Samantha MacLeod's Blog, page 12
June 20, 2018
Crimes Against Fashion
Loki has no respect for fashion.
Need proof?
Just check out this excerpt from my incredibly naughty erotic short story Winning Freyja’s Cloak.
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Sneak Peek at Winning Freyja’s Cloak
Loki’s hand dropped to his side, and he pulled a dagger out of nowhere. He glanced at the winking, curved blade in his hand, then tilted his head at me. His pale eyes sparkled.
“No,” I said. “Not the dress.”
He stepped closer, the blade glimmering between us. “That dress,” he growled, “is an affront.”
I shifted, partly to move away from Loki’s blade and partly in a vain attempt to relieve the pressure surging between my legs.
“Covering a body as beautiful as yours is an insult,” he continued. He was staring directly into my eyes now, and the intensity of his gaze left me reeling.
“Loki, I like this dress,” I said, with all the dignity I could muster.
His hand slipped around the small of my back. “More than being naked?” he asked.
I sighed and tried to roll my eyes. The effect was probably ruined somewhat by my hips rocking forward, trying to find something to rub against to relieve what had become a very insistent pulse of arousal.
“More than my lips?” he whispered against my neck. “More than my tongue?”
His hand slipped lower, cupping the swell of my ass, and he pulled me forward. Not much, but enough to let me feel the hard length of his perfect cock. Loki’s curved, enormous cock was so perfect, in fact, I suspected he used his magic to enhance it.
He stepped away again, leaving me panting for breath and straining against the velvet rope encircling my wrists. His smile was wilder now, and his flaming red hair drifted over his shoulders. His shirt and pants were tight enough to reveal every muscle in his body, and every inch of his gorgeous erection. The dagger flashed in his hands as he shrugged exaggeratedly.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, I suppose I can always show myself to the door,” he said.
I huffed loudly. “Damn it, do you always have to be so dramatic?”
His eyes flashed. “My darling, I can find you another dress.”
“Fine,” I said. “Do it.”
The blade sliced through the air, silent and faster than I would have imagined. The laces on my bodice slid open, revealing the curves of my breasts. Another flick of Loki’s wrist, and the sleeves of my dress fell apart. The fabric collapsed on my floor with a soft rustle. I sighed.
“This had better be worth losing that dress,” I said.
Loki’s eyes met mine, and he raised the flat end of the blade to press against my throat. It felt cold against the heat of my skin. He could kill me, I realized. He could slit my throat and leave me here, blood running down my naked body to stain the ruined dress at my feet.
The image exploded in my mind like a sudden flash of summer lightning, followed by a scorching rush of arousal.
The fact that he could kill me shouldn’t have made me burn for his touch, but it did.
* * *
Winning Freyja’s Cloak comes out soon!
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June 14, 2018
Cover Reveal: Winning Freyja’s Cloak
Freyja is the most beautiful woman in Asgard, and she has no shortage of lovers.
But when Loki shows up on her doorstep, he’s after more than just her legendary beauty.
Loki asks to borrow Freyja’s feather cloak, the magical garment which transforms the wearer into a falcon. At first, Freyja is reticent to let go of her treasure. However, when Loki promises to show her something she’s never seen before, his offer proves too tempting to resist.
After all, what can Loki the Trickster possibly do to surprise the most experienced lover in Asgard?
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My very naughty short story Winning Freyja’s Cloak comes out next month!
Can’t wait?
Click here to for a sneak peek.
Want an even closer look? I’ll send you a copy of the short story, for free, in exchange for your honest review. Click here for more details.
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
June 12, 2018
Rude Flowers!
Ah, the wonders of nature!
Here’s a lovely flower I spotted in the woods behind my house.
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Apparently it’s called a lady slipper orchid. This particular variation isn’t endangered, but some species are (and some are poisonous), so I left it alone.
A few of the websites I browsed linked the plant to Aphrodite, because it’s “beautiful.”
I think by “beautiful” they meant “sexually suggestive…”
And thanks to Minnesota Wildflowers Info for saying what we’re all thinking: “Some have called Stemless Lady’s-slipper the scrotum flower.”
That’s right. Take a walk in the Northern woods and find a lovely pink scrotum.
Ah, nature!
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June 8, 2018
Know Your Gods: Thrym
I write urban fantasy and fantasy romance novels which are frequently inspired by mythology. (Click here to check them out.)
In this occasional Know Your Gods series, I’m presenting gods, myths, and legendary figures both as they are depicted in the original source material and as they appear in my Gods and Lovers books.
And, while I talk about these gods as historical and literary figures, it’s important to note modern pagans still revere these figures. I’m not discussing them as devotional figures, but I also mean no disrespect to modern pagan traditions.
Who is Thrym?
In the Eddas, our only surviving record of Norse myths, the giant Thrym plays a bit part.
Thrym is a Jötunn, one of the other races that the Æsir and Vanir of Asgard are constantly murdering and/or marrying. He appears in exactly one myth.
It happens to be one of my very favorite myths.
[image error]“Ah, what a lovely maid it is!” (1902) by Elmer Boyd Smith.
Once upon a time, the Thrymskvitha goes, Thor woke up to find his hammer Mjölnir was missing. Loki, using Freyja’s falcon cloak, discovers Mjölnir with the giant Thrym.
Thrym refuses to return Mjölnir… unless he can marry the beautiful Freyja in exchange.
Freyja is less than thrilled with that proposition. So, instead of marrying off Freyja, Thor dresses up as a bride and travels to Thrym’s castle with Loki as his bridesmaid. Hilarity and slaughter ensue.
[image error]Thor dresses up as a bride and Loki as a bridesmaid. Illustration by Carl Larsson.
This is an excellent myth.
I love the storyline, the universal hilarity of imagining a big, burly man dressed like a woman, and the gender flexibility that means Thor’s manliness isn’t diminished by a little thing like cross-dressing.
Sadly, Thrym’s role in Norse mythology – the surviving Norse myths, anyway – begins and ends with the Thrymskvitha. All told, it’s not a bad way to be remembered.
Who is Thrym in the Gods and Lovers Universe?
The Thrymskvitha is a fine myth. It’s just missing one thing.
Sex.
I correct that oversight, and seize a chance to explore Loki and Thor’s bisexuality, in my short story Claiming Thor’s Hammer. This story follows the Norse myth for a few pages, then veers wildly off course and becomes part of my erotic romance universe.
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Once I published Thor’s Hammer, I figured I was done with Thrym.
Wow, was I ever wrong.
Since I’m not a plotter, my stories just happen. And Thrym just happened to drop in as I was wrapping up the massive re-write of my next Loki novel, The Briar and the Rose.
As it turns out, Thrym has a lot to say. He’s a gay character in Jötunheimr’s oppressive, patriarchal society. He’s a warlord who rules with ferocity and compassion. Thrym is not especially trusting, but he does care deeply for his friends and lovers — possibly enough to make a major sacrifice when the Nine Realms need him.
And I think Fenris is going to need him, too….
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
June 4, 2018
What’s Better Than a Paperback?
I’m delighted to now offer signed paperbacks for my amazing readers!
The cost covers shipping, PayPal fees, and (of course) your new signed paperback. All signed paperbacks are sold for $25 to $30, depending on your location.
Click here to order a signed paperback!
[image error]They could be yours!
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
June 1, 2018
Maybe I’ll Just Add a Few More Scenes…
Way back in the fall of 2016, I was thinking about the golden apples of immortality – because, hey, who doesn’t think about these things?
[image error]Idun and the Apples (1890) by J. Doyle Penrose
The Norse myth where Loki steals Idunn’s apples is a pretty good yarn. It’s got all the classic elements: a daring chase, lives on the line, treachery and tricks, a goat tied to someone’s privates. (No, I’m not kidding.)
In the original myth, Loki steals the apples as his part of a bargain with the giant Thiassi. That’s not a bad hook, but I thought I could do better. So I came up with a tragedy from Loki’s past, wrote it down, named it The Briar and the Rose, and decided to release it after The Wolf’s Lover.
The Briar and the Rose was a neat little novella of about 30,000 words. (Click here for a sneak peek.) It’s a story within a story, opening with Loki and Caroline on their first date since the birth of their daughter and then moving to the distant past as Loki tells Caroline the story of Idunn’s apples.
(Yes, Loki and Caroline had a baby. It’s in The Wolf’s Lover.)
I finished the story in the spring of 2017, then sat on it while I made my painful way through line editing Wolf’s Lover. The opening of Briar and Rose takes place after Wolf’s Lover, so I didn’t want to release it first and make my timeline even more freaking complicated.
[image error]Gods and Lovers Timeline
Once I’d released The Wolf’s Lover, I turned my attention back to Loki and Caroline.
My beta readers, who are all amazingly lovely people, liked The Briar and the Rose. But they all thought it felt a little short. They wanted more.
“Oh, I can brush it up a little,” I told myself. “I guess I’ll just add a few more scenes.”
But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d only told half a story. Loki’s story to Caroline ended with Idunn trapped in Thiassi’s castle. We didn’t meet Skadi. We didn’t figure out whose office Loki and Caroline had trashed earlier in the night.
And there was no goat scene.
What’s more, I actually knew the rest of the story. I’d worked out the major details; I just hadn’t set them down on virtual paper.
I’d planned to release The Briar and the Rose in May. And I really, really wanted to release it in May. But, ultimately, I decided I couldn’t just tell half a story.
So I got back to writing.
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Between the end of March and now, I added almost 60,000 words to the next Loki and Caroline story. I know that’s not a lot compared to, say, Stephen King, but I did it while working two jobs that actually pay (teaching, FYI) and keeping my kids clean and fed.
Plus, I have a raging social life.
[image error](I’m kidding. I’m a total shut-in.)
And, yes, I added the goat scene.
Did it work?
Well, I think so. But you can be the judge… The Briar and the Rose should be out this fall.
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
May 30, 2018
“An entertaining continuation”
The wonderful Sarah Lockwood at The Critiquing Chemist posted a lovely review of The Wolf’s Lover!
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“In MacLeod’s novels she weaves scenes of steamy romance around the existence of familiar mythological characters within modern settings,” Sarah writes. “The women in both her novels are strong minded, highly educated and intelligent, although sometimes blinded to an unreasonable level by their overwhelming love… Overall, The Wolf’s Lover was an entertaining continuation of MacLeod’s intriguing modern take on Norse mythology.”
Thank you so much, Sarah!
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Also, I love that Sarah – in the spoilers section – voiced her appreciation for the scene where Karen and Vali visit Karen’s ex-husband Barry. That was one of my favorite parts to write. I’m so sick of the “evil ex” troupe, and I’m delighted Sarah appreciated my subverting genre expectations.
May 28, 2018
I’ve Been Naughty…
Have you ever written something so filthy you go, “Damn, what is wrong with me?!”
I have.
And I’m about to share it with the world.
Winning Freyja’s Cloak
This very naughty erotic short story is loosely inspired by Norse mythology, in that Freyja does have a feather cloak, and Loki does borrow it on occasion.
So how does Loki convince Freyja, goddess of beauty and sex, to part with a prized possession?
Oh, I’m sure he can think of a few very creative ways…
Sneak Peek
“Who is it?”
I made sure to ask the question in my most melodic voice, although I knew damn well who it was. The front door of my cottage had a clever little charm on it, making it transparent from the inside. I’d begged the magic from Óðinn after a particularly satisfying night of lovemaking, telling him it was because I wanted to watch the sunset from my lounge. Really, I just wanted the few extra seconds to prepare myself for whoever was on the other side of that door. And I was fairly certain Óðinn knew that when he built the charm.
“It’s your favorite lover,” Loki said.
I waited until I’d opened the door before snorting a laugh.
“That’s funny,” I said. “You don’t look a thing like my favorite lover.”
Loki only smiled.
Damn that incendiary smile of his. He’d probably charmed the skirts off more innocent maidens than all the rest of them combined. I stood up straighter, not wanting to betray the effect his smile had on that tight coil of arousal spooling in my core.
“What do you want, Lie-smith?”
Loki ran a hand through his fiery hair. His eyes sparkled like the first light of morning off the summer ocean, and his black pants were so tight they may as well have been painted on. Oh, why did he have to be so damned handsome? It made him ever so much harder to dislike.
“Good evening, Freyja,” he purred.
His ice-blue eyes dropped, openly admiring my curves. I was wearing a flattering dress, and I knew it. Still, heat surged between my legs as he ran the edge of his extremely talented tongue over his lips.
“I’ve heard there’s only one reason men visit your cottage after the sun sets,” he said.
I drew a quick breath, ready to tell him exactly where he could stick that arrogant, beautiful face of his, but he continued before I had a chance.
“For the exquisite pleasure of your unrivaled…conversation,” he finished, his expression the very picture of innocence.
I froze, my mouth half open. It was a joke, of course, but what could I do? Disagree with him?
Frowning, I crossed my arms over my chest, deepening the cleft of my cleavage. His eyes fell from my lips to my breasts, and a victorious little swell of heat raced over my skin.
“Why don’t you just tell me what you’re after?” I said, arching an eyebrow at him.
He was so close I could smell him, that faint aroma of salt and smoke that always hung around Loki’s body. His scent got stronger when he was turned on, a thought that sent a little flutter through my stomach.
“I need to borrow your falcon cloak,” Loki said, still smiling.
* * *
Winning Freyja’s Cloak comes out in this summer. Stay tuned for more details!
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
May 25, 2018
Know Your Gods: Sigyn
I write urban fantasy and romance novels which are frequently inspired by mythology (so far, mostly Norse mythology, with a few Greek goddesses thrown into the mix).
Because mythology lacks a set canon, everyone from Marvel to Neil Gaiman has a slightly different take on these characters. So, I thought it would be fun to present a series of gods both as they are depicted in the original source material and as they appear in my Gods and Lovers books. (Yes, this is “fun” in the University of Chicago sense of the word.)
Also, while I’m going to talk about the gods as historical and literary figures, it’s important to note modern pagans still revere these figures. I’m not discussing them as devotional figures, but I also mean no disrespect to modern pagan traditions.
Let’s start with the Norse myths, shall we?
The entirety of surviving Norse mythology comes from two sources written in Iceland in the 13th century: the prose Edda and the poetic Edda. Both were written 200 years after Christianity had displaced the old religions, and they were intended as a way to preserve the smilies and metaphors so important to Icelandic poetry.
As Neil Gaiman says in the introduction to his wonderful book Norse Mythology (read my review here), it’s as if all we knew of Greek mythology came from the myths of Hercules and the Odyssey.
There are some characters whose personalities still shine through the surviving myths, like Thor. But there are also some characters we know almost nothing about.
Like Sigyn
Sigyn, in the Eddas, is described as Loki’s wife. Together they have two children, Nari and Vali, both of whom come to a bad end after Loki murders Baldr and is imprisoned beneath the earth (click here to read more about that story).
[image error]“Loki and Sigyn” (1892) by Karl Franz Eduard von Gebhardt.
Sigyn is notable for staying with her husband in the cave and catching the poison which drips from the serpent’s fangs and into his face.
One of Sigyn’s kennings, or metaphorical names from old Norse poetry, is “incantation-fetter,” suggesting there’s at least one myth where Sigyn does something interesting. But that myth has been lost.
In addition to his sons with Sigyn, Loki had three children with another woman, Angerboda (more here). Also, one of Loki’s many kennings is “burden of Sigyn’s arms,” which might mean their marriage was less than joyful, or it might mean Loki was generally held in low regard, or it could be a reference to Sigyn literally holding Loki in the cave.
Regardless, most modern interpretations of Norse mythology tend to make Sigyn out to be a victim, a madwoman, or both.
Who is Sigyn in the Gods and Lovers Universe?
For me, making Loki’s wife a victim or a weakling lacks imagination.
She’s the wife of Loki, arguable the most interesting character in the entire Norse tradition. (And yes, I’ll argue it!) There has got to be more to her than just victimhood.
In my first Loki novel The Trickster’s Lover (SPOILER ALERT!), Loki reveals that his wife Sigyn died in the cave where he was bound, after Loki promised Sigyn he would find their son Vali and reverse the spell that had turned Vali into a wolf.
Loki does find Vali in my second novel, The Wolf’s Lover, and they have an emotionally complicated reunion.
But how did Loki and Sigyn connect in the first place? And what kind of a woman was Sigyn?
Well, I’m working on that right now!
Look for the answers this fall (ish?) in the third book in the Loki series, The Briar and the Rose, which tells a tragic story from Loki’s past (click here for a tiny sneak peek).
No, that woman picking lingonberries isn’t Sigyn…
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
May 22, 2018
Vali is Now Everywhere!
Transformed into a wolf and forced to kill his brother in order to imprison his father, Loki’s son Vali has had a rough go of it.
And that’s before wildlife biologist Karen McDonald tranquilizes him in Yellowstone National Park.
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If you haven’t yet read The Wolf’s Lover, now is your chance!
You can pick it up anywhere for $3.99 (or in a very sexy paperback for $17.99). Click here for Amazon, and click here for everywhere else.
And if you buy it on my website with the coupon code LOKI, you can save 25%!
Click here to view The Wolf’s Lover on my website!
Like what you’ve read? Click here to join my newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy of Tam Lin, my sexy modern take on the Scottish folktale.
