees, drug lords and Cuban expatriates in Miami.

Beautiful mansions, modest homes and shoddy tenements in whatever location tell readers much about their inhabitants. A character's chosen surroundings can either solidify stereotypes of who he is (a hot, bachelor lawyer with an obviously decorator-done condo that looks like a seduction pad) or a detail that stands away from that stereotype (perhaps a faded, framed photo set unobtrusively on the credenza beside his desk, of a little boy in tattered clothes, standing next to a woman bent over in a strawberry field).

Like the Rolex on his wrist, his custom-tailored suits, his yacht and his gleaming red Ferrari, this hero's condo tells the reader he has achieved success and wealth. The lone personal looking item, in this case a picture, hints that he has known poverty and makes the reader wonder what shaped him into what he is today.

Natural phenomena in settings often punctuate or trigger tumultuous emotions. Is a character apprehensive? Afraid? Uncertain? Or even as wild as the storm? Many times in romance, these feelings in characters will be accompanied by a roll of thunder...crackling lightning in an otherwise black night sky...a burst of hailstones--or a blizzard with snow falling so fast that it seems the lovers may be buried under its frozen depth.

I've pulled an example of using nature to heighten character emotion from each of my Lawyers in Love series books, which I've been revisiting as I write a new, connected series, Courthouse Connections, which I hope will be completed by the end of 2013.

These books can also be bought in two print collections, THE DEFENDERS and THE PROSECUTORS. All of my books are available from Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, All Romance EBooks, Kobo and other authorized online booksellers. Print ones are also available through LSI and Createspace.

"Waves rocked the boat. Thunder rolled. She tightened her hold on his hard-muscled torso. He would keep the world at bay, keep her safe..." (In His Own Defense)

"Damn it, he shouldn’t have to keep reminding himself every few minutes that he had no business lusting after what he could no longer have. As if in warning, the thunder clapped again, louder this time.
"Andi shuddered, a strangely sensual motion that contrasted with the fierceness of the storm. “You know, I’m afraid of lightning. Always have been. I wish…" (Bittersweet Homecoming)

"Sensation sizzled through her brain, the heat of the day bringing sweat up on her brow. Mild heat, though, compared with the fires Craig kindled inside her..." (Gettin' It On)

"For a long time he held her. Shivered with her while the wind pummeled their shelter, reminding him of the danger. Not only that which threatened them, but that which promised to consume him if he gave his raging emotions free rein. If he took her, claimed her now the way he'd been too young and green to take her years ago." (Eye of the Storm)

Conversely, authors will often set the resolution of conflict or its lusty aftermath on a sunny day at the beach, a riverbank with the river's sometimes rushing water running lazily by contented lovers--or a cool evening inside, perhaps in front of a warm and inviting fireplace.  heirloom quilt.


So... There's a lot of emotion an author can show readers by setting. Setting includes not only physical surroundings but also acts of nature that can illustrate the depths of characters' emotions. There's a whole lot to the settings in which authors place their characters.

Ann Jacobs

http://annjacobs.net

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Sabrina York Celebrates her Anniversary with Giveaways Galore!

It’s almost April. The birds are chirping in the trees and the skies are no longer filled with snow-laden clouds.

And I am excited because April marks one year for me as a published author. My first book, Adam’s Obsession, released on April 4^th, 2012. It’s been an exciting journey ever since. I've met some of the most amazing people and made some really wonderful friends.

I want to thank my readers and my fans for all their support. It really means a lot.

I am excited to report that I now have ten titles out and four more coming soon…plus a bunch in the hopper!  

I've included a list below with links if you’re tempted.

I am even trying my hand at self publishing. Rebound, the first novella in the Tryst Island Series releases in April. I am so excited about that, you know I just have to give one away to a lucky commenter! Just mention the title in the comments section below and I’ll add you to the drawing.

Here’s the blurb:

Rebound by Sabrina York

Kristi Cross has had the hots for her friend, Cameron Jackson as long as she can remember, but she knows she’s not his type. She’s nothing like the women he dates. So when he suggests they play for a kiss over a game of Hearts, Kristi can’t resist. Even if she loses, she wins. Because she’s finally going to taste him.

Of course, one kiss can quickly become something altogether steamier, especially when both parties are on the rebound…

And if you’re in the mood for a super quick, steamy read, check out my most recent release, Man Hungry, a Quickie from Ellora’s Cave:

Man Hungry by Sabrina York

Blind dates are hell. At least that’s what Justin thinks before he’s set up with Jessica, a sizzling-hot schoolteacher who captures his heart—or at least his lust—at first sight. He can’t let their date fail so he does what any sane, rational prankster would do—he pretends he’s there to meet someone else. A man-hungry schoolmarm.

Jessica knows full well that Justin is her date, so she decides to have a little fun and show him exactly how man hungry a “schoolmarm” can be. And Jessica’s hunger is all for Justin. On the dance floor, atop a table, up against a door…she just can’t get enough.

A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

And yes, if you mention the title in the comments section below, you could win a copy of Man Hungry as well!

***ENTER TO WIN SABRINA’S TIARA***

Oh, and this is important! March 31st is the LAST DAY to enter my Tiara Giveaway.

Well…until I decide to give away another. My bling closet is getting kind of cluttered. (But darling, if you’re going to be a hoarder, shouldn’t you be hoarding bling?”)

To enter, just sign up for the Royal Hotsheet (Sabrina’s Newsletter). Newsletter subscribers are eligible to win all coming contests as well as random giveaways. Because, have I mentioned? Tiara closet? Cluttered?

Send an email with "Enter Me" in the subject line (this is erotica, after all) to sabrina@sabrinayork.com. If you want to win a copy of Man Hungry, mention that in the body of the email!

The drawing will be March 31, 2013. It is a completely random drawing. I made it a point to have the one person on the planet who ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT CARE about the results draw the winner.

That is, after all, what teenage sons are for.

Remember, only one entry per person, but if you refer your friends you will earn bonus entries.

Refer Your Friends Bonus Entries
Tell your friends about Sabrina York, Her Royal Hotness. If they sign up for Sabrina's Hotsheet you earn another entry, plus a chance at a Referrals Only drawing for more bling. (NOTE: They must tell me that you referred them in the message box so I can give you credit).

Good luck!!!

About Sabrina York

Sabrina is an award winning author of erotic romance with nearly a dozen titles available, ranging from sweet & sexy erotic romance to BDSM to erotic horror. Connect with her on twitter @sabrina_york or Facebook.

Check out Sabrina’s books and read an excerpt on her webpage (www.sabrinayork.com) or explore on Amazon or at Ellora’s Cave.

Click here for information about Sabrina's Royal Street Team

Books by Sabrina York

Adam’s Obsession (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Dark Fancy (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave)

Extreme Couponing (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Five Alarm Fire (Erotic Contemporary for the High Octane Heroes Anthology, Cleis Press)—coming soon

Folly (Erotic Regency, Ellora’s Cave)

Lust Eternal (Erotic Fantasy, Ellora’s Cave) —coming soon

Pushing Her Buttons (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Making Over Maris (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave) —coming soon

Man Hungry (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Rebound: A Tryst Island Erotic Romance (Erotic Contemporary, Available soon on Amazon)

Rising Green (Erotic Horror, Ellora’s Cave)

Saving Charlotte (Erotic Contemporary for the Smokin' Hot Firemen Anthology, Cleis Press)

Training Tess (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Trickery (Erotic Contemporary with Magical Elements, Ellora’s Cave Hex Line)

Tristan’s Temptation (Erotic Contemporary, Ellora’s Cave)

Reading glut, eye-strain alert, AKA why doesn’t an indie author’s spell check or punctuation check work any longer?

My new novella coming soon
with proper punctuation and spelling!

Yes, I am an addict. I read till my eyeballs scream, but ignore their protests and continue to read with my fingertips, anything to finish a good book.

So why do I allow some authors to abuse my precious time, my precious body and my pocketbook by posting books with BAD (really, really BAD) punctuation and horrible (OMG!) spelling? And why oh, why do these folks make it to the best seller lists?

I am stumped. Stupified. Flummoxed.

I am outraged at their sloppiness and disregard for my reading experience, which by all means should focus on their story NOT their hideous lack of professionalism! (And their rush to collect my money in their bank account for what is a sloppy product!)

Last week, I bought a book on the NYT list by an indie author.  (Really, she is a HYBRID author who has been pubbed by a traditional publisher. Therefore, her punctuation and spelling “feet” have been held to the proverbial fire and she should know better than to do this to her readers.) I was curious as to the reason for her success. (Topic? Plot? Unique conflict? What, what?) I had to know!

Dear Reader, I read this book, and cursed each page, sometimes 10 or more lines per page for the hideous punctuation and spelling! No, it was not that she failed to provide proper formatting for her indie book. She did not understand the use of any of the following:

comma

ellipses

M dash (and lack thereof)

N dash

Quotation marks (Please, shoot me.)

Scene breaks

Why did I endure this to THE END?

After 20 or so pages of this insult, l should have stopped. Shouldn’t I? I should have said, no more, you are killing me softly. I should have thrown it across the room (or deleted it from iPad) and asked why I take my precious time to turn in perfectly spelled and punctuated pieces (even those I have self-pubbed) and I read this???

But I will never do so again.

Why?

My iPad, darling creature, has so much on it that is luscious, transportive reading. Courtesy of all those wonderful authors, many of them good friends of mine, I have wonderful hours awaiting me. Furthermore, because pricing in the industry is so competitive lately, many of them were discounted. Most were not. But I bought each on that wonderful literate whim that comes to us when we see a novel we MUST read. I have stored many for that rainy day when my soul needs to be fed with divine tales that I have neither the time nor the proclivity to create myself.

So this author is no longer on my iPad. Her works—and I had 2 more of them on there—I eliminated.

I called up my best friend and screamed about the audacity to insult me as a consumer, a reader and an author!

I have written of my outrage here.

I feel better.

And the next time, I see this in a book, I hope to god I have the intelligence to end my torture sooner. And may you too end it so that somewhere in the universe, authors who don't learn or don't take time to do it right, hie themselves off to a place we cannot find their works for sale...anywhere.

Even Muses Need Inspiration

 Sometime after last Thanksgiving, my muse began to harry me to finish my most recent work-in-progress: Duty, Honor, Murder. Since I’d started to write—that is, plotit—years earlier for an online class, I was equally anxious to finish the first draft. I did, in fact, write The Endon December 31, 2012.

 

I gave myself a round of applause, a few pats on the back and mentally added another glass of champagne to my New Year celebration. My mouth started to water, anticipating the extra large chocolate bar I’d get at my next RWA chapter meeting as a reward for finishing.

On January 2^nd I reviewed and posted my critique partners’ comments and suggestions. (I try not to start revisions until I finish the first draft—otherwise I keep fiddling until even I can’t recognize the story I intended to write.)

About the middle of February I finished adding a bunch of scenes in my latter chapters and handed everything off to my cps for what I hoped was a final review, but I found myself making excuses not to post what they’d already given me.

Now, every writer is used to the muse taking off for vacation—sometimes for far longer than we like. This time, however, my muse was waiting on me.

I looked at other stories I had started, but those were pages and pages (and pages)—all handwritten. Have I mentioned that I really hate to type? Typing is at the very top of my least favorite writing tasks—a fraction higher than trying to teach my dictation system to understand me. I have the same issue with my cell phone not recognizing commands, so I can’t blame the software—even though I’d like to.

Anyway…I was mired in a morass of my own making. Reduced to watching television reruns while my muse whispered foul names and threatened to leave me—this time forever.

It was while watching a program I’d recorded that inspiration struck. I realized I’d procrastinated because I didn’t have something brand new to work on; now I did! And I can type it in small increments.

If only I knew where the story was going! But that’s the joy of being a pantser—the unexpected is such fun. And the muse is celebrating with me.

Am celebrating my ménages. Check them out at deebrice.com.

Dee Brice

Erotic Fantasies Where Nothing is Forbidden