Rachel Leigh Gives an Explicitly English Story Behind the Story

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I’m happy to welcome Rachel Leigh to A Hopeful Romantic, and since she is speaking of things explicitly English, I’m already intrigued. Welcome Rachel!

When I was invited to appear on this blog, K D asked that some aspect of my post includes a ‘story behind the story’ aspect. So what is the story behind Explicitly English? I’m not sure you’ll actually believe me even if I tell you but here goes…

I am British, living in South West England which I have all my life so I know little else accept from an English way of life, English history and English customs. Apart from holidaying in the Mediterranean, a four-day trip to New York and camping in France, England is what I know best.

So because of that, I decided the heroes and heroines in my books would always be British because authentically, that is the best I could do for my characters – and my readers. So believe it or not, the story came from watching a very British and very popular TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

However before you assume this is an historical erotic romantic suspense, it isn’t – it’s a straight forward contemporary erotic romance. The inspiration came from the traditional UK country living and the train journey. As soon as my heroine steps on the train, it is the start of her new life and her fun begins almost at once…here’s the blurb:

 Laura Markham needs to forget – just for awhile.  Be someone else for change – live as her parents will never have the chance to.  And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…

British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he’s likely to surprise his contracted interior designer.  And when he finds out she’s the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss the outward bound train and stay with him forever… 

Hmm…quite far removed from the stereotypical British tweeds and Poirot twirling his famous moustache but inspiration is inspiration and we writers take it whenever and wherever it appears. I love what I do and hope to continue to write forever. One of my favorite things is attending my monthly Romantic Novelists Association (UK RWA equivalent) chapter meetings and listening to my fellow members nuggets of inspiration. Believe me, the ideas are out there, you just have to use a little imagination sometimes, lol!

Rachel loves to hear from writers and readers, find her here:

www.rachelleigh.co.uk

www.rachelleighromance.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Leigh/266044849655

Thanks for sharing the Story Behind the Story with us Rachel! As a transplant to South England, no one will appreciate hot tales of the English countryside more than I, and this one definitely sounds hot!

Holly Goes Coast To Coast

Blog, Inspiration, , , , , ,

Most of you know by now about the Where’s Holly contest running through the month of August. (check this link for details) I’ve asked you all to send me your photos of all the cool and interesting places you read your Holly, or even better yet, the ordinary places you read The Initiation of Ms Holly because anyone who has ever enjoyed reading a good book knows that the best thing about a good book is that it has the amazing ability to take us out of the ordinary and transport us into the extraordinary.

For writers, it’s no different. When we’re in the zone, when the Muse is with us, we are transported to extraordinary places in our imaginations, places we can’t wait to put down in words and share with other people.

My experience of writing The Initiation of Ms Holly was just such an experience, an experience that started in the dark in the Eurostar tunnel, and while I wasn’t going anywhere, my imagination was off and running, and a year later, Holly was born.

Starting the 8th of August, Raymond and I are setting out to walk the Wainwright Coast to Coast Path across England. This has been something we’ve dreamed about ever since we started walking seriously. So we’re very excited. It’s not just going to be the two of us though. That’s right. It’ll be a threesome, because Holly is going with us! I’ll be sending back reports as often as I have wi fi along with picture of just where Holly is as we walk the 190 miles across Cumbria and Yorkshire.

The first five days we’ll have lots of company, walking with a group of friends we often walk with in the Lake Disctrict, led by the amazing Brian Spencer and his equally amazing wife, Vron, who have been instrumental in my research for the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy. But the last nine days it’ll be just Raymond and Holly and me hoofing it across England.

The First Update:


 Now that the itinerary is set for B&Bs and the Coast to Coast is really going to happen, I’ve spent evenings pouring over the maps and studying the rout, getting butterflies in my stomach at anyplace I’m not clear on. And with moors and fells and ruins of mines and bogs and villages and farms and long stretches of open space, there are lots of places to be unclear on. Fortunately the C2C is a well-travelled walking trail, so we won’t be running the risk of falling off the edge of the earth, though we might occasionally run off the edge of the map. It’s by far the longest walk we’ve ever attempted on our own.

I’m confident in our navigation skills, and we’ve both trained for it, but we have one 24-mile day that will definitely be pushing our limits. I’m nervous and I’m excited and I’m already there in my mind. I’ve dreamed about doing this for a long time.

And what does any of this have to do with writing? Well, everything actually. I have two novellas and the another novel I have to walk. I’m just hoping 190 miles will be enough. And Holly, well she’s already a world traveller, so I expect her to acquit herself very well.

Today we drive to Cumbria.

Tomorrow…WE WALK!

Is Tonya Kinzer The Boss’s Pet?

Blog, Interviews, , , , ,

I’d like to welcome Tonya Kinzer to A Hopeful Romantic today to tell us a little bit about herself and her hot new series, The Boss’s Pet. Welcome Tonya.

KD:  For the readers out there who might not know about you or your work, can you please tell them a little about yourself.

Tonya:  First, thank you so much for having me today so I can chat with your readers, too.  I’ve been writing for years, but only last year decided to put it ‘out there’.  I love that the erotic genre can go almost anywhere so the field is wide open and any topic is ‘up’ for discussion. I’m married and hubby and I have two Siamese cats who keep us entertained. That is, when we’re home long enough to spend time with them. We own our own business so that keeps us at the office, where I also write or take to the net when I’m not ‘working’ at my day job even though I’m AT my day job. Is that bad?? I’m a techie, love working with photo shop, creating covers, back grounds, book marks, etc…comes along with also knowing a bit about networks, servers and techie stuff.

KD:  Can you tell us a little about your current release?

Tonya:  I wrote The Boss’s Pet years ago for hubby because he IS my boss at the office, I suppose, and this just fit us so well. He also introduced me into the world of bondage, per se, and I learn a little more every day.  I’ve also learned, from listening to friends, that women tend to think of themselves last, whether it’s regarding family or their love life. They satisfy their partner, yet don’t get the same in return, nor do they ask to be satisfied when they are just as horny as their man! Why is this? If someone can enlighten me, I’d love to discuss this because I just don’t understand why they allow that to happen and end up frustrated. Now I’m off on a tangent….sorry!

KD:   The publishing industry is constantly changing; do you think that e-books will one day replace print?

Tonya:  I don’t think paperbacks will ever be non-existent but e-books are flooding the market because it’s another item we can have instantly and let’s face it, that is what our society has become accustomed to… ‘I want it NOW!’  So, as long as I can stay abreast of what’s happening out there and what our readers want, I plan to stay current with the needs of my readers and …. What we write is what they want!

KD:  Which do you prefer…e-books or print?

Tonya:  I prefer paperback but I do have to admit, the racy covers we produce are probably best downloaded to my Nook! Regarding the historical/contemporary romances, I prefer the good ol’ paperback!

KD:  How do you choose the topics for your stories?

Tonya:  I choose things that I like to read about and topics that curl my toes. Maybe some scenes are even things I’ve not experienced, but hope the research has provided me with enough information that the reader becomes part of the scene and hence, doesn’t realize that I’ve NOT experienced some of what I write.  If I may borrow a line…those who write murder mystery/thrillers have not killed, yet that is what THEY write about.

KD:  Tell us something readers might be surprised to know about you.

Tonya:  …….I’m your neighbor or the sweetheart next door that you’d NEVER suspect  would write erotic romance that makes you seep into your panties!

KD:  What do you think is most important in creating a character?

Tonya:  The more real we can make our characters, the more the reader will relate to them. They have to be so human-like that the reader would want to be their best friend, flaw or no flaw. Not all the characters are going to be size two because the majority of the world isn’t size two, although maybe it’d be nice to be that size for week just because…and I’m NOT a size two!  I like to show that my characters exercise and try to stay in shape, but they also like to eat and drink. Being in shape doesn’t just happen, one has to work at it; some are obsessive, another flaw, because they don’t want others to see them as not being in control. So, do the readers think being submissive is being in control? *wink*  If we weren’t actually in control, would our Masters be able to do what they do with us…because we are allowing it?  I’d call that being in control. That’s a post for another day!

KD:  What is the biggest misconception you think people have about erotic authors?

Tonya:  Those who have misconceptions don’t read erotic romance. Our readers don’t have misconceptions about us, other than to perhaps assume we’ve done EVERYTHING we write about. Not true! Then again, that may be the biggest turn on for some of having their fantasy that we’ve done it all.

KD:  What’s your guilty pleasure (if any)?

Tonya:  I LOVE dark chocolate, does that count? Dark chocolate truffles, Lindt, Godiva…mmmmm! Oh, and dark chocolate syrup! *wicked laugh*

KD:  What do you like best about being an author?

Tonya:  I love creating a world of pleasure, of characters that readers want to know more about and I hope I can make them beg for more of those characters. I like to make it possible for some to experience a new sexual act that they’ve not had a chance to try yet. When they get up the courage to discuss it with their partner then also ask for that to be done to them! Spreading chocolate syrup in places you were taught it doesn’t go…..is not all bad. Change your frame of mind. Be not afraid…how can you experience love when you’re afraid to take what you want. Perhaps your partner is dreaming of that day….make it happen!

KD:  What are you currently reading?

Tonya:  I recently finished Best Lover in Town by Brenda Woody and Steve Tindle, friends of mine that I met on the net and now we chat quite a bit. BLT is a hot read so be prepared. Their newest release, Temptation Triggers, is now out and I truly think it will be better than their first book. They write as a team and are fun to talk with. Currently, I’m reading Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair, another fantastic author!

KD:  What do you think sets your stories apart from other authors?

Tonya:  I don’t think my books will be so much set apart from others, but will fit nicely in your library alongside books of the same type. I write about soft bondage, restraints, training, anal play, BDSM, but I don’t think you’ll ever find severe torture or needless pain in my books; I’m just not into that kind of thing.

KD:  Could you give us a little teaser of some of your work?

Tonya:  I’d love to share a few paragraphs of book one, The Boss’s Pet: The Contract, which is the ‘prequel’ to Office Training Goes Home. I wanted my readers to know more about Sondra and Nick if I expect them to continue reading the series I have planned for these two characters. Nick will be taking Sondra deeper into the world of a Dom/sub relationship so please stay tuned! I released book three, Sharing Among Friends, on June 22.

Book 1 – The Contract, BLURB:   Turning her in his arms, he wanted to see all of her. “You’re gorgeous, Sondra.” At the same time, she began to unbuckle his belt and loosen his slacks until they fell at his feet. His black thong matched hers but for the protrusion in the front. Sondra’s hand moved down his shaft and her nails lightly dug into the boys with a firm grip. “Be careful, woman, danger lies there.”

“I think I can handle danger…it’s the after effects that might be hard to deal with.”

“I think you might have a few tension knots in your back and shoulders that we need to tend to first. Spread out your towels at the edge of the bed and lay on your stomach for me.”

Watching her in the dim light churned his needs. Sensuous curves begged to be caressed. She pulled one of her pillows to place on the bed where her stomach would be then spread out the towels along the edge of the bed, twisted her hair and put in the clip, then seductively lay on her stomach for him. Immediately Nick thought of his tie in the other room. “Don’t move I’ll be right back, just close your eyes and relax.”

Back in her bedroom, Nick looped his tie around his neck then ran his hands up Sondra’s back, over her shoulders and down her arms. “Move your arms up over your head. I can get to the muscles better.”

Without hesitation, her arms rested on the bed above her head and Nick’s shaft hardened even more as he laid her wrists over one another then very lightly tied them together with his tie. A satisfied moan slipped from her throat letting him know she was okay with it. Visions of what he could do to her in the future filtered through his mind, seeing her tied and helpless while he explored her tender body. Taking it slow with her would gently introduce her to his lifestyle.

He grabbed the bottle of oil and straddled her thighs. Pouring oil into his palm, he pressed down the squirt tip, dropped it on the bed and rubbed his hands together over her back, allowing a few drops on her skin. The scent of eucalyptus and lavender filled his senses; he would forever associate this scent with Sondra. Lightly his hands touched her back then firmly moved up her spine to her shoulders, feeling for knots and smoothing them out one at a time. The softness of her skin tortured his senses; he wanted inside her so bad he could taste it. Tasting her would be his next move but knew he had to take his time. His fingers moved to her sides as his thumbs moved along her spine, massaging the firm muscles of her well toned back. The soft flesh of her breasts touched his finger tips and he pressed firmly there, too.

Then her back arched inward, pressing her pelvis into the pillows as she moaned again. A quick intake of breath filled Nick’s lungs. Her pleasure was in his hands and he was prepared to take her to the edge. Spreading the oil lower on her back, he rubbed it in along her hips before moving up and over her cheeks. The bottle of oil dribbled as he poured more in his palm, letting it drip into the crack of her ass and watched as the drops of oil slid lower toward her woman’s center. He dropped a few more as they slid to join the rest of the oil and imagined exactly where it was settling. Warming the rest of the oil in his hand, he then placed them directly on the cheeks, taking her flesh between his thumbs and fingers, massaging, swirling the oil over her skin, pressing up, then down. Nick moved her cheeks a bit wider apart then moved a thumb slowly through down the crack and back up, taking each cheek and massaging, pulling them apart  so he could peek then holding her open for a few seconds before continuing. Her pink rosebud winked at him more than once. He couldn’t resist holder her open with one hand while his fingers oiled the bud, barely touching as his fingers moved over her.

Sondra squirmed a bit but only to separate her legs which surprised and thrilled Nick. Never missing an offered opportunity, Nick touched her bud and pressed ever so slightly then pushed more, up to his first knuckle. Out came his finger for more oil and then he pressed in again.

“Oh Nick…..mmmm”

“It’s okay, pet….I’ll go slow but let me show you how much pleasure this will bring you. Trust me here…just relax…” Grabbing the oil again, he lifted the squirt tip and a few more drops landed directly on her bud and his finger push it in…ever so slowly…past his first knuckle and he swirled his fingertip around, feeling her tighten then relax. He pushed further and slowly swirled more before moving his finger in and out, getting a slow rhythm going. Kneeling beside her now, without removing his hand, his other fingers slipped lower and entered her through the silky juices there and her body responded. Her hips moved and squirmed as his fingers went deeper, swirling in both places until Sondra struggled to move her hands.

*****

KD:  As a writer, what is the best advice you were ever given?

Tonya:  The best advice came from one of my critique partners years ago…use all five senses, always. The reader needs to be able to smell what the character smells, feel what the character touches, taste what the character eats….or licks! *wink*

KD:  Any advice for new writers out there?

Tonya:  Your writing should not read like an instruction manual! It has to flow and be natural, not short choppy sentences. Read your work out loud. If the flow isn’t there, it won’t be for the reader either. Dialogue is not an enemy; allow your characters to communicate. Let the reader feel what your characters feel so the emotion is in the writing.

KD:  Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

Tonya:  M website is listed below; I love visitors and to hear from readers. Don’t be afraid to sign my guestbook! My day job at the office keeps me very busy but I do squeeze in time to write.  Please visit my Facebook, Twitter and now my Fan Page. My work is available for download at All Romance E-books (a great reader’s site!), Smashwords, on Nook at Barnes and Noble, and a few other sites out there.  I love doing techie stuff like my covers, websites, book marks, book trailers, formatting my work for various formats and I do self publish, but that’s not to say I won’t one day send a submission to a publisher.

Tonya’s Bio

 Tonya Kinzer writes erotic romance for readers who love to become a silent character within the story! You will be pulled into scenes to partake of the activities, to feel what her characters feel and taste what they taste…strong sexual desires! Be prepared to enter a world you’ll not want to leave and can’t wait to get back to. Their future holds new submissives and demanding Doms.

Her series, The Boss’s Pet, will take you on a journey alongside Nick and Sondra as they venture into a lifestyle that pulls them deeper into a world of sensuality and submission. You’ll not want to miss any of the books in this series so stay locked on her website to know when the next books get released.

B00k 1 – The Contract

B00k 2 – Office Training 

Book 3 – Sharing Among Friends

B00k 4 –  Out in Oct

 

Buy Links

B & N:  http://tinyurl.com/6cgprjf

Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/3fetwfq

All Romance & OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/category237.html

SmashWords:  http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tonyakinzer

 

Site Links

Blog Site:  http://tonyakinzer.blogspot.com

Website:  http://tonyakinzer.com

FB Fan Page:  http://tinyurl.com/4sh37tk

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_163160073732655&ap=1

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/tonyakinzer

IAN:  http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/tonya-kinzer.html

Author’s Den:  http://www.authorsden.com/tonyakinzer

Manic Readers:  http://www.manicreaders.com/TonyaKinzer/

BookBuzzr:  http://www.freado.com/users/26001/tonya-kinzer (Read Ch 1 of each book here)

Book Trailer: YouTube:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HykMSl9FYvY

Thanks for stopping by A Hopeful Romantic, Tonya, and best of luck with The Boss’s Pet series.

Where’s Holly?

Blog, News, , , , , ,

Nothing says summer better than a hot novel, whether it’s on the beach with the sunburnt masses or in the break room over your sandwich and cuppa, or trying to read on the tube with an elbow in your ribs and an armpit in your face — a place where a little escapism is needed if ever there was one!

Doing laundry? On the train? In a coach? Under the duvet with your sweetie? Where do you read The Initiation of Ms Holly? Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.

Throughout the month of August, I want you to show me where you read Holly. Send me a photo of where your copy of The Initiation of Ms Holly is – ebook, or print, it doesn’t matter – and you’ll be entered into the contest to win a $50 gift card from Amazon (or the equivalent thereof. Worldwide entries welcome) First place winner will also receive a copy of my sexy new novel, The Pet Shop, signed by the ever-loving author herself, just as soon as it’s released in print.

And since I’m dying to spread the love, 2nd place will also get a gift card from Amazon for the equivalent of $15.

Holly, The Pet Shop, Amazon – the possibilities are endless. Enter to win. Go ahead. You know you want to.

How To Enter:
Simply snap a photo of The Initiation of Ms Holly in print or eBook form and send it to hollycompetition@gmail.com with the subject line “Where’s Holly Competition”

By sending your photo, you acknowledge that we have the right to post these photos to K D Grace’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages for promotional purposes.

Competition runs from 1st – 31st August. Winners will be drawn and notified by mid-September. Gift card winners can expect to receive their prizes in September. The lucky winner of The Pet Shop will have to hang on just a little longer until I receive my author copies in October, then while they’re still hot off the press, I’ll sign one and get it in the post to you.

Be sure and check in regularly during the month of August. My own copy of Holly will be doing a bit of traveling, and I promise pics along with all the skinny.

Bits n Blogs by Tabitha Rayne

Blog, Guest Blogger, , , , , ,

Tabitha Rayne is a rising star in the world of erotic romance, and I’m very pleased to have her at A Hopeful Romantic on her blog tour to promote her yummy new book, Mia’s Books, Tabitha, welcome!

Thanks for having me. This is my first venture into blog touring… eek!

I love, love, reading blogs – I can spend many an hour set aside for actually writing my new ideas down, reading about all your lives. I love it!  It is a wonderful thing to be able to catch a glimpse of other people’s thoughts, what inspires them, what annoys them, what makes them jump for joy… so this is me attempting to join this world…

The problem is, by the time I have written this, I might have missed some exciting news you’ve shared on Twitter. What if I’ve been left behind on an unfolding story into why you’ve decided not to take the offer of three nights in Bali…? Everything is so fast paced in this virtual world and sometimes, if I fall into a daydream (which is one of my favourite things) I can take an hour just to make a coffee! So what have I missed? I never watch soap operas but I think they must have the same addictive quality.

So as I am a writer, I guess blogging is like writing and sharing mini stories about yourself – and that makes it easier for me to get to grips with.

When I was writing Mia’s Books, I switched off the internet for four weeks and went underground. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I was creating a new world, giving birth to new characters and I needed to immerse myself in it all, and I loved doing it.

However, I can’t help feeling, what did I miss?

Mia’s Books

Ghost lover or mortal—can Mia have both?

Mia has a big problem. She is in love with two people, and one of them happens to be a ghost. After a late night seduction in a deserted library, Mia brings home a haunted book. The book contains a ghost which instructs her to seduce strangers on its behalf. Mia falls in love with one of her conquests and finds herself in a romantic tangle. Can she keep both her lovers, or will she have to choose?

Mia’s Books excerpt:

The book had changed colors. It was now jet black and lay seductively by the bed. Gently lifting her sheets off, Mia slowly made her way over to it as if she were trying to capture a bird.

Her fingers were trembling. Cold air chilled her hands as she reached out and picked it up. Thick raised letters on the cover gave her instruction. Open Me. And she did.

Rows upon rows of names and numbers merged into each other. It was a phone directory. Mia was disappointed, but curiosity kept her flicking the pages, watching number after number fly by. She was about to close it and just go back to bed when she realized the numbers were all the same and the name wasn’t a name at all—it was another instruction.

Call Me.

Mia flushed with excitement. Was this her ghost lover contacting her for real? She reached for the phone and dialed before she could change her mind.

Silence.

Mia flopped back onto the bed and let the phone fall by her ear. She began to ponder the fear that she might actually be going mad when a voice startled her.

“Hello?” She thrust the handset to her ear and strained to hear. “Hello?” she repeated, barely able to breathe in her excitement.

“Mia?” came a breathy whisper that set her nerve endings alight.

“Yes?” she whispered back.

“I need to s…” The voice faded, and Mia started to panic.

“What? You need to what? Please…don’t go.”

“…see you.” The sound was so faint that Mia had to strain to catch it. “Meet me at the park at dusk.” The line went dead.

Mia was exhilarated. It hadn’t been a dream. She was going to meet her ghost lover once more! She hadn’t been on a date in ages. Not since the insomnia had made her feel like a grumpy old hag. She suddenly felt young again—young and ready for anything…

Where to Buy Mia’s Books:

Buy from publisher http://www.beachwalkpress.com/mia%E2%80%99s-books/

Also available from all good eBook retailers, including Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble and many more!

About Tabitha, and where to find her:

Tabitha Rayne loves her romance with the heat turned up. She lives in the country with her partner who has the difficult job of having to listen to new ideas and help her to focus on one project at a time.

Blog http://aneroticadventure.blogspot.com/

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/TabithaErotica

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit about Mia’s Books with us, Tabitha. This hot little number sounds just too good to resist.