Tag Archives: Sh! Women’s Store

Grand Openings, Reading Slams and Why I Love my Job!

Note: I apologise for the lack of original photos. My hubby, and event photographer, was home working on a paper this time. Fortunately Kay Jaybee got a shot or two. Thanks Kay!  Otherwise, I hope the word pictures will stimulate your imaginations to share in the fun.

I’m on the bus now heading for Waterloo Station and home. As most writers do, I’m reflecting. So much has happened in the past two days that I only now really have time to take it in. It’s so often the case that I can only take in events after the fact. The pace is too fast, the experience too multi-layered to unravel and sort through when it’s happening.

Canterbury240px-River_Stour_in_Canterbury,_England_-_May_08I’m talking about two readings at two fabulous venues in eight hours, and a whirlwind journey in between. And the best bit, as always, is the people. It’s hard to write when I just want to take it in, let it flow over me again and find the places that stand out, that leap from the canvas of the weekend’s adventure, so I can savour them. London flows by me as I think of sitting in the bar at the Chaucer Travelodge in Canterbury for a late- night planning session with Kay Jaybee in which the words are flowing, inspiration is thick in the air. We ignore the telly whispering softly in the background as we talk plot, characters and sexy reflections, lost in the trance of story that is only yet the seed of something that really excites both of us. We plan and scheme until we’re too tired to continue and they we trundle off to bed.

La Boudoir logoThe next day over coffee with a view of the cathedral, we’re still talking story, even as mentally we prepare for what we’ll read at the La Boudoir Boutique grand opening, preparing for what we’ll wear in the sticky close heat that’s so unBritish. It’s always exciting before a reading, and to have been invited as VIPs is even more exciting. We wonder what to expect and we look forward to finding out.

We arrive in a flutter of excitement, luggage in tow, with Nymphomaniac Ness, who shared our Taxi just in time Kent- kdto watch the photo shoot for the calendar La Boudoir Boutique are doing, with a yummy glass of punch, with a punch in hand, we stand oohing and awing over the amazing lingerie, and I’m chuffed to find a copy of Body Temperature and Rising on the table in the beautiful boudoir that has been created for the photo set. It goes very well with sexy lingerie.

We are given the grand tour by the amazing Violet Hall, who looks lovely in lace, and who has fabulously pulled the event together and invited us to be a part of it all. We chat with Dale Bradford from ETO Magazine, who is there to help celebrate, we meet Jo Hemmings and Victor Ebuwa. We have a few minutes to chat with Cara Sutra and Digital Harlot before we are introduced to all the wonderful people from Adult Sex Toys who have made La Boudoir Boutique a reality, and my mind is a blur of names and faces I wish I had time to connect to a little better.
la boudoir 2DSC08099Kay reads one of my fave passages from The Perfect Submissive to an enthralled audience, and it’s hard to tell just how much of the perspiration on people’s brows is from the hot weather and how much is from Kay’s sexy reading. I read from The Pet Shop, breakfast with Tino, and we all sweat in solidarity as we think of new and sexy ways to eat breakfast.

 

Kay and I admire the changing room with the big sign above the door that reads confessions in stern black letters. The displays are gorgeous, the set-up has a warm and playful feeling to it, with a warehouse brimming with toys, books and other delectables sandwiched in between the office and the main shop. We are told that the striking pole dancing manikin was difficult to find, but on eBay, you can find anything. It’s interesting having her leaning over my shoulder with her long hair tickling my bear arm as I read. Everyone is excited and enthusiastic and friendly. Bubbly is flowing. There are nibbles. And there’s cake! The place is abuzz with the feel of new beginnings, and it’s very easy to get caught up in the playful spirit.

When the readings are finished, Kay and I are led back to the office where we are seated on a comfy leather sofa Kent- kd and signwhile Dale from ETO Magazine interviews us about the trials and tribs of erotica writers in a post 50 SoG world. There’s never enough time, and we share a few more moments with Cara Sutra and Digital Harlot, who is snapping photos with a professional eye. And then it’s time to don our travelling togs and catch the taxi and the fast train back to London for part two of our exciting day.

We share the train journey with Nymphomaniac Ness, saying our goodbyes at St Pancras before we tube it on over to Travelodge Two in Shorditch, a place with which we are quite familiar by now. We chat over a quick sandwich and then it’s time to change clothes touch up lippy, and we’re off to Sh! for the Poetry and Reading Slam we’ve been looking forward to.

Coming to Sh! Women’s Store for a reading event is always a bit like coming home. Renee and Layla are busy at poetry-slamthe till, but not too to give us hugs and a warm welcome. Jo comes up the stairs all aglow from preparing for the event and there are more hugs. Victoria Blisse is there with her fab OH, Kev, neither of whom I’ve seen since Smut by the Sea.  And Victoria has brought snickerdoodle cookies! God, I love that woman! I’m in heaven! Lexie Bay and Doug are there, Lexie in her sexy Lexie shoes, and Jane Fae was there and ready to read.  Jillian Boyd, Meg Phillip, Zak Jane Kier, Mr and Mrs Modesty Blaize are there. There were some amazing poet; Jay Walker, Frantic Ali, Lisa Davies. And it’s a special surprise to have Helen Orford Hula-Hoop Artist affectionately known as Hula-Hoop Girl in the audience, looking lovely and ready to perform later that night.

Wow!I hope I didn’t forget anyone!( I apologise to those for whom I have no links. If you’ll friend me on FaceBook or on send me a Tweet, I’ll add your link, and would LOVE to connect with you. You are all totally amazing!)

Sh! logologo2There’s always something magical about reading the words you’ve written out loud to other people, but there’s even something more magical about doing it with others who are reading their words as well, and there is such an amazing mix of performance poetry and fiction. There are moments of total hilarity and moments that are deeply moving. All of these moments happens in five-minute increments with the lovely Kay Jaybee womaning the stopwatch and the spanker for those who go over their allotted reading time. The pace is fast, the offerings are diverse and spirits are higher than the temperature in the cosy Sh! basement. Though in retrospect, I’m sure the temperature was exceptionally high because of the sizzling readings being offered.  But the lovely Sh! Girlz rose to the occasion keeping glasses topped off with fizz.

As is always the case, reading smut makes for ravenous readers and listeners. The fabulous Bluu Bar, may it rest xmasshop2in peace, has been resurrected as Bill’s Restaurant, and sixteen of us crossed the street from Sh! and descend on the place with lumber-jack appetites ready to eat, drink and chat the night away. The food is eclectic and good and the company is even better. In fact the company is so good that some of us end up over at the bar in the Holiday Inn so that we can keep talking.

Writers talk. They do that a lot when they’re together, and they can’t get enough. I suppose it’s probably because writing is such a solitary vocation, and it often feels like we’re the only ones out there. That’s changed with social media, but still, it’s that time together that inspires us, encourages us, and gets us ready to go back and write on.

It’s well after midnight when Kay and I head back to the Travelodge too exhausted to do much more than nod good night in front of our hotel room doors. It’s been a double whammy for us, and it’s been a good one! I take off my make-up, and brush my teeth while reflecting on being a VIP for the first time and the adrenaline rush of high-speed training from one venue to another to read my stories and how damned much I love my work. I figure it’ll be hours before I am able to slow my mind down enough to sleep. It isn’t. Even in the heat of the unusual warmth and even with the street noise coming in the window from Shorditch night life, I’m asleep almost instantly.

writing image 2In the morning, Kay and I say our good-byes at Liverpool Street Station as she heads off for breakfast with a friend. I meet Victoria and Kevin Blisse at the Polo Bar for a breakfast extraordinaire cheese and mushroom omelette and two, that’s right, count them, two iced coffees while we talk writing and PR and Smut by the Sea and Smut in the City. We linger long after the food is gone because talking never stops when writers are together, unless they all have laptops or notebooks and can spread out at the table and write. As we pay and leave, there’s excitement about going back home and returning to our writing routines. There always is. It’s the thing that binds us together, the thing that brought us together in the first place. We go our separate ways already looking forward to next writing fix and to the next time we come together to read, to talk, to celebrate what we love. I catch the bus to Waterloo Station thinking about the experiences of the day past now that I have time to unwind and hit the play-back button in my head.

I’ve been invited as a VIP to the grand opening of the wonderful La Boudoir Boutique – a VIP – me! And I’ve been invited to read in a reading slam at one of my favourite places with some of my favourite people, and with some people who are now new friends I look forward to getting to know better. I’m back home now, and as I write this, still tired from the wild two days and still trying to sort through the fabulous play-back in my head, all I can think right now is that I love my job. I really, really love my job!

 

 

 

Consenting Adults: Let’s Stop Beating Around The Bush

It’s my pleasure to welcome back Chris Unity Bowness for the second installment of Consenting Adults, and just in time for Masturbation Month!

Chris-Bowness-Newsletter-logoUnity.1As masturbation month heads towards its climax I’ve decided to finish it off by talking about toys and specifically male sex toys.

There is an odd quirk I’ve noticed, and even more so during the celebration of self love in May. On one hand the talk of female masturbation and especially sex toys has been high on the agenda. However, on the other hand, this is in contrast to the lack of discussion of male self pleasure and specifically male sex toys, which usually doesn’t extend past mutual couple masturbation. In general I find it a subject not many people are comfortable with, as it conjures up many negative images. There are many reasons behind this and many assumptions made and this needs to change.

However, I’ve noticed that when it comes to the wider society this quirk takes on a more interesting turn. Though society is uncomfortable with the idea that women enjoy self pleasure and often paints women who do in a negative light,  female sex toy coverage is everywhere in the mainstream. On the flipside it is pretty much taken for granted that every man wanks, but from what I’ve seen there is very little discussion of male sex toys in the solo sense.

These are just my observations of the sex positive media I take in on a daily basis, and I’m not here to start a gender issue. I know there are reasons why discussions not only happen more between women but also why they are needed. However, I believe discussions and better communication about all areas of sex and pleasure not only help demistify sex and, along with it, the positive benifits, but also gets us talking about problems. Ultimately, communication, sharing information and experiences can help us all have better sex lives.

Wanking Wrong

It is important to point out that male sex toys are now far removed from the image of the grubby mac. We should be encouraging men and women to talk about male masturbation and we should be encouraging male sex toys.

One of the big reasons men’s sex toys should be promoted more and talked about is that many of the sexual problems men suffer can be partly the result of years of bad masturbation habits, and the fact that men don’t masturbate the way they have sex. Issues from premature ejacultion, loss of erection, not being able to climax through penetration, and others could be down to how you toss yourself off. Using toys and thinking differently during self pleasure through the use of sex toys could lead to a great improvement.

The Tool Shed

Male sex toys have come a long way since the infamous blow up doll scene in British comedy Only Fools And Horses. Toys are now as sleek, well designed and as thought through as their female counterparts, with some being produced by the same sex toy companies such as Lelo, Pipedream, Rocks Off and Doc Johnson to name a few. So to show that there is more than one way to spank a monkey* here are my tips on the range of male sex toys available and what they can do for you.

Chris Bowness cock ringCock Rings

Cock Rings may be something many have come across during sex with a partner but they are also great for solo play. Most commonly, cock rings can be placed around the base of the penis or around the penis and balls and for that reason they come in different sizes, but also vary greatly in design, functions and now even shape, For Example: the new Endless Cock Ring which aims to stay in place with it’s new twist feature.

Cock Rings can give you a larger, firmer erection and ultimately a more sensitive penis allowing you to learn to control your penis more not just during masturbation but also during penetrative sex.

Masturbators

“What’s the point? You’ve got a hand.” Is the most common response to discussions regarding male sex toys but if that Chris Bowness Versprechenwhere the case you’d hear it in regards to female sex toys too. Masturbators such as the recently award nominated Verspanken shows there is much more to male pleasure than a clammy palm. Many masturbators, like the Verspanken, allow men to play around with different textures, feelings and even temperature, all of this helping men towards a more fulfilling solo experience but also allowing us to experience the different ways we could enjoy sex with a partner.

Fake Pussies

The male equivalent of the dildo, Fake Pussies, come in all forms from tubes in which you can place your cock to some that are even designed and moulded from the pussy of your favourite porn star, to full bodyChris Bowness artificial pussy toys which include a pussys, boobs and even a place to perform anal sex. For Example: see Pipedream Extreme Series.

Men have been using their hands to wank for a lot longer than they’ve been having penetrative sex and they’ve holding themselves too tight, making themselves come as quickly as possible and also the fact they are tugging rather than thrusting can create a whole host of problems when it comes to having penetrative sex.

Fake pussies can address these problems; by helping you control the tightness, not only prolonging orgasm but also encouraging you to thrust rather than pull, which can help you control the sexual energy and pleasure that builds in the groin, hips and lower abdomen during sexual intercourse.

Prostate Massagers

Chris bowness prostate stimulaterYep! You read right toys which allow you to gain pleasure from the massaging of your prostate. Not only is there actual health benefits involved as prostate stimuation keeps your prostate healthy but you will also, through practice, be able to reach a whole new level of pleasure and orgasm.

Furthermore, it will lead you to the skill of multiple orgasms not only allowing you to control your orgasms and sexual energy but help you focus on other areas of your body, prolonging climax. Prostate play will help to make the distinction between orgasm, climax and ejacultion allowing you greater control of those seperate pleasures and giving you more control and allowing for communication of what you like when you are with a lover.

My advice here though is to start small — possibly with your finger — and learn where your prostate is, how to stimulate it and get used to the sensations before diving into buying a toy. For a quick guide to health benefits head over to this information by Lelo and where you can find Billy, one of the best selling p-spot massagers. For further reading; there are also many books available such as The Multi Orgasmic Couple and also recent release The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure: Erotic Exploration for Men and Their Partners by Charlie Glickman.

Climax

These are just the main areas of male sex toys, but each area has a whole range of products, variations and prices within them and I hope I have given you motivation to explore. If there is any specific recommendations or further information you’d like please use the comments box below.

Ultimately, masturbation and self exploration through sex toys, whatever gender or sexual orientation, is very self nurturing, self loving and can help us get in touch with ourselves in a deep way before we let others in.  It can help us learn more about what we like, what turns us on and what makes for a better orgasm. Having a better understanding of ourselves can go a long way to better self awareness and communication, in the exchanging of turn-ons, when we have sex with a partner. We can not only help ourselves be better lovers but also allow for an all round heightened mutual experience.

Obviously, anybody who is suffering from problems in sexual performance I first encourage to seek medical advice to discover if there is any underlying health issues and then you are welcome to explore the above.

If you have a partner with a penis and would like to encourage them to explore sex toys, many men find it more comfortable to speak to someone in more comfortable surroundings and if you are in the London area there is no better place to visit than the Sh! Womenstore in Hoxton. Not only do they help couples explore penetrative sex but also solo exploration. They also have special evenings men can visit and get advice and they also hold a whole range of classes including spanking and blow jobs to name a few.

*no euphemisms were hurt during the writing of this article.

Sh!’s Lovely Renee Gives Tips for Women to Make the Most of National Masturbation Month and Beyond!

To help celebrate National Masturbation Month, it’s my pleasure to welcome back Sh!‘s manager, sexy lady extraordinaire and a very good friend of mine, Renee Denyer. Renee has agreed to give a few helpful hints for getting the best out of a good wank.  Welcome back, Renee!

Sisters Should Be Doing It For Themselves!Renee

When talking about masturbation, many (if not most) women come over all shy and bashful. ‘We don’t ‘do’ masturbation’ (well, we do – but it’s not polite to talk about it). Ask any man, and he’ll proudly tell you he ‘knocked one out’ in the shower this morning, and I even know one man who’ll tell all and sundry that he masturbates twice a day (that certainly explains the stack of wet wipes in his bathroom!), on top of any partner-sex he may be lucky enough to get.

Why is it that us women can’t/won’t share tips on how to flick our beans?

Well, I believe it stems from childhood and being told that ‘nice girls don’t.’ Proud fathers will hand their teenage sons copies of ‘Busty Babes’ whilst bemused mums turn a blind eye. (My OH, for example, even kept a scrap book of all his favourite pictures of knickerless and pert-breasted young ladies during his teenage years. I was rather amused when we realised his mum had kept the homemade wank-mag amongst washed-out old Iron Maiden t-shirts all these years!). Daughters, on the other hand, are told to keep their hands off their privates (and preferably not let anyone else near them either) until they’re at least 30…

Unfair? Hell Yes!

Here at Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium, we’ve met so many women who don’t know how to pleasure themselves that we decided to put together a

Rosie
Rosie

class on how to wank. Yep. It’s true. We teach women how to masturbate. With the help of Rosie, we show some tried & tested techniques, and then send the female guests on their merry way with some juicy homework. See, all you really need for a great session is a bottle of lube and dexterous fingers (failing that, a good toy will do the job just as well)!

Imagine the clit as a clock face (the ‘clit-face’). Women often report that 10—11 am and 1-2 pm are the most sensitive spots, so hone in on them, but don’t forget that the entire vulva will want in on the action. Slidey, sensual moves are great for a sexy starter; feel your way around. You’ll find that some spots feel better than others, so enjoy them for as long as you like. If you decide to invite more pleasure-spots to the party, the G-spot will probably be thrilled with an invite!

For the main, a finger or two may work wonders inside. The vaginal canal quite likes having something to grip on to, so you may find this is a real treat. If you find it awkward to reach, a vibrator (or a dildo) may be just the thing. Your pc muscles can clench around the toy whilst your fingers slide around on the external parts of your vulva, and you can have lots of hot fun this way!

Breathing deeply, right down into your stomach, will help increase your arousal levels and by this point you may well find yourself pretty hot and ready for more!

You could try adding some warming lube like ID Sensation for extra effect. ID Sensation contains L’Arginine which ensures increased blood flow to FILTHY-FRIDAY-BANNERyour vulva, making it nice and juicy as well as much more receptive to stimulation.  I also recommend giving Tickle Her Pink sachets a go – I absolutely swear by these! Amazing stuff!

An erotic book or something sexy on the laptop will help you get worked up, too. We offer **FREE** erotica from an excellent selection of authors (Like KD!) on our blog every Friday (Filthy Friday), so make sure you hop on over for some free weekly smut! We’ll be enjoying Sexy Snax this Filthy Friday from Learning to Soar by Bebe Balocca

Renee masturbationlearningtosoar_800-1Stats show that 70-80% of women need clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm, and you are much better off trying to learn what works for you all by yourself before adding a lover into the mix. If *you* don’t know what works for you, it’s unlikely that your partner will hit the right spot…

Keep your masturbation under wraps until you are ready to show off your new skills – it’s incredibly hot watching a partner get themselves off, so expect fireworks once your private show is over! (#BONUS!)

In these cash-strapped times, we are all looking for good-value activities, and you know, masturbation is absolutely FREE (as well as a healthy way of getting some colour on your cheeks and a twinkle in your eye!).  So, Ladiez – get your lube, get a copy of one of KD Grace or Grace Marshall’s books for inspiration, lock the door, switch your phone off and get masturbating!

***

Oh, and before I go: Big Thanxx to KD Grace for letting me talk wanking on her awesome blog!

***

Renee is the Senior Store Manager at female-focused erotic boutique Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium in Hoxton Square. She has her fingers in many pies and spends her days talking about G-spots, P-spots and any other spots you may have found in your nether regions.

When she is not selling sex toys to the women & couples of London, she can be found at home with a thrilling book and a glass of pink wine, surrounded by her beloved bunnies (of the furry variety).

Follow the Sh! Girlz for all the latest fun & frolics:Renee on masturbationSh!_logo_300dpi

Twitter: @ShWomenstore

Facebook: Sh! Hoxton

Website: http://www.sh-womenstore.com/

 

 

 

Double Whammy Launch Party, Kinky World Book Night & All the Latest

Double Whammy Launch Party

kd-ef2-buttonIt’s my pleasure to invite you all to a very special launch party. Four Novembers ago when I began a project then entitled Love Spells for National Novel Writing Month, I never imagined that experiment in writing a novel, an erotic novel, in one month would lead to the completed Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy in Spring of 2013. And this coming Saturday, the 20th of April, in London at Sh! Women’s store, is the launch party for that final book of the trilogy, Elemental Fire.

And you’re all invited!

This launch party is special in a lot of ways. First of all, I’ll be sharing it with my dear friend and fabulous writer, Kay Jaybee, who will be giving you a sneak preview of her new novel, The Retreat, which is book two in her Perfect Submissive Trilogy.

There’ll be sexy readings from both Elemental Fire and The Retreat, and I have it on fairly good authority that Grace Marshall will be making her first appearance at Sh! to join in the fun and give you a naughty little taster from her latest novel, Identity Crisis.

Besides the usual sexy readings, there’ll be fizz, food fun and fabulous giveaways. And the company will be of the highest and naughtiest calibre.

If all of that’s not enough to entice you, how can you resist anything happening at Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium with all the fabulous toys, corsets, lingerie, books and everything you could possibly want to take the sexy evening home with you afterward.

If you’re in the London area next Saturday evening, come party with us at Sh! as we celebrate the many guises of erotica and romance. Of course the evening is FREE of charge. You’re our guests! Here’s the link with details: Sh! Women’s store And be sure to either call Sh! and let them know you’re coming or email. Space is limited.

BookOfTheMonthElemental Fire, Sh!’s Book of the Month

And to celebrate the launch, Sh! has made Elemental Fire the Sh! Book of the Month! Sh! has always been a dear friend and a great promoter of my work. I’m very pleased that my novel has this place of honour for the month of April. Check out what the very discerning Sh! Babe, Jo, has to say about Elemental Fire!

Xcite Kinky World Book Night

By the time all the fun ends with dancing in the street Saturday night, Kay Jaybee, Lucy Felthouse and myself will be in such a fantastically naughty mood that we won’t be ready to stop partying. Fortunately for us, we won’t have to! We’ll be headed off to Cardiff on Monday for Xcite’s Kinky World Book Night, and I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that Xcite’s newest member, Lauren Thomas, really knows how to throw a party.

Kinky World Book Night will be on 23rd April at Fire Island in Cardiff. Xcite have booked out the whole top floor, which is three rooms. The party begins at 5 PM with drinks. Then at 6:00, doors open. Entry is FREE along  with a complimentary book.

image003At 6:30 the Ann Summers room opens – open until 8:30pm.  Kay Jaybee, Lucy Felthouse and I will all be reading and following up with a short Q&A, then there’ll be an open mic with five minute slots for anyone who would like to read. I have it on good authority that anyone who runs over their five minutes will be paddled.

If you’re in the Cardiff area Monday night the 23rd, come and join us for more fun and filth with a chance to meet the writers and some of the behind-the-scenes folks at Xcite who get our naughty stories out there for the world to see.

Party in London or party in Cardiff, or both! I promise a filthy time will be had by all.

Grace Marshall, Xcite’s Author of the Month

Grace-Marshall-websiteI’m very pleased to announce that Grace Marshall is Xcite’s Author of the Month for April. This means Xcite will soon be posting an interview in which Grace tells all, which will be great for catching up on all her latest gossip. But it also means a whopping 25% savings on all Grace Marshall books for readers, so the fun is shared with everyone. I’ll keep you posted about the naughty interview, but you can take advantage of the fabulous discount on Grace’s books any time during the month of April.

 

Elemental Fire: Family Photos

IMG00491-20130308-1227Friday morning there was a knock on the door, and a rain-drenched postman delivered a familiar-shaped box. My heart skipped a beat and my feet did a happy-dance. I knew what that box meant. It meant that volume 3 of the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, Elemental Fire, was now officially out in print and these were my lovely author copies!

I couldn’t resist. The response is always the same. Right after I take them out and fondle them and look through them and admire them, I get all the kids together for some family photos, and here are the end results!

By the way, we’ll be celebrating the launch of Elemental Fire on 20 April at Sh! Women’s Store. Where else would we be celebrating? And it’s going to be quite a celebration, as Kay Jaybee is going to be giving a sneak preview of The Retreat, book two of her BDSM Trilogy. Also, I’m beside myself for this launch party – literally. In addition to being there as K D, I’ll be there as Grace Marshall too, reading from the second book of my Executive Decisions Trilogy, Identity Crisis. It’ll be an evening of fun, filth, fizz, and maybe some really exciting extra surprises as well. I’ll keep you informed as plans unfold. Be sure to mark April 20 on your calendar and come join the fun.

In the meantime, since you’re already here, would you like to take a look at my family album??? Shameless promotion? You betcha!

IMG00494-20130308-1230Blurb:

Obsessed with revenge, KENNET LUCIAN makes a deal with a demon, a deal he comes to regret when he meets TARA STONE, head of the Elemental Coven, and a powerful witch with a desire for revenge at least as great as his. Even though the attraction between the two is magnetic and the lust combustive, Kennet must betray her to accomplish his goal, which is ultimately her goal as well; to put a final end to the demon, Deacon’s, reign of terror. But can Tara trust the man who has wormed his way into her heart and the heart of the Elemental Coven? Can she trust LUCIA, the demon with whom Kennet is allied, a demon with her own agenda. The path to Deacon’s destruction is far from clear, and the price that must be paid to be free of him forever may be too high, even for Tara Stone.

Excerpt:

It was then Tara noticed the exquisite woman with long golden hair sitting so close that her knees practically touched Tara’s ribs. It came as no surprise to her, though surely it should have, but then this was a dream, wasn’t it? The woman’s robe pooled around her and ebbed and flowed like fire.

IMG00497-20130308-1233‘You feel better now, don’t you my darling, Tara?’ She asked. Her voice made Tara feel like she was melting into warm, delicious nothingness and seeping into the cave floor.

Tara nodded and moaned softly, for some reason unable to speak, for some reason just wanting to remain in the presence of this woman, whoever she was. It brushed her consciousness fleetingly that maybe she should be concerned about the strange woman in her dreams, but the thought passed quickly, and she lay quietly next to her.

‘Good,’ the woman said, stroking Tara’s hair away from her forehead. ‘I need you to feel better. All of us need you to feel better. We have work to do, and we cannot do it when you’re mourning your losses.’ She nodded. ‘Yes, of course I know about your Anderson. And I know that you do not fuck the living. Such a foolish girl you are to deny yourself the very pleasure you so willingly offer the dead. Elemental Cottage is not a nunnery, my darling.’ She leaned down low and kissed Tara on the mouth. Her breath smelled like the fells in high summer. Then she tisk-tisked and gently stroked Tara’s pubic curls. ‘You need more than you can manage with your hand, my sweet girl, no matter how gifted you are in the arts of pleasure. You practice sex magic, surely you know this.’ She brushed slender fingers up Tara’s belly and over the mounds of her breasts. Tara arched up into her heated caresses. ‘Shall I bring you just what you need to make you feel better? Would you like that, my dear?’

Tara could only whimper and nod.

Once again she brushed Tara’s lips with hers adding the slightest flick of her tongue, and for an instant, the kiss felt predatory, devouring. Or had Tara only imagined it? ‘Do not worry, my love,’ the woman said as she pulled away. ‘I shall send you just what you need. Wait here, and rest a little.’ Then she disappeared leaving Tara to writhe and moan on the floor of the cave.

From far away someone shook her arm, someone called to her in distressed tones, trying to bring her back to the Waking World. But she didn’t want to go back. It was safe and warm and happy here. There was nothing but sadness in the Waking World. She just wanted to sleep here in the cave and wait for whoever the beautiful woman would bring to her.

IMG00495-20130308-1231But the shaking and jostling continued. She slapped the hand away but it kept coming back to shake her. She was just ready to tell whoever it was to bugger off, when she opened her eyes and looked up to see the outline of a man leaning over her. Even in the darkness, the energy emanating from him was magnetic. Everything inside her tightened with anticipation, and Goddess, she wanted him. Surely she was still dreaming.

‘Are you alright?’ His voice vibrated through her chest and his touch felt electric, full of magic. ‘I thought you were dead, then I heard you moaning. I guess you were dreaming. I was worried and then …’

They both realized at the same time that her shirt was open and so were her trousers, and one hand still rested on her mons. She could feel the man’s gaze taking in the situation, and he twigged. ‘Oh shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I thought you were — ’

‘I was! Dreaming, I mean.’ She quickly jerked her hand out of her trousers and tugged her open blouse across her bare breasts. ‘I was dreaming, and she said she’d send someone and …’ She blinked hard and looked around at the night sky. She couldn’t have been asleep long, but everything felt unreal, different. Was she still dreaming? Dreams could be so powerful at times, so confusing. She reached up to touch his face and felt a surge of magic — some new, some old. Some very old. Had she enfleshed a ghost because of her horny dream? When she walked at night, ghosts did sometimes follow her onto the fells in hopes that she would enflesh them and allow them to experience for a little while the pleasures afforded the living. And any other time she would happily oblige. But when she walked at night, she always sent them away. This was her place, her alone time. No one was welcome to disturb her here, and most ghosts knew that. Had she been that out of it? Was she that desperate for a fuck that her unconscious had broken her own rules?’

The man sat back on his haunches and looked down at her. In the darkness she could only make out his silhouette dominated by broad shoulders, but it was enough to make her  own arousal spike. Certainly if she had enfleshed him, she couldn’t leave him in the state he was now, no doubt, in because of her.

He gave a little gasp of surprise when she off-balanced him, pulled him down to her and kissed him. ‘You shouldn’t have come here,’ she managed before she drew him into another kiss.

‘I might say the same about you,’ he replied.

Cheeky ghost, she thought, but she kissed him again. This time he returned the favour. And the power surge she felt went clear from her mouth down to the base of her spine and back again. His eyes fluttered, he gasped against her mouth, clearly feeling what she felt, and there was no disguising the press of his heavy erection against the fly of his walking trousers.

‘What the hell was that?’ She gasped, not entirely sure she wasn’t going to come just from their last kiss.

He pulled back from her with a start, one hand against his lips and the other resting low on his belly. ‘If you do that again, I can’t guarantee what will… If you do that again.’

IMG00503-20130310-1516For a tightly stretched second, they froze in each other’s gaze. Then she forced words up through her throat, struggling to breathe through her arousal. ‘I can’t … I need …’

‘Me too,’ He whispered. She couldn’t see the colour of his eyes in the darkness, but his gaze was baking hot against her.

Focus. Damn it, she needed to be able to focus, to think. She forced a deep breath and then they were both speaking at the same time.

‘I’m sorry … I didn’t … I wouldn’t …’

‘I don’t know what just happened,’ he gasped.

‘Me neither,’ she managed.

Then they were on each other. He yanked the clasp from her hair and clawed it free from the ponytail. She curled her fingers in the front of his shirt and pulled him on top of her, down between her open legs, lifting her hips, wrapping her ankles around his waist and thrusting up to meet him. The sounds coming from his throat were deep-chested, wild, and she wasn’t sure where his grunts and growls left off and hers began as he thrust and ground against her, shoving her arse into the soft moss with his efforts.