Bondage Party - Release of Dial B for Bondage

Just a few days away from Romanticon in Akron, Ohio and I'm thrilled to have a new book out --

Dial B for Bondage at Ellora's Cave. This book is an anthology with four hot novellas from the 1-800 DOM-help series. Not only that but look who's in the anthology with me!

Delilah Devlin, Samantha Cayto and Francesca Hawley!

Here are the blurbs for the novellas. I've read them all and they are awesome reads! I have to admit I read Delilah's story on the plane coming back from my trip and was getting pretty worked up. LOL

Begging For it

By Delilah Devlin

Website: www.delilahdevlin.com

She needs punishment…before she deserves pleasure.

Tragedy scarred TJ Lipton. Now the only way she can find pleasure is when it’s delivered with a heavy-handed dose of S&M. But finding a lover who can give her what she needs proves an elusive quest—until she finds the sex club Unfettered and a Dom named Cross McNally.

Cross understands all too well what drives TJ. He takes command of her body to give her everything she needs—restraint, the stinging kiss of a flogger, the thrill of a three-way—a sexual adventure that pulls her beyond her painful past and has her begging for more of his tender brand of domination.

Controlling Interest

By Francesca Hawley

Website: www.francescahawley.com

Mozelle “Mouse” Vincent inherits money, a club and her boss’ son as a business partner when society leader Regine Stuart dies. Torin Stuart knows what his late mother’s wishes were for his exclusive BDSM club, Erotically Bound, but he’s pissed that he’s forced to trust Mouse—especially when her inherently submissive nature arouses the sexual Dominant in him.

After baring all in a heated, intense scene, Mouse realizes they still have to work together, but now Tor challenges any business suggestion she makes. When she wants to offer education classes, Tor dares her to organize the class and participate—as a submissive.

To his chagrin, Mouse agrees, but he can’t stand the thought of any other Dom touching her. Suddenly there’s far more at stake than the controlling interest in their club…because love is the ultimate prize in their power exchange.

Mistress Mine

By Samantha Cayto

Website: www.samanthacayto.com

FBI agent and ex-military man Trey Boudreau likes to be in control and issue orders. But the bedroom is not a battlefield. His secret desire is to submit his body to a strong, older woman. He discovers a card that promises him the right one to bring him to his knees.

Juliette Coyne is a Domme determined to overcome a past experience that left her questioning her ability in the lifestyle. She is challenged by Trey, a strong, younger man in need of a good lesson or two. Old habits die hard, however, and the past continues to haunt them. Trey and Juliette grapple with each other and themselves for control, trust and a future together.

Emerald Dungeon

By Kathy Kulig

Dana’s summer job as a musician in an Irish castle takes an adventurous turn after she witnesses a BDSM scene in the dungeon, and her submissive side awakens. Jack is a sexy Dominant who recognizes the sub smoldering beneath her demure exterior. His skillful commands take Dana beyond her darkest erotic fantasies.
Whips, restraints and increasing levels of pain heighten her passion, but complete surrender and ecstasy are out of her reach. Secrets and strange events around the castle only add to the couple’s troubles. Will a summer affair be enough to find what they both need? The appearance of a mysterious business card may help guide them. If Dana can accept Jack with complete trust and surrender, then ultimate pleasure and true love are possible.

Buy at Ellora's Cave 9/26/11

Dial B For Bondage: Ellora's Cave

Also available at: Amazon     Barnes and Noble



The Supernatural in Romantic Fiction

At the last Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers we had guest New York Times and multiple Bram Stoker award-winning author Jonathan Maberry speaking on “Romance With the Unknown: The Supernatural in Fiction”.

I’m a huge fan of paranormal fiction with or without romance so I was really looking forward to this workshop. Jonathan gave me some fantastic ideas for tweaking a current vampire novel I have and also for future paranormal stories I want to write.
In vampire fiction, some hard core readers might get upset when a writer strays from what is considered “true” vampire folklore. But what we think is true vampire legend is actually based on old movies and not actual folklore.
Here are some examples. Most people “know” that fictional vampires can be killed by fire, beheading, stake through the heart, sunlight, possibly a crucifix or Holy water.
In ancient folklore of vampires, a stake is only used to hold them down, while garlic is stuffed in their mouth and they are the beheaded. A beheaded vampire can still get up and roam around. They need to be secured while the garlic kills them. Modern folklore says that garlic only wards them away, but ancient folklore says that garlic acts like cyanide, or like kryptonite is to Superman. It will kill a vampire.

Sunlight harming vampires was also not in original folklore. It began during the making of Nosfuratu when the director couldn’t decide how to end the film and doing cheaply. And do you know the true meaning of Nosfuratu? Most of us thought it meant the ‘undead’. Its translation means ‘plague carrier’.

The film was shot in shadows and dim lighting to give a creepy effect. It was suggested that sunlight could be what kills the vampire. A cheap way to end the film.
In the original Dracula movie, Dracula was killed by having his throat slit and then stabbed. He crumbled into dust. But by true folklore, that shouldn’t have killed him. He should’ve reformed someplace else. Hmmm.

Jonathan mentioned what seems to be the popular trend in supernatural fiction: Damaged and Dangerous characters. Look at your heroes and heroines in your post-apocalyptic, urban fantasy, dystopian, apocalyptic, and paranormal stories now. Hunger Games is one example. Also when writing paranormal fiction, whether romance or mainstream, make sure your story has a big BAD in the plot. (A threat to the characters, the world, etc.)

When looking for ideas for stories, research old folklore, monsters, creatures from different cultures. Don’t assume you know the characteristic of a werewolf or a vampire or Eigi Einhamr (the creature I based one of my shapeshifters in my Demon’s in Exile books. A Norwegian shapeshifter myth).

What are your favorite paranormal/supernatural stories?

                                                                          #

The booksigning at the Palmer Library in Easton, PA, sponsored by Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers was a fun event. Authors attending were Kathy Kulig, Autumn Jordon, Jonathan Maberry, Christine Bush, Kathleen Coddington and Tina Gallagher.

Interview with Denise A. Agnew

I'm so glad to have author Denise A. Agnew as a guest. She's a talented author and a very nice lady. Denise A. Agnew. She's an award-winning author and has recieved Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine. She writes for Samhain, Ellora's Cave and Liquid Silver Books. Her books are suspenseful, erotic, edgy, thrilling, romantic and adventurous. What more could you want?

www.deniseagnew.com

 

BEFORE THE DAWN

-Tell us a little about the book and where did you get the idea to write this story.

Before The Dawn is set in 1850 Pennsylvania and features a high-society heroine who lost her virtue and self-respect, and an Irish American hero just released from Eastern State Pen. He’d been framed for a murder he didn’t commit. One day I was watching a ghost hunting program about Eastern State Pen and started forming all these ideas. Everyone who went into Eastern State Pen was in solitary confinement. I wanted a hero who could come out of that situation without having gone bonkers, although he obviously has some issues. It was a great time writing that book!

- What’s the best and worst part of being a writer?

The joy of creating stories is the best part. Dealing with self-doubt, creative slumps, and a persnickety publishing world is the worst part.

- What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

No matter what people tell you, there isn’t one right way to write a book. Learn your craft, but then don’t be afraid to break the rules and write what makes you happiest. Don’t follow the trends because it’s a trend. Follow the book of your heart.

- Are you seat of the pants writer or plotter?

Seat of the pants most definitely.

- Have any of your titles ever been changed from your original choice?

Yes. But it was usually a better fit for the book.

- Do you have a character in one of your books that continues to haunt you at night or surprised you when you wrote the book?

The serial killer in Treacherous Wishes and Jack The Ripper in Dark, Deadly Love.

- Which actor screams SEXY to you?

I can only pick one? Darn! Okay, I’ll pick one off the top of my head. Daniel Craig.

- A lot of people think that genre hopping isn’t a good idea. What do you think?

It depends on what a writer wants for their career. Genre-hopping is the only thing I can do and be happy. I can’t write in one avenue of romance and write good books. My mind and my writing won’t stay fresh that way. A lot of other writers don’t sound fresh or interesting anymore either when they write the same genre within romance all of the time. But then I’m not conventional. What I need to keep me functioning and happy isn’t the same as it is for most authors. Authors risk alienating readers when they don’t stick to one genre because many readers prefer writers to stay in a certain groove. At the end of the day, though, if I’m not happy writing the end product won’t satisfy the reader. So I have to write what blows my skirt up.

- Do you have any favorite movies?

Tons! Two favorites are The Mummy and Gladiator (the one staring Russell Crowe.)

- Is there an author you feel your writing style is somewhat similar to?

No. I hope not. J

Before the Dawn by Denise A. Agnew

From Samhain

From Amazon

Blurb:

A fallen woman must decide to stay down, or rise and fight…

Elijah McKinnon has been found innocent of a heinous murder, but it doesn’t erase the hellish years in prison he endured. He boards the train to Pittsburgh a changed man, certain he will never feel free until he’s wreaked revenge on the brother who ruined his life.

The passenger who catches his eye is intriguing, but he’s seen her kind before. The kind who puts on airs—and looks down on Irishmen. Still, he can’t seem to stop himself from stepping between her and a pack of ruthless cads.

Mary Jane Lawson is grateful for the handsome stranger’s help, but her journey has a higher purpose: to rise above her shattered reputation and declare her independence, come flood or famine. Propriety says she should refuse Elijah’s suggestion they pose as husband and wife—for her own protection, of course. Her practical side says it won’t hurt to pretend, just this once.

Come nightfall, though, their little charade must be carried all the way to shared sleeping quarters, where their vulnerabilities become painfully clear. And when danger past and present threatens, trusting each other becomes a matter of life and death.

* *

Product Warnings

A hot Irish accent mixed with high adventure may cause combustion. Beware of falling for this hunk. The heroine says he’s hers. 

Click here for an EXCERPT

Enjoy!! Thanks for stopping by Denise.

Stormy Weather with a Chance of a Hot Read

Rainy days are the perfect time to catch up on writing projects and curl up with a good book. We got more than we bargained for with Hurricane Irene. It has kept most of us in our homes this weekend and hopefully you're not experiencing difficulty with power outages, flooding or property damage. So stay safe, relax at home and put a dent in that TBR pile. It's also a good idea to stay inside so rescue workers don't have to risk their lives having to rescue sightseers who get injured by falling trees or swept away by flood waters. Our downtown area is expected to see the Delaware go several feet over flood stage. Stay safe.

While I'm stuck inside as  the hurricane passes through (yes, I still have power), I thought I'd bring a guest to the Passion Sense Blog. Author Tina Gallagher. She's a member of Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers and also an author with the with the Wild Rose Press. She just had another book released with them-- Misguided. And I hear it’s a steamy read.

-Tell us a little about the book and where did you get the idea to write this story.

In Misguided, after they have a vacation fling, a high school sex-ed guidance counselor and a single father are forced to face each other in real life.

Having been the honor roll student, good girl in high school, but also pregnant at sixteen, Cassie Finnerty knows what can happen if teens aren’t educated about safe sex.  Her job is to counsel the students, answer their questions, and hand out condoms when requested.

Jake Lucas is a divorced, single father raising his almost sixteen-year-old daughter.  When the contents of his daughter’s purse spill and condoms tumble out, he freaks out.  After interrogating her, he finds out she got the condoms at school, so he goes to confront the person who gave them to her—and gets the surprise of his life.

I got the idea to write this story after reading an online article on a small town that was outraged that the school district hired a sex-ed guidance counselor. My imagination went into overdrive and I started asking, “what if this happened?” and “what if that happened?” and Misguided was born.  At least the idea for it was…the actual book took about 9 months to write.  J

Misguided is available at www.thewildrosepress.com.

- What is your writing schedule like?

I work full-time and have two kids so I don’t really have a schedule.  I pretty much do it whenever I get the chance.  I try to grab snippets of time throughout the day to do something, but for the most part, most of my writing gets done between midnight and whenever I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.

- How did you get started writing novels?

When I was younger, my friend and I used to write what is now called fan fiction about our favorite soap opera couple.  After that, I started writing short stories and continued to do so into adulthood.  One day, I decided to start a novel, just to see if I could finish one.  Turns out, I could. 

- What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Join a writers’ group and attend as many workshops and conferences as you can.  Surround yourself with people who know how to write and are willing to help you learn the craft. 

- Are you seat of the pants writer or plotter?

I tend to write by the seat of my pants.  I get a basic idea and do a haphazard outline the just sit and write. 

- If you could turn any of your books into a movie which book or series would it be?

I’ve had readers suggest that I should turn my first book, …And There Are Girls You Marry, into a television movie.  When I get a free minute, I may actually pursue the idea and learn how to write a script. 

- Are you a morning or night person?

I am definitely a nigh person.  If I didn’t have to be at work at 7:00am, I would stay up all night and write.

- What’s next?

Right now, I’m working on a book called, Pure Sex.  I got the idea for this one while watching Talk Sex with Sue Johanson.  My mind started spinning with “what ifs”.  What if the host of the show was a cute, 30-yr-old? What if she fell into the job just out of college?  How would that affect her life…especially her dating life?  In Pure Sex, I made the hero a minister just to add a little more conflict. 

I’m also collaborating on what will eventually be a series of books with my friend, Diane Sismour.  This is the first time either one of us have written a book with anyone so we’re just making it up as we’re going along.

- For fun. What is your favorite kind of chocolate or chocolate dessert? (I love chocolate covered cherries)

My friend, Diane Sismour, got me hooked on Lindt Chili Chocolate.  I absolutely love it.  It’s dark chocolate with a little red chili pepper to add a bit of a kick.

My website is:  www.tina-gallagher.com – links to my blog, twitter, and FB are on there. 

MISGUIDED by Tina Gallagher
Wild Rose Press
ISBN: 978-1601549204

Blurb:

After a vacation fling, a high school sex ed guidance counselor and a single father are forced to face each other in real life.

Having been the honor roll student, good girl in high school who got pregnant at sixteen, Cassie Finnerty knows what can happen if teens aren’t educated about safe sex. Her job is to counsel the students, answer their questions, and hand out condoms when requested.

Jake Lucas is a divorced, single father raising his almost sixteen-year-old daughter. When the contents of his daughter’s purse spill and condoms tumble out, he freaks out. After interrogating his daughter, he finds out she got the condoms at school, so he goes to confront the person who gave them to her and gets the surprise of his life.

Excerpt: She took it and he followed every stroke of the towel as she dried her voluptuous body.

Her movements were quick and efficient, but as she ran the soft terrycloth over her breasts, Luke had to look away before he embarrassed himself. Sporting a woody in swim trunks was not the way to win over a woman.

Whoa! Luke shook his head wondering where that thought had come from. Win her over? He just met her. And he’d learned his lesson a long time ago. No sex was casual…it always held some sort of repercussion. Whether it resulted in a broken heart, the morning after blues, or a child, it got you one way or another.

 Cassie wrapped the towel around her body and tucked the end in, securing the thick terrycloth around her chest. Although she was more covered than she had been a moment before, her breasts seemed to be on display, and Luke had always considered himself a breast man. She settled into the lounge chair beside his and surveyed the beach.

“Do you happen to know where Aly went?” she asked.

It took Luke a moment to shift his mind from her breasts to her question.

“She and Jay went snorkeling.” Her expression crumbled at his words. “She said she’d meet up with you for dinner.”

If the look on her face was anything to go by, she didn’t believe that any more than he did. He didn’t know this woman, didn’t want to get involved with her, so what devil prodded his next words was a mystery.

“So I guess it’s just you and me.”

Crystal Power

Research. Yes, a paranormal erotic romance author does research, lots of it. Recently, while working on my Demons in Exile series I had to do some more research on the properties of crystals. More specifically, how I can apply science, metaphysics and a little imagination to use crystals as a power source in Anartia, my alternative universe. I already use crystals in these stories for a power source but in the third book I needed to take it up a step.

The tentative title for the third book is Embrace the Damned. But as titles go, that can always change. The first book is Desert of the Damned and the second, Damned and Desired. For readers anxiously waiting for the third book, it’s almost completed (I have to torture my critique partners first) and yes, Dante is in it.

Crystals have been used since ancient times and can be found in folklore. Traditionally gemstones have been associated with the zodiac or the months of the year—birthstones. The great pyramids of Egypt are said to be built from cosmically charged cornerstone crystals. Theories about Atlantis mention the extensive use of crystals for dematerialization, teleportation, telekinesis, creating force fields and many other things.

Crystals and the New Age:

Crystal work much the same as lasers do. It takes scattered rays of energy and focuses the field in a single direction so tremendous force is generated. Crystals have the ability to amplify and absorb energies. Harnessing crystal energy is common in Metaphysics. Crystals are tools for the New Age practitioner. Crystals are used in healing, cleansing, during meditation, to absorb negative energies and entities and to align the body’s energy centers (chakras). Since crystals are thought to have a close affinity to earth, they are used to help ground people, or have a calming effect. Others not attuned to New Age beliefs may feel this is mind over matter or wishful thinking.

Crystals in Science and Technology:

Crystals have many scientific applications. They are used in acousto-optic devices, radio frequency drivers, optical scanners, wavelength filtering, lithium niobate wafers, optical circuit, etc. Quartz crystals resonators are used for precise frequency control. Crystals are used in watches, clocks, radios, computers and cellphones.


Optical Laser Crystal

Quartz crystals are extremely stable with time, temperature and other environmental changes. What better matter to use in my story for a miniature universe that travels through dimensions? Imagine the quartz crystal in your watch on mega steroids.

Lithium Niobate crystal discs-capable of remembering an applied electric field, also sound.

Parallel resonance can occur by adding load capacitance to the crystal in series, resulting in a positive frequency shift…ah, nevermind. One rule for research for novels: Don’t add too much detail.

So when you read Embrace the Damned in its final chapters, you might remember the research I did for my alternative universe.

In the New:

*On Cave Chaos, Ellora’s Cave talk radio, Jaid Black and Lisa Marie Gray had another wild and hot hour this week. http://newdissidentradio.com/cave_chaos.html Check out the archived August 15^th recording. Jaid Black and Susan Edwards plugs Damned and Desired and have a few nice words about my writing. Thank you ladies!! Great hour and talk about Psuedo – rape fantasies in fiction.

*If you like sexy demons and shapeshifters, Damned andDesired was up this week as a Value From the Vault for $.99

Do you wear crystal pendants? Do you think crystals have power or energy?

Doomsday Entertainment

Dystopian, Apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic fiction is the hot trend in movies, television and novels. The August Romance Writers Report had an interesting article on the subject too.

Dystopian societies usually show repressed social control systems where its people exist under various levels of passive or active coercion. Their lives are oppressed by those in charge.

Apocalyptic fiction has to do with the end of civilization due to catastrophe such as war, pandemic, alien invasion, asteroid-type collision, take over by artificial intelligence (computers), natural disaster, resource depletion, etc.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world after such a disaster.

(The City of Ember)

These types of Movies have been around for a long time though. Remember War of the Worlds, On the Beach, Mad Max Cherry 2000? There are lots more. More recent: The Road, Independence Day, Armageddon, 2012. Can you name any others, new or old ones?

On Television. I don’t watch much TV, so maybe you all can help me. But the RWR mentioned: The Walking Dead, Jeriko & Supernatural- the 4 Horseman storyline. I have watched a bit of Falling Skies. I think that fits into apocalyptic. Anyone watch the season finale and believe Tom (Noah Wyle) would really walk into the alien spacecraft? Like he’d trust the aliens not to call his son back anyway? And not put that harness on him? Comes under the TSTL category for me. But I still like the show.

Books. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, The Running Man by Richard Bachman aka Stephen King, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, Joss Ware-Envy Chronicles, Jessica Andersen-Nightkeeper series, Ellen Connor-Dark Age Dawning series, Jordan Summers-Dead World series.

Why? Why is doom and gloom, death and destruction, a world on the brink of collapse entertaining?

There might be several reasons. We like to root for the underdog. We want to see how everyday people, like us, survive when faced with insurmountable obstacles, against all odds. We admire courageous people. Maybe this type of entertainment gives us hope in a warped way. While we’re losing jobs, we see the economy getting worse not better, and watch our retirement saving dwindle to the size of a third-grader’s piggybank, we watch or read post-apocalyptic stories and suddenly our troubles don’t seem quite so bad.
If you’ve ever lived through a real disaster-- a natural one like a tornado, hurricane, flood or fire, or man-made—a war or act of terrorism, then you’ve experienced a mini-apocalypse.

People react differently in these situations when their everyday life gets turned upside down, thrown into a blender and pressed to liquefy. I’ve never been in a war but I have lived through Hurricane Andrew within the evacuation zone. I’ve seen the extreme good and bad in people—hospital personnel, police and firemen leave their families to work within evacuation zones for 35 plus hours without sleep to help patients and elderly people who had no place to go. Looting, fights at the gas stations when gas  wouldn’t pump (no power). I heard horrific stories (that never made the news) from police officers and National Guard.
We all saw the terrible disaster in Japan. Imagine this type of devastation world-wide. How would people react? That’s apocalypse.

Even in these horrors, or in the worse possible scenario—a world-wide catastrophe, I have faith in human nature. There will always be bad and evil in the world. But the instinct to survive, the desire for companionship and to love is too strong and universal for us not to overcome something this horrible. We watch these movies and read these books to remind ourselves that we’re a lot tougher than we think. What do you think?

Something Wicked is Coming This Way

I’m so thrilled that my story The Tattoo Witch was selected to be in the anthology SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, Volume One. Also included in Volume One are USA Today Bestselling author and founder of Ellora’s Cave Jaid Black, and other amazingly HOT EC authors Laurann Dohner, Mel Teshco, Desiree Holt and Eliza Knight. When I heard the call for stories for this anthology, I knew I had to come up with a story, and fast. I’m a huge fan of Ray Bradbury and SWTWC is one of my favorite books. Of course, Bradbury took that line from Shakespeare, but I always think of Bradbury first.

With the deadline for this anthology series just weeks away, I sat on my porch with a glass of wine, a notebook and dh. Dh helped me brainstormed some ideas. I ran through some of my favorite Bradbury stories, searching for inspiration, and I remembered The Illustrated Man. A man covered in tattoos and tormented by them. Hmmm, tattoos are a popular thing now. SWTWC is about an evil carnival. How could I make the two sexy and add an interesting twist? What if a witch gave out magical tattoos? These tattoos could make you more desirable, virile, sexually adventurous, grant any wish pertaining to a sexual nature. BUT these tattoos are dark magic and each one came with a curse. With each additional tattoo, the person’s love life got hotter and hotter, but the curses got nastier. Then where would it all end?

I have to also thank my friend Terri Prizzi who is awesome at brainstorming. She gave me some fabulous ideas for the nasty curses. Thanks Terri!!

This is the premise for The Tattoo Witch. Release date might be fall 2011. I'll keep you posted.

MORE GOOD NEWS

Emerald Dungeon, my novella from the 1-800-Dom-help series was selected to be in an anthology with three other authors from that series. The anthology title is: DIAL B FOR BONDAGE. Super Hot erotic authors included are: Delilah Devlin, Francesca Hawley, Samantha Cayto and me. Release date is expected around Romanticon 2011—end of September.

Two awesome anthologies coming up filled with tales by some of the best and hottest writers in the genre. I’m so excited to be included with them.