Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 493

Guest Blogger: Heather Long (Contest)

Today’s the last day to enter the New Dragon Cup contest!

Click on the link for the entry rules! ~DD

* * * * *
Why A Ménage

First let me thank Delilah for hosting me on her blog today. I might get a little deep because it’s been that kind of a week.

Have you ever had a fantasy? Men and women are different. They have different kinds of fantasies. To be perfectly honest, women are different—they have different kinds of fantasies. So have you ever had a fantasy?  Do you fantasize that you’re famous? Or maybe that you’re the go to girl or go to guy for someone who is famous? Do you want to be a sports star? Do you have to have Josh Hamilton’s batting record? Do you have a fantasy to be a rock star or actor or let’s just get down to brass tacks, do you just fantasize that you’re rich?

Fantasies are important because fantasies are goals. They provide us with an innate sense of reaching for more than who we are or who we want to be.  Sometimes they are simply escapes. An escape from our ho-hum life and too many errands and schedules and bills and frankly, who doesn’t want to fantasize their way out of the long lines at the grocery store on a weekend when you’d rather be sleeping in?

So if “those” kinds of fantasies are healthy, what about sexual fantasies?  Aren’t they healthy, too?

Not if you’re a woman…

There seems to be a common misconception in our culture that women shouldn’t have sexual fantasies. I mean there are booty and booby magazines by the hundreds, half-naked women on cars for men to lust after so they will go and shop for that vehicle and more—because retail and Hollywood figured out a long time ago that sex sells. But that’s okay, because it sells to men.

Then along comes a little book call 50 Shades of Grey and suddenly “Mommy porn” is born and it’s astounding just how many readers gobbled it up. It became the numbers 1, 2, 3 best sellers (with its two sequels) in weeks. It blew the top of this frothing pit of sexual fantasy for women from college co-eds to soccer moms to silver-haired grandmas and I know for a fact at least one great-grandma in a wheelchair.

As a romance reader for more than three decades and an author, was I shocked by this? Of course not, what is a romance novel but a variant of a sexual fantasy? What is the BDSM sub-genre but a sexual fantasy? What about a ménage?

But you’re not supposed to talk about it…

It’s 2012 and we’re not supposed to talk about liking sex. Apparently according to some people, we’re not supposed to talk about sex at all. Some people believe that if you add enough sex to a story it will sell no matter how good that story is and some believe that if sex isn’t an extension of an organic relationship between the characters (whether it’s an MF, MFM, MMFM, MMF, or MFMMMMM – yes ladies, those books do exist) then it’s just porn written to sell.

Wanna know a secret?

It doesn’t matter.  It really doesn’t. I promise you that two years ago, I used to say “I can’t write sex scenes.”  It wasn’t a matter that I couldn’t write them, I was just embarrassed by it.  Yes, embarrassed.  Like so many women I felt that if I said I “liked” to write sex scenes or that I wanted to write them, it should only be said quietly to those people who knew me very well and who would, of course, keep it private.

Because we’re really not suppose to like sex or talk about it.

When I was little, my grandmother always edited the sex scenes when she read her Harlequins to me and that makes sense, because seriously – who is going to read sex to a kid? Exactly – really creepy people. But for years, she referred to it as “cleaning” or “taking a nap.”  Even when I was an adult, she wouldn’t say the word sex – but I guarantee you that the books she was reading had loads of it in there.

We’re embarrassed by this because we’ve been told that in our society it’s not okay to like sex. I mean, you can, but only if you keep it to yourself.

I think I’m tired of keeping it to myself. I like sex. I like to read good sex scenes and I like to write them. I recently released a book in February called Cassandra’s Dilemma that featured a polyamorous relationship. I wasn’t really sure how that would go for me, but the characters refused to be anything else and I believe in going where my characters take me. But when it came to promoting it, I kind of choked a little—why?

Because it had sex and a lot of it.

I didn’t really think about that until recently when I finished Jacob’s Trial in edits and had it queued up for its release date. It’s the second book in the series after Cassandra’s Dilemma and it has sex – lots of sex in it. And you know what. I am thrilled about this book and I don’t feel any of those twinges that I felt with Cassandra’s Dilemma. In part because I realized that even though I’ve never been particularly shy about the subject, I was still trying to look at myself through the lens of a conservative culture that frowns and labels books with open sexuality “mommy porn.”

Why a ménage?

I started off calling this blog why a ménage and I’m going to answer this right now. Because it’s a great sexual fantasy to imagine two, alpha males who care about you so much that they put aside some of that innate, biological competitiveness to be with you emotionally, mentally and yes, sexually.  The physical intimacy in a ménage is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a healthy fantasy and I loved writing Jacob, Cassie, and Helcyon’s journey to finding each other and finding a balance in that relationship.

Are sexual fantasies worth it? Absolutely. Because a sexual fantasy is all about you and that’s why we like to read books that explore the fantasies we might have and why many authors like to write them. Your fantasy is healthy, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

I like sex. I hope you do, too.  Because sex feels good and sexual fantasies should, too. Without our fantasies, life would be pretty dull.

I’d love for you to leave a comment on anything you feel like saying on the subject. I’m not going to ask you if you have sexual fantasies or what they are, but I will give away one copy of Jacob’s Trial to one lucky commentator and I’ll announce that here in the comments on Thursday, June 7!

Sunday Report Card

Yesterday’s Winner!

The winner (by random number generator of the free download of Bitten in the Big Easy is…#2: Betty Hamilton! Betty, send me an email to arrange delivery of your prize!

* * * * *
Ongoing Contest

Don’t forget! The New Dragon Cup Contest ends this Tuesday! Click on the link for details! Keep posting those comments!

* * * * *
Mailings

If you’ve followed me for long, you know I’m up to my ears and depend on my assistant (my daughter, actually!) to put together my mailings. I have just over a month’s worth of stuff to send out now, so she’ll be working in my office this week to get them wrapped!

* * * * *
New Releases this week!

Yes, multiple! Crazy, I know. But something for everyone, I think! Click on the covers to read excerpts!

1) June 6th — Charmed in the Big Easy

Charmed includes these two connected stories:

“Under the Rainbow” by Paisley Smith

When novice witch, MeLeah McKinney is sent on a mission to retrieve a talisman from the grave of famed Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, she’s not sure how she’ll be able to perform the sex magick ritual required for energizing the relic. Especially given that it’s been a long time since she’s had sex. She decides to gather energy at a live sex show on Bourbon Street. But she isn’t prepared for a little help from Celestine Laveau’s ghost who’s crossed the rainbow bridge to spend one night in the arms of a beautiful woman.

In order to defeat the ancient vampire who endangers them all, just one talisman is hardly enough…

“The Mambo’s Door” by Delilah Devlin

Ingrid Kassel is a fledgling witch, uncertain and not in complete control of her powers, especially after drinking a double-shot of vampire blood. With the same instructions as MeLeah—retrieve an object buried with a daughter of the Voodoo Queen—she angers the spirit guarding the tomb and finds herself entering a shadowy limbo, where she meets beautiful Marie, living in fear of a demon who also desires the black magic candle infused with the powerful mambo’s blood. In desperation, Marie tricks Ingrid, capturing her and seducing her to charge the candle for her own bid for freedom.

2) Available Now! — Suite Encounters: Hotel Sex Stories

This released earlier than its official June 12th date

(includes my story, “Tailgating at the Cedar Inn”)

SUITE ENCOUNTERS features hotel erotica in all its forms, from honeymooners having sex on the beach to loving couples on vacation to coworkers heading downtown for secret quickies, not to mention exhibitionist thrills (and chills) of getting it on in the pool on the roof at The Standard Hotel in front of everyone! The award-winning editor of the Best Sex Writing series, among many others, Rachel Kramer Bussel knows the winning formula of stories of sex in every possible setting — luxury hotels, seedy motels, spas, SRO’s and everything in between.

3) Available Now! — Girl Fever: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex for Lesbians

This released earlier than its official June 12th date

(includes my story, “Ignition Switch”)

GIRL FEVER is Short fiction at its best from rising erotica star Sacchi Green, whose LESBIAN COWBOYS took the top award at the 2009 Lambda Awards. This big book of lesbian quickies satisfies on every level with stories from top-notch contributors that evoke the heat, the urgency and the “gotta have it” moment of the quickie. There are long-time companions, one night stands, meet-cutes and meet only once stories to fuel your fantasies in this only book of lesbian quickies on the market today.

Sudden sex, when your need is too great wait. Sex in planes, trains and automobiles, and roller coasters, carnival rides, elevators, and ferries as well; and if a bed is handy, that’s fine too. Shanna Germain’s “Answering the Call” shows us games EMTs play in an ambulance, while Victoria Janssen’s “The Airplane Story” crams us into the metal-walled bondage of an airliner restroom. Sommer Marsden makes the very best use of “An Hour,” Allison Wonderland gets it “Off and On” in under ten minutes, and Tigress Healey offers “Six Minutes or It’s Free.” But there’s more to it than speed, and the sixty-nine pieces in Girl Fever by skilled writers Cheyenne Blue, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Delilah Devlin, D.L. King, and scores of others offer characters you’d love to fuck, evocative settings, and well-rounded stories that can intrigue and surprise you along the way to seduction.

4) Sometime this week — Dragon’s Desire

An ancient dragon sends a loyal knight on a quest to find a virgin to ease his curse. Who knew a virgin would be so hard to find?

I have to come up with a decent blurb for this book THIS WEEK.

Suffice it to say, it’s menage (m/f/m and m/m/f). There’s an ancient curse that started way back when, a dragon with a problem, a loyal knight who seeks to “slay” the dragon’s appetite, and a modern, unsuspecting, but surprisingly adventurous virgin. There’s magic, danger, humor, some light BDSM. Oh, and tons of nasty sex.

As soon as I get it back from the formatter, I’ll post the Amazon link and let you know it’s out!

* * * * *
The Wild Ride Continues

Thanks so much to everyone who purchased Two Wild this week! You put it at the top of Samhain’s Bestsellers’ list, and you have it rising up the chart at Amazon!

If you read it, there are a couple of things y’all can do to help me—if you have the time and inclination.

1) “Like” and “tag” the book on Amazon.

2) Post a review at Samhain, Barnes & Noble and/or Amazon. Let another reader know whether you consider the book to be worth their time and money.

3) Okay, one more than a couple! Tell someone about it.

I appreciate all your support.

* * * * *
Live Chat this week!

Cleis Press freelance editors Delilah Devlin, Ily Goyanes, and Sacchi Green will host a chat about LGBT writing on June 7, 7 PM EST, on the ERWA site. We’ll be discussing writing, answering your questions, and generally having fun talking about our favorite genre. Drop by, toss us some questions and prompts, and we’ll all have a good time. http://erotica-readers.com/ERA/AR/Erotica_Authors_Resources.htm

* * * * *
Sunday Report Card

Notice I left the SRC for the very last? That’s because this was not the productive week I’d hoped it would be. I did edits and edits—Fournicopia is done! Dragon’s Desire is done (except for the formatting). I’m still wrapping up the last read through of the galley for Cowboy Lust. I did add two strong chapters to my paranormal for Montlake, but I wanted four! Let’s hope this week rolls along without any family drama or publisher interruptions.

If you see me goofing off online, you have permission to spank!

Saturday Snippet: Every Breath You Take (villain, alpha male, etc)

On June 6th, the next story in the Femme Noir series will release! Since today’s theme is all about strong men, I thought I’d let you meet Baron Samedi, the loa of the crossroads between the worlds of the living and the dead. Enjoy a little taste!

“Under the Rainbow” by Paisley Smith

When novice witch, MeLeah McKinney is sent on a mission to retrieve a talisman from the grave of famed Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau, she’s not sure how she’ll be able to perform the sex magick ritual required for energizing the relic. Especially given that it’s been a long time since she’s had sex. She decides to gather energy at a live sex show on Bourbon Street. But she isn’t prepared for a little help from Celestine Laveau’s ghost who’s crossed the rainbow bridge to spend one night in the arms of a beautiful woman.

In order to defeat the ancient vampire who endangers them all, just one talisman is hardly enough…

“The Mambo’s Door” by Delilah Devlin

Ingrid Kassel is a fledgling witch, uncertain and not in complete control of her powers, especially after drinking a double-shot of vampire blood. With the same instructions as MeLeah—retrieve an object buried with a daughter of the Voodoo Queen—she angers the spirit guarding the tomb and finds herself entering a shadowy limbo, where she meets beautiful Marie, living in fear of a demon who also desires the black magic candle infused with the powerful mambo’s blood. In desperation, Marie tricks Ingrid, capturing her and seducing her to charge the candle for her own bid for freedom.

A crash sounded. The bedroom door splintered, exploding inward.

“Well, well,” came a deep voice, at once dry, rasping and crackling with anger. “Ma’man has been busy. She sends me presents, then fails to deliver ’em into my hands.”

Ingrid couldn’t help it—she tore her glance from Marie’s to stare up at the figment striding toward the bed.

He was tall, so slender he looked nearly skeletal, with skin stretched so tightly over prominent cheeks that she saw only shadow in the hollows beneath. His eyes were black and flat, the pupils narrow slits. It was the top hat, a crazy affectation, that identified him as Baron Samedi, loa of the dead.

“I’m not a present,” she said, lifting her chin and wondering where she found the courage to defy him. Maybe it was the last trace of vampire blood, maybe it was the trembling of Marie’s fist beneath hers. Whichever the cause, anger burst hot inside her.

“Not a present. Also not dead,” the loa said, leaning down to sniff the air around her. “How delicious.”

Ingrid narrowed her eyes. “Also not a meal. Your wife gave me access to this realm.”

“Do you think that protects you?” His thin mouth stretched wide. Large white teeth gleamed in the near-darkness.

“I think she’s jealous of the time you’ve spent with Marie.”

His smile disappeared, replaced by a sneer. “My wife must learn her place. If she wishes to lure me to her side, she shouldn’t place such lovely temptations within mah reach.”

His hand rose and his thin, spindly fingers reached for Ingrid’s hair.

She jerked back. “You are not to touch me.”

His head canted. “Do you dare think you can command me?”

“I think that we have something you want.”

Marie coughed, but Ingrid refused to look her way.

“You’d barter with the mambo’s candle?” the baron drawled.

She hadn’t thought that far ahead, but his assumption held a glimmer of hope. “A trade. Two knobs and we’re returned to the crypt.”

He grunted. “All of it, and I let you leave. You alone.”

She shook her head. “The candle is charged—with her mama’s blood, with her sex magick and ours. Maybe I should use it now.”

His expression turned from irritation to reluctant admiration. Then his eyelids dipped. “And then you’ll have nothin’ left to take with you. Do you forget why you’re here?”

“Of course not, it’s why I can spare only part of the candle. It’s more than you will ever get from her,” Ingrid said, jerking her chin toward Marie, who sat with her head bowed before the loa.

Ingrid squeezed Marie’s hand, forcing her to meet her gaze. She widened her eyes at the other woman in silent warning.

Marie straightened her shoulders and gave her a subtle nod. “You’ll never have my mother’s candle. Not a single piece.”

The loa straightened. His gaze went from Marie to Ingrid. His horrible eyes narrowed to frightening slits. “Done.”

He agreed so quickly that Ingrid worried she’d done something wrong.

“We leave now,” he said, smiling.

“But it’s dark,” Marie gasped.

Ingrid dug her nails into Marie’s skin. “So long as we walk with him, we’ll be fine. Isn’t that right, Baron?”

The baron continued to smile. “Must keep up,” he said, his voice lilting strangely.

Ingrid shivered. “Let’s dress.”

The women dressed one at a time, the other clutching the candle securely in her hand. When they’d finished, Ingrid indicated for the baron to precede them out of the door, then swiped the lantern from the bedside table.

“Clutch my coat,” he said, turning his head to look over his shoulder. “Don’t let go—no matter what.”

Ingrid hesitated, remembering the warning from his wife. “Marie, you hold his coat. I’ll hold your hand.”

The baron sighed. “Did she tell you?

“Tell me what?”

“That with one touch, yo’ mine?”

Ingrid had never been so glad that for once, she’d followed instructions.

The baron strode toward the front door of the cabin. When he opened it and stepped through, Marie whimpered but didn’t let go of the tail of his long frock coat.

Ingrid’s eyes widened.

Even in the dim light from the sputtering lamp, she could see the gray-faced figures standing on the porch. Their heads swung her way, mouths agape, jagged teeth gleaming in the darkness.

Hands reached, but they swept past them, climbing down the rickety steps and into the black swamp below.

* * * * *

 

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Guest Blogger: Elle James

The Thunder Horse Family of North Dakota

 

People are always asking me where I get all my ideas. The answer is…everywhere! The Thunder Horse brothers grew out of several encounters. An interesting name of a Marine Corps Officer who happened to be a Kiowa native from Oklahoma, a story about the wild horses in the Badlands and my time spent in North Dakota, traveling across the plains and visiting the Badlands. Put all those elements together, add murders, bad guys and there you have it!

 

Thunder Horse Heritage

Harlequin Intrigue

June 2012

 

They once exchanged their wedding vows. Now he vows to keep her alive.

She’d been his wife for barely a day and now FBI agent Tuck Thunder Horse was responsible for identifying her body. So he was more than shocked when Julia Anderson turned up very much alive-and on the run. Julia confessed to witnessing a murder and now needs Tuck to help her stay alive…and protect the baby he hadn’t known she’d had.

Julia and Tuck’s marriage might not have lasted, but there was not time for recriminations with a killer on their trail. As Tuck struggles to put their painful past behind them he can’t help but find himself overwhelmed by his love for his little daughter…and his still-burning passion for Julia. Unable to trust anyone but each other, they know working together is the only way to safeguard their child. Could their one-day marriage turn into a life-long adventure?

Buy at Amazon

Buy at Barnes & Noble

THUNDER HORSE SERIES:

HOSTAGE TO THUNDER HORSE

THUNDER HORSE HERITAGE

THUNDER HORSE REDEMPTION

 

About the Author:

Elle James spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

You can reach Elle James at www.ellejames.com or email her at ellejames@earthlink.net. Also see her sexier alter ego Myla Jackson at www.mylajackson.com.

Guest Blogger: Desiree Holt

How villainous should a villain be and how do you balance him out?

Note: Leave a comment. One lucky person will a print copy of my best seller Joy Ride.

First of all, thanks to Delilah for hosting me today. She’s been one of my aspirational authors from the day I joined my RWA chapter and met her. The lady knows how to turn a fine word!

When writing a villain in an erotic romance the question always sits there as to how totally bad the villain should be. And is he or she a major player in the story or just a means to an end.

The dictionary defines a villain as an evil character in a story. The villain usually is usually referred to as the antagonist the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters. A villain is “a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.”

When I was creating the villain for Out of Control he was definitely not a deliciously wicked person. In fact, he’s the kind of person you want to shoot on site. He’s a major, major player in the story, because the history of his interaction with the heroine is the pivot on which the entire story turns.

“He sat in his den, pouring another shot of his favorite, aged whiskey, hoping it would calm his nerves. His hand trembled slightly as he lifted the glass to his lips again.

The whiskey burned as it slid down his throat, but it was a good sensation of heat. Comforting. Settling his jittery nerves. Last night’s little…adventure…had soothed him for a while but seeing her again this morning had jacked him up again. Brought all those tiny lovelies back again.

She had returned, his elusive little flower. This morning, he’d seen her entering Cole Landry’s office. So sweet, just like he remembered.

He’d Googled Dana Moretti last night on the computer, and the face looking back at him made his blood run hot all over again. He’d never forgotten his little Carrie. She’d been special. The only one who hadn’t cried out. The only one who’d struggled against him, turning him on with her odd sense of bravery. Now she was back. Finally. After all these years. She wasn’t getting away from him again. Not this time.”

And the heroine. The fear he instilled has been with her for most of her life. How would she feel being back in the place where her life took a turn for the worse with the villain still at large? What effect would it have on her digging into the files of the other crimes, ones where the victims hadn’t been lucky enough to escape as she had?

“She studied the screen on her laptop. The notes she’d transferred from her study of the case files stared back at her. There was nothing dressed up about the facts. They were brutal. Gruesome, even, and very explicit. The deputies who’d found the bodies had left nothing to the imagination. The pictures they conjured were like something out of a torture chamber.

A shiver skittered over her spine as she felt the ghost touch of those calloused fingers probing her body, heard Kylie’s high-pitched little screams. Remembered the terrible pain. Felt the tape ripped from her mouth and strange hands trying to be gentle with her.

When she’d seen Kylie’s body, she’d thrown her head back and screamed so long and hard her throat ended up raw for days. She’d fought to get to her sister, but other hands restrained her, voices tried to soothe her, and finally the sting of a needle had plunged her into blackness.

Now, with each case she examined, she relived it over and over again. Her stomach convulsed, and once more, she felt like throwing up.”

And then of course I needed a hero who was heroic enough to balance the villain, because I’d taken a chance and made the villain a totally despicable person.

“She was still rocking when she heard sirens in the background and the squealing of tires as a car–maybe more than one–pulled up behind her. Then her door was yanked open and Cole was crouching beside her, unbuckling her seat belt, putting one arm around her and smoothing back her hair.

“It’s okay.” His voice was calm and reassuring. “It’s okay, Dana. I’ll take care of whatever it is.”

He reached over her to pull the keys from the ignition. She was peripherally aware that he handed them over to someone behind him and was talking to him, swearing under his breath before he turned back to her.

“Dana? Listen to me. I’m here and you’re safe now. I’m going to help you out of this car, okay?”

She felt as if she was walking through water as she uncurled herself from the seat and let Cole help her stand. She leaned into him, drawing on his strength. The last time she’d fallen apart like this she was seven years old. That’s how old she felt right now.

“The house,” she moaned into his chest. “It’s not even mine. Cole, who would do something like this?”

He stroked her hair, his arms still around her. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

Out of Control  is the story of a woman who survived the attack of a predator when she was seven years old, the only survivor of his crime spree. She’s battled emotional lockdown all her life and now realizes she can’t go forward unless she deals with the past. Back in the small town where it started she encounters hostility from people who want to keep it swept under the rug, and a sheriff, a former Marine, who is the first man in years she’s not afraid of. Check out a couple of the reviews:

Fallen Angel Reviews gave it a Recommended Read: I applaud Desiree Holt for creating a serial killer that even now still blows my mind away and how badly Dana just wanted to be normal like every other woman. The killer is still loose and the killings that occur in the book just prove how devious and clever Desiree Holt’s brain can become.

From Sizzling Hot Books: While tastefully and accurately written, Out Of Control might be a little gritty for some people. But, if you are looking for a story to keep you on the edge of your seat and maybe cause you to tear up a time or two, pick up Out Of Control and join Dana and Cole on their journey.

And from Seriously Reviewed: The scenes are well written, with compassion and feeling. The sex scenes are descriptive yet leave enough to the imagination to make them believable. Carrie/Dana is such an amazingly well written character with depth, feeling and believability. With everything that she has been through and all the baggage that she carries around with her also gives her the lovability factor.

Where can you find Out of Control? It’s available at all online bookstores and from Amazon and The Wild Rose Press also in print as well as ebook.

Where can you find me?

www.desireeholt.com

www.desireeholttellsall.com (UNDER MY HAT)

Twitter: @desireeholt

Facebook: Desiree Holt

And check out my publishers: Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, Decadent Publishing and Total-e-bound.

Guest Blogger: Corrina Lawson

What Makes a Good Sex Scene?

I can tell you that question occupies far too much of a romance writer’s mental space.

We all know the usual responses:

1.It has to be true and specific to the characters.

2. It should be a part of their emotional as well as physical attraction.

3. There should be a reason for the sex itself to be on the page.

But the deep dark secret is that we all want something we haven’t seen before. A tall order for a writer but since I want that as a reader too, I spend a lot of time thinking about that extra special thing I can add without losing the essentials of the emotional connection.

Some writers go with unusual sexual positions, added partners, added toys and not quite mainstream ways of having sex.

I’ve done some of these scenes.

Two of my books, Freya’s Gift (Samhain) and Dinah of Seneca (The Wild Rose Press), feature a fertility ritual with at least three participants. And maybe a little pagan-style historical drugs to get things rolling. I say this jokingly but I wanted those sex scenes to be earthy and intense. If they were hot to the readers too, great. My first priority was to convey the experience of what it was like for the participants because the rituals meant a great deal to them and were part of their emotional healing after great tragedy. The ancient world was not often a nice place.

But pagan rituals only work in pagan times.

Modern romances have modern ways of looking at sex. When I decided to write a superhero romance series, I admit that part of the attraction for me was coming up with unique ways to use those abilities during sex. Because, really, what’s the point of having a superpower if you can’t put it to good use?

In Phoenix Rising, the first book in the superhero series, the hero is a fire starter and a telekinetic. Now, telekinesis is very helpful during sex. It’s somewhat like having another hand. But since Alec Farley also had an explosive power and could control fire, I wanted the other big sex scene to also be literally explosive. One near-nuclear explosion and a little bit of flying and I had it. I think it worked pretty well for the characters and for the readers.

Luminous, the second book in the series, is a more down to earth story, The first tale is more like an X-Men story. Luminous is a Batman-inspired urban story with a heroine named Noir who hides her invisibility under layers of intimidating black leather. Emotionally, shedding those layers is big obstacle for her. Because at least when she’s wearing them, she can be seen. When naked, there’s nothing to see.

Her hero, Aloysius James, is a police detective with a sarcastic streak and a hidden idealism. He has no powers other than he’s unusually perceptive and he sees right through Noir’s tough shell. Still, he’s not sure how to approach a woman he can’t see, even if he does think she fills out the black leather in all the right ways.

Aha, I thought. Now there’s a challenge. Write a sex scene where one partner literally cannot *see* the other. No facial expression, no clues from physical movement. Touch alone.

We often overlook the importance of touch. For example, when I was walking in the woods with my son the other day, I closed my eyes. Instantly, the ground beneath my feet felt different. Before, it had seemed solid and flat. But now that I was paying attention to what my feet were experiencing, it felt like anything but a flat surface. All the slight rises and dips were there. I felt the twigs I stepped on through my sneakers.

It seemed to me that a sex scene by touch alone could offer an entirely different perspective. They’re both naked, only one is physically exposed while the other is emotionally naked. It’s tender and sweet and, I hope, hot. It suits both of them and the story. So I have high hopes that it will suit readers as well.

As for the next sex scene, in the third book, Phoenix Legacy (coming in November), I went in a completely opposite direction. Tender isn’t a word I’d use. At all. But when you’ve got a hero hopelessly addicted to pain because of the adrenaline that flows when he psychically heals his injuries, sex becomes an entirely different kind of challenge.

You can find Luminous either at the Samhain store or the major ebook retails like Amazon. Information and excerpts about the other books can be found on my website, www.corrina-lawson.com

Links:

My author page on Samhain

My author page on Amazon

My website

Corrina is former newspaper reporter with a degree in journalism from Boston University. She turned to writing fiction after her twins were born (they were kids three and four) to save her sanity.

Corrina is currently a senior editor of GeekMom and a core contributor to its brother site, Geek Dad, both on Wired.com.  She also writes for Sequential Tart, a webzine about comics and pop culture written solely by women. Often you can find her hanging out on comic book writer Gail Simone’s forum on Jinxworld.

She has been a finalist in the national Golden Heart contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America and is the winner of several regional RWA contests. Phoenix Rising, her first full-length novel with Samhain, was a Samhain bestseller.

TWO WILD FOR TEACHER is here!

I’ll be back later with the names of the winners of my Friday Fireworks contest! In the meantime…

It’s double the trouble when two ornery cowboys come courtin’, Texas-style…

Sam Logan’s hell-raising twin sons have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. All of it earned. When it becomes clear those two troublemakers won’t settle down without another nudge—make that a boot to their butts—Sam reissues his challenge. Find a wife.

There’s only one woman who’s ever held Mace and Jason Logan’s attention for more than one night. Molly Pritchet, their former teacher. She’s been too worried about a pesky morals clause to let them close, but they’re older now and ready to prove to her that some rules are meant to be broken.

Molly thought her path was clear: always a teacher, never a mother or a wife. Until she finds those two Logan “boys” in her backyard, all grown up and digging around in her business. More accurately, starting her koi pond for her without asking. Well, it’s about time someone taught the Logan twins some manners.

A little mud, a lot of yearnings she thought she’d suppressed, and Molly realizes she’s the one being schooled in the art of indulging in forbidden desires.

Warnings: Two hot-as-sin twins romance their former high school teacher. Things are bound to get down and dirty quick as two bad boys tag team to sweep one curvy, sexy woman off her feet.

I wrote a sexy, hawt joyride for you. If you read it, there are a couple of things y’all can do for me—if you have the time and inclination.

1) “Like” and “tag” the book.

2) Post a review. Let another reader know whether you consider the book to be worth their time and money. (Remember, it’s cheap! ).

3) Okay, one more than a couple! Tell someone about it.

I appreciate all your support. It’s what makes it possible for me to stay writing!

You can find Two Wild at these places:

Samhain Publishing

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Just One Day to Get TWO WILD!

Remember, this is the last day for you to enter the Friday Fireworks contest and to qualify to win one of three free downloads I’m offering! Details are in Friday’s post! ~DD

* * * * *

Two Wild for Teacher will be available for purchase tomorrow! But you can pre-order it now so that the moment it comes available, it will be yours! In the meantime, here’s a little snippet…

Mace’s hand shook just a little as it closed around her chilled fingers. He couldn’t believe he was here. That she’d touched him willingly. His body still burned everywhere she’d laid her hand. His cock felt ready to burst after the way she’d calmly, methodically, stroked away the dirt.

It had felt almost like a baptism. All sins washed away. He felt lighter of heart and intent. Happy in way that he hadn’t been in a long time.

Molly Pritchet had always been a goddess on a pedestal. A sweet-faced woman with sharp eyes and a sharp tongue. He’d felt the sting often enough, he’d known she didn’t think of him as more than an ornery boy, and yet moments ago, she’d handled him like she might a man she admired.

Something inside him melted. He wanted to be worthy. Standing naked as a jaybird beside her, he wanted her to never question her decision, to never regret she was about to lie down with him.

Unable to resist, he tugged her close and folded her against his chest. Their first intimate touch was a hug. Skin to skin. Heartbeats mating, matching rhythms, slowing to a steady, heavy thrum. “Ma’am, I’d really like to lay you down in that pretty bed of yours,” he said softly.

With droplets of water shining like diamonds on her skin, she leaned back her head to smile up at him. “I have no objections, sir.”

Her eyes blinked dreamily at him, and his chest expanded. He tugged her hand again and pulled her toward the glass doors. Once inside, with the AC prickling their damp skin, he headed straight for the staircase, halting at the bottom step because she’d lagged, her head turning to Jason.

“You’re going to watch my ass all the way up those steps, aren’t you?”

Jason grinned. “Sure am.”

Molly’s brows furrowed.

Mace grunted, bent quickly, and swept her into his arms. Problem solved.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “You aren’t going to carry me up. Your back!”

“Don’t you worry about either of our backs. We’re strong, Molly. We can handle you.”

Her eyes widened.

“I’m not sayin’ we have to be strong, just that you don’t have to worry. You feel just right,” he said, giving her a bounce to prove to her she was safe in his arms.

She relaxed, sighing. “I’ve never been carried by a man.”

“There’s gonna be lots of firsts, sugar. Just you wait.”

 

 

GLBT Live Chats with the Pros At The Erotica Readers & Writers Association!

I didn’t come to GLBT erotica first, but I’ve embraced it! For those authors looking to give it a try, read on…

From Adrienne Benedicks of the Erotica Readers & Writers Association:

Erotica has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to carving out niches for the “sexual outlaws” which is what GLBT folk were thought of, and are still considered to be, by much of mainstream society. GLBT erotica is a genre to be reckoned with.

ERWA will help interested authors with two GLBT “Live Chats with the Pros.” Delilah Devlin and M Christian will be on hand to answer questions, offer advice, and exchange ideas with authors of GLBT erotica. Whether you’re penning your first gay fiction, or are a spicy-seasoned pro, don’t miss these opportunities.

1) Delilah Devlin will host a live chat Thursday, June 7th, at 8:00pm EST, (5:00pm PST; 1:00am GMT).

Delilah Devlin is a prolific and award-winning author of erotica with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Ms. Devlin has published over 100 erotic stories in multiple genres and lengths. She is published by Avon, Black Lace, Kensington, Harlequin, Atria/Strebor, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, and Berkley. If you want to know how to do the deed, Delilah is the lady to talk to. This is your chance to chat live with her.

2) M. Christian will host a live chat Saturday, June16th, at 3:00pm EST (12 noon PST; 8:00pm GMT).

M. Christian, associate publisher for Renaissance E Books (which includes Sizzler Editions), is an acknowledged master of erotica with more than 400 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, and Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica. If you want to know what GLBT editors want (and don’t want) and how to make your submissions stand out, M. Christian will be happy to answer your questions.

How to find the chat? ERWA chats are held on the ShadowWorld chat server, channel, #erachat. Follow the link. On screen you’ll see ‘Connect o ShadowWorld IRC’. In the Nickname box, key in your name. Leave the channels box at #ERAChat, and click ‘Connect’. A chat text box will appear at the bottom of your screen.

Mark your calendars! See you there…

Saturday Snippet: It’s a Four-Gone Conclusion…

Don’t forget about the Kindle Fire that’s up for grabs! See yesterday’s post!

* * * * *

Sometimes, a man needs a little nudge to get moving in the right direction. The Logan brothers are lucky that nudge came from their father, Sam Logan. In both A Four-Gone Conclusion and Two Wild for Teacher (coming May 29th!), he’s the instigator. See how it worked in the first book of the “duology”, then get ready for another dose of Sam’s wisdom next Tuesday!

“A FOUR-GONE CONCLUSION is a prime example on how a novella should be written; fast and fun, touching characters that pull you in and a story that is completely fulfilling.” 4.5 Cherries, Long and Short Reviews

One devilish night…or a chance at heaven?

Sam Logan’s foster sons have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. Most of it earned. When it becomes clear they don’t plan on giving up scootin’ after ever pretty pair of boots in town anytime soon, he issues the one thing he knows they can’t resist: a challenge. Find a wife.

The oldest, Johnny, is actually grateful. He’s had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker for a long time, and Sam’s challenge is the kick in the pants he needed to ask her out. Except before he can make his move, his brothers kidnap her right out from under his nose. Now, instead of being one question away from victory, he has to compete for the woman of his dreams.

Ellie thought she’d be a dried up old spinster before Johnny finally untangled his tongue long enough to ask for a date. But instead of teaching him better uses for that tongue, his brothers have whisked her away to the ranch. At first she’s furious…then intrigued when she starts to wonder what it might be like…

Warning: Four handsome cowboys. Four choices. Would it be a single sordid night or a chance at heaven as she savors every luscious inch of the Logan brothers?

“It’s time you boys found yerselves a wife.” Sam Logan made his pronouncement then waited, watching the four younger men seated at the table from the corner of his eye. He didn’t have to wait long for his words to sink in. They exploded in the room with the force of a silent grenade.

Johnny’s jaw closed with a snap, and he laid his spoon down on the scarred oak table. His black winged brows drew together, nearly meeting over his dark eyes as he raised his head.

Sam suppressed a smile. That look could make the toughest hombre gulp, but Sam wasn’t the least bit concerned. Johnny tended to look mean when things changed. His oldest boy hated any kind of change.

If any other man had said what he had, Johnny would have cussed under his breath and aimed a piercing, silencing glare. However, he respected Sam, trusted him as much as he could anyone. That trust and respect were the only things that kept his butt on the bench beside his brother Killian.

For his part, Killian’s eyes narrowed. The corners of his lips twitched. Likely he was amused by Johnny’s reaction and didn’t want to let him off the hook too quickly, but was already lining up all the reasons why Sam’s idea was ludicrous. He was quick that way.

Sam calmly ladled the hearty stew he’d made into his mouth and let his gaze roam to the twins. Jason was coughing into his napkin while Mace gave him “helpful” taps between his shoulder blades.

Mace caught his stare and grinned. “A wife, did you say?”

Sam grunted, ignoring the one word that had caught his son’s attention. “This is the third time this week we’ve had stew,” he murmured. Not to change the subject, but to point out a glaring fact.

“I like stew just fine,” Johnny muttered.

“This house misses a woman’s touch.” There, he’d said it. Sat the big gorilla in the room right at the dinner table. Impossible to ignore.

“Gracie can’t be replaced,” Killian said softly.

The permanent ache next to his heart echoed that truth. Sam nodded. “She’s gone. Three years. I miss her every day. Know you do too. But life goes on. You’re men now. You have an obligation. Ranchin’s a family business. Y’all need families.”

Johnny cleared his throat. “No disrespect intended, Sam, but you didn’t get sons the old-fashioned way.”

“Not because Gracie and I didn’t try. And in the end, we had no regrets. We both loved you all like you was our own.”

“So, you’d rather saddle us with—”

Sam aimed a quelling stare. “Think I felt like Gracie was a noose around my neck?”

“No sir, but…” Johnny’s hands fisted on the tabletop. “Hell, how’re we to find someone like her?”

Sam understood what he meant. Gracie’s passing had left a hole in all their hearts. The boys had loved her. Took to her the very first day he’d brought each of them home. Gracie had been born to be a mother, and she’d showered them all with the things they’d needed most—acceptance and unconditional love.

“Boys, Gracie wasn’t born a rancher’s wife. Truth is, she didn’t know a bull from a cow and damn near poisoned me with the first meals she cooked. But she learned. Find a woman willin’ to learn, one you kin love and who’ll love you back.”

“You said, ‘a wife’.” Mace wasn’t gonna let that slip of the tongue go.

Sam shook his head and gave the twins a faint glimmer of a smile. Those two could always see the humor in any predicament. “Thought I’d give you two options. I know one can’t piss without the other goin’ too. And there are damn few single women to go around these parts. ’Nough said?” When all of them nodded, he cleared his throat. “I’ll be out of town for the next four days. Auction in Abilene. The house is yours.”

* * * * *

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

HelenKay Dimon

Shiloh Walker

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Lauren Dane