Hunt on Dark Waters (Crimson Sails #1) by Katee Robert

I'll admit what made me snatch up this title off my regular reviews list from a big-name publisher was the cover – and this is a bloody lush cover, probably one of the best I've seen in a long, long time. Then I glanced at the blurb, and I was sold onto giving Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert a spin on my Netgalley app. The short of it is that I feel conflicted about this book. I think with the fact that tales on the high seas will no doubt be having a golden age currently thanks to the (at the time of writing) success of the One Piece live action series on Netflix, this book will hit the mark with readers who enjoy romantasy with a twist of piratical flair. At any rate, the parallels with Pirates of the Caribbean are rather evident (and most likely a dominant reason why I picked up this title), if that's your cuppa, and you've got all manner of non-human sentients to contend with. And loads of magic.

But ... And yes, there is a but. 

While I enjoyed Hunt on Dark Waters, to a degree...mostly, I did feel as if the pacing was somewhat off. We have a cracking start, with our plucky, long-fingered witch Evelyn pulling a runner on her vampire ex-girlfriend when she realises that continuing the relationship is not going to create conditions ideal to long-term survival. In her madcap escape, Evelyn accidentally falls through a portal into a world ruled by a bunch of monster hunters known as the Cwn Annwn (the pirates) who press gang her into service aboard a vessel. It's either that, or get tossed back into the ocean where she was found. And she's rather not keen on being unalived, thank you kindly.

And this is where things come unglued, so to speak. Or the wind gets knocked out of the sails, if we're going to stick with nautical themes. Evelyn and Captain Bowen immediately develop an instant obsession with each other that is, well, rather instant in a way that doesn't strike me as plausible. While the bones of the story are there, I don't feel as if the plot is fleshed out well enough to carry through. I got about halfway through the book and felt like things hadn't even gotten off the ground yet. Sure, there's lots of zing and sizzle for the ones who want their hot steamy scenes, but I'd kinda gone into this one wanting a bit more adventure with the romance on the side (the cover hadn't screamed romance at me, which was why I'd made grabby fingers in the first place). So this didn't quite hit the mark for me the way, say, authors like Grace Draven manage to pull off the fantasy romance thing. I'm more for the slow burn, in any case, before the characters start with the heavy petting and shoving tongues down each other's throats.

I can't quite figure out where exactly the wheels came off. All the ingredients are here, and this is a compelling world with oodles of potential and piles of queer representation, but there's a part of me that feels almost as if the book was dashed off without giving it a solid bout of structural editing to fix the pacing issues. It's fun and crunchy, however, and if you're more interested in the heat, then you'll most likely overlook the undercooked plot.

Radiance by Grace Draven #review

Title: Radiance (Wraith Kings #1)
Author: Grace Draven, 2014

Okay, it’s rare that Amazon actually gets it right when it makes suggestions of books it *thinks* I’d like to read, but this was possibly the first time that I clicked through on one of those mailers and found something that I really, really enjoyed.

Is this book perfect? Is it on the same tier as the likes of Jacqueline Carey and Storm Constantine? Not quite, but for me that didn’t matter. What I loved was the setting, and the tentative and growing love between the two basically nice people – Idiko and Brishen – who make the best out of an arranged marriage.

All too often we read about arranged marriages that begin with a huge pile of antagonism and frustration for both parties. Not so with these two. If the ease of their growing love for one another bothers you, then this isn’t your book.

While I felt as if the first 60 to 80 percent of this book was mostly scene-setting, it was the sort of establishment of the world that I enjoy. I *like* slowly growing sagas. I must admit that I felt Brishen’s self-control with regard to being in bed with his wife without acting on his, erm, manly impulses a bit difficult to believe at times, but yeah, that being said, it may be the fact that I’ve been editing dubcon that’s made me a bit of a jaded reader.

This book is sweet, but it’s not without its claws. The non-human race portrayed in this book (the Kai) are not cuddly, and their actions are quite bloody at times. They also make a lovely shift from vampires, elves or angels (I’d peg them as somewhat toothy, predatory elves that don’t like going out during the day.) The human Ildiko may be soft and gentle on the outside but she has nerves of steel, and adapts quickly to her new people. By the end of the book, she’s a force to be reckoned with – while retaining her feminine qualities.

The interaction between the two characters is touching, and the dialogue even gave me the quiet chuckles from time to time. By the time I was done, I immediately rushed off to Amazon to pick up book two, but I now realise I’ll have to wait a bit. Draven has created a sweet, sensual fantasy with lashings of romance, that have proved to perfectly complement my usual fare of GrimDark. Love, love, love – and I need more. And soon. Hell, I’m willing to beta read even so long as I can get the next instalment.

Review: The Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Title: The Bro-Magnet (Nice Guy #1)
Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Publisher: TKA Distribution, 2011

Johnny Smith’s the guy who gets asked to be the best man at his mates’ weddings, and always seems to say or do the right things so far as they’re concerned. But when it comes to the fairer sex, it would seem that his luck has permanently run out.

Basically, Johnny is very much a man’s man. He loves his sport – and specifically supports supports the Mets, who seem to be experiencing a losing streak. Johnny’s regular poker evenings with the boys are, from what I gather, pretty legendary.

Just when Johnny fears that he will never find the right woman, chance lets him cross paths with the rather vivacious Helen Troy, a district attorney. From the outset, the pair seem to be completely incompatible. Johnny is a painter and Helen is at the top of her game in the legal profession.

Yet… Despite this, there is a spark, and Johnny isn’t one to let their vastly different backgrounds act as an impediment on the path to true love. He is way out of his depth, however, and so doesn’t want to muck up this opportunity the same way he’s wrecked previous attempts at having a long-term relationship.

Johnny’s a resourceful kinda guy, even if his solutions can be unorthodox (just ask Fluffy the cat about learning to walk on a leash like a dog). Johnny therefore enlists the help of his friends, and based on their advice sets about changing himself into the man he thinks would snag Helen’s heart.

Already there I could see trouble brewing, and some of the unintentionally hilarious and cringe-worthy results of Johnny’s quest to be Mr Right make this book.

For someone who is every dude’s best friend, Johnny is gloriously inept when it comes to his own affairs – yet his intentions are in the right place. He is not a bad bloke, and I was rooting for something to eventually go right for the guy.

All I will say further is that I saw hints of the final outcome from quite far off, even if Johnny remained maddeningly oblivious, and was happy with how the author resolved everything. Yeah, yeah, I know, this is so not my usual reading fodder, but I totally enjoyed this light-hearted, humorous romp.

The Dangerous Beasts unleashed: Fire

A while ago I (unashamedly) went over to the “dark” side of writing erotic romance, and not only did I discover that this was fun, but I also discovered a bunch of stories that I wouldn’t ordinarily have dared to under normal circumstances. Granted, there are erotic elements in some of my novels, but the driving force behind my regular line of fiction isn’t necessarily romance (though the characters do fall in and out of love).

So, that’s how Therése von Willegen came into being: basically Nerine’s stories with a whole pile of additional *schmexxors* as we like to call it among my fellow authors. You’ll still find all the usual elements, but let’s just say that things will be … erm …  a wee bit more frisky. Or, as one friend described my latest, “Wow, Nerine, this is quite saucy.”

For those of you who like this sort of thing, I already have two novel-length works available. One is Tainted Love that I published a while ago. It’s a bit of a reverse-Cinderella story, about the good girl who discovers her innate, natural flair for exotic dancing after she gets retrenched. Then there’s Hell’s Music, which ties into the Books of Khepera universe, although my notorious Jamie only gets a brief appearance as a secondary character. Both have their feet firmly planted in contemporary culture.

Which is why I’ve decided to start dipping my toe into writing fantasy erotica, and releasing these in bite-sized pieces, which seems to favour the current climate of mobile reading. The first of these is my tale The Salamander Lord, which is themed according to the element of fire. (Yes, there are more to follow.)

Everything the witch Enya holds dear is threatened by the advance of the Golden Empire. In order to find the power to better her magical skills and help save her sisterhood, she’s sent on an impossible mission to capture an elemental. Not just any elemental, but a creature born of fire—a salamander lord. Only Enya doesn’t expect her passions to be ignited in the ruins of Castle Mondragon. Nor is she prepared for the immense power her fascination with fire unleashes.

To whet your appetite, here’s a little teaser…
She hissed against his lips and dug her nails into the satin-slick skin above his hipbones. The man pulled back, his smile a wicked slash as he regarded her.

“What do you want to offer, little witch? My price is to hear you moan and sob. I want to pin you to this couch and sink myself so deep within you that you’ll be split in twain with lust. I will take my fill of you. Or...”

“Or?” she all but whimpered.

His eyes gleamed. “Or you return to your sisters. Alive. Unharmed. And I will give you this.” He sat back on his haunches and held out his right hand palm up. A tiny flame fluttered into life and shivered before winking out.

“Wait,” Enya said, confused. “You just saved me after making me promise to pay a price and now you’ll let me go with fire...”

“You choose. You can have fire. Any fool can hold a flame but can you truly say you know fire?”

* * * *

Like that? Well, feel free to purchase a copy at Smashwords, Nook or Kindle for only 99c. Alternatively, three lucky readers who sign up for my newsletter here, will each receive a free ecopy of The Salamander Lord.

By Chance by Cat Grant #review

Title: By Chance (Book one of the Courtland Chronicles)
Author: Cat Grant,
Publisher: Cat Grant Books, 2012

I’ve been meaning to read one of Cat Grant’s titles for simply ages now, so when I laid hands on By Chance, I grabbed it. (It’s a free read on Amazon, BTW.)

Eric Courtland has it all, except a happy home life, it would seem. Money can’t make up for the realities of a dysfunctional family and Eric has withdrawn from meaningful human interaction as much as possible. Whatever sexual encounters he has are quick, anonymous liaisons – no strings attached. He’s quite happy – or at least he thinks he is – alone in his college dorm room. One that he’s paid good money to keep without any annoying roomies.

At least that’s until Nick washes up on his doorstep due to a problem in the dormitory where he was supposed to be assigned. Eric has to share his space with this football jock, and he is beyond unhappy about this unexpected, unwanted interloper into his carefully ordered existence.

But there’s more… (Well, of course, otherwise this wouldn’t get juicy.)
Eric’s been out and proud since he was sixteen and Nick… Well, Nick’s decidedly straight (I mean, really, he’s on the football team, y’know.)

Nick’s sunny disposition thaws Eric’s glacial chill in short order, however, and it’s lovely seeing the dynamics shift as Nick pries Eric out of his shell. Nick’s ex and best friend, Ally, helps too, even though it’s clear from the outset that she’s still holding a torch for Nick. Love triangle much? But that’s okay. I feel for Ally, but she’s a good, loyal friend to Nick when he needs it, and she’s got fire enough to stand up to Eric when he’s engaging in douchebaggery.

The tension between Eric and Nick quickly heads toward the bedroom, and Nick discovers that he might not be as straight as he initially thought he was. Of course he now faces a conundrum: does he come out publicly? And Eric has his own demons to face, with his ailing mother preying on him the most.

Grant’s writing is deliciously easy to slip into, and at the time of reading, I really needed a pleasant diversion, which she supplied by the bucket load. The blossoming relationship between Eric and Nick is sweet until it hits its first, inevitable snags. Both lads need to work through their issues, but of course I won’t delve into spoiler territory suffice to say it’s satisfying to see them resolve their conflict.

By Chance is perfectly balanced – great dialogue, characters and external and internal dramas. If you’re looking for a quick m/m read, this one’s a treat.

Featured author: Maria Imbalzano

Today's featured author is Maria Imbalzano, who's here to tell us a little bit more about herself and her novel, Unchained Memories (for which there's an excerpt at the end of this blog post). Welcome, Maria, and over to you!

I was born in Trenton, NJ , in the heart of Chambersburg, the Italian section of town. My father was a barber and my mother, a State employee, who also taught me to jitterbug at the tender age of four. We loved to dance in the living room while watching American Bandstand. Hardly star material, but I was driven nonetheless.

The product of a Catholic School education, I learned the basics, and took for granted  I would be successful doing something, even if it entailed cutting hair. I attended Rutgers University as a psychology major, but after three years decided I liked political science better.

My first job led me to Manhattan where I worked as a paralegal for four years before attending Fordham University School of Law. There I learned to think like a lawyer, write like a lawyer, and speak like a lawyer, all while living like a pauper in the city of my dreams. Living in New York City, albeit on a tight budget, allowed me to indulge my love of ballet, art museums, and theater. Did you know you could walk into a theater after intermission and no one checks your ticket? I enjoyed the second half of many plays as well as ballets.

My love of reading dates back to my childhood when I would borrow at least four books from the library every week. During the summer, I would sit in the house and read, until my mother, totally frustrated, would send me outside to play and lock me out. I always found my way back in.

However, I must confess, I hated to write. In every English and writing class throughout college, I dreaded trying to be creative. As a friend from law school so aptly put it, “The reason why we’re here is because we don’t have a creative bone in our bodies.” I agreed.

Despite my dislike of creative writing back then, I embraced legal writing, and was first published in Volume 5 of the Fordham International Law Journal. My article was entitled “In re Mackin: Is the Application of the Political Offense Exception an Extradition Issue for the Judicial or Executive Branch?” I would advise you against reading it, for you will surely fall asleep.

Following law school, I returned to central New Jersey and took a job at a local law firm, where I have been a partner for many years. My area of practice is divorce, and while emotions run high and clients are living through the worst time of their lives, I find the practice very satisfying.  In addition to litigation,  I have added mediation and collaborative divorce to my repertoire, which are much more civil ways of dealing with issues in family law cases.

In addition to practicing law and raising two daughters, I’ve been working towards my second career.  Memoranda of Law and Legal Briefs, although fascinating, pale in comparison to writing romance/women’s fiction. So how does one transition from divorce lawyer by day to romance writer by night? That’s the beauty of having two distinct passions.

Blurb: 
As a rising medical malpractice attorney, Charlotte Taylor believes in standing up for the injured, giving them a voice, and advocating for their rights. She couldn't do it for her mother, so she does it for others, even if it means losing the love of her life.

Dr. Clayton Montgomery believes in working hard and playing even harder, until he reconnects with Charlotte. Barely noticing her crush when he tutored her ten years ago, Clay has a chance to make up for lost time when the beautiful lawyer comes back into town...until he discovers her chosen career path.

Now, philosophical differences soon become a reality and Charlotte is faced with the choice of representing a client against the hospital and against Clay. Will Charlotte give up her career and her tribute to her mother for a second chance with the man who got away?

Find Unchained Memories on Amazon, or check out Maria's website. Follower her on Twitter, like her on Facebook, and friend her on Goodreads.

EXCERPTRed. Hot. Sexy.
Like magnets, Clay’s eyes clicked on Charlotte, unable to repel the force holding them. Her chestnut hair was held up in a loose, sexy do that had him itching to pull the pins to release it. Her strapless dress showcased a long neck and creamy shoulders that called out to be kissed. His involuntary focus on her lovely traits throughout the evening had made him a rude dinner companion; unable to answer even the easiest of questions.
He had come here tonight to socialize with the powers that be at the hospital, to talk up the ER, to lay the groundwork for future requests. But his concentration had been directed elsewhere. Since he’d squandered his opportunity to network, he should leave. But here he was at the bar at ten-thirty, waiting for a scotch and soda. The band was heavily into their Motown set and many of the revelers packed the dance floor.
Across the room, Clay zeroed in on Charlotte talking to a group of men, her red gown like a flame in a sea of black. He smiled. She sure knew how to turn heads. His included.
But he knew her better than those clowns. He knew the sweet, tough eighteen-year-old who’d lost her parents within hours of each other. The broken girl whose emotional health had worried Dr. Collins, their Chief of Surgery, much more than her physical wounds.
As the band segued into a slow song, Clay covered the distance between them. “Excuse us, gentlemen, but the lady promised me a dance, and I’d like to claim it now.” He deposited his drink on an empty table and guided her toward the dance floor.
“I don’t recall promising you a dance.” Her beautiful face held the hint of a smile.
“You don’t? I must have dreamed it.”
He pulled her into his embrace, and moved with the music around the floor, feeling like one of the luckiest men there. Although she hadn’t promised anything, she glided around the room, following his lead. Her perfume intoxicated him more than any drink ever could, and the  movement of her graceful body against his had his heart palpitating.
Little Charley Taylor had certainly grown up, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to know her now. As an adult. Ten years removed from the time their lives had intersected. 

Enchantment by Charlotte Abel #review

Title: Enchantment
Author: Charlotte Abel
Published: Charlotte Abel, 2011

From the outset, this novel seems exactly as the name suggests. I found myself hooked and enchanted by the premise. After all, what could be more adorable than secret clans of mages in the Ozarks?

Each mage has a name that they live up to. Channie is short for Enchantment, and predictably the boys find her irresistible. But she doesn’t want to end up like her sister, Abundance, who’s ended up with unexpected triplets, so her parents are naturally a bit careful when it comes to Channie and boys.

But with a father whose name is Money, the family runs into trouble when Money gets on the wrong side of a rival mage clan who declare a blood feud, and Channie and her family run all the way to Colorado to escape the folks hunting them.

Now Channie needs to adapt to “Empty” society. (Empties is the term they use to describe non-magical people.) Of course being delightfully naïve when it comes to contemporary culture, Channie finds herself at the butt of jokes. To make things worse, her parents change her magical name to Chastity in an effort to protect her from the predations of the male species. This naturally leads to plenty of complications, especially since she finds herself falling deeply and irrevocably in love with a boy named Joshua.

As soon as she tries to fix one thing, another goes wrong, and step by step Channie finds herself in a deeper bind than before. Very soon she’s in a bit of a mad rush against time to undo a curse and be with the boy she loves.

My overall impression was that this is a fun YA contemporary fantasy novel. The kids do all the mad, bad crazy stuff you could imagine, and they face all the usual issues teens do – mostly related to their relationships with each other and their parents. Not an easy time. So Charlotte Abel’s done a good job expressing that discomfort.

Technically, I feel this novel could have used a tighter edit; my inner editor got twitchy with a whole lot of little quirks, so I feel this needs to be mentioned. Developmentally the pace is a little uneven as well. A little too much teen fooling around and not enough getting on with the story, but then again, that could just be my opinion.

If I have to think of someone to recommend this to, I’d say there’s a chance that the Cassandra Claire and Harry Potter tribes might take the bait. I’m of two minds as to whether I’ll go for the rest in the series, but that’s mainly because I don’t feel fully invested in the characters or the settings. Fault definitely lies with the reader. This is a fun, magical read otherwise.

The Crimson Outlaw by Alex Beecroft #review

Title: The Crimson Outlaw
Author: Alex Beecroft
Publisher: Riptide, 2013

It’s 1720 in Harghita County, Transylvania. and no, don’t expect vampires. Vali is the son of a nobleman, the cruel boyar Wadim Florescu. Amazingly, the lad has grown up untainted by his father’s generally nasty attitude – and his abuse. Vali is sweet-natured, an incurable romantic and tends to act before thinking things through.

Which is why he tries to derail his sister’s wedding to another lord old enough to be their father – a move which backfires horribly, and proves to be the final straw which drives Vali out into the world.

Well meaning but completely unprepared for the world beyond the castle’s walls, Vali quickly runs into trouble when a bandit in the forest tries to take him hostage. This bandit is none other than Mihai, who has a bit of an axe to grind with Wadim, and he reckons Vali’s going to make the perfect hostage.

The last thing Vali and Mihai expect is that they’d end up in a state of mutual fascination that runs deeper than mere lust. Of course there’s still the problem of a tyrannical lord to overthrow and a village to save, which adds an extra dimension to this blooming romance.

The Crimson Outlaw has it all: authentic world-building (you really do feel like you’re in Transylvania); plenty of well-realised action sequences, swords and all; and of course the sparks that fly between Vali and Mihai. If I can level any criticism against the story it’s that it’s over so quickly, which is a measure of how well Alex Beecroft drew me in that I regretted reaching the ending so soon. I wanted a lot more.

Vali really is adorable. You want to groan quietly at his naïveté but there’s something quite refreshing about encountering a character who has such a big heart and cheery outlook. GrimDark this is not, but The Crimson Outlaw is a highly entertaining read nonetheless that will leave you smiling. Beecroft has a light, lyrical touch with her words and her story is an absolute pleasure if you’re looking for a feel-good, historical diversion from your daily grind.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller #review

Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2011

I’ll admit from the start that I’m a huge Mary Renault fan, so when Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles came up on my reading pile, I recalled The Persian Boy and devoured Miller’s offering from cover to cover in less than a week. Like all mythological tales, this one is a tragedy and, I felt a lump in my throat and was a bit teary-eyed at the end, even though I knew how the story of Achilles would conclude.

Miller breathes life into the legend, in an historical retelling that incorporates some of the magic of ancient times. Immortal Chiron the centaur and Thetis the sea nymph are clothed in flesh and walk among mortals.

The gods are real, easy to anger, difficult to appease, and are as bloodthirsty and manipulative as ever. The stage is set, and the tale is told by Patroclus, a disgraced prince in exile, and how he becomes the favoured companion of Achilles, who was destined for greatness. As narrator, Patroclus exists as the opposite of  golden Achilles, who oozes charisma, beauty and near-divine physical prowess on the battlefield. Utterly devoted, and despite Thetis’s hatred of him and others’ disapproval, Patroclus follows Achilles no matter where he goes.

Achilles is faced with two fates: to live a long life and die old and in obscurity or to flare, briefly and be immortalised in legends. Well, there wouldn’t have been much of a story if he’d chosen the safer option, now would there?

Miller’s prose is lush, sensual and evocative, and she captures this age of heroes perfectly to the point where you can taste ripe figs or smell the stench of blood on the battlefield. Miller’s characters spring forth into startling life from the pages of one of the greatest legends.

This review appeared in the Pretoria News on February 17, 2013

When history won’t play ball

Today I welcome Daisy Banks, author of Your Heart My Soul, who's going to be in charge for a bit. Welcome, Daisy!

* * * *

Hi Nerine, it’s great to be here and thanks for the offer of a blog spot with you.

Today, the historical romance, one of my favorite genres, is driving me to share some ideas. Primarily, I’d like to talk about the problems I’ve found with a work in progress in the historical genre, and what I think can happen when ‘history won’t play ball’.

What I mean by ‘play ball’ is the problem when attitudes and activities from a certain period in time are at odds with modern perceptions of humanity, love and relationships. As a historian, I firmly believe I shouldn’t judge the past with my 21st century morality. However, as a romance author, should I sanitize history? Is it right for me to make the era I’ve chosen to set my story in the kind of world some readers believe they know from Hollywood epics? On the other hand, should I follow my instinct and let the ripe gutter fragrance rise a little from the page to tell its truth? I have struggled with this question.
I know Nerine has a passion for Egyptian history; I too am interested in that great civilization. I also find the divergence of different cultures in the Roman period in the UK, with its clash of attitudes to women and family, changes to religion and the introduction of city dwelling, all fascinating. My other main interest is the early Georgian era and the development of industrialization. I am fascinated by the machines invented in this era, and by the minds of those who designed them. One of my favorite places to visit to enjoy a sense of this era is Soho House in Birmingham, England. This link will take you to a page where you can see the home of Matthew Boulton, a very fascinating character who made a huge impact in this era.  http://www.bmag.org.uk/soho-house

One of my books published with Lyrical Press, A Matter of Some Scandal, is set in the Georgian era, a robust time full of change and discovery on many levels. My main concern with that story was the legal system in England in the 18th century and I used the records of proceedings at the Old Bailey in London to try to gain the depth and accuracy I felt the story needed. As I am so interested in the period the level of research necessary wasn’t too trying, and it gave me the added bonus of discovering the reality of the author’s voice. As the characters in the story spend much of their time alone together, the impact on them from the attitudes of society in the era only came at the end of the story. However, some historical stories like my work in progress are more problematic, and I think the element of realism could influence the reception a story might get from both a publisher and readers.

There are some key areas where I’ve found ‘history won’t play ball’ with modern sensibilities or the lists of acceptable content in a romance.

The age of the heroine is an issue. If I want to be factually accurate in a romance set in the past it is unlikely an aristocratic girl will fit within modern age constraints. Research into the lives of wealthy women in the past generally proves they married young, sometimes very young. Arranged marriages where land and finance counted as more important than the bride’s happiness were also a common feature and could lead to both emotional and physical abuse if a woman tried to refuse. For an example of this, investigate the Paston Letters, of the 15th century. Those letters are fascinating social history but the information they offer is not something that fits neatly with most publication guidelines for romance.

The next problem is to give my heroine an occupation in life. For many periods in the past, work opportunities for women appear to be very limited, or none existent for women in the upper classes. Therefore, to have a heroine who has an occupation I either need to massage history, or I must look among the working women of the lower classes.

These women, the alewives or fishwives, the servant or seamstress, laundress or midwife, governess or nursery maid, and those who worked with their family in all manner of activities give an insight into lives lived without a woman toiling over an embroidery frame. There is also an added bonus, these girls, if they married, they didn’t marry so young. From the late Medieval through to the early Georgian era, the typical age at marriage of women from the lower classes was approximately twenty-four, as a couple needed to save for their life together. The women I’ve discovered in records of these periods offer courage, skill, wisdom, and even the nebulous quality so often described as ‘feisty’. Fantastic!

However, back to my historical story and the next problem I need to solve. How to make the world my heroine lives and loves in palatable too?

My current historical work in progress has offered me many dilemmas. The tale is set in the Georgian era, and is based on research of real events. I want to make both hero and heroine realistic characters from their time and still have readers like them. The level of characterization of lead characters in a historical story has to be very strong. The author must persuade the reader to suspend belief, and in addition, to like the kind of person who might attend a public hanging and purchase a pie to eat during the event. Heartless? Not according to the descriptions from the time, it seems pie sellers did a roaring trade at executions; they are prominent figures in some sketches from the eighteenth century.

I love the genre of the historical, and I firmly hope it never dies out, but I also know from my work on historical stories, it is a very demanding and unforgiving genre. The search to find a heroine who is true to her time but loveable to modern readers is a challenge in an extreme form.

In checking through this, I chose to read it a friend, who said in response, “But you write fiction. So, your characters don’t have to follow the accepted behaviors of their era.”

I have to say I sighed in frustration.

This thought, is, I think, why so many portrayals of historical stories especially in film and on television are so unbelievable to anyone with some knowledge of history. Our female ancestors weren’t all proud beauties taught to sword-fight by kind brothers or indulgent fathers, that doesn’t make them less brave or interesting than they were. Many women fought day-to-day battles against poverty, ignorance, brutality and fear. To me their stories are far more interesting than some events shown on screen, and I’d like to incorporate those real stories, at least in part, into the ones I write. To do that I have to allow truth to speak out from the era I chose to write in.

My recently published story Your Heart My Soul with Liquid Silver Books is a combination of the paranormal, historical and contemporary. In this tale of a love to last the ages, I tried to offer readers a brief look at the early19th using the characters of the ghosts of Will and Sally. Here is a link if you wish to find out more and I’ve included a small excerpt below to tempt you. I hope you enjoy it.

Many thanks again, Nerine, for time on your blog.

Best wishes to you and the readers.
Daisy Banks

Excerpt from Your Heart My Soul by Daisy Banks, published by Liquid Silver Books.

A prickle rose on the back of his neck, the fine hairs stood like a hound’s ruff to warn of storms to come and his certainty grew. T’was said only those who’d made it ’round the horn got the sense of predicting stormy winds. Well, he’d made it ’round the horn and home twice—and tonight, in the twilight shadows, proof of it raced icy down his back.

The fat blue-and-white painted vase. It had moved!

The thing always stood on the starboard side of the counter, had been there for so long he couldn’t recall.
He shook his head.

Tonight, the thick-bottomed vase sat on the frayed rush mat. Unknown hands had moved the vase from its usual spot and left it on the floor, where any bad-tempered little brat in hobnailed boots might kick it.
Careless.

The pawnshop didn’t change. Why, it was only yesterday evening he’d been here and things had been the same as they’d been for—well, he couldn’t give a number on the days. Wherever else he wandered along the wharf each starlit night, he always began his evening journey here, in the shop, hoping. Before dawn he returned, dragging the tatters of his dreams, for one last glimpse before the bright light came. The first streaks of dawn and he’d leave with the prayer the next night would bring a different outcome. The sun on the water, always he saw the light sparkling on the waves, until it dimmed and the next night and his hopes came again.
He stifled the confusion in his thoughts, the ache and longing inside, rose from the chaise and picked his way through the jumble of objects in the corner. Once beyond the brass umbrella stand and the dark wood whatnot with the broken shelf, he eased by the table and made sure he didn’t brush against the cluster of china flat-back ornaments on the long open bookcase.

Surprise stilled his steps. Unblinking, like when he watched a shooting star, he stared as if he’d frozen in the bitter cold of the deepest southern ocean. He gawped in wonder at the arch of a smear mark traced by three slim fingertips scraped along the mahogany counter.

Not his darlin’ Sal’s sweet touch, though. He knew it immediately, for she’d truly tiny fingers—slender like little petals, and how he wished…

One day she’d weave her small, pale fingertips through his hair again, or she might even whack him on the chin and giggle. Didn’t he know her for a lovin’ saucy wench?

By his heart and soul, she was a beauty. On three continents, he’d never met her like. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes to recall the perfection of her violet-scented mouth, coral-tinted lips made for kisses, her cheeky, inviting little smile, and the sparkle in brilliant green eyes that could smolder in passion like oriental gems or blaze like a wildfire lived inside them. And her laugh.

Ah, when his darlin’ laughed, the sound danced about a room, skipped like dawn light on the waves, glimmered like ice crystals in a winter night.

Beautiful.

Everything about his sweet, dainty Sal was beautiful, and he only lingered here awaiting the chance to haul fast beside her once again. This time when he did, he’d take her in his arms, caress her until she made those soft, welcoming little sighs and, God help him, he’d know then he’d come home.

He clenched his hand. “Christ alive, my wench, where in the wide world are ye? My girl, ye gave me yer heart, took mine in return, and ye promised we’d wed. Yer swore we would.”

Single, Cool, and Fine: How to get Laid as an Ex-Teen Idol #review

Title: Single, Cool, and Fine: How to get Laid as an Ex-Teen Idol
Author: Lux Zakari
Publisher: Smashwords, 2012

While the musicians I obsessed about as a teen were certainly not as squeaky clean as James Venora, I can certainly relate to Lux Zakari’s premise. We all had celebs we fixated on, and in Single, Cool, and Fine, Zakari paints a picture of a teen idol long after the initial wave of his success has mellowed. Plainly put, James is so out of touch with not only himself, and the world around him, that when his wife Greer leaves him, taking their two kids with him, he barely knows how to make a cup of coffee, let alone sign the divorce papers to finalise the demise of his marriage.

What follows is a journey of self-discovery, as James tries to figure out where he stands with women—and the world. The result: sexy romps tempered with poignant self-reflection. Though finding another woman isn’t hard for James once he lives up to the idealised version of himself that exists in popular media, none of them quite measure up to what he really wants. But sometimes one has to lose something of value before you are aware of exactly how valuable it was, and that’s exactly what’s happened to James.

What can I say about Zukari’s writing that I haven’t already said in other reviews? She writes stunning three-dimensional characters who have authentic dilemmas. She has a keen perception of people and their behaviour. She is witty, and her characters’ dialogues feel like they’ve taken place in real life. And that’s what I love about her stories. I feel like I’m vicariously living the lives of her characters while they go about their journey.

Single, Cool, and Fine alternates between kink and out-and-out humour, where life ends up imitating art. We’ve all got friends whose kids behave lik
e Amie and Noah. Or annoying siblings and their friends, like Wade and E.Y. Okay, I’m probably going to wax lyrical ad nauseam here. If you’re into contemporary erotic romance that has a little more going for it on an intellectual level than just boy meets girl, they shack up, something gets them apart… You know what I mean. Go read this book. And if you don’t laugh out loud and get weird stares at some parts, then you’ve got absolutely no capacity for emotion. Thank you, Ms. Zakari, for yet another highly entertaining read.

In conversation with Heidi and Violetta

Recently I've been going through a bit of a phase of reading historical settings. Not quite sure what prompted this but I've been getting total kicks from ancient Rome and Greece. When Mark of the Gladiator (Riptide Publishing) by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane landed on my virtual desk, I totally gobbled it up.

Naturally, I had to have the ladies over for a little Q&A... So a big welcome to Heidi and Violetta!

Ancient Rome... How much research did you conduct to give your tale a ring of authenticity?

Violetta: This was a very research-heavy book. We didn’t mind that at all; in fact, that’s one of the great bonuses of writing this kind of fiction. It’s like being in a perpetual classroom... for free. I already have a bit of a background in terms of ancient literature from when I was in academia. I own some books on related subjects, such as Spectacle Entertainments of Early Imperial Rome and The Sorrows of the Ancient Romans. We used a lot of great online sources, as well, and list some of them in the back of the book.

Anazar has been a slave for so long that he's lost a lot of his spirit. When you looked at his development as a character, what were some of the obstacles he had to overcome?

Violetta: Oh, nothing much. Just leaving behind his wife and most of his family, traveling across the known world to fight in a war not of his choosing, seeing most of his friends, male relatives and fellow tribesman dying in battle or executed after defeat... and that’s just the beginning. Like most people in that situation he went into survival mode, with very little space for much else. But the fact that he survived and is still capable of making moral choices means he has the capacity to rebuild his identity. I’ve read a lot about slavery in the ancient world and in the Americas, and one thing that’s clear is that many people were determined to survive and make moral choices. A lot of slaves in the ancient world did actually kill themselves, which is also a choice, in a terribly sad way.

So far when I've encountered writing duos (and trios even) the divisions have been quite clear-cut, in most cases with each author taking turns with a character each. This is not the case with Mark of the Gladiator, as the entire novel is told only from Anazar's point of view. How did this work out within your writing partnership?

Heidi: Well actually, even with novels where we do utilize multiple points of view, we both share all writing duties. We’ve never traded off in any organized way, although sometimes one person will take charge of a certain scene with minimal input from the other. So for example, had Mark of the Gladiator had both Anazar and, say, Felix as a POV character, we’d have both written both, versus Violetta writing Anazar and me writing Felix. We share chapters, pages, scenes, even sentences. On our blog tour for our co-authored novel Hawaiian Gothic, I actually broke down our process. (And it’s colour coded!)

You mention Mary Renault as one of your influences (okay, I admit that totally sold me), so tell us more about how you perceive the dynamics between your main characters within a historical context. I picked up a fair amount of power play between the characters. What are some of the considerations to bear in mind when writing historical settings?

Violetta: In terms of the kind of relationship you see in The Persian Boy, the central relationship in Mark of the Gladiator is nothing like that. There’s a Greek and then similar Roman model of approved relationships between older dominant penetrative men and submissive youths, the erastes/eromenos dyad—our hero doesn’t really fit this model, and he’s aware of that, and confused by it as well. He has to come to terms with his sexuality and the fact that his lover definitely falls into several wrong categories.

Heidi: Well, I think if you’re doing a story in Rome, especially one that heavily features the interactions of people from different classes, and between freedmen and slaves, you really have to deal with that power imbalance head on. One thing that was really important to us was not to just play the “power play” aspect purely for titillation. Not to say we don’t like power play as a sexual kink (especially in a consensual BDSM context--more on that later!), but with Mark of the Gladiator I really believe we needed to do oh-so-much more. Especially since this is a historical, we had to find that right balance between the sexuality of the romantic/erotic scenes and the grim reality of slavery.

In that regard, I’m really proud of the development of Anazar’s relationship with his master Marianus Lucius. (Spoilers!) At the beginning of the book, there’s this balance between desire and performance and coercion, where Anazar basically must service his master but also enjoys it, in a way . . . then as the book progresses and Anazar’s opinion of Marianus changes, the performance becomes difficult and the coercion becomes a new and terrifying thing, which flips that titillation dynamic into something sinister. Which is the reality of consent in that dynamic: it’s ultimately an illusion. If you can’t really refuse consent (as is the case with a master and slave), can you ever truly give it?

And this is the absolutely annoying question I know authors get asked endlessly... But in this case I was dying to know. Can we expect more in a historical setting from you?

Heidi: Hmm, not in the near future I don’t think! Right now we’re both working on solo projects, and we’re doing a joint project that’s a mixed-orientation contemporary BDSM series with a lot of comedy and a lot of unconventional sex. We’re hoping that even without the historical intrigue, our readers will still enjoy this series for its complex character dynamics and twisty subplots!

Then, in short:
Where's your current favourite holiday destination, and what draws you there?

Heidi: Probably Ireland. My husband is from there, so we go every couple years to visit his parents, and I always have a wonderful time. Surprise, surprise, I’m a history geek, and Ireland has locales and items of historical interest in spades.

Violetta: The Pacific Coast of Mexico. It’s one of the most bold and beautiful landscapes I can imagine, the people are wonderful and the food is to die for.



What book are you constantly recommending to people?

Heidi: That depends on the person! For M/M readers, I love The Island by Lisa Henry. For non-romance readers, basically anything by Sherman Alexie, who writes stunning and powerful short stories.

Violetta: The Flat Earth series by Tanith Lee.

And the film you save for rainy days?

Heidi: Moulin Rouge!

Violetta: El Topo.

LINKAGE
Heidi:
http://www.HeidiBelleau.com
Twitter @HeidiBelleau

Violetta:
http://www.ViolettaVane.com
Twitter @ViolettaVane

Forever Werewolf by Michele Hauf #review

Title: Forever Werewolf: Forever Werewolf/Moon Kissed
Author: Michele Hauf
Publisher: Harlequin, 2012

If stock-standard paranormal romance is your kind of thing, then this two-in-one special featuring the writing of Michelle Hauf will most likely be your cuppa joe.

The first novel, Forever Werewolf, is the story of Trystan, whose mixed race means he’s always been considered an outsider among his own kind – werewolves. With a vampire mother, and a half-vamp/werewolf father, Trystan protests a lot that he’s no “longtooth” as his race is wont to name vampire-kind. Enter Alexis, who’s rare for her breed – a female werewolf. Which basically means she and her sister are cosseted to within an inch of their lives, and there’s no way in hell daddy’s going to let her date someone unsuitable.

And due to his heritage, Trystan is very much unsuitable.

Of course the chemistry between the two is undeniable, even though Alexis pulls a spot of tsundere. Throw in a few dark secrets which create minor obstacles for the characters, and a mystery related to solving the illness of the pack leader’s father, and you’ve got the basics for what’s primarily a heated coming together between the two protagonists.

I’d have liked to have seen a little more depth in the world-building with this one. The setting is very much French/Alpine, yet the characters’ names and outlooks are all very much Americanised, which struck me as a little odd, because this was a prime opportunity to add extra dimension with an international flavour.

Moon Kissed brings the werewolf Severo into the up and until then relatively uneventful life of Bella, who’s passionate about dancing. Severo is very much the loner/alpha type, and Bella’s used to living according to her own terms – so to have this overbearing male insert himself into her world is quite an adjustment, to say the least, and a transition that is anything but smooth.

At times I found Severo’s alpha personality a bit too overbearing, and felt that Bella gave in to his attentions a tad bit too easily. [WARNING] Later, some of the sexual encounters went a bridge too far with my sensibilities when it comes to shifted werewolf-on-human intercourse. The fault most likely lies with the reader, but it honestly *did* make me uncomfortable.

If I have to compare the two books, I can see a definite improvement on Hauf’s early writing compared to her newer offering. A concern that I have with both novels, however, is that they’re a bit light on plot development but have to concede for what they are – erotic paranormal romance – that this in all likelihood wouldn’t provide a stumbling block for the target readership. Hauf has populated her world with a large cast of characters and has clearly put a lot of thought into the rules applying to her supernaturals. At times she could do with a bit more developmental editing but overall delivers a perfectly enjoyable paranormal tale for lovers of perennial favourites – vampires and werewolves.

Dom with a Safeword #review

Title: Dom with a Safeword
Authors: Cari Silverwood, Leia Shaw and Sorcha Black
Publisher: Wicked Cucumber, 2012

I’ll come clean from the start and say that I was a beta-reader for this novel, and loved every minute of it. Three authors might seem like a bit of a handful when it comes to writing one story, but Leia Shaw, Cari Silverwood and Sorcha Black certainly have chemistry and sparks in all the right places.

Although there were a few times where I did notice a bit of an unevenness in style, the ladies hold everything together masterfully. What I especially appreciated was the authenticity of the characters' voices. Each has a history, has hopes, aspirations. As readers, we walk with them on a path of self-discovery.

Jude must decide whether to follow in the footsteps of his father, and study medicine – and put an end to his somewhat bohemian lifestyle of renovating houses. Sabrina learns to step beyond her somewhat conservative upbringing and taste forbidden pleasures. Q’s dark past casts a shadow on her future happiness.

If you thought a couple had its complications, try a threesome – but this combination also tantalises the senses, and Jude, Sabrina and Q create a beautiful dynamic as they explore the boundaries of their relationship. Their interaction is an absolute treat to experience, and this is tempered also by a touching romantic subplot. The ladies have paid attention to detail to their setting and the support characters – and these small details help to cast their world into three dimensions.

I must make mention of the dialogue, and the instances where the characters to-and-fro comments made me smile. Another added quirk was Sabrina’s obsession with paranormal investigating, which added a fun, light-hearted angle, especially in the séance scene. I almost wanted there to be more of a mystery theme to the story, and further development of a narrative, but that would have driven this into the realms of a doorstopper, and not the hot, tasty bite this novel is.

The Dom with a Safeword is a sweet yet kinky read, and if this sort of stuff blows your hair back then I recommend this title whole-heartedly. Scorching hot at times, yet with a gentle touch. Perhaps what I appreciated about the novel in its totality is that the ladies kept it real. Jude, Sabrina and Q could be that curious trio living next door to you, while you had absolutely no idea what goes on behind closed doors.

Welcome to Cristal Ryder

Today I welcome Cristal Ryder, one of my fellow Lyrical Press authors, for a little Q&A. Welcome Cristal, and thank you for stopping by!

ND: Being Bound and Being Ariana have a venue that is central to both stories--the Black Phantom. Can you tell us more about this club?

CR: Black Phantom is a club that allows you to express your innermost desires, either by performing in front of a audience, or watching the performance. Back rooms are also available to take activities behind closed doors.

ND: How much research goes into creating your characters and setting? How do you bring across that ring of authenticity?

CR: Most of it was imagination. But I did talk to someone that lives the lifestyle so I could bring reality to the scene at the end of Being Bound and for a few other scenes in the book like the taxi ride and what Heather wears. There is a website I visit that gives me great ideas for clothing.

ND: Is there a favourite scene for each of these stories you'd care to share? Something that is pivotal to the main characters in each?

CR: In Being Ariana I think my favourite is when Ellie meets Rourke in real life and of course the last scene in Being Bound. No spoilers here!

ND: Which, of these two stories, had the most difficult scene to write, and why?

CR: I think it was the last scene in Being Bound. It had Rourke's POV and I'm not a guy so it was a challenge to bring his feelings forward realistically. To accomplish this I spoke with my guy :) to get his take on it and he gave some amazing insight.

ND: The temptation to slip a few real-life scenarios into a novel is always there for most authors. Are there any scenes from your own experience that you've reworked into your tales?

CR: Shhhhh :) I try to bring in feelings - like how would I feel if it were me. Actaully, what I will say is I'm writing an erotic horror right now that is based on actual events. Something I experienced years ago and it was very freaky.

In short:

Your favourite erotic read - Wow, so many. But It had to be my critique partner's 2nd book in her new line at Ellora's Cave. I believe the title will be Stone-Hard Love (not 100% sure) It had some HOT loving between and ogre and a Jinn.

Your sexiest song - quite a few. I used Leave Your Hat on in No Fantasy Required, when Kelly danced for Brian and Tauni.

Devilishly seductive food - this has me stumped. You can do so much with melted chocolate. And almost anything goes with wine.

Your dream location for a seduction - either a snowy mountain cabin ( like in my next EC release Elemental Heat) or a tropical lagoon, ringed in white sand and palm trees.

Your favourite perfume - I don't wear perfume but I adore Victoria's Secret Love Spell lotion.

Find Cristal at:

twitter @cristalryder

www.cristalryder.com

www.cristalryder.blogspot.com

facebook Cristal Ryder

Links

Lyrical Press

All Romance Ebooks

#Review: Giving up the Ghost by Melissa Ecker

Title: Giving up the Ghost

Author: Melissa Ecker

Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

Buy link

Fans of light paranormal romance should keep an eye out for Melissa Ecker. In Giving up the Ghost, she brings readers a warm and engaging tale about transcending deep, personal loss and finding love, despite great evil.

Kylie and Jackson have the kind of marriage one can dream of, and a beautiful daughter, Abby. A bright future lies ahead of them, or so it seems. A tragic accident changes all of that in a heartbeat, and Kylie finds herself in the unenviable position of widow and single mother.

All is not lost, however. Kylie has the support of her loving family, as well as Jackson’s best friend, Ryan, who steps into the breach. He’s never settled down and it’s while he spends time with Kylie and Abby, that he grows into the realisation that he wants more than just friendship, and that fatherhood appeals to him.

Unfortunately Kylie’s grief is still fresh, and her love for Jackson threatens to turn into an obsession as she hangs onto his memories. Symbols of this include his wedding ring, which she wears on a chain around her neck, or the fact that she goes to bed wearing one of his sweatshirts.

This fixation on her lost husband offers a malignant spirit—an incubus—the opportunity to latch onto Kylie and feed off her vitality. At first she welcomes this intrusion, confusing it with her husband’s spirit, but its presence in her life soon displays a darker side. Kylie begins to weaken physically and emotionally, and cut herself off from the ones closest to her.

In order to recover Kylie literally needs to give up the ghost that’s haunting her, and it’s touching to view her transformation from grief-stricken widow, into a radiant, confident woman, despite the grave danger in which she’s placed.

Stylistically I had a few quibbles with regard to the editing, which could have called for better layering and a tighter pace. Certain key scenes were a bit too short while others could have benefited from trimming, especially near the end where some of the tension could have been ratcheted up. I had some issues with regard to motivations, in that I felt Kylie’s and Ryan’s acceptance of supernatural events was a bit too convenient, but this did not detract much from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

Giving up the Ghost is, on the whole, a satisfying read within its genre, and if I had to highlight my favourite scene, it’s definitely the one where Kylie and Ryan make love out in the woods while it’s raining—incredibly sensual.

Mmm, 31 Flavors

Cari Silverwood is one of my favourite authors, and it's not just 'cos I'm her editor for her upcoming Lyrical Press release, Rough Surrender, but it's through our shared world of writing; I also consider her to be one of my closest friends.

Recently she co-authored a novel with Leia Shaw, entitled 31 Flavors, and I had the opportunity to proofread the story before it hit vendors' shelves. While BDSM erotica is not my primary choice in genre, much like any red-blooded female reader, I do appreciate a strong, narrative-driven erotica tale. 31 Flavors is one of those that totally gripped me. It's based on a true story and I found myself moved following Sid and Nick's tale of sexual awakening. This is a keeper and if you're curious about the BDSM erotica genre, this tale is a good starting point.

Recently, Silverwood told me, "Got an awesome bit of reader feedback: 'I just finished 31 Flavors and I just wanted to say that I loved it. In a way it was kind of hard for me to read because it so closely mirrors what the last year of my life has been like. I cried my eyes out when she was drunk and said she was sorry that she was so broken... I can't tell you how many times I have felt like that. The anxiety, tears, and struggle in the book was balanced with wonderful humor and such love. It was fabulous! Thank you both for writing such a great story. :)'"

Now isn't that something every author wants to hear from her readers?

But sometimes one needs a taste of the good stuff, so here's what the novel is about:

There are some things in life you have to try before you know how they will affect you.

After 5 years of awful sex, I was ready. Bondage and spanking had always featured in my fantasies, and one day, I convinced my husband to try them. That day was a turning point.

Ice cream comes in many flavors and that’s us too -- not vanilla, maybe not Rocky Road either. We can be a combination or make up our own and no one has the right to judge us.

But there will always be one question that tears at my soul: Will my husband, Nick, ever be happy with what I crave?

And here, for your reading pleasure, is an excerpt:

When he returns, he's carrying the coiled rope, the Throbbinator, and padded handcuffs.

"Remember you said something about shibari?"

"Uh-huh," I answer warily. I don't want to discourage him, but maybe I know more about it than he does? "Have you looked it up on the net?"

Nick tosses the handcuffs up the other end of the couch. "I can do knots. You know that. Just stand there. I have an idea."

Hm. This should be interesting. As the first loop goes around behind my waist, he kisses my shoulder, pulls me close using the rope and works his way up to my lips for a proper, thorough kiss – tongue shoved between my lips, my head pressed slowly backward by the force. Mmm, nice.

But, as soon as he breaks the kiss, my inquisitive, doubting nature makes me blurt, "You have to make sure the rope doesn't get too tight."

"Sid. Shh! Or do I need more cheesecake to stuff in your mouth? Let me work." He looks me over. "Maybe I should blindfold you."

"No! No blindfold. That'll make me all…" – I shudder – "squirrelly."

"Then shush."

When his attention goes back to his work, I stick out my tongue.

But then I remain quiet. I'm over the moon that he's trying. And he actually said he'd keep doing this – this BDSM stuff that he doesn't need. He's going to do it for me. I grin as he winds more rope around me. I watch him work. The top of his head is below me as he ties yet another knot then does a loop that goes beneath my breasts. I shut my eyes to appreciate the rough scrape on my skin.

A few minutes go past. I've sneaked a few peeks but managed to not interrupt, despite my curiosity.

"Hmm." The doubt in his tone makes me snap open my eyes.

"What?" There's a strange mess of rope around my middle that resembles a macramé session done by a shortsighted grandma who's lost her glasses. Then the rope wraps around each thigh and back around to my waist – almost like a harness. Are we going rappelling? "Nick!" I giggle. "What did you do?"

"Oh relax. I can get it off."

"I thought you looked up how to do this."

Still staring at the rope, he answers, "I looked at a few pictures."

"A few pictures?" I'm struggling now to get free. "You expect to be able to do a thousand year old Japanese technique after glancing at a few pictures?"

"I admit it didn't come out exactly like I planned." I laugh and he arches a brow. "Ideas, Miss Smarty Pants?"

"Anything's better than this mess." I think while Nick undoes everything far faster than he did them up. "Something simple. How about..." Having to imagine this then say it out loud is surprisingly arousing."How about you start with the halfway spot on the rope at the back of my neck, take it down between my breasts...then between my legs."

His brows shoot up. "Okay."

As I speak, he puts into practice what I suggest. Heat swirls and comes to life in my groin when the rope taps on my clit. I can't believe we're really doing this. Not fantasy, not just in my mind. My voice is whispery. "Then bring it up my back and tie my hands together there."

Odd, but as I watch the slide of his hands down my body as he guides the rope, and the way my words come true before my eyes, somehow weaves all this into something…almost magical.

Topping from the bottom? Who cares! I know each movement, each twist of the rope under his fingers, is done because he loves me. This is Nick's way. His type of poetry. Not words, not studying the art of BDSM until he knows it back-to-front...just making love to me in the way that excites me the very most.

* * * *

Like that? The entire story is filled with little incidents. Sometimes there is humor, sometimes tears. All in all, this is a thoroughly satisfying read and I can heartily recommend it.

Buy 31 Flavors at Amazon or Smashwords, or All Romance ebooks.

Useful links...

The 31 Flavors site

Leia’s site

Leia on facebook

Leia on Twitter @LeiaShaw

Cari’s site

Cari on facebook

Cari on Twitter @CariSilverwood

News of a contest from Lyrical Press

The First Annual Lyrical Press How Lyrical is Your Romance? Contest opens on Monday, January 16th. This contest is open to both published and unpublished authors.

Entries must be complete works, ranging in word count between 15,000-100,000 words, any heat level, and fit into one of the following subgenre categories:

Contemporary romance

Historical romance

Paranormal or urban fantasy romance

Romantic steampunk

Romantic Suspense

Prizes:

1st Place: $200 advance and digital publishing contract (advance payable as $100 upon finalized contract and $100 upon publication).

2nd Place: $100 advance and digital publishing contract (advance payable as $50 upon finalized contract and $50 upon publication).

3rd Place: Top-scoring contestant in each genre category will receive an acquiring editor’s critique of synopsis and first 50 pages of manuscript.

Guidelines:

File type: .rtf, .doc, or .docx only

12pt black font (Times New Roman, Cambria, Courier or Georgia preferred)

Line spacing: 1.5

Margins: 1" all

Page-breaks between chapters

Please include a title page listing the following information:

Legal name

Pen name

Email address

Contact phone

Working title (include series name and details if applicable)

Word count

Genre/category

Entries will be accepted from January 16, 2012 through February 5, 2012, and must be emailed to contest@lyricalpress.com. Entries sent to an email other than the aforementioned will be ignored. Please include book title and contest in subject line thusly: Booktitle – How Lyrical Is Your Romance?. Attach full manuscript, and 2-5 page synopsis in .rtf, .doc, or .docx format (Booktitle_MS and Booktitle_SYN as file names--your book title replaces “Booktitle”). After February 5, the contest will close, but we’ll still be accepting submissions as always at our submissions@lyricalpress.com address.

No entry fee required. Judges reserve the right to Decline to Judge any entry if it does not fit our lines, level of writing is not acceptable, or submission guidelines are not followed.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria: Hook, Pacing/Plot, Characterization, Dialogue, Mechanics, and Author Voice.

Winners will be announced on March 12, 2012 via our blog http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com/ and direct emails to winners.