Tag Archives: BDSM

Fairy Tale Filth and Lush Illustrations: Janine Ashbless Shares the Story Behind Named and Shamed

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It’s a pleasure to be here on your blog, K D!

I thought I’d talk a bit about Tansy, the heroine of my filthy fairytale novel Named and Shamed.

Here’s the backcover blurb:

Once upon a time, a naughty girl called Tansy stole a very precious manuscript from a kindly antiquarian. But all of the world’s ancient and powerful magic, lost for centuries, has returned…and now there is much more at stake than a few sheets of parchment!

Thus begins a rude and rugged fairytale the likes of which you NEVER read when you were little! Poor Tansy is led though the most pleasurable trials and the most shameful tribulations as her quest unfolds before her. Orgasmic joy and abject humiliation are laid upon Tansy in equal measure as she straddles the two worlds of magic and man.

And this is how she describes herself:

“Most men get no further than some reference to Amazons as they paw at me, because at six feet tall and with a rack like this I can’t help but invite the comparison. I’ll never be skinny but I keep active, which means I end up with a taut waist, but I’m still plenty curvy in other places. Add to that my red hair — not an insipid ginger but ferociously bright metallic waves — and pale skin that explodes into freckles all over my shoulders and arms at the first touch of summer, and I get a lot of attention from a certain type of guy. Not necessarily the sort of guy I want, to be honest. Pretty much every man who goes for me has this submission fantasy and they want me to wrestle them to the floor or crack a whip over their ass. Goddamn. That’s not my preference. I want someone who can look me in the eye and not be intimidated. I want a guy who can make me feel overwhelmed.”

Tansy isn’t anything like my previous female protagonists. When I started writing this book I was told to aim at a default male readership – whereas normally I write for publishers whose readership is at least nominally female. So I had to give this some thought. Named and Shamed is a BDSM novel, and Tansy spends the plot discovering quite how deep her submissive kink goes, and how much punishment and humiliation she can take. In a normal stroke-novel it’d be easy to make her a blank cipher, a passive innocent who is used as a pawn by the dominants.

But that wouldn’t work for my fairytale plot. Tansy is not at all passive. She’s a woman on quest. She’s out to save herself, and her friend and lovers. She has to be intelligent and decisive and incredibly courageous, or else she’s going to get nowhere. She can’t be a cipher. And yet she has to enjoy the most extreme and challenging submission: whippings, bondage, public humiliation, and rough sex with two, three, or more (including some monstrously non-human). Stuff that, let’s face it, most normal people couldn’t cope with.

So I’m not saying Tansy is a realistic female character. Far from it: she’s my porn ideal of what a woman should be like. She loves sex, of course. But more than that, she’s got no emotional baggage. Despite a kink for public degradation, she’s not messed up, or insecure, or needy. If she makes a mistake and screws things up – which she certainly does – she always takes responsibility for fixing things afterwards. Kindly, and intensely protective of her cousin Gail, she is quite capable of love, but she has no emotional dependence on anyone else for her own validation. She’s completely self-actualized. She can do almost anything – and have almost anything done to her – and it doesn’t cause any damage to her ego, any loss of self-worth.

“A pleasure to meet you, Tansy.” The Gaffer lifted his gaze from an unabashed consideration of my boobs and looked me in the eye. Without blinking, he added. “You’ve done well for yourself there boy. She’s pretty. Magnificent knockers.”

It was a test, of sorts. A calculated slap in the face, to see how I would react. I flushed and giggled, dropping my gaze coyly. I could feel my pussy swelling at the compliment. Because it was a compliment — degrading and crude and offensive, it was still an acknowledgement of my desirability by the most important man in the room. I got it. In times of trouble, scared people look for leaders. It just so happens that the sort of guy who wants to be a leader is usually a tool of the first order, but that doesn’t matter to them. Even if he chooses to impose some sort of weird elder-tree cult it doesn’t matter, as long as he leads. I knew that with a single word from this man I could be on my knees in this back bar, tugging open his flies and sucking his cock while he sipped his pint with a complacent smirk and everyone looked  on.

I wet my lips.

Her resilience, both physical and mental, is off the scale. She regrets nothing, and she can’t be broken – at least, not for more than a night.

It’s not a bad ideal. I admire her, actually.

Though I’ve got to admit I never met a woman like her.

😉

xxx

Janine

www.janineashbless.blogspot.com

http://sweetmeatspress.com/

Buy links:

http://1eroticaebooks.com/erotica/named-and-shamed/prod_2896.html

http://1placeforromance.com/erotica/named-and-shamed/prod_7834.html

These e-versions include 19 illustrations by John LaChatte, as does the paperback:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Named-Shamed-Janine-Ashbless/dp/0957003781/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337623893&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Named-Shamed-Janine-Ashbless/dp/0957003781/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337623953&sr=1-1

Named and Shamed is also available on Kindle, but without interior illustrations.

The Story Behind Clarice Clique’s Sexy BDSM Novel, Hot Summer Days

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For me it’s always exciting to have a first-time guest on my sight, and I’m particularly excited to welcome the very talented Clarice Clique, whose BDSM novel, Hot Summer Days is heating things up. Welcome Clarice!

Hot Summer Days was the first full length novel I completed, and to date the only one that has been published, so it will always be a special story to me.

I was nervous about attempting to write something so long, but was encouraged by a very good friend of mine, not coincidentally the same friend who proof read and helped me write my very first erotic short stories. It is embarrassing to say how long it took me to complete Hot Summer Days, so I won’t. However, I will say that there was lots and lots of planning and editing and redrafting. I learnt a lot about the whole process of being a writer, how sometimes you have to be brave enough to cut out favourite scenes and even whole characters if they aren’t fitting into the narrative.

In my stories there is an element of creating dreams and fantasies, but I write a lot from the heart and share with my readers experiences that have touched and moved me.  People who know me scarily say they can tell which parts of my fiction are closest to my own experiences. With Hot Summer Days there are elements of my personality and life both in Vanessa (although unfortunately I don’t share her perfect body!), the heroine on a journey of erotic discovery, and Penelope, the poised Mistress, always in control of herself and quietly dominating her subs.

Like many of my short stories it is focused around BDSM. I love the dynamics of power play and painting scenes of beautiful people bound together and adoring every minute of discomfort and pain.

I’m attached to my characters and when I get time it is a world I would like to return to and discover the next part of Vanessa’s sexual growth. For now though I hope you enjoy Hot Summer Days and get as much pleasure as I did writing and living it.

Excerpt:

When they reached the entrance to the ballroom, Penelope clicked her fingers, and the mousy maid emerged through the doorway holding a small bowl of steaming water, a beautiful blue bottle filled with liquid, and a towel draped over her arm.

“Prepare her,” Penelope commanded.

Harvey stepped forward and took the rope from Penelope’s hand and then, with consummate ease, began to untie the knots that had kept Vanessa’s body tightly bound for most of the day. Even when he had freed her and allowed the now useless rope to drop to the floor, Vanessa still felt that she was tied up and unable to move of her own free will. Then the mouse was next to her. She put the bowl of water onto the floor and poured some of the liquid onto her hand before carefully placing the blue bottle beside the bowl. Vanessa drank in the sweet scent of roses as the maid slowly began to cleanse Vanessa’s face. She may even have enjoyed the mouse’s gentle touch if she hadn’t been aware of how quiet the room was now. It was eerie how quiet so many people could be. She kept her eyes fixed on a point on the floor as she was scared to look up and see all those people in their strange costumes, no longer fucking, but looking straight back at her.

When the mouse began to clean her breasts, Vanessa closed her eyes and concentrated on mathematical equations to prevent herself from moaning with the intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain that arose from the maid touching the skin where the ropes had bound her flesh. She opened them again, though, when she heard a loud crash. Harvey had swept all the food off one of the tables and was now dragging it across to her. Vanessa stared at the floor where chocolate, strawberries and cream were losing their separate identities and merging into one. At the edge of her gaze, though, she could not ignore the sight that she’d feared; the whole room was still and all attention was focused on her. Then a velvet hood was placed over her head, and she could no longer see anything.

A pair of hands was on her waist, and she was lifted onto the table as if she were a doll. She stood frozen, completely disorientated by the darkness, and scared to move in case she fell over.

“Undo your blouse,” a voice said from somewhere behind her. She knew it was Penelope, but even her friend’s familiar tones were distorted by her mind making her uncertain what to do.

There was not much of her blouse left to undo after Harvey had ripped it open earlier. She fumbled with a button; her heart beating fast as the remains of the fabric fell away leaving her torso completely revealed. There was a whoop and a cheer from somewhere in front of her. Vanessa didn’t have a chance to digest whether she was more intimidated or excited by the sudden sound before the whole room was full of voices all shouting at her. It was as if a signal had been given and the crowd was allowed to give free reign to their lust again.

Vanessa couldn’t distinguish individual voices, but all the separate cries seemed to merge into direct commands that she immediately obeyed. One by one, she removed the rest of her clothes until she was naked, apart from the hood. Then she turned around and bent over, and then she was dancing for them, gyrating her hips, shimmying, willing them to give her more commands, to take her further.

Fuck me, she thought, one of you bastards, all of you bastards, fuck me.

Then she realized that she didn’t have to wait for them; she wasn’t tied up anymore; she could do what she wanted. She reached down between her legs and stroked her wet sex. It was such a release to be able to touch herself that she immediately moaned.

Either her action or her evident pleasure in it provoked someone into action.

“On your knees, bitch,” a gruff voice close to her commanded; and, without thinking, she fell to her knees.

The hood was pulled up just enough so her lips were exposed.

“Open your mouth,” he said.

She obeyed and a thick cock was pushed into her mouth. She sucked hard; but, in her thoughts, she cursed the fact that she was only going to be allowed to give oral again and not have her body filled the way she was yearning for.

Then she heard someone climb up on the table behind her, and her legs were roughly spread, and a cock was pushed into her pussy. She would have gasped with the sheer size of it, but the man in front of her began fucking her mouth harder. Hands were pinching her nipples. Someone’s fingers were on her clit. Something was pressing into her ass. The orgasm ripped through her body in a way that was almost painful. It was such a relief that she felt her body trembling and shaking. She pulled her head away from the man’s cock and wiggled away from the man behind her. She would have fallen off the table, but a strong pair of hands caught her. Whoever it was wasn’t offering her an escape though; she found herself on the floor with her legs in the air and a head buried between her thighs. The sensation was too much to bear, and she pleaded for whoever it was to stop. Finally they did, but then she was rolled onto her front and someone was sliding their cock between her butt cheeks. She cried out, but her body had a will of its own, pressing backwards into the stranger’s groin. The man creamed over her ass, but Vanessa knew it wasn’t over. She knew her night was just beginning.

Places to buy Hot Summer Days: 

http://www.adultebookshop.com/Hot-Summer-Days-p-1441.html

http://www.pinkflamingo.com/brands/Clarice-Clique.html

Bio: 

I live in a small terraced house in England dreaming of all the lives I am not living. Some of these dreams make it into stories and some of these stories make it into print. In 2009 I had my first novel published, a BDSM, sub/Dom story called Hot Summer Days, by Pink Flamingo Publications. Since then I have ad many anthologies published.

I am currently working on a few more novels, simultaneously hoping that somehow I shall finish them in the next few years. However, I am easily distracted from my work by an internet addiction which means my brain is brimming over ‘facts’ about obscure television stars gleaned from Wikipedia. I own many different shades of thigh-high boots ordered from a surprising variety of internet shops; I can count to ten in ten different languages; I have a secret life as a tall blue woman complete with tail, hooves and horns in a certain online game, and I am having several simultaneous internet affairs, wondering if cybersex and a nice vibrator might not actually in fact be better than the real thing.

Where to Find Clarice:

Website: http://friendsofclariceclique.webeden.co.uk/

Twitter: @clarice_Clique

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002358066273

 

How Reviews Spurred Lily Harlem On to Write Stockholm Surrender

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It’s a pleasure to welcome the lovely Lily Harlem back to A Hopeful Romantic with the story behind her sizzling novel, Stockholm Surrender. Welcome Lily!

Be they good or bad reviews are part of the territory when you’re an author. I am happy to say that the vast majority of reviews for my books are positive and it completely thrills me to know readers have enjoyed my stories.

One book however seemed to create a bit of a Marmite effect. People either loved it or hated it. It is a free short read that came out at Ellora’s Cave a couple of years ago called Stockholm Seduction. It is about a Penny Tipping, the British Foreign Ministers daughter, enjoying a gap year in Australia. She is kidnapped by a hunky surfer and…

Actually it’s probably easier for you to read the blurb –

I was having a fabulous extended gap year in Oz. Sun, sea, sand and seriously hot surfers rolling in on every wave. Mmm, what could possibly be better?

But then I was taken…taken against my will. Stolen like a prized object. I was tied up, held for ransom. I didn’t know if I would survive, if I would walk away alive. And then, to top it all off, I was tortured in the sweetest, most delicious, most sensual way imaginable.

That was when I realized my fun down under had only just begun.

To be honest I didn’t think much more about this story after it was released. It was just a taster for people to hear my voice and sample my style without having to pay for it.

Then about a year ago I was wandering around Amazon looking for something to read when I came across reviews for Stockholm Seduction. I was surprised to find that it either had the ick factor or the ‘more’ factor. Here are a couple of reader comments from either side of that spectrum.

“A woman is kidnapped, and decides to have sex with her captor? The message in this short story is disturbing on so many levels.”

And…

“I was panting to know what happened when he found her next! I’ve read romantic short stories before, and they always left me hollow, but Lily’s left me craving. I would definitely recommend this e-book if you want a quick read with steamy scenes, hot men, and women that know what they want and are not ashamed to admit it. I get excited shivers thinking what the author could do with a full length book!”

This got me really thinking and I headed over to Goodreads to see what readers had said there. The overwhelming comments were to the effect of “this story is too short” and “where is the rest?”

So me being me, I got my naughty mind whirring and over the next few weeks waited to see if the characters would talk to me again. I wanted desperately to oblige the people who had taken the time to comment on the book and give them the rest of the novel.

Luckily Penny and Ty were desperate to have their steamy tale told and soon it was evolving in my mind and flowing from my fingertips at a rate of knots.

But like all novels there are stumbling blocks. In this case I had the basics of the plot already written, not only that those facts were published, out there in the world. There was absolutely nothing I could do to undo anything. The delete button was non-existent for that crucial first part of the novel.

So what I had was Ty Winters trying to free his friend James Hill from Thai prison by holding Penny Tipping to ransom. He wanted a better human rights lawyer and her influential father to help release him from a harsh sentence for a minor crime. From the word go Penny and Ty have a very strong attraction to one another that Ty in particular struggles with – that was never part of his kidnapping plan. What I did do in the original short story that helped immensely though was leave it on a Terminator-type line “I’ll be back.” So that was a nice springboard to leap off of in chapter one.

One of the reasons I enjoyed writing this so much was because I got to send Ty and Penny to Bangkok one of my most favourite cities. The colours, the vibrancy, the smells and the people really flooded my head again as I wrote this section of the story and I hope my love of Bangkok comes across in my descriptions.

James was an interesting character, who when I wrote the initial short story wasn’t someone I thought I would ever meet. He was just a name plucked out of the air and a reason for Ty to take Penny. But then, writing Stockholm Surrender, I had to meet him. I was very glad I did, he was quite a challenge. Why? Because I needed him to be a suitable best mate for adrenaline-junkie Ty, which meant he too had to have a streak of wildness about him, but at the same time having a death penalty hanging over his head and living in hell for so long had to have some effect on him. By that I mean physically, emotionally and sexually. Luckily Penny was incredibly empathetic to his vulnerability and masculinity and the scenes with James flowed deliciously onto the page.

So I guess, now that the novel to accompany Stockholm Seduction is out there I have to say a big thank you to everyone who asked for more from Penny and Ty. Because if they hadn’t taken the time to poke me into action this story would never have been written. And that folks, is the story behind the story.

Thanks so much for having me today KD, its always fun to come and hang out on your blog. Below are more details for Stockholm Surrender.

Blurb for Stockholm Surrender

My soul was in turmoil. Ty Winters had not only kidnapped me in Oz, my heartstoppingly gorgeous surfer had also stoked my darkest desires, bringing all my fantasies to the surface. So Oxford wasn’t going well. Until, that is, he creeped from the shadows—desperate, sexy, dangerous and wanting a piece of me, literally!

He teased me with a taste of his carnal skills, leaving me burning with frustration then forced to stand by as he fought for his beliefs using my lust-addled body as his most powerful weapon.

Oh, my kidnapper knew just how to get what he wanted, giving me just what I needed, while hiding our relationship from the British foreign minister and police. Because sometimes two people are meant to be, even in the most unconventional circumstances and twisted situations. We could fight the world, but we couldn’t fight our passion.

Reader Advisory: This book contains a steamy scene where Ty shares Penny with his best mate—lucky girl!

Excerpt from Stockholm Surrender

With my window letting in the sounds of the city, I spread my notes on my bed and tapped away on my netbook. The history of law was everyone’s most hated subject, but I knew the sooner I tackled it the better. Leaving it to the last minute would be crazy.

Eventually though, as darkness claimed the hall grounds and the lampposts flicked on, I decided to call it a day, or rather a night. Saved my work and flopped back on the bed. I would just stretch out for ten minutes before I got up to change and get ready for sleep.

But sleep wouldn’t wait, and before I knew it I felt myself drifting. Falling into a dark, dreamy world. My eyes were heavy, my breathing shallow. I let myself go—float into a world of thoughts and nothingness, white clouds and black sleep.

“Shh!”

There was tightness over my mouth and pressure over the entire length of my body. Whatever it was had squeezed the air from my lungs and was pinning me to the bed. I opened my eyes, panicked.

“Shh!” Ty said, his eyes wide and his nose practically touching mine.

Hastily, I nodded. Oh my god. Was I dreaming or was Ty really here, lying on the bed with me?

He hesitated then lifted his gloved hand from my mouth just a fraction. “You are going to keep quiet, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course,” I whispered.

This was no dream.

“Good, ’cause I don’t want that copper who’s stalking you to come crashing in.”

“He won’t. I promise.”

Ty lifted up, reached over and shut the window. With a snap, he drew the curtains then pulled off his gloves.

“Is that how you got in?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Really, up the tree, and…” Something was different. I realized what it was. “Why has the lamppost gone off?”

“I tripped it, didn’t want anyone seeing me breaking into the foreign minister’s daughter’s bedroom.” He grinned naughtily.

“And did they?”

“No, I shouldn’t think so, not at three in the morning.”

“Three?” I glanced at my bedside clock. Sure enough, it was three a.m.

He chuckled and lay back down next to me. “I guess you got carried away with your studies. I used to be like that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, don’t look so shocked, I have a first in sports science.” He touched his finger to the bald patch of my scalp and a rush of heated desire poured through me. “I know all about the human body,” he whispered, “and exactly what it needs to stay healthy and happy and…satisfied.”

Unable to suppress a whimper of pure lust, I slid my hand over his shoulders and tugged him closer. “I wish you would damn well give me some of the satisfaction I need.”

“You’re always so demanding, and so…damn…horny.” He touched his lips to mine, soft and gentle, his tongue peeking into my mouth and past my teeth to tangle and turn and explore. “Oh Jesus, Penny, you drive me crazy,” he murmured. “You do know that, don’t you?”

“Good, because that’s how you make me feel.”

He stroked down the column of my neck, dipping his fingertip into the hollow of my throat and down my sternum. “I want you so bad,” he said, “but there is something we have to do before we can be together.”

“What?” What could he possibly need to do other than put on a damn condom? His erection was growing by the second against my hip. All I needed was for him to get inside me like he had before. Thrust and grind and do that thing to my clit he was so bloody good at. Just the thought of it had me shivering.

“Wait,” he said, reaching behind himself.

Suddenly a tight strip of tape slapped over my mouth. Gone was the luscious kissing of moments ago and in its place foul plastic stickiness.

“Mmmph!” I managed, trying to project massive indignation with my eyes.

“It won’t take long.”

I tried to reach for the tape, intent on pulling it off, but he had both my hands harnessed in just one of his.

“Sit.” He pulled me upright, tugging at my sweater. “We need this off.”

His breaths were rapid and hot on my face as he moved his hands quickly and efficiently, freeing my arms from the sweater before swiftly dragging it over my head.

“Ah fuck, white,” he said, staring at my pretty lace bra. It had delicate scallop details over the rise of my small, pert breasts and a tiny pale blue flower in the center between the cups. “White is my very favorite.” His voice was almost wistful.

“Mmmph!” I mumbled again. Why did I have this tape on? I said I wouldn’t shout for Roger. Why didn’t he believe me?

“Shh, shh, just for a minute, baby, just for a couple of minutes.” He stood, still holding my wrists tight, and nudged the straight-backed chair out from under my desk with his foot. “Up, come on, sit on here, quickly.” He glanced at the door.

As soon as I was on the chair he was behind me, wrapping what felt like cord around my wrists. I yanked but the binding was tight and attached me to the rungs.

“It’s okay,” he soothed by my ear, his breath warm and tickly. “It’s okay.” He slid his hand over my bare shoulder, tracing the strap of my bra right down to the cup.

I arched my spine, needing his touch so desperately. Ty in my fantasies would have his hands all over me by now. Ty in my fantasies would already be ravishing me until we were both desperately trying to muffle our screams and panting for breath.

But this wasn’t fantasy, this was real. Ty was really here, really tying me up again. And for god’s sake, why was this stuff on my mouth?

He poked his fingers into my bra and tweaked my nipple. I whimpered and fluttered my eyes shut. His caress sent sinful licks of wantonness raging though me.

“Damn it, Ty,” he muttered. “Think of James.” His body heat left me and the next thing I knew he was pulling off my jeans, exposing my tiny white thong. “Ah, fucking hell, what are you trying to do to me?” he groaned, wearing a very real expression of pain.

I couldn’t answer.

He reached back onto the bed for a small, brown leather rucksack. He delved into it and pulled out a newspaper and a camera.

“It’s yesterday’s,” he said. “But your father will still get the message.” He tilted his head and smirked lopsidedly. “The message that I can get to you whenever I want, wherever I want, bodyguard or no bodyguard.” Carefully he laid the newspaper on my lap. It was sort of folded up onto my belly so that the headline was visible. He took a step back and held up a small, silver digital camera. “I would say smile,” he said with a shrug, “but I guess it’s not appropriate.”

Appropriate!

That was the goddamn understatement of the year. Dad was really going to flip at this one. Me in my underwear, gagged, tied to a chair in my room with Roger snoozing outside, just a few feet away. The shit was really going to hit the fan. Big-time.

I heard the camera click once then Ty was back next to me. He folded up the paper and shoved it along with the camera into his bag.

“Mmmph,” I said, shifting on the chair.

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he said, bending over me and peeling off the tape. It tugged and stung as it pulled my skin. “Baby, I’m sorry, I just needed to do that.” He shoved the tape into his bag too.

“For fuck’s sake,” I hissed. “That stuff is foul and what the hell are you playing at?”

He stooped and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Sorry, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

I allowed my mouth to become pliant and open, let him in to search and gently tease my tongue with his in slow, languid movements. He tasted divine, like fresh water, a hint of vanilla and turned-on man. As he kissed me reverently, indulgently, my irritation with him dissolved as though it were a spoonful of sugar in hot tea. This was what I’d been waiting for, this moment with Ty. The man I shouldn’t want but did. The man whose tenacity and loyalty I admired even though everyone else thought he was a brutish thug who should be hung, drawn and quartered.

“Ty,” I gasped. “Please, untie me.”

“Mmm, in a minute. I kinda like having you at my mercy.”

“I’ve noticed.”

He smiled, slow and sexy. “It gives me all kinds of dirty ideas.”

Buy links:

Stockholm Seduction – FREE – http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8620-stockholm-seduction.aspx

Stockholm Surrender – http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9743-stockholm-surrender.aspx

About Lily Harlem

Lily Harlem lives in the UK with a workaholic hunk, a crazy cat and an old dog. With a desk overlooking farmland, she allows her imagination to run free and revels in being able to use the written word as an outlet for her creativity. She won the Lovehoney award for erotic fiction in 2009 and has been writing non-stop ever since and is now multi-published by both US and UK houses as well as featuring in numerous anthologies.

Where you can fine Lily Harlem

Website http://www.lilyharlem.com/

Blog http://www.lilyharlem.blogspot.com/

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/lily_harlem

Facebook http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Lily-Harlem/100003519563064

Facebook author page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-Harlem-author-page/200182030094568

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/lilyharlem/

 

 

What Makes Us Fall in Love

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It’s my pleasure to welcome Northern Bird, talented author, and all around fab person, Victoria Blisse, back to my site to to talk about her nasty, yummy, romantic novel, Naughty Rendezvous. I just have one question for you, Victoria, what makes us fall in love?

What Makes Us Fall in Love?

If I knew I’d be a millionaire from selling love potions to every unrequited lover in the world.  However I think I have an idea of what types of thing make us fall in love with a fictional character.

People love a good plot, they love things to happen but every fiction reader knows that they’re reading the events because they want to know what’s going to happen to certain characters they’ve been introduced to and really, really, really don’t want them to die.  So what makes a character compelling? I don’t suppose anyone can ever completely know because we all have differing opinions but I can think of a few essentials that can’t be argued about.

Emotion.   We don’t want to read about people who just wander through life and in erotica shag the odd person here and there. No, we want to read about people who feel. We want to see sorrow and heart ache, laughter and joy and love, most of all we want to relive the wonder of falling in love. Well, those of us who love romance and erotica do anyway.

Personality. I think the one thing that stops me from reading a book to the end more often than not is when the main man or woman is exciting and real as a cardboard cut-out. When you get the prince who is tall, dark and handsome but completely and utterly vapid.  Then there’s the princess who just moons about waiting to be rescued. You know the types I mean, their actions bore you because they’re born of cliché or simply to get to a particular sex act as quickly as possible.

A past.

Even in a very short story I want to know a bit about what happened to the character before the story even began. It’s one of those things that helps you to connect to what’s happening.  It’s also something that’s pretty difficult to do and you also don’t want too much of it either. You don’t necessarily need to know her pet name as a kid or his favourite kind of cake, you know, that chocolate one with the nuts that his mum used to make. It’s got to be relevant.

So there you go, three things I think are essential for falling in love with a character. Now I’m going to introduce you to a friend of mine who I fell head over heels for whilst I wrote out his story. His name is Joe Moore and he’s the star of Naughty Rendezvous http://www.xcitebooks.com/Book/6653/Naughty-Rendezvous.html which is FREE at Xcite books until the 31st May.

First title in the Rendezvous triolgy, part of Xcite Book’s Ultimate Curves Rubenesque Range.

Joe likes to tease and single mum Leanna loves it to. When they meet up for their first official date, the sparks fly but who’s going to crack first? Will Joe’s intimate questions and kiss and run tactics bring Leanna to her knees or will Leanna’s curves, flashed in moments of exhibition drive Joe to rip off all her clothes and indulge his urges?

How will she react to Joe’s domination and will she be turned on by his spankings? She’s going to be a naughty girl, so she’s bound to find out.

Here’s an excerpt for you so you can try him on for size –ooo er!

Sometimes our typing gets sexy. It just happens. We’ll be chatting about our day or a film we’ve watched or a book we’ve read or something like that and then suddenly we’ll be saying how much we long to rip the clothes from each other’s bodies. How we want to kiss long, hard, and without limit. He tells me he wants to taste me, smell my feminine musk up close, lick me there, at the core of my womanliness. I tell him how hungry I am for him. How I want to explore every last crevice, nook, and cranny of his body. I type with fervour, spelling mistakes flying left, right, and centre, until we reach the climax. Then we go back to chatting again, content and warm and snuggled up to each other even though there are a good few miles between us.

I look up from my chocolate and my reverie as the bell on the window-filled door tinkles. When I see an imposing male outline and realise it’s him, my body shudders a sigh of relief as my tummy tightens with the excitement.

The cold early winter air blows in with him and he swiftly shuts the door. Joe smiles over at Kathy, the café owner.

‘Usual, Joe?’ she asks.

‘Cheers,  Kathy,  you’re  a  star.’  His  deep  silken  tone  is tinged with that familiar accent of the American south, bringing a touch of the exotic to the Northern British mundaneness of a cosy café. A girlish smile cracks across the weathered face of the elderly matron; Joe’s charm has worked on her too. I am sure I am smiling in just the same way. Noticing me in the back corner, his slightly squiffy smile is aimed at me now and my body goes as liquid as the chocolate I sip.

He strides over. He moves between the chairs and tables effortlessly, his dark-grey overcoat swishing and swirling around his strong legs as he moves.

‘Oh darlin’, I am so sorry I’m late!’ He smiles at me as he sits down, his grey eyes full of apology and regret. ‘I do hate to keep you waiting!’

‘Ah, you’re worth it, Joe,’ I answer. ‘And besides, I do love Kathy’s hot chocolate.’

He looks down and notices I’m on my second cup. ‘Oh, you’ve been waiting ages. Now I feel awful.’ He moves his cold hand to my thigh and squeezes. ‘I’ll make it worth your while, Leanna.’

‘Mmm, I know you will.’ My voice is huskier than I expect, the effect of his hand upon me, no doubt. ‘So what are we going to do with my precious hours of freedom?’

‘Well, honey, it is your call but please be gentle with me. It’s been a long day.’ He takes a long swallow of his hot coffee and I watch his light-pink lips darken with the heat as he sips.

‘Well, this is going to sound like a come-on … ’ I chuckle as I meet his eye, my cheeks flaring and my heart thudding for fear of rejection ‘ … but why don’t you just go back to my place? We can watch a film, I can throw us together a meal and we can just chill out for a bit.’

‘That sounds perfect to me.’ Joe smiles. He knows what I am thinking. He knows and he agrees to it. My heart does a pentathlon of actions as I hear myself saying, ‘Cool.’

We sit and chat for a while. He asks about Lucy, I ask about his day. We talk about the football, the traffic, and the sudden coldness of this bright autumn day. Joe drains the last of his coffee. His cheeks are more of an even pink now, having lost the harsh, wind-whipped look. His lips are deep, fleshy pink and plump. I look at the bottom lip as it curves under the coffee cup and wonder what it would be like between my own lips, gripped gently between my teeth.

‘Come on then.’ I shake myself from my seedy fantasy and pull myself up straight in my chair. ‘Or we’ll end up sitting here all day.’

‘OK.’ Joe replies, giving me a hand as I slip into my dark-chocolate coat. I watch him button up his own as I pull on my gloves.

‘It’s not far,’ I say as he holds the café door open for me. ‘So you won’t be out in the cold too long.’

He smiles as I pass him and his hand rests gently on my bottom for a moment before it is moved again.

Oh, he is a tease.

If you want to read more from Joe then check out Naughty Rendezvous http://www.xcitebooks.com/Book/6653/Naughty-Rendezvous.html as it’s completely free for the rest of May. He’s a hot dominant male you’ll just not be able to get enough of and I’m trying hard to resist name dropping  Fifty Shades of Grey here but apparently I just failed miserably at that. So I’ll just say it. If you loved Christian Grey then you’ll be bowled over by Joe Moore and that’s a promise. It’s free to find out, so why not download yourself a copy right now? http://www.xcitebooks.com/Book/6653/Naughty-Rendezvous.html

Victoria’s Bio:

Victoria Blisse is a Mother, Wife, Christian, Manchester United Fan and Award Winning Erotica Authoress.

She is equally at home behind a laptop or a cooker and she loves to create stories, poems, cakes and biscuits that make people happy. She was born near Manchester, England and her northern English quirkiness shows through in all of her stories.

Passion, love and laughter fill her works, just as they fill her busy life.

Website: http://victoriablisse.co.uk

Facebook: http://facebook.com/victoriablisse

Twitter: http://twitter.com/victoriablissse

 

New Release: Lapiz Lazuli — The Leigh Clark Collection

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From fetishistic and rough, to sapphic or sweet, this anthology of eight hand-picked dirty stories spans the whole erotica range.

If stories of frantic, sensual lovemaking excite you, Lapiz Lazuli is guaranteed to grab your attention. These short stories explore the sensual delights of sex; whether it is a quick romp in a hallway, the caress of a razorblade, the helpless sensation of rough sex or a furtive public holiday experience, arousing accounts and unabashed tales of kinky sex await! Available from:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lapizlazulitheleighclarkcollection-727986-144.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007C652Q2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lucyfelthouse-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007C652Q2

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007C652Q2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=lucyfelt-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007C652Q2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lapiz-lazuli-leigh-clark/1109541477?ean=9781781660966&itm=1&usri=lapiz+lazuli+leigh+clark

http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/leigh-clark/lapiz-lazuli-the-leigh-clark-collection/_/R-400000000000000644343

Lapiz Lazuli

The day’s first customers were a pair of forty-something women, sisters from the look of them, one heading for the airport after a visit—you can always tell out-of-towners by their clothes. I was still pinning on my ‘Caroline’ badge when they walked in. Nobody calls me Caroline but it’s company policy to have full names on badges—I’m Carrie to my friends, I made their skinny macchiatos and half-listened in to them as I continued setting the counter up for the commuter rush.

“It was lovely to see you,” said the one with the city clothes. “But it will be nice to have the place to ourselves again.”

Out-of-town sister scowled. “I didn’t realise I was such a bad guest.”

“Honey, you’re not. But tonight, me and Tom … well, we want our privacy.” Town-sister played with a chunky lapis lazuli and silver ring on a chain around her neck. She looked good for her age, and happy with it.

Out-of-town smiled. “After six years, are you two still romping?”

“Six years last month and still spending as much time in bed as out of it. Look what he gave me for our anniversary.” Town sister held out the ring.

“Very … pretty.”

I could tell out-of-town was as unimpressed as me. Cheap gift or what?

“The chain’s platinum,” said townie, looking smug. “But the ring … now that’s the best gift I’ve ever had.”

She so wanted her sister to ask why, and I so wanted to hear the answer, that I nearly asked her myself.

“Why?” said out-of-town.

“Well …” town-girl leaned over the table and I had to strain my ears to hear. “I wouldn’t tell anybody else this, but I’ve always told you everything … I like a little pain with my pleasure. Know what I mean?”

Out-of-town looked puzzled, but I knew what she meant, did I ever!

“You know!” Town-sister blushed. “A little slap, a little bite, something to push you over the edge into …” She put her hand on her chest, fingers splayed, and threw her head back, panting. It was a pretty good impression of orgasm I’ll admit – very When Harry Met Sally. Now her sister blushed and laughed.

Town sister continued, “Well Tom doesn’t like to hurt me, but he sure likes to make me happy, that kind of happy. So this ring, see, with all its bumps and lumps? Well when I wear it around my neck, Tom knows that the same evening I’m going to slide it onto his finger and he’s going to press it against my …” she paused and lowered her voice even more. “… my love button, when we make love.”

Love button! It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. Did people still talk like that? But I looked at that ring, with its deep blue knobbly surface and imagined how cold it must be, and how hard, and my knees became so weak I had to hang on to the counter.

The sisters left, chatting and laughing, and the morning coffee addicts began to roll in, but I didn’t forget what I’d heard.

That weekend I took Doug shopping at the Flea Market.

“What are we doing here, Carrie?” he asked, looking at the stalls. But I’d already seen what I wanted on a table laden with semi-precious stones and costume jewellery. A big ring, with a greeny-grey, nubby, softly-contoured stone that the seller told me was moss agate. It fit Doug’s middle finger perfectly.