Naughty Netherworld Press's Blog: Naughty Netherworld Press on Goodreads, page 70

Charity Sunday: Black Cat Holistic Rescue plus a Sweet and Spicy Treat for Fans of Erotic Romance

  

Lafayette was one of my best friends in the world. It's guaranteed that whenever I write about him, I will be crying. I lost him on his sixth birthday, 17 July 2015.

Lafayette and his little half-sister or cousin Tara were both rescues from a feral colony. I adopted them from the Adams County Animal Shelter in early March of 2010. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Losing Lafayette was one of the worst. I still have Tara.

Both Lafayette and Tara were very inbred. Sadly, Lafayette's problems were fatal. I had no idea how sick he was. I was in the middle of changing jobs and was trying in vain to get treatment for my sciatica, which was causing me severe pain. I will always feel like I let Lafayette down because I thought he was having a flare-up of feline stomatitis and would need his remaining teeth removed. Both he and Tara had to have most of their teeth removed because of the condition.
Lafayette was, in fact, experiencing multiple system failure. I had to make the horrible decision to have him put to sleep as there was nothing that could be done for him. He probably wouldn't have lasted the weekend. I will always feel like I let him down and wonder if he might still be with me if I had acted sooner. I was so wrapped up in my own mess of a life.
Tara has a condition called mast cell disease, which is more common in dogs than cats. It causes the proliferation of usually benign tumors. She had a few of these tumors removed in 2021.
"Imperfect" animals like Lafayette and Tara need human friends to take a chance on them. They are worth it. Black cats are often the last to be adopted from shelters. Black cats also experience bias as some people still ignorantly believe that they are "unlucky" or diabolical. It's amazing that anyone could think such a thing in the twenty-first century, but people do.
Cats, especially black cats, need to be kept indoors at Halloween because some people are not just ignorant, they are deliberately cruel and will target cats with ill intent. Please keep your cats safe inside at least until Halloween has passed. 

A little extra treat for Halloween. This image was designed for me by the wonderful Mexican Chibi artist Kamidiox to honor my two favorite Lafayettes: my furry son and the delightful character he was named for. Love always for my little buddy and for dear Nelsan Ellis, also gone too young.
Kami does a lot of Supernatural fan art, but she will also work with other fandoms and non-fandom-related projects. She is currently helping me illustrate a family-friendly book about a misunderstood vampire. You can learn more about Kami at the following link. Her rates are very reasonable.
https://kamidiox.carrd.co/
Blast, my eyes are leaking again. How am I going to maintain my reputation as a misanthropic curmudgeon and also a curmudgeonly misanthrope if this keeps up?
I am donating a dollar for every comment received on this post to the Black Cat Holistic Rescue of Los Angeles in honor of Lafayette and with love for black cats (and all cats). Per their site, they are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, no-kill animal rescue organization that specializes in saving black cats and kittens by pulling them out of high-kill shelters and off the streets of Los Angeles, fostering them and finding adoptive families to give them a forever home.
https://www.blackcatholisticrescue.org/

Naughty Netherworld Press has a sweet treat for fans of erotic romance. Thru October 31 (Halloween, that is!) you can nab your copy of Lil DeVille's sexy, fun-size novelette, The Shape of Heat: Awakening for the fantastic price of not one single cent. Yes, you can always borrow the book from Kindle Unlimited, but for the next few days, you can grab a copy to keep, absolutely free! Get yours here:

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

#bisexual #menage #m/m #m/f/f #BDSM #spanking #discipline #first time

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

When you’re surrounded by lust, an awakening of desire is inevitable.

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Free use image from Mystic Art Design on Pixabay

Excerpt

Candi

Twenty-one-year-old Candida Peters was the baby of the group. She was a sweet-faced young Caucasian woman with shoulder-length, cinnamon-colored hair, and warm hazel eyes. During today’s meeting, Candi revealed her dissatisfaction with her physique. Just five feet two inches tall, the young woman lamented the imbalance between her modest bust, curvy hips, and thick thighs. No matter how much she dieted and exercised, her lower half never became svelte enough for her liking.

Candi watched the ensuing mock wrestling match between her companions and thought that Parsifal was lucky Luisa liked him. Luisa was fun, gregarious, and pretty in an understated way with her sleek, shoulder-length black hair, ebony eyes, and caramel complexion. She had a square-jawed face and a ready smile. She usually cracked jokes to diffuse tense situations but was ready and able to defend herself and her friends physically if it came to that. Sometimes Luisa reminded Candi of an angry snake, always poised to strike.

Candi wondered what had happened in Luisa’s life to make her so defensive. She knew Luisa left L.A. to escape a dangerous situation. Candi realized she didn’t even know the real name of her companion of the past three years. She didn’t feel that Luisa presented any danger to her; in fact, there were few people whose presence made her feel safer. Still, she wondered about the details of the incident that led Luisa to run to a remote Caribbean island under a new alias.

Like Parsifal, Candi hailed from Tennessee. Luisa noted the pair were like two sides of a coin. Parsifal was chatty and extroverted while Candi was shy and reserved.

Candi’s exodus to Moonlight Island at eighteen years old served two purposes: to learn skills that would hopefully lead to gainful employment and independence and to discover who she was away from her staunchly religious family of origin.

Although Candi knew Luisa and Parsifal enjoyed her company, she sometimes felt like she didn’t really fit in with them. She was only slightly younger than her companions but was much less experienced in life. Unlike her lusty compadres, Candi was still a virgin, a state which seemed unlikely to change anytime soon.

Candi never wanted to do anything to jeopardize her friendship with the two people she trusted most in the world. Recently, however, she felt that Luisa and Parsifal had been keeping secrets from her. She felt it wise to address the issue before her suspicions morphed into full-blown mistrust.

 

About Lil DeVille

Lil puts the Naughty in Naughty Netherworld Press. With her cheeky sense of humor, big imagination, and quirky characters, she spins one-of-a-kind tales guaranteed never to skimp on love and lust. She enjoys writing in the fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal or supernatural genres, but sometimes she returns to modern-day Earth for a spell. Lil enjoys a good adventure, whether the tale is set in the past, the present, or the future; here on Earth or in some distant, fanciful location in time and space.

Lil lives in a remote rural town in the Colorado-Wyoming-Nebraska triad with her adult son and three cats. She would be happy to write full-time, but since she is not yet a bestselling author, she has to dedicate part of her time to promoting her work.

Lil doesn’t particularly enjoy the promotion aspect of being an indie author because she has severe social anxiety. She enjoys virtually “meeting” her readers and fellow authors but hates selling herself. She prefers to let her stories do the talking.

Lil is a disabled former nurse who no longer works outside the home. When she isn’t cooking up hot stories, she enjoys baking, reading, crafts, and playing mobile games.

Everything I Am Review

 

http://www.shawlinepublishing.com.au/
Also available from Amazon https://amzn.to/3SzI91b
Blurb
IT WAS THE SINFUL ATTRACTION THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED…
Kinsley wasn’t supposed to fall in love with her mother’s best friend but she did.
Kinsley Cooper was always the only one for Seattle’s notorious playboy, Dr. Justin Walker…
So, what caused their illicit affair to end abruptly, tearing them apart and causing Kinsley to flee to find solitude?
After seven years, Kinsley has returned as Seattle’s newest sexologist, working at her mother’s clinic - the very one her ex-lover, Dr Justin Walker, works at also.
All she wanted was a fresh start but that’s harder said than done when the secrets of her past threaten to unravel the new beginning that she’s fought so hard to create.
How will Kinsley keep her past secret as she fights her guilt for her tempestuous affair from being discovered by her mother, all the while still being attracted to the one man who devastated her life..?

A CONVERSATION WITH THE AUTHOR

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE BOOK AND ALSO THESE CHARACTERS WITHIN?

I knew I wanted to write something that broke the conventions of “normal” relationship dynamics. I don’t think you can help falling in love with a person, no matter if they should be considered off-limits. I really wanted to shock readers with a relationship that was unusual. I don’t think I could have not written this book, especially when my dream was so vivid about Kinsley and Justin. I know dreams in reality only last about seven seconds in our minds but the whole plot played out in a dream that felt like hours.

A huge part of the storyline, which I won't spoil for readers, centralises around a very personal yet common medical condition. Having lived through this, was a way for me to move through the pain, grief, and loss. Giving a voice to my emotions and articulating my very last thought through Kinsley and Justin was therapeutic for me and gave me the opportunity to tell my story.

I had so much fun making these characters come alive on the page. I chose my ideal, over the top, swoon-worthy characteristics and put them all into Kinsley, Justin and the supporting characters. While 90 per cent of the salacious storylines are so far removed from my ordinary life, I have taken 10 per cent liberty from my life and those closest to me, lives, threading the real with the unreal. I love being in the drivers seat and knowing I am in control of shaping the story, manipulating the characters to my will, and narrating scenes that drives fans into a frenzy.

Who doesn't love to escape from reality for a while and leap into the sauciness of a good romance? I am an avid romance reader, just look at my Goodreads profile, I think I'm up to about 300 for the year, so I knew I had it in me to create something just as great as some of the ones I've stayed up all night reading. I like challenging myself, and I knew writing something like, Everything I Am, would push me out of my comfort zone and help me evolve as a fiction romance writer.

HOW DO YOU SELECT NAMES FOR YOUR CHARACTERS?

This is such a fun part! I pour over lists online and Mum groups to find the most inventive names I can. The more unique the better. Sometimes for the fun of it, I use my family’s names for lesser important characters just so they get a kick out of it. When I think about the main protagonists, I like to think about what name would suit their physical features. Kinsley’s name came about from my Mum’s group on Facebook, one of the ladies called her daughter it and I loved it. Justin to me just sounded sexy when I was thinking about my character. I think the more memorable the name, the more memorable the book as well.

Ornery Owl's Review
Rating:Four out of Five Stars
This is a story that never plays coy. It begins with the youthful heroine, Kinsley, reminiscing about a steaming hot romp with Justin. Is Justin perhaps a pre-med student she met at college? Nope, Justin is a full-fledged doctor, and he is Kinsley's mother's best friend.
Normally I'd be appalled by the idea of a 36-year-old man fooling around with an eighteen-year-old, but Kinsley isn't a real-world eighteen-year-old. She's what my thirty-two-year-old son would refer to as a Smut-O-Verse eighteen-year-old. I might pull a synapse doing it because at my age I'm thinking back over close to four decades to remember being eighteen, but I recall I was certainly nowhere near as sophisticated as Kinsley. Most eighteen-year-olds are fumbling in the backseat of a car with one of their equally inept peers on a Saturday night, not seducing their mother's male friends.
This story reads like a soap opera but with explicit sex. It was fun waiting for the other shoe to drop when Justin came back into Kinsley's life after a seven-year separation, and now each of them is trying to keep the secret of their tryst from Kinsley's mother.
Overall, the story was a fun, lusty romp, but there were a few sticking points that detracted from an otherwise smooth ride. 
I find reading about perfect bodies a bit of a snooze. However, as long as the story does not contain overt body shaming, I'll let a lack of body diversity slide. Most people are all too used to porn star bodies and thus expect such when reading erotica. Unfortunately, Kinsley makes an internal quip about Justin's new girlfriend Maxine's breasts being "clearly fake and smaller than mine." 
I'll chalk this up to Kinsley behaving like a petty jerk because of jealousy. There is nothing wrong with breasts of whatever size. I hated my modest endowment when I was a teenager and swore that I would get breast enhancement surgery as soon as I graduated high school. Fortunately, I realized that even my not-so-large breasts had an annoying tendency to get in my way, and I realized they made a great jackass barometer. If a guy thought my chest wasn't Penthouse enough, who the hell needs him? Besides, my more amply endowed friends complained of backaches courtesy of their generous sweater puppies. I decided my petite pups were fine as is.
Regarding the anal sex scene where the only lubricant used was saliva: when depicting anal sex, there should be multiple partners: a giver and a receiver, plus lube, lube, and more lube. I don't mean spit. Saliva doesn't provide adequate slickness to protect the anal tissues from friction. I mean an actual lubricant such as K-Y jelly. A slick lubricant protects the sensitive tissue of the anus and minimizes the chances of tearing. The following post provides education about lubricants and anal sex.
https://bespokesurgical.com/education/anal-lubrication-practices-2
I'll blame this next sticking point on modern porn. I don't know who first decided that having one partner spit in the other's mouth is sexy. It's the polar opposite of sexy. Perhaps some folks might find this an odd opinion. After all, we've all heard the phrase "swapping spit" as a euphemism for passionate kissing. Perhaps I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but I do not find the idea of having my partner hock a loogie into my open mouth the least bit appealing. In fact, I would deem it a deal-breaker. 
I give Everything I Am four out of five stars. The book ends on a cliffhanger. I hope the author will write the next chapter in the story of her intriguing and lusty characters but leave any instances of body shaming at the curb, bring lots of lube to anal sex scenes, and don't look for inspiration from modern porn, which is an abundant source of bad ideas. 

A Seeker of Fortune and a Tough Cookie #8Sunday #MFRWHooks #RainbowSnippets #SnipSun

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Snippet

I will share snippets from The Shape of Heat: Awakening for the rest of October. Today's snippet picks up with more info about Parsifal and introduces Luisa. Here's the link to the previous snippet. 

https://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com/2022/10/sweet-but-voracious-8sunday-mfrwauthor.html

Hart had mostly been joking, but Parsifal’s interest was piqued. Parsifal’s parents and Hart accompanied him on his first journey to Moonlight Island to ensure that the school was legitimate. The family was suitably impressed with what their research revealed and thoroughly enchanted by the school’s charming president. Parsifal was on his way to earning a bachelor's degree in Hospitality with guaranteed employment assistance following graduation.

Twenty-five-year-old Luisa Dreier was just five feet tall, but the sturdy Latina had a powerful build and held a first-degree black belt in Krav Maga, which she had been practicing since she was just six years old. Although she was proud of her martial arts prowess, Luisa realized that potential partners often found her intimidating.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

Just released! Always free from Kindle Unlimited. Purchase the e-book for $1.99 or the paperback for $4.20. 

HEADS UP! I'm running a free e-book promo from October 27 - October 31.

Notes

I am sorry about being a bad blog hop participant in the last round. I got involved with the WEP Challenge, and my son and I had to go to the doctor on Monday. Just routine exams and a flu shot, but the 250-mile round trip is fun--not. (For those who don't already know, we live in the middle of nowhere.) Also, I'm building a website. More about that once I publish it.

Here is my WEP piece if you'd like to read it. 

https://crazycreativescheerleadingcamp.blogspot.com/2022/10/wep-challenge-october-2022-thriller.html

It's nonfiction and covers subjects like mental health, trauma including sexual assault, eating disorders, self-esteem (or massive lack thereof), and substance use. So, fair warning, it ain't pretty.

By the way, is there any way to make the whole newsletter thing suck less ass? Of every aspect of the whole self-promotion mess, that part is the worst. Asking for a friend, of course. Me, I just love newsletters, and I'm obviously great at them since I can't seem to get over 6 subscribers. 

Can we make it seven? Subscribe to Naughty Netherworld News here!

https://bit.ly/NaughtyNetherworldNews2

Currently, the newsletter comes out monthly-ish and for rare special announcements. So, it's not like I'll be inundating your inbox or anything.

Please click the link below each of the banners to visit the hops I am sharing this post with.

Hop Along!

https://mfrw.blogspot.com/
MFRW Retweet Day is November 9.
Book Retweet Day is November 17.

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
The MFRW Hop is every Wednesday.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets
Rainbow Snippets comes out every Saturday and Sunday.Share six lines from a story with LGBT characters.
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Snippet Sunday happens every weekend.
http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/
Weekend Writing Warriors rolls 'round every weekend.

Sweet but Voracious #8Sunday #MFRWAuthor #MRFWHooks #RainbowSnippets #SnipSun

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Snippet

I will share snippets from The Shape of Heat: Awakening for the rest of October. Today's snippet picks up with more info about Parsifal. Here's the link to the previous snippet. 

https://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com/2022/10/teaser-tuesday-parsifal-8sunday.html

His boyish innocence belied a voracious sexual appetite; however, he didn’t want to be like the men in his family who were notorious players proud of the broken hearts they left in their wake. Parsifal found the practice of scoring by deception deplorable, so he never promised exclusivity.

Parsifal was a happy-go-lucky guy who bounced from one plan to another for the first twenty-one years of his life; he was placed on academic probation at Princeton at the end of his junior year and wasn’t sure he wanted to return to college. One day when Parsifal and his twenty-four-year-old brother Hart were searching online for careers suited to an energetic and distractible personality, they discovered a link to the Sunny Coast College website.

“That totally sounds like the place for you, Parsley,” Hart declared. “You can make your living partying!”

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

Just released! Always free from Kindle Unlimited. Purchase the e-book for $1.99 or the paperback for $4.20. 

HEADS UP! I'm running a free e-book promo from October 27 - October 31.

Please click the link below each of the banners to visit the hops I am sharing this post with.

Hop Along!

https://mfrw.blogspot.com/
MFRW Retweet Day is October 12.
Book Retweet Day is October 20.

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
The MFRW Hop is every Wednesday.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets
Rainbow Snippets comes out every Saturday and Sunday.Share six lines from a story with LGBT characters.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/401643826588474
Snippet Sunday happens every weekend.
http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/
Weekend Writing Warriors rolls 'round every weekend.

The Big Reveal #MFRWAuthor #MFRWHooks #MFRWSteam

 

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Snippet

The Big Reveal

“So, I’ve got a question for you guys, and please don’t be mad at me,” Candi said softly, looking at her feet.

“Did Parsley leave the empty milk carton in the fridge again?” Luisa teased, putting her arm around Candi’s shoulders. “C’mon, Baby, you can ask anything, no fears.”

“I kinda think I know what you might be fixin’ to ask, but I wanna hear it in your own words,” Parsifal prompted, tickling Candi’s feet with a grass frond.

“Quit it, Parsley!” Candi demanded through giggles. “Look, all I want to know is, are you guys, you know, together?”

“Why do you think we’re together?” Parsifal inquired. “You know me, Girl. I go for male tail, and I ain’t ready to settle on one kind of dick just yet.”

“I know you usually go for guys, but you also say you’re open to experiences with ladies. Anyway, sometimes when I come out of my room to get a drink or go pee, you guys are both in one of your rooms with the door closed, and I hear all this moaning and groaning and giggling. Even though my family is super religious, I’m not a prude. It’s okay if you’re together.”

Luisa and Parsifal burst out laughing. Luisa put an arm around Candi’s shoulders while Parsifal put an arm around her waist.

“Oh, Mija!” Luisa giggled. “Me and Parsley are partners in smut. We write porn together.”

“Wait…porn?”

“Yeah, Baby. You know, people fucking on film,” Parsifal said cheekily, raising his eyebrows repeatedly.

“I know what porn is,” Candi protested, punching Parsifal’s arm. “Why did you think you had to keep that a secret from me?”

“Mostly we thought you’d think we were dorks,” Luisa said. “The whole thing started as a joke. One night when you was at work and we was home, we was drinkin’ a little and we started watching porn for a laugh.”

“Most so-called adult entertainment is just soooo bad,” Parsifal groaned, rolling his eyes. “It’s the same old crap. They don’t even try to make a worthwhile story. But then we found the website for Climax Studios, and their movies are so much fun! They have real stories, like detective or fantasy or sci-fi or westerns. It's like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Law and Order or Bonanza, but with real fucking. I never pay for porn, but we totally paid for premium access to the Climax site.”

“For real, these are movies you want to watch all the way through, not like with most porn where once you get off you turn the movie off,” Luisa agreed. “Then Parsley saw that they was open for script submissions.”

“Yeah, and I’ve been writing dirty stories for, like, forever,” Parsifal said. “So, I said, let’s write a script and submit it.”

“So, we started trying to think of sexy stories we could write,” Luisa continued. “We was kind of blocked at first, but then we realized we had the world’s greatest erotica inspiration right here at Pearl Beach Resort—our very own Fucking Dutchman!”

“Ooh, ooh, speak of the devil!” Parsifal proclaimed enthusiastically. “Bad Boy Boris is heading for The Sex Boat right now with that smokin’ hot new bar manager, Valentyn what’s-his-cock.”

“The Ukrainian pretty boy?” Luisa inquired. “Mm, I wouldn’t mind letting him check my lube levels with his dipstick!”

“You guys!” Candi admonished, blushing and giggling. “I think you’re right, though. There’s plenty of stories about Mr. Boris’ overactive sex drive to inspire porn plots.”

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

Just released! Always free from Kindle Unlimited. Purchase the e-book for $1.99 or the paperback for $4.20. 

I am sharing this post with MFRW Steam and MFRW Book Hooks. I am also participating in Retweet Day. Please click the link below each of the banners to visit the hops.

Hop Along!

https://mfrw.blogspot.com/
MFRW Retweet Day is October 12.
Book Retweet Day is October 20.

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
The MFRW Hop is every Wednesday.
https://mfrwsteam.blogspot.com
MFRW Steam is the second Tuesday of every month.

Oh FFS!

 

Image by Christophe from Pixabay
I tried putting an adult content warning on this blog, but when I click the "let me in" button, I never get in. I just get redirected back to the adult content warning, so I took the adult content warning off.
Blogger has been pissing me off today. I had to move a book promo post over to this blog from Reader's Roost because Blogger's idiot bot decided the post was Spam or impure or both. This post actually has a lot more unique content than many of the posts at Reader's Roost, which are purely promotional.
https://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com/2022/10/arresting-benjamin-character-interview.html
I had a WordPress blog 10 years ago and I hated it. Blogger is simpler to work with but it's far from perfect. I'll go for long stretches of time with no real problems and then get hit with crap like this where I want to tell them to go fuck themselves.
If anyone can see any particular issue with the post that might be causing it to trigger Blogger's shithead bots to mark it as spam or whatever, let me know. I can't for the life of me figure it out and, of course, there's no place to dispute their idiotic decision. Fuckers.
I'm fine with placing the blog behind an adult content warning, but not if readers can't ever get beyond the adult content warning! Work with me here!
To read more about the incident that triggered this rant, check out this post.
https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2022/10/dear-blogger.html
~Ornery Owl Has Spoken~

Free use image from Pixabay

Arresting Benjamin Character Interview

  

Arresting Benjamin

Series: Arresting Onyx (book 3)

Publisher: Daulton Publishing

Release Date: October 11th, 2022

ASIN: B0B5VMNPBC

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 85k

Heat Rating: 5 Flames

With enemies at every turn, how will they survive with their lives and love intact?

Blurb

A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.

Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him.

Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart.

When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.

Excerpt

As he drew to a stop beside Lando’s station wagon in the driveway, Belle parked along the curb. The motion detector light flashed on from the old shed, nearly blinding him. He climbed from the truck. Moonlight cast a stark, silvery glow over the yard as Belle hurried toward him.

“Cool. A duplex.” She tightened her scarf around her neck. “When was it built?”

“The 1940s. I live in the right-side unit, and my landlord lives in the other one.” He rubbed his hands together as a breeze rustled through the trees. “Lando’s children moved out east, so he converted the family home into a duplex about two decades ago. The old-timer is spry but pushing eighty. I take care of the house and grounds. In return, he deducts my rent.”

“Lando the landlord?”

“Hilarious, right?” Benji chuckled. “I’ve lived here for about fifteen years. God, I can’t believe it’s been so long.” Crickets chirped from the bushes lining the covered wooden porch as he guided her up the platform. The middle step creaked under his weight. Decorative fixtures lit each doorway, and he hesitated at the entrance of his home.

“Everything all right?”

“I should’ve told you this before now, but my sister has been staying with me. She’s barely crossed my mind, though. All I’ve cared about is making things right with you.”

Belle drew back. “I didn’t think you had any contact with her.”

“She called me from out of the blue. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it at dinner.”

“Is Meghan why you have those marks?”

“Unfortunately.” He rubbed his cheek, the bruise barely stinging.

After he ushered Belle inside, he flipped on a light and locked the door behind him. A staircase lined the dividing wall that separated Benji’s home from Lando’s. The hall stretched to the right of the stairs, leading deeper into the house.

“Feel free to look around. The door beneath the stairs opens into the basement and laundry room. The steps are steep, so be careful.”

Character Interview 

Today, the hero from Amber Daulton’s new romantic suspense novel, Arresting Benjamin, is visiting for a chat. For the record, what’s your name?

I’m Benjamin Starwell, but since my dad is also a Benjamin, rather a Ben, everyone calls me Benji. Some people snicker about the shortened form of my name because of that movie with the scruffy dog, but I don’t care what people think about me.

Good for you. Give us a visual. What do you look like?

I have blue eyes, a perpetual five o’clock shadow, and shaggy, auburn hair that curls around my ears. I’m pretty broad in the shoulders and chest, and I top out at about six-feet-two.

Ooh. Blue eyes and red hair is a striking combination. What time period and location does your story take place?

Present day in Denver, Colorado.

What’s your goal in this story?

To make amends with Belle. A few months back, we had a one-night stand, and I skipped out on her the next morning. I regret that more than anything else I’ve done in my life.

I wish you luck! What conflicts are you facing?

Whew! Where do I start?

Belle has a stalker who’s leaving her threatening messages and trying to derail her music career. The threats keep escalating, and the police aren’t worth their badges.

Then there’s Meghan, my estranged sister. She’s back in town with a ton of baggage, but she’s acting like her sh*t don’t stink. Though I’m relieved she’s left her drug lord boyfriend, she’s dumped all her problems on my lap and expects me to fix everything.

I’m up to my knees in wading through all the bull.

Yikes. Sounds like you’re having a hard time. How would you describe yourself, personality-wise?

I’m hardworking, dedicated, stubborn, and loyal to those I love. When I set my mind to something, I do it. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts.

What is your occupation? Are you any good at it? Do you like it?

I’m the owner and operator of Ben’s Auto Repair. My dad opened the garage years ago, and I learned everything I know from him. I love my job. Though I’d rather get my hands dirty and work on an engine, I’m usually stuck in the office filing paperwork, calling suppliers, or taking inventory of my stock more often than not these days. That’s the curse of being the boss.

So true. What skill do you have that you’re proud of?

Other than being an awesome mechanic (no arrogance there, I really am good), I’m fairly skilled at playing the keyboard. I’ve always enjoyed music, rather I’m playing or listening to it, but I had to choose which of my two great loves to pursue when I was a teenager—the garage or music. I picked the former. I just didn’t have time for both.

It’s too bad you had to choose. If you had a free day with no responsibilities and could have fun, what would you do?

I’d play my keyboard while Belle played her guitar. We’d sing and rock out to some of our favorite songs and just relax at my place.

I’d love to listen in. What did you think the first time you saw Belle?

Hot. Mouth-watering, screw-me-sideways hot. It was like all the blood in my body pooled between my legs and left me a drooling mess at her feet. Not that I showed her how much she affected me. I’m more suave than that. But yeah, I was a goner at first sight. That’s why I ran away from her right after our night together. Believe me, it was explosive.

Sounds like it! What is your family like?

I don’t have a big family. Mom died when I was a kid, and Dad passed on four years ago. Meghan and I don’t get along, but her ex-husband, Alan, is like the brother I never had. She had a son with Alan—his name’s Danny—and I love that little boy to pieces.

At least you have someone. What other character from your book do you think your author should write a book about? Care to tell us why?

You’ll meet three characters in my book that will have a story of their own.

Belle’s friends, Shea and Trevor, will have a second chance romance in Trevor’s Redemption, which is coming soon in the multi-author Dangerous Entanglements box set in December 2022. It’ll be re-released as a solo book in the fall of next year.

Arresting Alan, starring you-know-who, will hopefully be released sometime in late 2023 as well. Alan’s no longer hung up on my sister, and I want him to find happiness and love with someone else. He’s been through a lot and deserves only the best.

That’s good to know. Thank you so much, Benji, for chatting with me today.

PreOrder Today

Only .99 cents until October 18, 2022

Universal link - https://books2read.com/arrestingbenjamin/

Amazon - https://amzn.to/3usC6SN

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940186751144

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id6443054336

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-benjamin

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JHJ5EAAAQBAJ

Add it to Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61398149-arresting-benjamin

Check it out on BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/arresting-benjamin-by-amber-daulton

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Social Media Link

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers) – https://bit.ly/amberdaultonnewsletter

Giveaway

Check out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a0982c528/

Teaser Tuesday: Parsifal #8Sunday #MFRWHooks #RainbowSnippets #SnipSun

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Snippet

Despite their enjoyment of one another’s company, the trio realized there were many things they didn't know about each other. They wished to strengthen their bond and dedicated an hour every week to unofficial group therapy. During this time, anyone could share his or her secrets. The friends were currently involved in one of these casual counseling sessions.

The trio’s sole male member, Parsifal Matveev, was twenty-four years old. At five foot seven and 130 pounds, he was an elflike fellow with a sweet smile, stunning malachite green eyes, strawberry blond hair, and freckled cheeks.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

You can pre-order now for $1.99. While $1.99 is a great price, I'm gonna let you in on a bit of inside info. I will run a freebie soon after the release, and the book will be available from Kindle Unlimited if you'd prefer to borrow it. 

Grab it now and know it will be available to read on October 10, or mark your calendar and snap it up later. You're a winner either way!

I have two promo events coming up in October, both hosted by RABT Book Tours. 

https://sites.google.com/rabtbooktoursandpr.com/fall-2022-blitzes/lil-deville-the-shape-of-heat-i-awakening-teaser-tuesday

https://sites.google.com/rabtbooktoursandpr.com/fall-2022-blitzes/lil-deville-the-shape-of-heat-i-awakening-release-blitz?authuser=0

I am sharing this post with several blog hops. Please click the link below each of the banners to visit the hops.

Hop Along!

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
The MFRW Hop is every Wednesday.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets
Rainbow Snippets is every weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/401643826588474
Snippet Sunday is available every weekend.
http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/
Weekend Writing Warriors is every Sunday.
Thank you to RABT Book Tours for their kind assistance in promoting my book.
https://www.rabtbooktoursandpr.com/

The Odd Trio #MFRWHooks #RainbowSnippets #8Sunday #SnipSun

Genre: Erotica (BDSM, m/m, m/f/f menage)

Length: 10,000 Words

Heat Level: Nuclear Blast (5 Flames)

Blurb

Candi knew hot things happened behind closed doors at the Pearl Beach Resort. After all, the place was owned by bisexual billionaire playboy Boris van Donk, who had a reputation for taking on all comers. 

Candi's family of origin was strictly religious, and she has never given or received more than a chaste kiss in her 21 years. Between bad-boy Boris and her geeky, fun-loving, porn-writing housemates, an awakening of her desires is inevitable. 

Snippet

During the first meeting for new students, the odd trio, though appearing to have little in common, became fast friends. They complemented each other, and their zeal for their coursework led them to graduate in three years instead of the usual four. Upon graduation, the three friends enthusiastically accepted the offer of employment at Pearl Beach Resort with a three-bedroom cabin to share.

The college and the resort were both presided over by Boris van Donk, a Dutch billionaire whose reputed sexual excesses earned him the nickname “The Dirty Dutchman.” It was rumored that he enjoyed introducing neophytes of both sexes to his fabled collection of erotic toys and practices. Despite his libido being the stuff of legend, van Donk conducted himself with dignity; he never forced his desires on disinterested parties.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3eNpil8

You can pre-order now for $1.99. While $1.99 is a great price, I'm gonna let you in on a bit of inside info. I will run a freebie soon after the release, and the book will be available from Kindle Unlimited if you'd prefer to borrow it. 

Grab it now and know it will be available to read on October 10, or mark your calendar and snap it up later. You're a winner either way!

I have two promo events coming up in October, both hosted by RABT Book Tours. The signup should be open by the end of the week. Here are the links if you can help with either or both.

https://sites.google.com/rabtbooktoursandpr.com/fall-2022-blitzes/lil-deville-the-shape-of-heat-i-awakening-teaser-tuesday

https://sites.google.com/rabtbooktoursandpr.com/fall-2022-blitzes/lil-deville-the-shape-of-heat-i-awakening-release-blitz?authuser=0

I am sharing this post with several blog hops. Please click the link below each of the banners to visit the hops.

Hop Along!

http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
The MFRW Hop is every Wednesday.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets
Rainbow Snippets is every weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/401643826588474
Snippet Sunday is available every weekend.
http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/
Weekend Writing Warriors is every Sunday.

Charity Sunday: The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research

 

Tears for the LostImage designed by Cara HartleyYou are welcome to use it, but please credit me.
https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com
For this month's Charity Sunday, I am donating to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research. There are many forms of dementia. Not to put too fine a point on it, all of them suck ass. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most widely recognized forms of dementia. There is no cure and the idea that people won't get dementia if they just keep their minds active really grinds my gears because it's pure bull pucky. 
I worked caring for the elderly for approximately 25 years. I have taken care of highly intelligent and gifted people with dementia. Unfortunately, doing crossword puzzles is not a safeguard against dementia and I really hate clickbait sharticles proclaiming that "keeping your mind active" prevents dementia. 
Dementia can happen to artists, doctors, pharmacists, college professors, musicians, scientists, and yes, writers, to name a few professions requiring an active mind. Researchers don't fully understand why people develop Alzheimer's. However, studies have revealed that people presenting with the disease have an impaired ability to clear beta-amyloid plaque from their brains.
https://www.alzinfo.org/articles/people-alzheimers-cant-clear-plaque/

Those of you in my age range may recognize these elf-like brothers. They were born in 1953 and 1955. The younger brother on the left is aging abnormally in the sense that most 67-year-old men don't throw themselves around a stage half-naked while playing guitar as if possessed by the spirit of The Great Cornholio. The older brother, unfortunately, died in 2017 at age 64 after a 9-year-battle with early onset Alzheimer's.
(The Cornholio reference is not intended as an insult. These guys liked Beavis and Butthead, and so do I.)

I always thought this was a tremendously unfair fate. Malcolm Young wasn't a perfect person, but he tried to conduct himself in an honorable fashion. When his band's lead singer, Bon Scott, died suddenly in early 1980, Malcolm took it upon himself to call Bon's mother so she learned of the unfortunate incident from a sympathetic person rather than seeing it on the news. 
As Dr. Greg House once said, you don't get what you deserve; you get what you get. Sometimes life hands good people a leaky bucket filled with raw sewage while certain orange-hued crooks and their complicit spawn walk free after being caught with classified documents stolen from the U.S. government. 

I did this bit of Photoshop not long after I learned how ill Malcolm was. 
I find the strength of the bond between these fellows touching. I watched an interview with Angus where he said that even after Malcolm's condition deteriorated to where he could no longer walk, talk, or feed himself, he would still smile whenever Angus came to visit him. That at least is a lovely thing. It reminds me of something the late Christopher Lee said following the passing of his great friend Peter Cushing.
“At some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again”
Angus lost Malcolm and also his older brother George within a month of each other. Another case of life handing the leaky bucket of sewage to the wrong person.
Here is the link to donate to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research.
https://www.alzinfo.org/donate/donation_form/
I would like to share a link to the book review I wrote for a series of children's books created by two sisters who cared for their mother who had Alzheimer's. The books are perfect for kids but also comforting for adults, at least those adults who are secretly still 10 years old inside. Like, you know, me.
The link goes live at 12 AM MST on 25 September 2022.
https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2022/09/grandma-is-acting-funny-review-and.html
I've finished the first draft of Flight of the Dragons and now it's crunch time on editing to get it ship-shape for submission to Dragon Soul Press for potential inclusion in their Reign of Fire anthology. 
https://dragonsoulpress.com/shortstorycalls/

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Length: 9000 Words
Heat Level: 0 Flames
BlurbPoverty and the threat of nuclear annihilation dominate his reality, so Simeon retreats to the world of his imagination where dragons fly free, bringing hope on leathery wings. 

Snippet

Simeon wasn’t sorry to leave the metropolitan area. With pandemic restrictions and an increase in high-pollution days, his health problems often prevented him from attending school in person, so he never developed close friendships with his classmates.

Simeon was a dwarf who had undergone multiple heart surgeries and procedures to correct his abnormally formed digestive tract. He didn’t mind being a dwarf and figured it wouldn’t have mattered if he minded. There were neither spells nor medications to make him grow, so he accepted himself as he was. He didn’t mind eating softer foods to accommodate his sensitive digestive system. He liked hamburgers, soups, and applesauce. He could eat his favorite foods, such as bagels with cream cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches.

The surgeons had satisfactorily corrected Simeon’s heart anomalies. Overall, he was much healthier than he had been in early childhood. However, he remained vulnerable to respiratory infections and asthma attacks.

Image by GraphicMama-team from Pixabay

I would also like to share the Gardenian flag that I created on Saturday morning. (Gardenia is the fictional nation where Simeon lives.) I couldn't have done it without Pixabay, Pixlr.com, and the flag creator app on rollforfantasy.com

https://rollforfantasy.com/tools/flag-creator.php