Lucy Felthouse's Blog, page 319

eBook Review: Erotic Amusements by Justine Elyot

Article first published as eBook Review: Erotic Amusements by Justine Elyot on Blogcritics.

Erotic Amusements is the latest release from Justine Elyot. Set in a seaside town in Britain, you may think that it's going to be a jolly, happy, sexy romp beside the seaside. Think again.

It's sexy, of course, but the book goes so much deeper than that. There's a strong plot underlying the sex and the novel is actually a mixture of erotica, romance and crime thriller. Don't get me wrong, there's no gore or forensic examination involved, but there's a dark undertone in Erotic Amusements that makes it an edge-of-your-seat kind of a book.

This seductive book tells the story of the seaside resort, Goldsands. Charles Cordwainer is the mogul of the area, if you like, owning several businesses, and people. He's not a nice guy and he pulls the strings of those that work for him so tightly that they're terrified of him and daren't put a foot wrong. That includes his right-hand man, Rocky, who does his dirty work and his submissive, Michelle who runs one of his businesses, but also services him and his associates.

One of Charles' newest employees, Flipp, has no such qualms. She's so new to the area that she has no idea about the secrets and lies going on around her. However, when Rocky meets her he takes a shine to her and tries to warn her to be careful. He himself has to be careful because Cordwainer has a hold over him, but he doesn't want to see Flipp falling into the same trap. The two become close, and despite the risks start seeing one another. However, in a place like Goldsands, nothing stays secret for long.

But whoever is trying to unearth secrets isn't going to stop at Rocky and Flipp. They intend to dig up everything they can find on Charles Cordwainer and his employees and bring his Goldsands empire tumbling down around his ears. But digging around in the seedy underbelly of Goldsands uncovers more than anyone could have imagined, and many people will be affected by the fallout.

Verdict: wow! I've read lots of Justine Elyot's writing and have always enjoyed it, and Erotic Amusements is no exception. I enjoyed the whole seedy criminal element, as well as the smoking hot sex scenes and intriguing characters we've come to expect from Ms. Elyot. It feels a bit different to her usual novels, but I still really enjoyed it. Recommended.

Available from:

Amazon UK

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Myth Mondays: Behind the Scenes with The Dark Night Rusalka by Rebecca Bond

For part two in a series of 'Myth Mondays' from the wonderful authors who contributed to Seducing the Myth, I'd like to welcome Rebecca Bond. Read on for some background on her story, The Dark Night Rusalka…

*****

Total honesty. I don't know one myth from the other. I vaguely recall learning about Medusa in an English class when I was about fourteen, but let's face it, there's a high probability that I wasn't listening, so when the submission call went out for Seducing the Myth I cried inside. I had absolutely no intention of writing a story for this one. Not only am I clueless when it comes to myths and legends, but I'm also pretty uninterested, so I pushed my pen aside and moved on to the next.

That was, of course, until two days before the deadline when I heard The Father talking about a story his dad used to tell him as a child. The story of the Rusalka. Like I said, I'm clueless, but Google is a wonderful thing and by the power of Google I began to scribble down my own version of this folk tale. Essentially the story is the same, but I've added a few extras to spice it up a bit so I hope folks that are familiar with the tale won't mind.

For those that don't know, I'm from Polish heritage and so I went down that route as opposed to Greek or Roman mythology. I wrote the tale, had my arse kicked by the tale, edited the tale and then got it vetted by my best pal (a native Pole) to check for accuracy in lingo etc. Luckily it passed her very scrupulous eye, and that of her Mother's in Warsaw apparently, before I got the go-ahead. And a rollicking for corrupting a story from her childhood. Oops.

Anyhoo, The Dark Night Rusalka is a sweet and loving tale about a young woman trying to reach Heaven. Or is it. . .?

Find out more about Rebecca on her website, http://www.missrebeccabond.co.uk

Find out how to bag your copy of Seducing the Myth here.

 

Six Sentence Sunday – 14/8/11

Something new for you this week! These six sentences come from my story, Down by the Pool, which appears in the anthology I just edited and released, Seducing the Myth. More info here.

When I first heard the silly talk, I didn't take much notice. After all, the witterings of the drunken old men in the Greyhound Inn are hardly life-changing. They usually spouted tales of their childhood and 'the good old days', most of which were completely fabricated. But as I sat in the corner reading, I couldn't help but notice that their conversation lingered on the same topic for some time. I found myself drawn in. Keeping my eyes on my book, I listened.

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A Blog for Blogging's Sake

It's sad, but I spend a lot of time on my own website, copying and pasting blurbs, links, updating the word count for WIPs and so on… and today I looked at it and realised that I haven't posted a blog for a while which is just general news and updates. So here it is, in brief:

Seducing the Myth is completed and released, I'm currently requesting reviews, guest blogs and so on, so if you're able to help out on that front, please give me a shout.
My erotic romance short, Loose Ends was released the week before last. It's had a couple of amazing reviews already which you can see on the book's page, as well as buy links and an excerpt.
I've sent several submissions off in the past few weeks, and totally amazed myself by writing my longest piece to date, 12k (yes, I know you prolific types are snorting into your coffee right now, but it's good for me!!) – and sending it off. I was expecting a 3k short and it turned into a much longer tale. Luckily I had 15k to play with so it's still been sent to the home it was originally intended for. Wish me luck!
I have another major submission to finish and edit by the end of August. I do have it roughly sketched out and plan to knuckle down next week.
I've been commissioned to write a personalised story for someone, so that will be the job after the submission. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this one as I already have the basic fantasy, I just have to write it up into something suitably filthy!

…and that's just writing-wise! I also have all my PR/Marketing/Web Design type stuff going on. But I like to be busy, so if you're an author in need of any of those services, including blog tours, promo and so on, check out my other site, http://www.writermarketing.co.uk.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I've earned an early night with my Angel boxset, don't you?

eBook Review: One Hot Australian Night by Liia Ann White

Article first published as eBook Review: One Hot Australian Night by Liia Ann White on Blogcritics.

This book is a first for me on two counts – it's the first of Decadent Publishing's 1 Night Stand series that I've read, and also the first piece of Liia Ann White's work. I give a big thumbs up to both.

One Hot Australian Night has the most apt title – it's hot beyond belief! Zalia is successful in every aspect of her life, except for her love life due to some scumbags she's been involved with. Xavier is a widowed lawyer who is struggling move on with his life. Luckily, they both have people that care about them enough to help them through the tough times. That's how they both end up signing up for exclusive dating agency, 1NightStand. Neither have high hopes, until they're matched and a date is arranged…

The pair are nervous about their date, unsure whether there will be an attraction or just a huge amount of awkwardness. I don't want to give away the plot, but let's just say that there is hotness galore in this tale!

I really enjoyed One Hot Australian Night. In a relatively short piece of writing, you get enough of a feel for the characters to care about them and what happens. It was also an interesting plot which turned super sexy in no time! This is a brilliantly written, extremely erotic and emotional story by Liia Ann White and I find myself hoping she'll continue the journey of the two main characters.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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Decadent Publishing

eBook Review: Angel of the Morning by J.S. Wayne

After tucking into Angels Would Fall just a little while ago, I couldn't wait for long before devouring this second offering from J.S. Wayne. Angel of the Morning is an erotic romance short which tells the tale of Aurora and her husband, Benoth. They've been separated as Benoth was sentenced to time in Lucifer's pits for siding with him. However, Benoth has been summoned by the Angel of Death, Azrael, to assist with an issue in the ranks – Moradiel falling for a human (see Angels Would Fall).

Having been apart for decades, Aurora and her husband have missed each other deeply and manage to arrange it so they can spend an entire day together before having to return to their duties. Their reunion is a heartfelt, romantic and incredibly steamy one which I really enjoyed. It did, however, leave me with the same feeling as Angels Would Fall – more please!!

Again, another excellently written, touching and hot story from J.S. Wayne. I cannot wait to read more from this author, who assures me that more is coming!

Available from:

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Amazon US

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Noble Romance

eBook Review: Chastity Flame by C. Margery Kempe

Chastity Flame is a book about a female spy called… yes, you've guessed it, Chastity Flame. She's a kick-ass chick in a job she loves. She travels the world, foils criminals and has lots of sexy illicit encounters here, there and everywhere. She even manages to meet a hot guy in London's National Gallery.

Normally, Chastity is a love 'em and leave 'em kind of a girl, knowing that she can never truly be herself around a man, as they can never know what she does for a living. And if a man ever got too close, he'd know her cover story of chartered accountant wasn't true. Chastity's pretty happy with that situation, until she meets Damien. To start with, she thinks he's just going to be another casual fling, but even though she doesn't want to admit it to herself, she develops feelings for him. The situation grows increasingly complicated when she's working a job and a fellow operative bursts in – and it's none other than Damien! On the one hand, she no longer has to lie about her job, but on the other, colleagues in their line of work are expressly forbidden to 'fraternise.'

What will Chastity do? Will she give up on love for the sake of her job? There's only one way to find out…

Wow – Chastity Flame is a fantastic book. It's fun and light-hearted, with plenty of humour sprinkled in with the red-hot sex and serious spy plot. I got to the end and immediately wanted more. Luckily, I happen to know the author is writing a sequel… If you're looking for something different, sexy and fun, then look no further – add this to your to be read list.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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Ravenous Romance

eBook Review: Mia's Books by Tabitha Rayne

I'm a sucker for a paranormal tale, so as soon as I heard about Mia's Books it went firmly on my to be read list. What made it so intriguing was that it's about ghostly activity, rather than vampires, werewolves, etc. It's something a little different, and although I'll read pretty much anything in the paranormal genre, it was nice to have something new.

This novella throws you right into the middle of the action, with a saucy yet unusual encounter in a library. From there, things move quickly for insomniac Mia, who goes from being horny and frustrated because of a lack of lovers, to being inundated with both lovers and sex. Hot sex, I must emphasise.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'm not going to say much more about the plot, other than it is exciting, unexpected and has a couple of lovely twists in there that will keep you guessing.

So if you're looking for an erotic paranormal read with m/f and f/f scenes, you should definitely add Mia's Books to your list. It's well-written, pacy and sexy – what more could you want?

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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A Pride Reading at Sh! Hoxton

As most of you know, Kay Jaybee and I descended on Sh! Hoxton on Saturday evening to regale the audience with readings from a selection of our gay and lesbian titles. And what a fabulous evening it was! The lovely Jo did her introductory bits and Kay took to the pink seat and told us a naughty tale from Xcite's Boy Fun anthology which went down a storm. The Basic Rules of Anal Sex was delivered only after we'd been given a copy of said rules to accompany the deliciously dirty story.

Next up was yours truly with my tale from Ravenous Romance anthology I Kissed A Girl. Show Me Yours is a sexy story about two girls and their various sex toys and we had a good giggle as just as I was talking about a buzzing Rampant Rabbit, some crazy vibrating noises came from the upstairs of the store – talk about sound effects!

Then it was over to Kay again who read another yummy m/m story to us from her lush book, The Collector (which you should totally read, it's HAWT).

My stage time was concluded with a snippet from my f/f erotic romance, Bite with 

Height. I was worried that the audience had gone deadly silent. I thought perhaps I'd sent them to sleep, but I have it on very good authority that they were merely hanging onto my every word, as the section I'd chosen to read was particularly tense. The tale is too long to read in its entirety, but I hope I whetted enough appetites that people will dash and buy the eBook to find out what else happens!

Ms. Jaybee concluded proceedings with a bonus story from The Collector at the request of one Jacqueline Applebee, who was in attendance. Jo then wrapped everything up and presented Kay and I with a little present from the Sh! Girlz (thanks, ladiez!).

Sadly, Kay wasn't able to join us for dinner, but myself, my OH, K D Grace and her lovely hubby and Jacqueline Applebee retired to an eatery just around the corner from Sh! to continue the fun. I enjoy that part of the evening just as much as the readings because it means there's lots more chat to be had, and since I hadn't really had chance to speak to Jacqueline Applebee much beforehand, it was great to get to know her a little. We had some writer chat, and quite the discussion on comic book movies and the abundance of totty they've been filled with this year.

Overall, a very fun evening! Can't wait to do it all again! I did mention a potential Seducing the Myth reading to Jo… so watch this space!

Myth Monday: Behind the Scenes with Valkyrie's Queen by Toni Sands

For the first in a series of 'Myth Mondays' from the wonderful authors who contributed to Seducing the Myth, I'd like to welcome Toni Sands. Read on for some background on her story, Valkyrie's Queen…

*****

Whenever I hear Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries shivers ripple down my spine. I'm listening to it now, as I write. Once I heard Lucy's plan to edit an anthology with a mythological theme, this music rode into my head immediately. So, I conducted a little research – triggering memories of a holiday inIceland, a country combining quirkiness, sophistication and folklore. Most of the year, there's little colour in the landscape so you'll find roofs painted to form a palette of bright primary colours. I travelled in November when daylight lasts all of four hours or so and found the shops a welcome explosion of light. Rainbow-coloured clothing and jazzy knitwear plus fairyland Christmas artefacts sell well. And bookstores are hot! Great places to socialise and drink coffee. The art reflects the scenery so, yes, it's kind of primitive – think primary school meets Grayson Perry. I lovedIceland even though my friend and I missed seeing the Northern Lights because we were being chatted up by some Icelanders. (Fortunately the bar was candlelit….)

This is not a holiday place for the fainthearted so I had to make my heroine Freya a tad cerebral. Stay with me … the island is hardlyCosta Bravaon the rocks so I needed something to tempt her to be her sister's flat-sitter for a fortnight. Many of us find certain scents evoke emotions and bring back memories of places and people. So Freya is studying the significance of fragrance in Norse mythology and is a 'scent anorak' experiencing weird dreams. If having sexy serial dreams about a blond, white-cloaked hunk on horseback is weird

Norse legends evoke rocky terrain, vast brooding skies, thundering waterfalls and winged horses. The guys are brawny, with beards and erm, big weapons. The long-haired women wear flowing gowns or, like Odin's daughters, power-dress in battle gear. But most of the description in my story is inspired by my stay in Reykjavik. I hope you'll buy Seducing the Myth and thrill out with it.

Find out more about Toni on her website, http://tonisands.co.uk/

Find out how to bag your copy of Seducing the Myth here.