Saskia Walker's Blog, page 143

The Hub - this is where I work.

On New Years day I gave my desk and office a tidy so I took a photo. Yes, this is my desk...after I tidied. :o)


I call it The Hub. Everything is handy and I know where to find it. I fell in love with the corner desk design when I saw it in Ikea. It's perfect for me. It doesn't follow any Feng Shui rules whatsoever, but it works really well for the space I have available. Even more importantly, the corner acoustics work well when I use my Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition software, which (because of my physical limitations) I wouldn't be able to work without.

Along the top shelf all my paperwork is within easy reach in box files. The magazine rack I mostly use for stationery supplies, and the shelf over the PC space has lots of my beloved knicknacks including my Rob Zombie action figure, Darth Maul, my steampunk hat, candles, my Bast cat, etc etc. No, of course these things aren't a distraction...why would you think that? ;^)

As you can see, the whiteboard is also full of fun and inspirational stuff (and, oh yeah, my deadlines list, the important part. lol!) and this gets updated every so often.


So, my January work schedule looks like this:

1. Complete current novel. 36,000 words to write, then edit and proof whole novel.
2. Write, polish and submit short story of 3K.
3. Do taxes.
4. Edit Faye's Spirit novel when it arrives from editor.

For many writers that wouldn't be a big work load. I'm constantly awed at how much some writers can produce, and how fast, but for me this is big and I'm trying to stay calm. ;o) I got behind because of real life chaos and much of that appears to be ongoing. Wish me luck!

In other news, I've got a free read coming up tomorrow, and I'll also be posting some reading recommendations -- I've read some great stories recently.

New publication: GOING DOWN, a Spice Brief

Hey folks, I hope you're enjoying this shiny new year! :)

Today is release day for GOING DOWN, my latest Spice Brief. (And I'm sharing this publication date with the lovely Alison Tyler ! Alison's title A TASTE OF CHI is also out today!)

He was a confident man, subtly commanding, too. Would he be like that as a lover? Yes, I just knew he'd be masterful.

Jennifer hoped she'd meet someone during her six-month stay in Paris, but she didn't expect to find a captivating man like her neighbor Armand Lazare on her very first day. From their initial encounter in their building's antique elevator, he makes her feel wanton, excited and unexpectedly aroused by the way he takes control. But as much as this new desire unnerves Jennifer, she's even more eager to explore it—with Armand as her master....

Now available for download from Harlequin in the US, and from Mills and Boon in the UK. (Coming to Kindle and other retailers in February)

EXCERPT:

"Just as well I like a good challenge," I murmured to myself as I assessed the antique elevator shaft in my new abode. The ostentatious wrought iron affair was the most complicated contraption I'd ever seen.

When I'd arrived at the apartment block the evening before I'd used the stairs, allowing the concierge to take my luggage in the elevator. I wanted to get my bearings, and as I climbed the stairs to the fourth floor I took in the elegance of the beautiful building, a nineteenth century block in the 15th Arrondissement of Paris. I'd been allocated a small apartment there for my six-month stint working in the city.

The elevator ran up the center of the building. The much more solid looking marble staircase wound around it, and I'd peered in at the elevator shaft as I worked my way up to the fourth floor. Although daunting, it was a beautiful thing, all black metal and designed in the Art Nouveau style. The frenzy of decorative metalwork did not distract me from the fact that the floor appeared to be scarcely more than a metal grid and one could see the cables and the whole shaft from inside and out.

This morning I had my smartest outfit and heels on and I figured I'd better try it out. The question was how to operate it. I leaned in to the metal gates and peered down the shaft. The elevator was stationery, two floors below.

"Going down?"

I jolted upright, startled to find I was no longer alone.

Turning on my heels I faced the man who had spoken.

I don't know what surprised me the most, that he had approached me without me realizing, or that he knew I was English and had spoken to me in my own language. He was obviously French.

French and gorgeous.

Dressed entirely in black -- open necked shirt and jeans, with a tailored leather jacket --he observed me with blue eyes that contrasted starkly with his swarthy skin. His black hair was cropped close, the square line of his jaw, angled cheekbones and strong forehead giving him a distinctive look. Even though I wore my highest heels, he towered over me. He had to be a neighbor. Perhaps he'd been on his way down the stairs when he'd caught sight of me. I straightened my skirt, aware that I'd probably just given him an eyeful as I peered down the shaft. He gestured at the elevator gates. "It bothers you, the cage?"

The cage. What an intriguing moniker, and so appropriate. "Not at all," I fibbed. "I think it's beautiful, I just wasn't quite sure how to operate it."

"Allow me to demonstrate."

He rested his hand against my back briefly, encouraging me. The momentary contact made me sizzle. He pressed the call button. It was round, ivory, and encased in gleaming brass. The elevator cable tightened with a loud creak then the mechanism whirred into action and the cage loomed up from below.

"Some of the tenants in this building won't use it, but it is quite safe and an object of some beauty." The seductive allure in his voice had my attention well and truly hooked.

"Absolutely, it's a work of art in itself."

There was an approving expression in his eyes.

Once the elevator shunted into position, he unlatched the gates, internal and external, and rolled them apart. I stepped into the cage, as he called it, and he closed the gates behind us. The shunting of metal and wheels, and the resolute sound of the internal latch did make it feel cage-like, and yet light shone through here and there beneath our feet. He pressed the button for the ground floor and the elevator jolted into action. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I staggered slightly on my heels.

My companion turned to face me and his mouth moved in sensual appreciation as his gaze made a slow circuit of my body. I felt stripped to the bone. I'd never felt such intense scrutiny. It wasn't staring exactly. It was as if he could gain the measure of me by looking at me that way. He stood with one hand around a decorative metal coil, the other rested on his hip. His posture was so self-assured, appearing languid but as if he could pounce at any moment. What was more unnerving, the way he made me feel, or the fact I could see the elevator shaft between the metal fretwork beneath my feet? As we descended I felt as if I was on a dangerous precipice, in every way.

When his gaze returned to meet mine, his mouth lifted at the corners. Had I met with his approval? Moving my laptop case from one hand to the other, I tried not to feel quite so self-aware. It was hard not to, and my outfit -- which had seemed business like and professional -- now seemed far too tight-fitting and alluring. It was the way he admired the curve of my body at breast and hips that made me feel that way. Almost as if I'd been touched. What would it be like, I wondered, to really be touched by him?

A super hot freebie for the New Year from Portia Da Costa

My buddy Portia is offering AN APPOINTMENT WITH HER MASTER, a brand new to digital short story, FREE for two days via Amazon.


I've read this story and it is a super hot and sexy BDSM read, so follow the links below between 12:00 am Pacific Standard Time, 1st January and 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time, 2nd January to snag this edgy story of a young woman's initiation into the darkly delicious world of erotic domination and punishment.

Here's the blurb:

Shy, but secretly sexy and imaginative, Mary-Anne Green fantasizes about having her bottom spanked by a stern and powerful master, the beautiful, cultured hero of her wildest dreams. She longs to feel the hand of a dominant man upon her, punishing her flesh, then caressing it to the heights of exquisite pleasure.

It seems that these wild scenarios are destined to remain solely in her imagination, until one day Mary-Anne meets her dream master online. Their chemistry is electric from the very first moment, and their fantasies and desires a perfect, sizzling match. In email after email they share everything. Dark urges, wicked wishes... painted pictures of fiery, passionate punishment.

But what happens when Mary-Anne and her Master decide to meet each other? Will the delicious, painful magic survive the transition to reality? Will their intimate bond be all they hope for, and perhaps more?

Download from Amazon.com

Download from Amazon.co.uk

An Appointment with her Master is also free to borrow from Amazon.com for the next 90 days, if you're a US Amazon Prime member.

Happy New Year!

Sending out good wishes for a wonderful New Year's Eve!

See you in 2012! Woohoo!

A photo tour - Christmas 2011 on the Yorkshire coast

We had a mini tour of some of our favourite places along the Yorkshire coastline and the North Yorkshire Moors over Christmas. Here are some images from the experience. (Click on the photos for a larger version.)

Here I am in Whitby, on the jetty with the abbey on the cliff top behind me.

Swans in the harbour at Whitby.

Panorama shot of Whitby taken from the jetty.

The Dracula experience, Whitby.

At Pickering Castle.

Pickering Castle Gate - love the tree shadow on this one!

North Yorkshire Moors from the summit, one of my favourite spots in the world. Check out the awesome lenticular clouds we had in Yorkshire that day!

The North Yorkshire Moors. I always think of Stoker in his carriage up here. :)

Panorama shot of Robin Hood's Bay taken from the grounds of Raven Hall at Ravenscar.

A taste of Yorkshire. :) The fireplace at the lovely Raven Hall.

Just chilling. :) Happy Christmas.

The view during breakfast at Raven Hall, overlooking Robin Hood's Bay.

Christmas Eve dawn sky in Scarborough.

Sunrise, Christmas Eve.

Scarborough's North Bay - surfing on Christmas Eve.


Flamborough Head lighthouse, Boxing day sunshine.

Boxing Day sunshine on the beach at Bridlington.

Panorama shot from Bridlington Promenade.

Tour map, with places where photos were taken marked in red.

Publication day: WINNER TAKES ALL

WINNER TAKES ALL ~ a short contemporary erotic romance novella, is now available from eXcessica! This title is a re-release, and is now available at a much cheaper price, so if you haven't already read it you can now pick it up for only 99c/86p (it might be slighlty more at Amazon.com) Here are the details:

It started as a game, but they are both playing to win.

Tina meets Shaun at a monthly meeting of eccentric game players in a British manor house. Shaun is a loner, highly competitive, and devastatingly sexy. When he challenges Tina to a sexual relationship, she can't resist.

In a dangerous game of seduction, sassy Tina might have met her match in Shaun. He is a forthright, dominant lover, and the atmosphere of competition extends to their more intimate moments as they pursue a passionate affair. Each encounter ups the stakes, but what has started as a game rapidly grows more intense. Both players realize they have to play their way carefully, to win the prize. But what is real, and what is gamesmanship? In a relationship brimming with conflict, the ultimate challenge will be getting their opponent to reveal their true hand.

This title includes frequent and graphic M/F sex including some bondage and domination. Please note: this story has been previously published with a different cover. 15,022 words.

Available from the following online outlets:
eXcessica
Smashwords
All Romance Ebooks
Kindle
Kindle UK
and coming soon to Fictionwise

EXCERPT:

"You need someone to challenge you."

Tina jumped. She'd been walking up the stairs that night when Shaun strode out of the darkness on the landing. He was stripped to the waist. His bare torso was pinup-worthy. She tried to drag her gaze from the sleek tautness of his chest muscles. It was hard. The palms of her hands itched to stroke his shoulders and biceps. A nagging ache in the pit of her belly rapidly made itself known.

"You need someone to challenge you," he repeated.

"And how the hell would you know what I need?" She hoped it sounded dismissive. She meant it to.

He ignored that. "You are an intelligent woman. You need an intelligent man to spark with."

God, he was intolerable.

Her blood was beginning to boil. "I need you to give me a break is what I need, you arrogant prig."

It was a knee jerk reaction. She wanted to swallow her words as soon as she had spoken them.

Shaun, however, seemed totally unfazed by her hasty and rather rude response. There was a determined set to his lips. "I'm serious, you need a challenge."

His expression was indeed serious, and his words were laden with suggestion. He also seemed to be closer, without having moved. She felt the heat from her blood rise to the surface of her skin and began to turn away from him, moving toward the doorway to her room. She couldn't let him know he affected her that way.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, drawing her back toward him. "No." His tone was controlling. "You're not going anywhere. I haven't finished with you yet."

She tried to tug her hand from his grasp, but he held tight. His sharp masculine scent was already chasing itself inside her body, seducing her senses. She attempted to give a dismissive laugh. "And who are you to decide?"

She let him hold her hand aloft though, because there was something immensely satisfying about the way he held her wrist so tightly. His eyes were alight with desire, she could see it plainly now. It was confirmation of his lust for her and it led a dark thrill through her entire body.

He didn't reply to her question. Instead he traced his free hand up the line of her arm, to rest on her shoulder. Her breathing grew constricted at his touch. Heat blossomed on her skin beneath his fingertips, making her keenly aware of the powerful magnetism between them.

"We're going to drive each other up the wall," he whispered, low and suddenly soft. "You know it's true."

"What makes you think that?" she retorted.

His gaze rested on her breasts, and once again there was a knowing look in his eyes. She could feel her nipples tugging on the fabric of her shirt and it was obvious that he could see it too. His eyes glittered in the faint landing light. "Because you want me."

"You've got a damned cheek!" How dare he be so blatant?

That comment was meant to embarrass her. She couldn't deny it though. His knowing look of his annoyed her immensely and she reacted—pushing him away and back against the wall, swiftly, her hands locked around his upper arms. It was an instinctive action that was meant to assert her independence, but the way he flashed his eyes at her made her realize what she had done.

"And I want you too," he added, when she was about to turn away.

Tina froze. His remark shocked her to the core. She was so startled that she lost her grip on him. Shaun took his chance and had her back in his control instantly. He backed her up against the opposite wall. Their bodies ricocheted together. Before she knew what was happening, they were kissing. She had wanted to hit the arrogant beast for his attitude, and yet there she was, kissing him.

She yielded against his mouth and pressed herself full against him—she wanted to feel his every ounce of being against hers. His mouth felt strong and passionate, her lips parted and melted beneath his touch. The musky scent of his cologne and his skin took hold of her, like another hook on her desire, reeling her in. His hands were on her hips, hers were flat against his chest, where the muscle was strong and defined. Vibrant, barely contained lust shot between them, the heat of their bodies soaring as they embraced.

"Your room or mine," he murmured when they drew apart to catch their breath.

She was unable to respond because his hands moved higher, beneath her breasts, where their firm grip sent a dizzying charge through her. He stroked her breastbone gently with one thumb, his hands squeezing her possessively while he held her gaze.

Then footsteps sounded on the stairs behind them, forcing the issue.

Tina's heart thudded. The door to her room was right there by her side. Desire overruled any objection that more logical thought might have offered in that moment. She wanted more. She swung the door open and stepped inside.

Glancing back, she beckoned him in.

Total-E-Bound Christmas sale

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Go here to check out the books!

Seasons greetings!

Life got a bit crazy here so I wanted to quickly touch base with my readers and friends before we spin into Christmas itself. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, with lots of good cheer!

We'll be away on the beautiful east coast of Yorkshire for the holiday itself, and I'll stay in touch via Twitter.

After Christmas I'll blog about the current and next project, my 2013 HQN novels. I'm into the second half of work on THE LIBERTINE now, and I've been doing research for THE JEZEBEL alongside that writing. I'm loving these characters, the siblings of Jessie Taskill (THE HARLOT). :)

Keep warm, take care, and have fun!

New Walk on the Wild Side Books release: FIRE AND ICE by Portia Da Costa

There's a super sexy new read for you over at Walk on the Wild Side Books today. Portia da Costa has a yummy festive season story for you and it's the perfect pick me up after your Christmas shopping. Treat yourself, you'll love it! Here are the details:

Surrender to sexual healing...

Super efficient P.A. Cally Hobbes is head over heels in love with her handsome boss, the urbane and delicious Innes McKenzie. Day after day, beneath her cool, businesslike exterior, she's simmering hot for him, and she knows he's not entirely immune to her either, despite their perfect, above board working relationship.

Icy weather, a broken central heating system, and a dose of 24 hour flu suddenly change everything. With Innes alone and laid low in his frozen flat, Cally's golden chance to get close finally arrives. Innes is freezing, and she's burning for his touch, so what else can a girl do but climb into her boss's bed to warm up his chilly limbs with a dose of body heat?

An overnight recovery quickly leads to a very different kind of therapy... making all Cally's dreams of passion flame into life. Sex with her beloved Innes is everything she's fantasized about, and more. Much, much more.

But will their mutual desire and tender feelings survive a return to office propriety? Working together as P.A. and boss again, can Cally and Innes share the lasting glow of love?

10,000 words = approx 35 pages. Author's note: this is a slightly revised version of a story that appeared in The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance.
FIND AN EXCERPT AND BUY LINKS HERE!

Bargain reads at Harlequin!

Harlequin have some great offers in the run up to Christmas. Keep an eye on the site! Here's today's offer:

All ebooks are 50% off with coupon code HALFEBOOK11 at Checkout!

Go here for the ebook store, and here if you want to check out my Harlequin titles for this offer.

This is the page you need to bookmark for all the Christmas offers!