Saskia Walker's Blog, page 130
June 3, 2014
Calling UK erotica fans and writers: Smutty fun by the Sea in Scarborough, coming soon!
Smut by the Sea on the 14thJune is the second time the smutters have taken over Scarborough library. Last Summer we had a fabulous time check out the photos and blogs here http://smutbythesea.co.uk/news/scarborough-2013/ and this year we’ve got even more for you to enjoy.Sessions from bestselling authors Victoria Blisse, KD Grace and Lucy Felthouseon different aspects of erotic writing set you up in the morning. Start with inspiration with Victoria, then KD Grace helps you write better erotica by finessing sex. The last workshop of the day gives you the tools you need to wow editors and get your stories accepted and will be led by Lucy Felthouse.
After a free lunch (oh yes, such a thing exists!) we’ll be enjoying the Reading Slam, short, sexy snippets from some of the smutty authors in attendance. You’ll get tasters of some of the best erotica and erotic romance in the country and their books will be available to purchase at the book stall too.
All day you’ll be able to browse the stalls in the side room, check out Steph’s Ann Summer’s goodies, hot books from attending authors or pick something unique up from our craft stall. Then of course you’ll want to have a go on our unique erotic tombola – the prizes are truly thrilling!
Ticketsare selling fast, but there are some left. So what are you waiting for? Join us for lots of smut and laughter at Scarborough library on the 14th June from 9.30am.
Quotes from last year’s Smut by the Sea Attendees:“In between the readings there was another key component that made SBTS such a fantastic experience, and that was the chance to chat, to share ideas, to meet people face-to-face who we had only ever talked to online before and to discover that they were just as amazing face-to-face as they are on social media.” KD Grace“For an amateur erotica author and long-time consumer of smut, the day was a perfect mix of readings, more formal Q&A but also the chance to mingle with all the participants and ask questions. I was blown away by how friendly everyone was, and how much advice I was given.” Anna Sky
“So, lovely people, smut, PVC, fish and chips and ice cream – how good a day is that?!!” Slave Nano
May 5, 2014
Out now: THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR (erotic romance, BDSM)
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR is now available worldwide via Amazon! This novel is a contemporary BDSM erotic romance set in London and Oxfordshire. The protagonists, Carmen and Rex, are a couple who have history, complications, and a silent, obsessive attraction that just won't go away! I've posted the official blurb and a teaser below, together with buy links.
There are three covers so far, the first is US cover, 2nd is the UK version and the one with the white background is the Australian cover. An Italian translation is in the works.
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR Cover copy:
A legendary family estate.
A mutual longing.
A bargain struck.
Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her—the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender. There can be only one winner...
Excerpt:Carmen was the one who’d got away. Not anymore. Circumstances had got in the way but now the little bird had fluttered back to him, and he was determined to see her relinquish that fiercely held mask of independence she wore and admit the desire that had existed between them for so long.“This is a ludicrous situation.” She stood up, throwing the napkin she’d had clutched in her hand down onto the table. As she turned and headed for the door, he rose to his feet and put his hand out in her path, easily halting her in her tracks as she broke for the door.A warning flashed in her eyes. She trembled visibly.“Easy,” he urged, and drew her in against him.For a moment she kept her eyes lowered, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him, but he could see the pulse at the base for throat was beating wildly, her breasts rising and falling rapidly beneath her dress.Her eyelids flashed up, and she stared at him boldly. “Rex, please don’t.”“Why not?”She shook her head. She didn’t try to break free, though, and it felt good to have his hands on her. She stared up at him, her dark eyes luminescent. So enticing. When her lips parted, he bent his head to kiss her.At first she stiffened, and her mouth remained immobile beneath his. The resistance was momentary, though, and he felt her soften in his embrace, her lips parting beneath his.That barrier breached, Rex’s hunger for her flared. Too long he’d waited for this, wanting her, and now he had her. He locked one hand on her waist. With the other he cupped the back of her head as he kissed her deeply.Carmen’s hands went to his chest, but they fisted there. Even while she opened her mouth to take his tongue she pressed hard against him with those fists and moaned her resistance into his mouth.Her hair was soft and silky in his fingers, while the curve of her waist made his hands ache to rove over her, to outline her every curve. He wanted to explore, touch and taste every part of her.As the kiss deepened, her body trembled—which only made his grip on her tighten. He wanted to keep his little bird, win her trust and make her sing out with pleasure.First she was warm and supple in relinquishment, and then she was all fire and brimstone in his arms, clutching at his shirt with eager hands and arching her body to his.He moaned his pleasure aloud.She froze and drew back, breaking the kiss.Desire pounded at the base of his spine, his cock semirisen as his body readied to get closer still.“Why not?” He repeated his question.“I can’t. I can’t sell myself, least of all to you.” She turned her face away.He shifted, lowering his head to kiss the soft skin exposed beneath her ear when her hair fell back. As his lips made contact with the warm surface, she moaned and shifted in his arms.“You want to do this. We both want to do this. We wanted to do it back then, we want it now. That situation’s not going to end until we have each other.”She shook her head but he could see the truth in her eyes, the repressed emotion and the obsessive desire that he was certain mirrored his own. Carmen had always had the most expressive eyes. It was one of the many things that drew him to her. He felt as if a lifetime of experiences and sensations were offered to him, just by looking into those eyes of hers. His most abiding desire was to be doing that very thing while he brought her to orgasm. Repeatedly.He continued to soothe her with his hands. “I can’t think of a single reason not to.”“I can. Bloody hell, Rex. I have my pride.” She tugged free of his grip and stared at him wildly.The desire that he’d harbored for this woman belted through him with a fury in the face of her denial. He had to have her. He ached for the sweetness she possessed. Reckoning with himself, he tried to keep his cool, he didn’t want to frighten her. She would relinquish, he knew she would. She was as programmed for this as he was, but the bitter sweetness of her resistance threatened to turn him into a Neanderthal. “What about that time in the conservatory? You wanted me then, didn’t you?”She eyed him disbelievingly.Tension ratcheted between them.A red flash flared across her cheekbones. She shook her head, denying him. “We were stoned. You brought that potent stuff from university and I’d never had anything like it.”He shrugged. “True enough. It got rid of a few inhibitions for sure, but what was left behind, hmm? The honest to God truth of what we were to each other, what we still are.”Her eyes squeezed shut. “No!”“No? You weren’t thinking ‘no’ when you were on your back and pulling me over you.”She turned her face away and wrapped her arms around herself.Was it distress, or embarrassment? He had to know. “No, there’s no escape from that day, is there?” Obviously she couldn’t deny it, so he said it aloud. “Let’s see if I can recall…ah, yes. ‘I want you, Rex,’ that’s what you said.”“That was then,” she shot back. “I was a stupid teenager with a crush on you.” She glared at him as if she hated him for pulling that moment apart. “I’ve come to my senses since then.”If she’d come to her senses, then what was this about—the trembling, the barely held sexual desire he saw in her? Rex resisted the urge to argue that point some more and got serious instead. “Oh, come now, Carmen, can you honestly say it’s gone away?”He closed on her, cupped her jaw, forcing her to look him in the eye.She did so, stubbornly, but she didn’t say a word.His hand slid down her throat and, when it did, her eyelids lowered and her head tipped back.That action—so simple, so telling—triggered something inside him.With his free hand he captured both her wrists together and locked her hands to his chest.She whimpered and looked at him from under heavy lids.“You can’t deny it, can you?” He laughed softly, his libido sensing victory. “And you like this.” He tightened his grip on her wrists, lifting them easily so that her arms were clearly in his grasp. “This makes it even more tempting for you, doesn’t it?”Her eyes rolled and a low moan emitted from deep in her throat. It sounded earthy, primal, and Rex mirrored those reactions. Gone was the ladylike front, her cool exterior.“Not tempting,” she retorted in a low warning tone, “easier.”He cocked his head, curious.She flashed her eyes at him. “The way you hold me makes this easier to do.”It was resentful, but it was consent.Victory.
Download it here:Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/lfgpykqHarlequin books: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=51765(only $3.99 direct!)Mills and Boon in the UK: http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/the-burlington-manor-affair
Harlequin Australia: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/product/9781488713934 (due 1st June)
There are three covers so far, the first is US cover, 2nd is the UK version and the one with the white background is the Australian cover. An Italian translation is in the works.
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR Cover copy:
A legendary family estate.
A mutual longing.
A bargain struck.
Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her—the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender. There can be only one winner...
Excerpt:Carmen was the one who’d got away. Not anymore. Circumstances had got in the way but now the little bird had fluttered back to him, and he was determined to see her relinquish that fiercely held mask of independence she wore and admit the desire that had existed between them for so long.“This is a ludicrous situation.” She stood up, throwing the napkin she’d had clutched in her hand down onto the table. As she turned and headed for the door, he rose to his feet and put his hand out in her path, easily halting her in her tracks as she broke for the door.A warning flashed in her eyes. She trembled visibly.“Easy,” he urged, and drew her in against him.For a moment she kept her eyes lowered, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him, but he could see the pulse at the base for throat was beating wildly, her breasts rising and falling rapidly beneath her dress.Her eyelids flashed up, and she stared at him boldly. “Rex, please don’t.”“Why not?”She shook her head. She didn’t try to break free, though, and it felt good to have his hands on her. She stared up at him, her dark eyes luminescent. So enticing. When her lips parted, he bent his head to kiss her.At first she stiffened, and her mouth remained immobile beneath his. The resistance was momentary, though, and he felt her soften in his embrace, her lips parting beneath his.That barrier breached, Rex’s hunger for her flared. Too long he’d waited for this, wanting her, and now he had her. He locked one hand on her waist. With the other he cupped the back of her head as he kissed her deeply.Carmen’s hands went to his chest, but they fisted there. Even while she opened her mouth to take his tongue she pressed hard against him with those fists and moaned her resistance into his mouth.Her hair was soft and silky in his fingers, while the curve of her waist made his hands ache to rove over her, to outline her every curve. He wanted to explore, touch and taste every part of her.As the kiss deepened, her body trembled—which only made his grip on her tighten. He wanted to keep his little bird, win her trust and make her sing out with pleasure.First she was warm and supple in relinquishment, and then she was all fire and brimstone in his arms, clutching at his shirt with eager hands and arching her body to his.He moaned his pleasure aloud.She froze and drew back, breaking the kiss.Desire pounded at the base of his spine, his cock semirisen as his body readied to get closer still.“Why not?” He repeated his question.“I can’t. I can’t sell myself, least of all to you.” She turned her face away.He shifted, lowering his head to kiss the soft skin exposed beneath her ear when her hair fell back. As his lips made contact with the warm surface, she moaned and shifted in his arms.“You want to do this. We both want to do this. We wanted to do it back then, we want it now. That situation’s not going to end until we have each other.”She shook her head but he could see the truth in her eyes, the repressed emotion and the obsessive desire that he was certain mirrored his own. Carmen had always had the most expressive eyes. It was one of the many things that drew him to her. He felt as if a lifetime of experiences and sensations were offered to him, just by looking into those eyes of hers. His most abiding desire was to be doing that very thing while he brought her to orgasm. Repeatedly.He continued to soothe her with his hands. “I can’t think of a single reason not to.”“I can. Bloody hell, Rex. I have my pride.” She tugged free of his grip and stared at him wildly.The desire that he’d harbored for this woman belted through him with a fury in the face of her denial. He had to have her. He ached for the sweetness she possessed. Reckoning with himself, he tried to keep his cool, he didn’t want to frighten her. She would relinquish, he knew she would. She was as programmed for this as he was, but the bitter sweetness of her resistance threatened to turn him into a Neanderthal. “What about that time in the conservatory? You wanted me then, didn’t you?”She eyed him disbelievingly.Tension ratcheted between them.A red flash flared across her cheekbones. She shook her head, denying him. “We were stoned. You brought that potent stuff from university and I’d never had anything like it.”He shrugged. “True enough. It got rid of a few inhibitions for sure, but what was left behind, hmm? The honest to God truth of what we were to each other, what we still are.”Her eyes squeezed shut. “No!”“No? You weren’t thinking ‘no’ when you were on your back and pulling me over you.”She turned her face away and wrapped her arms around herself.Was it distress, or embarrassment? He had to know. “No, there’s no escape from that day, is there?” Obviously she couldn’t deny it, so he said it aloud. “Let’s see if I can recall…ah, yes. ‘I want you, Rex,’ that’s what you said.”“That was then,” she shot back. “I was a stupid teenager with a crush on you.” She glared at him as if she hated him for pulling that moment apart. “I’ve come to my senses since then.”If she’d come to her senses, then what was this about—the trembling, the barely held sexual desire he saw in her? Rex resisted the urge to argue that point some more and got serious instead. “Oh, come now, Carmen, can you honestly say it’s gone away?”He closed on her, cupped her jaw, forcing her to look him in the eye.She did so, stubbornly, but she didn’t say a word.His hand slid down her throat and, when it did, her eyelids lowered and her head tipped back.That action—so simple, so telling—triggered something inside him.With his free hand he captured both her wrists together and locked her hands to his chest.She whimpered and looked at him from under heavy lids.“You can’t deny it, can you?” He laughed softly, his libido sensing victory. “And you like this.” He tightened his grip on her wrists, lifting them easily so that her arms were clearly in his grasp. “This makes it even more tempting for you, doesn’t it?”Her eyes rolled and a low moan emitted from deep in her throat. It sounded earthy, primal, and Rex mirrored those reactions. Gone was the ladylike front, her cool exterior.“Not tempting,” she retorted in a low warning tone, “easier.”He cocked his head, curious.She flashed her eyes at him. “The way you hold me makes this easier to do.”It was resentful, but it was consent.Victory.
Download it here:Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/lfgpykqHarlequin books: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=51765(only $3.99 direct!)Mills and Boon in the UK: http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/the-burlington-manor-affair
Harlequin Australia: http://www.harlequinbooks.com.au/product/9781488713934 (due 1st June)
April 9, 2014
April 8, 2014
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR: out in the UK, on preorder worldwide
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR is officially due out on May 1st and is now available through the M&B site in the UK and on preorder worldwide. So, what's the story about? :)
I pitched this novel to my editors as an erotic War of the Roses (the movie, not the historical events ;) with an Agatha Christie-esque subplot. You know me, I always got to have a little suspense in there. :)
The novel is a big contemporary BDSM erotic romance set in London and Oxfordshire. The protagonists, Carmen and Rex, are a couple who have history. They first met when their parents married, back when Rex and Carmen were teenagers. They were expected to play brother and sister, which didn't exactly work out too well. They are now adults and at odds over the manor house that has been left to them.
Rex and Carmen were forbidden... as teenagers, and there is a lot of desire and conflict between them as a result of their history, and other events in the family. So what happens when they meet again after several years?
As the story commences a will splits the Burlington Manor estate between them. As far as Rex is concerned Carmen was the one who got away... He sees this battle ground over the estate as the perfect opportunity to pursue her. Rex is a playboy and a tease and a complete charmer.
Carmen is a business woman now and expects to be able to buy the house out from Rex - who has never shown any interest in it. She's incensed when he offers it to her free of charge in exchange for two weeks together in the house, during which time he can have her--sexually, any way he wants. The idea is shocking to Carmen, but incredibly arousing. She attempts to resist the intense desire that flares at his suggestion. When Rex points out he can see how turned on she is, that only torments her. How long can she deny it? Well.. he's a total hottie, and he's a natural born Master, so not too long at all, I bet. :o)
I've posted the official blurb, together with pre order links - the Stateside publishers have put it out at some great advance prices, especially considering this one is a big novel at over 100,000 words. And if you're a UK reader you can download it right now from the UK Mills and Boon site
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR Cover copy:
A legendary family estate.
A mutual longing.
A bargain struck.
Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her—the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender. There can be only one winner...
Preorder links:Amazon.com
Amazon UKHarlequin books (only $3.99 advance order price!)And out now at Mills and Boon in the UK
and from Amazon worldwide!
I'm so excited about this book coming out! I *love* this couple and their story. It's been in the pipeline a while. If you read it I hope you enjoy! :)
April 6, 2014
Free Kindle download until Thursday: FAYE'S SPIRIT
My novel FAYE'S SPIRIT has a new cover and it's free on kindle (worldwide) for the next 5 days. Enjoy! (and please share the links if you can :) Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Aus
One outrageous weekend with two men, that's what Faye Evans dreams of, but when she meets Jai and Garth -- and their live in ghost -- she gets much more than she bargained for.
Faye Evans is a woman on a mission. Both her older sisters have had ménage a trois relationships and now Faye too harbours a desire to sample the pleasures of two men, if only for a single wild weekend. The opportunity arises when architect Garth Connor calls her in to investigate the ghostly presence in his business premises. Both Garth and his business partner, Jai Nilson, are gorgeous hunks, and Faye can't help being attracted to them.
Garth and Jai are friends and colleagues but their relationship is competitive. When the mischievous ghost medium walks into their life and shows interests in them both, the edge between them sharpens. While Jai often walks on the wild side, Garth has never shared a woman before, but his desire for Faye makes him rise to the challenge. Especially when Jai quickly picks up on Faye's secret wishes and pushes things along, orchestrating their interactions until the simmering eroticism between them demands hardcore action.
But Faye's fling isn't as straightforward as she'd anticipated. She soon worries that she's endangered Garth and Jai's friendship by getting involved, and even more so when the shadow of a secret, long held grudge between the two men falls over their threesome and their growing affection. To top it all, dealing with the resident ghost only adds to the emotional entanglement, making Faye feel she wants to end it and run. But are Garth and Jai about to let her get away?
One outrageous weekend with two men, that's what Faye Evans dreams of, but when she meets Jai and Garth -- and their live in ghost -- she gets much more than she bargained for.
Faye Evans is a woman on a mission. Both her older sisters have had ménage a trois relationships and now Faye too harbours a desire to sample the pleasures of two men, if only for a single wild weekend. The opportunity arises when architect Garth Connor calls her in to investigate the ghostly presence in his business premises. Both Garth and his business partner, Jai Nilson, are gorgeous hunks, and Faye can't help being attracted to them.
Garth and Jai are friends and colleagues but their relationship is competitive. When the mischievous ghost medium walks into their life and shows interests in them both, the edge between them sharpens. While Jai often walks on the wild side, Garth has never shared a woman before, but his desire for Faye makes him rise to the challenge. Especially when Jai quickly picks up on Faye's secret wishes and pushes things along, orchestrating their interactions until the simmering eroticism between them demands hardcore action.
But Faye's fling isn't as straightforward as she'd anticipated. She soon worries that she's endangered Garth and Jai's friendship by getting involved, and even more so when the shadow of a secret, long held grudge between the two men falls over their threesome and their growing affection. To top it all, dealing with the resident ghost only adds to the emotional entanglement, making Faye feel she wants to end it and run. But are Garth and Jai about to let her get away?
Reader Advisory: This book contains explicit sexuality and MFM scenes. This title has been previously published with a different cover.
April 1, 2014
Cover chat
I have some bits and pieces to share over the next few weeks.
First up, this is the new cover for FAYE'S SPIRIT, which will be re-released shortly. Mmmnnnnpurr. This one is another Frauke Spanuth Croco design, and I love it. Makes me purr. :} Makes me want to step into the scene too.... lol!
And here's another one worth taking a look at. I was absolutely delighted when I caught sight of this one! This is the Spanish translation of THE HARLOT. I love the covers we've had for the novel already, but this one really grabbed me. It's the clever use of the single iconic image on black -- in the recent trend -- but so clever and poignant because it's the pile of coins that lock Jessie and Gregor together long enough for them to fall in love (and exorcise a few demons along the way! :)
More news on FAYE'S SPIRIT very soon!
First up, this is the new cover for FAYE'S SPIRIT, which will be re-released shortly. Mmmnnnnpurr. This one is another Frauke Spanuth Croco design, and I love it. Makes me purr. :} Makes me want to step into the scene too.... lol!
And here's another one worth taking a look at. I was absolutely delighted when I caught sight of this one! This is the Spanish translation of THE HARLOT. I love the covers we've had for the novel already, but this one really grabbed me. It's the clever use of the single iconic image on black -- in the recent trend -- but so clever and poignant because it's the pile of coins that lock Jessie and Gregor together long enough for them to fall in love (and exorcise a few demons along the way! :)
"It is a Dark Era, one when a lusty lass will do what she must to survive. Even if it means bartering flesh for a palmful of coins."
More news on FAYE'S SPIRIT very soon!
March 8, 2014
Calling reviewers:THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR is now on netgalley
Calling reader/reviewers, my forthcoming novel THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR is now available for review request on netgalley. Find the title here. https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/show/id/44454
At the time of writing this no details have been posted other than the cover, so I've included them (plus an excerpt!) below.
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR a contemporary erotic romance, will be published by HQN books, May 2014. ISBN: 0373778627
A legendary family estate.A mutual longing.A bargain struck.Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her — the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender.
There can be only one winner….
EXCERPT:
Before she reached the end of the hallway Rex overtook her and blocked her path. "Come now, we haven't even finished negotiating."Clinging on to that hope, she met his stare. "Oh, so you're suddenly willing to negotiate, now that I'm walking away?"He rested one hand on the wall by her head, caging her in.Glancing past his arm, she gauged the distance to the front door."Carmen, be reasonable. I didn't want to air all my private thoughts in front of the family solicitor." That seemed rational, which put her earlier misgivings under the spotlight. Why did he unnerve her so?"Okay, spit it out. What's the deal?""The deal is this... I'd really like us to spend some quality time together.""Rex, please. Stop messing around." She gave him her best warning glance. "Email me when you want to talk sense." She attempted to shift past his arm, but he moved closer still, locking her in against the wall of the corridor with the bulk of his body. Her skin tingled, her senses responding wildly to his proximity."Let me pass.""Not until you agree to hear out my terms."She threw him a querying glance."You want Burlington Manor,” he continued. “I don't. We can come to a mutually satisfying arrangement."She tried not to react too overtly and met his gaze steadily while she waited for him to explain himself.Rex gave an exaggerated sigh. "You've changed, Carmen, you're so stern and business like." He moved one hand and ran his finger down the length of her neck.Arousal surged through her. The way he touched her was so suggestive. It made the pulse in her groin thud wildly."Maybe some time chilling out at Burlington with me would do you good."
Bastard. He was winding her up. This was just a game to him."I want to buy you out," she repeated. "When you're ready to discuss it get in touch with me." She ducked under his arm and darted out the door and down the steps outside, heading across the pavement to where her Mini was parked on the street.Rex strode along at her side.He was determined. That rattled her even more.Opening her bag, she snatched her keys. He reached out and clasped her wrist, drawing her to a sharp halt as she reached the car door."Let me go." She uttered the words as authoritatively as she could, given that her whole body was instantly hot because of his strong fingers locked around her wrist.Rex didn't let her go. Instead, he backed her against the side of her car. "Not until you consider my offer.""Offer? What offer?" Her attention sharpened. She was already convinced he didn't want the house. Perhaps he needed the settlement to keep his company afloat. Maybe there was a chance for her to claim it, after all. Then he pressed closer still, so that his body covered hers, hard, virile and demanding. The feel of him stole her breath away.A woman walked past and she tutted loudly as she peered at them. She had a glamorous Saluki hound on a leash. Carmen ignored the woman and the hound as best she could, praying to god it wasn't somebody who knew her. She had a reputation to keep. Unlike her assailant who'd done everything he could to destroy his reputation over the years.Rex ran one finger down the side of her face, lifting her hair free of her cheek. "I like your hair this way," he said, running it through his fingers as he admired it. "The last time I saw you it was different." He locked eyes with her. "Don't you think it would be interesting, the pair of us, together and alone, up at the house?""No." She blurted it out, and then wished she hadn't. He'd always had the upper hand, teasing her when she was gauche and vulnerable.Undeterred, he moved his hands, embracing her around the waist.Even through her suit the pressure of his grip made her legs weak. When she was seventeen and he'd been home for Christmas, she'd longed for him to hold her this way. Instead, he teased her relentlessly—making her horribly aware of her fragile confidence—and then he'd seduced one of her friends. That had hurt. If he'd held her like this back then, instead of Amanda, it would have been a dream come true. Now...now it got her back up and made her angry. He was asserting his power over her because he was a man who assumed he could toy with people for his own entertainment.The aroma of his cologne hit her and the insistent presence of his body against hers made her falter as she spoke. "Rex, stop playing games. If you're going to make an offer, please do so."He seemed so much more in control than she was, and his mouth was now set in a determined line. "Two weeks," he stated, definitively. "We live together at the house for two weeks, and then you can have it.""Live together?" It had to be a joke.Besides, why did he even want that? He'd never wanted to be at the house. There was more to it, there had to be. It couldn't be as simple as that. She stared up at him and his intense blue eyes were so vivid they seemed to burn into her. "How much do you want for your share?"A slow smile spread across his face, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at her, looking at her lips as if he was about to devour them. "I don't want money."Lord, he was more irritating than ever.Then he moved his hands higher, and squeezed the underside of her breasts. Carmen couldn't stifle her gasp. His touch knew no bounds, no protocol. It was breathtaking.He licked his lips. "But I want it all, for two weeks."Confusion gripped her. "All? How much?""No financial exchange. Just you," he locked eyes with her, "in my bed, refusing me nothing."In his bed?Carmen stared up at him, shocked to the core. The man would do anything for a thrill. And yet—even though she was appalled by his proposal—a deep part of her responded to it. In his bed? Images flashed through her mind, images of them, naked and locked together in fierce passion. Desire flooded her. Fighting the rising tide back, she shook her head, attempting to move aside.That was futile. He wasn't letting her go anywhere."Surely you can't be serious?" she blurted."Ah, but I am, entirely so." As if to emphasize his point, he moved one hand inside her jacket, where he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple.The only barrier between his skin and hers was her shirt and the sheer lace bra she wore beneath it. Her nipple knotted and tingled. Carmen had to swallow hard to steady herself. Her emotions were in chaos, and her trust in her body and its responses was fast waning. "So, you think that you can have any woman you want, is that it?""Not necessarily. But I want you, and you want the house. I see this as the perfect opportunity for us both to get what we want." His voice was husky, his message insistent.Carmen was totally unable to respond. At her back the hard surface of the car was the only thing holding her up."Come on, why deny it now?" The lust in his eyes was tempered by humor. "I touched you like this before and you liked it then. It was in the conservatory. I haven't forgotten, have you?"Carmen's eyelids fluttered down, but her attempt to deny the images that assailed her was futile. They were scored on her memory, relived many times. She'd been seventeen at the time and he was back from University in Oxford. He'd been flirting with her in the conservatory, where she used to hang out and read, and then out of the blue she found herself in his arms and they were kissing. Their lust unleashed was dangerous, moving like wild fire. In hungry, eager embraces they'd almost gone all the way. Thankfully a noise from the house had broken them up."I was young and easily led and I won't be played with again— and certainly not on some ridiculous promise of ownership of the house.""I give you my word. In fact I can have Chris make up a contract if you don't trust me to deliver the goods after you have...served up your side of the bargain."Carmen was stunned. Even though she knew him—and she'd spent days trying to figure every possible outcome from this meeting—this eventuality had never figured in her thoughts. "The whole suggestion is outrageous. I don't intend to humor you in any way.""Why? I'm only asking for two weeks of your time, for the Manor. Outright."What surprised her more—that he claimed he still wanted her, or that he knew she wanted the house so much? She wasn't sure. What she did know was that she despised him for putting her in this position, and even more than that she despised herself for considering the idea.His hand on her breasts felt good though, and she hadn't pushed him away, hadn't been able to. That old sense of longing had risen up inside her, a simmering fire that she thought she had quashed long ago. She forced it back, refusing to let him take charge of her.It wasn't easy, but fury had its call on her too. She turned her face away and stared at the lines of the windows and pillars of the building they had just left, taking strength from the symmetry of it as she struggled for reason. The house, she wanted the house."Give it some thought." He brushed his thumb over her erect nipple one more time before removing his hand. "Come to the house this weekend, we'll take it from there."Perhaps it would be good for her to spend time at the house with him, for closure. Perhaps it would kill off all those idiotic teenage fantasies she'd had once and for all.Or joining him there could be the biggest mistake of my life."I'll come to discuss the deal, but you can't force me to sleep with you."He cocked his head to the side and smiled, apparently amused.She shook her head, denying it, one hand covering her mouth in case she said the wrong thing."Two weeks of your company is all I ask. Then Burlington Manor is all yours."Carmen clung to what logical thought remained. It was hard to do so. "Even if I wanted to, I can't just take two weeks away from my business to play house with you.""Weekends it is then." He stepped away and glanced at his watch, suddenly businesslike. "If you're in agreement, make arrangements to be away from Londonfor the next four weekends. Our time together will begin on Friday evening."His arrogance was infuriating. The fact it was also a massive turn on angered her even more. How was it that he could push her buttons so easily? He was so self-assured, so knowing, while she clung to the side of the car, filled with torrid imaginings and confused thoughts and needs. Her blood pumped hard, her pulse wildly erratic. She glared at him, hating him for his power and for his ability to suggest such an outrageous bargain. "You bastard, you know I want the house but that doesn't mean you can just buy me.""Consider this, if you don't agree...well, if you don't agree we'll have to share the house...forever." With that final comment he inclined his head and then strolled back up the steps into Montague's office, leaving her standing there with one hand gripping the car to hold her up—her clothes awry, her body awash with heat, her heart thundering in her chest.
At the time of writing this no details have been posted other than the cover, so I've included them (plus an excerpt!) below.
THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR a contemporary erotic romance, will be published by HQN books, May 2014. ISBN: 0373778627
A legendary family estate.A mutual longing.A bargain struck.Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her — the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender.
There can be only one winner….
EXCERPT:
Before she reached the end of the hallway Rex overtook her and blocked her path. "Come now, we haven't even finished negotiating."Clinging on to that hope, she met his stare. "Oh, so you're suddenly willing to negotiate, now that I'm walking away?"He rested one hand on the wall by her head, caging her in.Glancing past his arm, she gauged the distance to the front door."Carmen, be reasonable. I didn't want to air all my private thoughts in front of the family solicitor." That seemed rational, which put her earlier misgivings under the spotlight. Why did he unnerve her so?"Okay, spit it out. What's the deal?""The deal is this... I'd really like us to spend some quality time together.""Rex, please. Stop messing around." She gave him her best warning glance. "Email me when you want to talk sense." She attempted to shift past his arm, but he moved closer still, locking her in against the wall of the corridor with the bulk of his body. Her skin tingled, her senses responding wildly to his proximity."Let me pass.""Not until you agree to hear out my terms."She threw him a querying glance."You want Burlington Manor,” he continued. “I don't. We can come to a mutually satisfying arrangement."She tried not to react too overtly and met his gaze steadily while she waited for him to explain himself.Rex gave an exaggerated sigh. "You've changed, Carmen, you're so stern and business like." He moved one hand and ran his finger down the length of her neck.Arousal surged through her. The way he touched her was so suggestive. It made the pulse in her groin thud wildly."Maybe some time chilling out at Burlington with me would do you good."Bastard. He was winding her up. This was just a game to him."I want to buy you out," she repeated. "When you're ready to discuss it get in touch with me." She ducked under his arm and darted out the door and down the steps outside, heading across the pavement to where her Mini was parked on the street.Rex strode along at her side.He was determined. That rattled her even more.Opening her bag, she snatched her keys. He reached out and clasped her wrist, drawing her to a sharp halt as she reached the car door."Let me go." She uttered the words as authoritatively as she could, given that her whole body was instantly hot because of his strong fingers locked around her wrist.Rex didn't let her go. Instead, he backed her against the side of her car. "Not until you consider my offer.""Offer? What offer?" Her attention sharpened. She was already convinced he didn't want the house. Perhaps he needed the settlement to keep his company afloat. Maybe there was a chance for her to claim it, after all. Then he pressed closer still, so that his body covered hers, hard, virile and demanding. The feel of him stole her breath away.A woman walked past and she tutted loudly as she peered at them. She had a glamorous Saluki hound on a leash. Carmen ignored the woman and the hound as best she could, praying to god it wasn't somebody who knew her. She had a reputation to keep. Unlike her assailant who'd done everything he could to destroy his reputation over the years.Rex ran one finger down the side of her face, lifting her hair free of her cheek. "I like your hair this way," he said, running it through his fingers as he admired it. "The last time I saw you it was different." He locked eyes with her. "Don't you think it would be interesting, the pair of us, together and alone, up at the house?""No." She blurted it out, and then wished she hadn't. He'd always had the upper hand, teasing her when she was gauche and vulnerable.Undeterred, he moved his hands, embracing her around the waist.Even through her suit the pressure of his grip made her legs weak. When she was seventeen and he'd been home for Christmas, she'd longed for him to hold her this way. Instead, he teased her relentlessly—making her horribly aware of her fragile confidence—and then he'd seduced one of her friends. That had hurt. If he'd held her like this back then, instead of Amanda, it would have been a dream come true. Now...now it got her back up and made her angry. He was asserting his power over her because he was a man who assumed he could toy with people for his own entertainment.The aroma of his cologne hit her and the insistent presence of his body against hers made her falter as she spoke. "Rex, stop playing games. If you're going to make an offer, please do so."He seemed so much more in control than she was, and his mouth was now set in a determined line. "Two weeks," he stated, definitively. "We live together at the house for two weeks, and then you can have it.""Live together?" It had to be a joke.Besides, why did he even want that? He'd never wanted to be at the house. There was more to it, there had to be. It couldn't be as simple as that. She stared up at him and his intense blue eyes were so vivid they seemed to burn into her. "How much do you want for your share?"A slow smile spread across his face, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at her, looking at her lips as if he was about to devour them. "I don't want money."Lord, he was more irritating than ever.Then he moved his hands higher, and squeezed the underside of her breasts. Carmen couldn't stifle her gasp. His touch knew no bounds, no protocol. It was breathtaking.He licked his lips. "But I want it all, for two weeks."Confusion gripped her. "All? How much?""No financial exchange. Just you," he locked eyes with her, "in my bed, refusing me nothing."In his bed?Carmen stared up at him, shocked to the core. The man would do anything for a thrill. And yet—even though she was appalled by his proposal—a deep part of her responded to it. In his bed? Images flashed through her mind, images of them, naked and locked together in fierce passion. Desire flooded her. Fighting the rising tide back, she shook her head, attempting to move aside.That was futile. He wasn't letting her go anywhere."Surely you can't be serious?" she blurted."Ah, but I am, entirely so." As if to emphasize his point, he moved one hand inside her jacket, where he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple.The only barrier between his skin and hers was her shirt and the sheer lace bra she wore beneath it. Her nipple knotted and tingled. Carmen had to swallow hard to steady herself. Her emotions were in chaos, and her trust in her body and its responses was fast waning. "So, you think that you can have any woman you want, is that it?""Not necessarily. But I want you, and you want the house. I see this as the perfect opportunity for us both to get what we want." His voice was husky, his message insistent.Carmen was totally unable to respond. At her back the hard surface of the car was the only thing holding her up."Come on, why deny it now?" The lust in his eyes was tempered by humor. "I touched you like this before and you liked it then. It was in the conservatory. I haven't forgotten, have you?"Carmen's eyelids fluttered down, but her attempt to deny the images that assailed her was futile. They were scored on her memory, relived many times. She'd been seventeen at the time and he was back from University in Oxford. He'd been flirting with her in the conservatory, where she used to hang out and read, and then out of the blue she found herself in his arms and they were kissing. Their lust unleashed was dangerous, moving like wild fire. In hungry, eager embraces they'd almost gone all the way. Thankfully a noise from the house had broken them up."I was young and easily led and I won't be played with again— and certainly not on some ridiculous promise of ownership of the house.""I give you my word. In fact I can have Chris make up a contract if you don't trust me to deliver the goods after you have...served up your side of the bargain."Carmen was stunned. Even though she knew him—and she'd spent days trying to figure every possible outcome from this meeting—this eventuality had never figured in her thoughts. "The whole suggestion is outrageous. I don't intend to humor you in any way.""Why? I'm only asking for two weeks of your time, for the Manor. Outright."What surprised her more—that he claimed he still wanted her, or that he knew she wanted the house so much? She wasn't sure. What she did know was that she despised him for putting her in this position, and even more than that she despised herself for considering the idea.His hand on her breasts felt good though, and she hadn't pushed him away, hadn't been able to. That old sense of longing had risen up inside her, a simmering fire that she thought she had quashed long ago. She forced it back, refusing to let him take charge of her.It wasn't easy, but fury had its call on her too. She turned her face away and stared at the lines of the windows and pillars of the building they had just left, taking strength from the symmetry of it as she struggled for reason. The house, she wanted the house."Give it some thought." He brushed his thumb over her erect nipple one more time before removing his hand. "Come to the house this weekend, we'll take it from there."Perhaps it would be good for her to spend time at the house with him, for closure. Perhaps it would kill off all those idiotic teenage fantasies she'd had once and for all.Or joining him there could be the biggest mistake of my life."I'll come to discuss the deal, but you can't force me to sleep with you."He cocked his head to the side and smiled, apparently amused.She shook her head, denying it, one hand covering her mouth in case she said the wrong thing."Two weeks of your company is all I ask. Then Burlington Manor is all yours."Carmen clung to what logical thought remained. It was hard to do so. "Even if I wanted to, I can't just take two weeks away from my business to play house with you.""Weekends it is then." He stepped away and glanced at his watch, suddenly businesslike. "If you're in agreement, make arrangements to be away from Londonfor the next four weekends. Our time together will begin on Friday evening."His arrogance was infuriating. The fact it was also a massive turn on angered her even more. How was it that he could push her buttons so easily? He was so self-assured, so knowing, while she clung to the side of the car, filled with torrid imaginings and confused thoughts and needs. Her blood pumped hard, her pulse wildly erratic. She glared at him, hating him for his power and for his ability to suggest such an outrageous bargain. "You bastard, you know I want the house but that doesn't mean you can just buy me.""Consider this, if you don't agree...well, if you don't agree we'll have to share the house...forever." With that final comment he inclined his head and then strolled back up the steps into Montague's office, leaving her standing there with one hand gripping the car to hold her up—her clothes awry, her body awash with heat, her heart thundering in her chest.
March 5, 2014
Publication dates for my next novel: THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR
I haven't posted about my next publication - THE BURLINGTON MANOR AFFAIR - recently because I was waiting for the schedule to be firmed up. Now I can share!
This title will be out on HQN (digital first) on May 1st simultaneously in the US and in the UK (on Mills and Boon UK) and then on Harlequin Spice in Australia on July 1st.
I'm excited! I love this story so much and I've been eager for it to reach readers. I honestly think it's my best work to date and I hope my readers will enjoy every moment.
Here's the cover and the story teaser:
A legendary family estate.
A mutual longing.
A bargain struck.
Carmen Shelby wants what's been left to her — the valuable estate that she once called home. Rex Carruthers is the heir to Burlington Manor, a ruthless playboy who enjoys playing games, and all he wants is for Carmen to surrender.
There can be only one winner….
Not long to wait, meanwhile you ca n go HERE for an excerpt. : )
December 2, 2013
Free KIndle read until Thursday - INESCAPABLE
INESCAPABLE is a free kindle download until Thursday, so if you haven't read this one here's your chance to read it for free! This is my favourite menage novel of all the ones I've written so far. Still love these characters! And check out the gorgeous new cover, which was done for the book by talented Frauke Spanuth at Crocodesigns.com.
Amazon. com
Amazon UK
When Lily Howard agrees to meet the man she is having a powerfully erotic online affair with, she subsequently walks into a crime scene. Sexy police officer Seth Jones takes her into witness protection together with her online lover, Adrian Walsh, a man with crucial evidence for a court case.
Deep in the heart of the Welsh countryside and locked up in a secluded hideaway with these two men — one alpha dominant policeman, and a wry, sensitive accountant who knows her every secret erotic desire — Lily soon becomes embroiled in a torrid ménage a trois that surpasses her every fantasy. Lily is wildly empowered by living her innermost desires in the safety of the hideaway. Adrian is the key that unlocks her sexuality, and Seth is the master who sets them both free.
As danger stalks ever closer and the three lovers are torn apart, they each find that deep emotional bonds have also been forged. Can Lily ever forget what they shared? Does she even want to?Please note: This book contains sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers. This book has previously been published with a different cover.
Amazon. com
Amazon UK
Happy Monday!
To help start your week off well, here's my kitten, Geisha, showing you her big heart...
I'll be back later with news of a free read!
I'll be back later with news of a free read!
