Brita Addams's Blog, page 16

Read an Excerpt from Splendid Captivity

I invite you to read an excerpt from Splendid Captivity, my newest menage historical.

Isabella Malin, a widow, wants to escape her dull life of embroidery and teas. She hires a hackney and goes in search of the Falcon, the notorious highwayman. A little kiss, a bit of a thrill, and she's sure she can once again face whatever her dull life has to offer. When her carriage is stopped and she is kidnapped, she goes without a fuss, never dreaming she wouldn't be allowed to leave.

Julian Madere and his bisexual partner, Nate Thurber, both poor sons of nobility, take to the highway, stealing from the rich and making love to each other to celebrate their bounty. Julian and Nate decide Isabella must be held captive, lest she reveal their nefarious activities as well as their need for each other, both hanging offenses in 1820 England. The three enjoy glorious sexual romps, until the law gets a bit too close to the truth, threatening their developing closeness. While Julian has his eyes on a future with both Nate and Isabella, it seems fate may have other ideas.

[image error]

Splendid Captivity is available at Silver Publishing or

Splendid Captivity - Release Day - at Silver Publishing

Today is release day and I am so happy to have Splendid Captivity out. 
Here's the blurb:


Isabella Malin, a widow, wants to escape her dull life of embroidery and teas. She hires a hackney and goes in search of the Falcon, the notorious highwayman. A little kiss, a bit of a thrill, and she's sure she can once again face whatever her dull life has to offer. When her carriage is stopped and she is kidnapped, she goes without a fuss, never dreaming she wouldn't be allowed to leave. 

Julian Madere and his bisexual partner, Nate Thurber, both poor sons of nobility, take to the highway, stealing from the rich and making love to each other to celebrate their bounty. Julian and Nate decide Isabella must be held captive, lest she reveal their nefarious activities as well as their need for each other, both hanging offenses in 1820 England. The three enjoy glorious sexual romps, until the law gets a bit too close to the truth, threatening their developing closeness. While Julian has his eyes on a future with both Nate and Isabella, it seems fate may have other ideas.

This book started as Lucien and Serenity's story, but it somehow this story wasn't theirs, hence Serenity's Dream was born.


Hope you'll enjoy this tale. There's much going on in this book.

Help me Welcome Author Rachel Haimowitz

 I am very excited to have Rachel Haimowitz, author of the newly released novel, Anchored, stop by the blog for a visit. Rachel has been on a 21-stop blog tour and kindly accepted my invitation to take a respite, put her aching feet up and sip a bit of coffee with me.
I am very excited to read Anchored. The blurb is below and it will pull you right into the story. Rachel has given me the prologue as an exclusive to my blog. She tells me it is a deleted scene from Anchored. The blurb and prologue sound delicious. Give them a read and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Two commenters will be selected at random to win a prize on the 23rd. Rachel will be giving away a copy of either her Counterpoint or Sublime, the winner's choice and the other will win a swag bag. Now contests don't get better than that!

Rachel will be hanging out all day, so please, leave her a comment, enjoy the reading she's provided and don't forget, the cookies and coffee are over there on the sideboard.
[image error]  
Blurb from Anchored:  Belonging, Book One
Network news anchor Daniel Halstrom is at the top of his field, but being at the bottom of the social ladder—being a slave—makes that hard to enjoy. Especially when NewWorld Media, the company who's owned him since childhood, decides to lease him on evenings and weekends to boost their flagging profits.
Daniel's not stupid; he knows there's only one reason a man would pay so much for what little free time he has, and it's got nothing to do with his knowledge of current events. But he's never been made to serve like that before, and he fears he won't survive the experience with his sanity intact.
He finds himself in the home of Carl Whitman, a talk show host whose words fail him time and again when it comes to ordering Daniel to bed. Daniel knows what Carl wants, but it seems as if Carl isn't willing to take it, and Daniel's not willing to give it freely. His recalcitrance costs him dearly, but with patience and some hard-won understanding, love just might flourish where once there'd been only fear and pain. Can Carl become the anchor in Daniel's turbulent life, or will he end up the weight that sinks his slave for good? 
Prologue
Daniel hadn't always been owned by NewWorld Media, but he didn't much like to think about those early years. He'd been a curious child. His previous owner, a fine custom clothier whose clients liked quiet, pretty garments and quiet, pretty slaves to wait on them, had no patience for his curiosity. She'd been cruel with him, though he hadn't known better at the time—had never known anything different, except for the wistful stories his mother sometimes told as she dried his tears and begged him to please, please remember his place. Difficult to forget it when he spent so much of his time beneath his mistress's leather strap.He was eleven when the businessman came in to buy a new suit. Underfed and battered, but neat as a pin, his hair trimmed short and his polished shoes gleaming beneath the cuffs of his tailored pants—he couldn't well look like some field hand or street sweeper while serving the wealthy, after all—Daniel greeted the newest customer. The businessman had looked at him, looked at him in a way he was only just beginning to understand, and Daniel scurried over to help him, never once daring to raise his downturned eyes."Let me see your face, boy," the man had said. Grabbed his chin, but not rough like his mistress, his fingers avoiding the fresh bruise at the corner of Daniel's mouth. And then the magic question, the one his mistress, in her endless stream of beatings and berating, had told him he would never, ever hear: "Are you for sale, boy?""I'm difficult, sir," he replied. Shyly, but honestly, just like he'd been trained. "You wouldn't want me. Nobody wants me."The man smiled, stroked his face in a gesture of kindness so startling that Daniel nearly jumped, and then pulled the hem of Daniel's fitted shirt from his pants.Daniel's heart sank. He'd told the man the truth, answered the way he'd been taught. Would the stranger punish him for that? He glanced once, frantically, around the small showroom floor, hoping his mistress might magically appear. But no—she would not protect him if this man felt wronged. She would watch, most likely, and beat him later herself for upsetting a customer, and send him to bed without supper again.The man spun him around, and Daniel swallowed hard, squeezed his eyes closed.But there was no pain. Only a chuckle, low and deep, and a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Relax boy," the man said, "I won't hurt you. I just want to see how difficult your mistress thinks you are."Beneath the man's touch, the muscles in Daniel's shoulder unclenched. The man released him and lifted Daniel's shirt. Cool air met his back, and then fingertips skimmed a line of welts, gentle enough to be painless. A tug on the waistband of his pants lowered them an inch or two, and more feather touches travelled along the marks high on his hips, on the curve of his buttocks. The man let out a low whistle and spun Daniel back around."Quite difficult indeed, eh? Well, you'd better put yourself back together before your mistress sees you," the man said, his face carefully blank but his eyes, Daniel thought, smiling just a little. "And then show me something in a dark gray chalk stripe."
* * * * *
The businessman turned out to be the Chief VP of Human Resources at NewWorld Media, and he bought the first suit Daniel showed him. He also, much to everyone's surprise, bought Daniel.Daniel was frantic at the news, nauseous with apprehension about his mother—would he ever see her again?—and his new master and his new life. All he knew was tailoring and housework; what could he possibly do for this man, who was wealthy and surely already had all the house slaves he could possibly need? One answer came to mind, vague and unformed at best, but still vivid enough to make his stomach churn. He didn't know how to do that either, and the other boy his mistress owned, five years his senior, the one who spent so much time with the mistress's best clients, wouldn't explain. All he'd ever say was that sometimes they were mean, and even when they weren't it hurt something fierce, and he was glad Daniel was growing up so pretty because it'd be his turn soon instead.The businessman bundled up his new suit and his new slave and put them both in the backseat of a sleek, black sedan. His driver—also a slave, and a valued one, Daniel could see, from the fine gold chains around both wrists—pulled away without a word. Daniel's own slave bracelets were braided bands of stainless steel, functional for restraining in a way the driver's were not. They were a constant, chafing reminder of his station, and he still had a scar from where the man had burned him welding the left one on earlier this year. Not an accident, he thought. His mistress had been mad he'd outgrown the previous pair so quickly.No . . . not his mistress anymore. The only owner he'd known for the entirety of his eleven years, and she'd sold him without a single word, a single glance. Just a cheery exchange of ownership papers for money and a slap on the back—right between the shoulder blades where her strap had fallen hard and heavy this morning—to send him off.He tried not to fidget in the backseat of his new master's car, wanting desperately to look around, but not daring to unglue his eyes from his feet. His master sat next to him, watching him so intently that Daniel felt the heat of the man's stare burning clear through him."Daniel?" the man said, and the "Yes sir?" rolled so naturally off his tongue that he had to stop, correct himself, say, "Yes Master," instead. And didn't that feel strange, because his mistress's husband had died so long ago that he couldn't even remember the man's face."I'm not your master," the man said kindly, and at that, Daniel couldn't help but look up, a question in his eyes that he thought for sure would be driven clean away by a slap or a punch. But instead, the man smiled and said, "I bought you for NewWorld Media. Do you know who they are?""No sir," Daniel said, swallowing hard. His mistress was always telling him he was stupid, that no one would want a slave so dumb he couldn't even follow instructions. Would the man be angry with him for it now?If he was, he didn't show it. "What about InfoGlobe? Do you know what that is?"Daniel nodded—of course he knew what InfoGlobe was! His mistress would watch in the back room on slow afternoons, letting it drone on while she sewed. Daniel would steal glances whenever he could, enthralled by the wonder of a whole, wide world beyond the walls he knew, the limited sights he'd seen. He'd even gotten so lost once in a report from the front lines of some distant war, filed by a slave—an actual slave reporter!—that his mistress had found him staring and beaten him bloody for slacking off.He still thought it might have been worth it.The businessman reached a hand out and Daniel bit his lip, wondering how he'd angered the man to violence without even speaking. But the man just ruffled his hair and chuckled again. "Well, NewWorld Media owns InfoGlobe, and now they own you. Because you, my boy, have a face just made for television."


And now, let's meet Rachel. 
Rachel is an M/M erotic romance author and a freelance writer and editor. She originally dipped her toes into cable news and book publishing, decided the water was cold and smelled kinda funny, and moved on to help would-be authors polish and publish, write for websites and magazines, and ghostwrite nonfiction.
Her first novel, an M/M fantasy erotic romance titled Counterpoint: Book One of Song of the Fallen, released in August 2010 with Guiltless Pleasure Publishing. Her second novel, an M/M alternate-history erotic romance titled Anchored: Belonging Book One, released January 17 with Noble Romance Publishing. Her third, Crescendo: Book II of Song of the Fallen, will release in the fall of 2011. In between, Rachel is writing shorts and novellas, including the M/M BDSM collection Sublime: Collected Shorts, and a not-yet-released cyberpunk novella titled Break and Enter, co-written with Aleksandr Voinov.
You can find Rachel tweeting as RachelHaimowitz, chatting in the Goodreads forums, and blogging at Rachel-Haimowitz.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from folks, so feel free to drop her a line anytime at metarachel (at) gmail (dot) com.
Rachel is on blog tour with many stops. Below are just some of her friends, with whom she is visiting. Yesterday's tour stops: http://amaras-place.blogspot.com/2011/01/anchored-blog-tour-my-review-and.html (Secondary character interviews and a review) and http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/ (Reader Q&A) Today's other tour stop: http://aleksandrvoinov.blogspot.com/ (book review) Tomorrow's tour stops: http://dikladiesrule.blogspot.com/ (character interview with Daniel) and karigregg.com (book review) All tour stops will have a free book and a free swag bag to raffle. 
To purchase Anchored - go to Noble Romance Publishing

Serenity's Dream is Nominated for Best Historical of 2010 - Wow!

I woke up this morning to find that Serenity's Dream had been nominated for Best Historical of 2010 at Love Romances Cafe. Can we say thrilled? Wow! My first nomination for anything to do with writing and it feels like it's right out of the gate - Serenity came out seven months ago. WOW!

The voting begins on Saturday, January 22nd and goes to the 30th. Winners to be announced on the LR Café Loop on January 31st at Noon EST.
Voting will take place on Dawn's Reading Nook Blog. Each category will have a separate post and to vote, comment your choice in the comment area. Link to Dawn's Reading Nook Blog is: http://lovesbooksandmore.blogspot.com
Of course, I ask for your vote, I suppose that goes without saying. 

I'd also ask that you vote for my friend, and soon-to-be co-writer, Bryl Tyne, who's been nominated for Best Science Fiction/Futuristic Book, for his amazing, Coin Operated Boy. What a terrific story that is, but then, it's a Bryl Tyne book. If you've never read his work, shame on you. :) Click that link right there and buy it. Bryl will be coming out with a short Naughty Nibble as a bit of a sequel to Rye and Chal's story, sometime around Valentine's or thereafter. 
So many things are happening so fast and I'm enjoying the ride. I have a new book coming out on Saturday, Splendid Captivity, which I am very excited about. I love this story and the fire with which the characters deal with each other. The story actually started out with the characters from Serenity's Dream, Lucien Damrill and his wife Serenity, only they weren't married and Lucien was a highwayman. Somehow, they let me know this was not the story they wished told about them. Odd how that happens. 

As a result, Julian and Isabella, as well as their partner, Nathaniel, were born and Splendid Captivity became their story. This is a menage filled with angst, anger at times and questioning. The characters don't always understand their lots in life or even how they got to where they are. It's funny sometimes, how life sets us on one path, when we are sure we should be on another, isn't it? 

As I mentioned above, I am soon to begin writing a series called Johan's Quest with the brilliant Bryl Tyne. It has been percolating for several months now, while Bryl and I work on clearing our plates, which seem to fill as quickly as one project is completed. We do have a deadline of April 1, so that helps our focus - there isn't simply some nebulous completion time frame - it is etched in stone. 

Our series takes place in New Orleans, in the not too distant past, about 1968. I hate to think of that year as being historical, but it is, which still puts me in the realm of writing erotic historical romance. Bryl and I have spent many, many hours brainstorming our story, which will be a series under the title, Johan's Quest. The first book has a tentative title of, The Soulless Man. Quite appropriate for our Johan. 

In other news, I pulled a book from a publisher this last week because I wasn't satisfied with the story and don't have the time at the moment to do justice to it as it deserves. No Substitute for Love was due to be released soon, but I begged off and Decadent Publishing was wonderful in their response. Thank you Lisa and Heather for your consideration of my thoughts on this book. When I can, I plan to Brita-ize it (it was a Tina book) and then, I will seek publication.

I also contracted another book, Her Inconvenient Marriage, with Noble Romance. I wrote Inconvenient before I ever wrote the Sapphire Club series and it has languished on my hard drive forever. I'm working to perfect it and then it will come out later this year. This is a full length novel and one of which I am quite proud.


And then there is the contemporary I am writing for a special submission. I am doing this one for Bryl Tyne, who asked me to give contemporary a go, just once. I have no idea when the publication would be, if they even accept it, but I have an April 1 deadline for that one too. It is half or a little better, finished and is m/m, sub/dom. Bryl, who was my editor for Chocolate, Tea and the Duchess, has a way of forcing me to reach - I love it.


On a sad note - I made the difficult decision to leave Red Lipstick Journals this week, due to the time crunches I find myself under. I love RLJ and I wish the authors the very best. They are growing in leaps and bounds and I am proud to have been a part of its inception. I simply found myself faced with having to devote much more time to it than I was willing to take away from my writing.


One last note - I am blogging today over at the Noble Romance Author's Blog. Come on by and let me know what you think.


On Friday, I'll be hosting Rachel Haimowitz, author of Anchored: Belonging, Book One. She's on an exhaustive 21 stop blog tour, and has granted me the honor of a stop.


Until next time,


Luv, 
Brita

Splendid Captivity and Wow! What A Week!

My menage erotic historical, Splendid Captivity comes out a week from tomorrow, January 22. I am so excited about this book. Let me say, that it's inception was unexpected, or maybe it was the inception of the book that it finally became. Confused? Let me enlighten.

Splendid Captivity started out as the story of Lucien Damrill, who became the owner of the Sapphire Club. Serenity was his captive and the story was pretty much as you will find it in Splendid. However, something didn't fit for me, that old gut instinct you know, and the idea was gutted, at least for Lucien.


Splendid was put on the back burner for some time and I wrote Serenity's Dream, which seemed to flow. Lucien Damrill was right for that book. The story of two men, who were in love and joined forces as highwaymen simply wouldn't let go of me, and my muse demanded I write that story.


Lucien became Julian, Serenity became Isabella and Nate, well, he stuck around. 


Julian and Nate have loved each other for years. They've taken to the highway for several reasons, not the least of which is their lack of financial resources. Julian is the friendlier of the two, flirts with his female victims and has been known to steal a kiss or two during the course of the robberies. 


Isabella has heard the legend of the Falcon and can't resist the pull of adventure, before she feels she must marry again, something she is adamantly against.

Julian finds her in a hired carriage, in the midst of, well, making herself feel better shall we say, and can't resist asking, "You need help with that?"


From that point on, the bedlam begins. Love, hate, adventure, spankings, angst, this book has it all. It is Brita through and through. It does evoke the Sapphire Club, as Isabella is Serenity's former sister in law, so Serenity makes a brief appearance.


I hope you enjoy Splendid Captivity and will tell me what you think.

Well, it has been quite a week, in a very good way. Hellish busy, but, then I like it like that. The word bored never enters my vocabulary. 

I got three great reviews - two for Love Immortal - Skyla and Tamela Quijas
I'm very excited about them. And then the review I blogged about below for Lord Decadent's Obsession. 

I wrote quite a bit on a serial I'm working on for Red Lipstick Journals, which will begin on February 5 on RLJ. I like the story a lot, very Brita, sans the BDSM this time. It just didn't fit, one of my heroes is pretty beat up as it is. LOL

RLJ now has a nice store set up on Amazon, which features all our RLJ products and all the books our authors have written. Quite nice, thanks to Amy Romine.

My writing is shaping up for the year already, much on tap. I have a deadline for a spectacular project that I can't wait to begin work on, as well as a couple of anthologies and at least two more Sapphire Club books. I will have one of them out in the next few months and I'm really excited about that one. Won't tell you about it now, but soon. 

The Sapphire Club books will be in print soon - exciting, huh? More on that as I learn the release dates for them.

Just a few things to catch up with you on. I'm off to the show. 

Till next time,
Luv ya,
Brita 

A Great Way to Wake Up

Who needs coffee when your publishing company lets you know that one of your books has received a great review? No I! 

This morning I got a 4-star review from Manic Readers for Lord Decadent's Obsession. Whoot! Click on the link and read all about it. I'll be adding to the other reviews for the Sapphire Club series as well. 

Lord Decadent's Obsession is the second book in the Sapphire Club series. It tells the story of Mrs. Desiree Huntington's desire to exact revenge on Prentice Hyde, Marquess of Wycroft, without engaging her heart. Think she can do it? I'll never tell.

I'm Visiting Amara's Place today

I had such fun visiting with Amara Devonte on her blog, Amara's Place. We talked vampires, writing, and her tendency to be tardy for important chats.


You have to love Amara and I do. She loves books and authors and always makes me feel at home at her place. To say nothing of the fact that I am Violet in her Black Mamba Posse. Great company there, believe me.

I'd love to have your comments and I'll be giving away a copy of my m/m, historical erotic vampire saga. They are chomping at a neck to take up residence in you reader.

Visit Amara Place and say HI!  Oh, I forgot to mention - it is the lovely Amara who has been so generous in sharing her HOTTIES with me and the other Red Lipstick ladies.

Yep, the New Years hottie to the left was a gift from Amara. Gotta love Tumblr.

The Virtue of Erotic Spanking

Today I'm blogging at Red Lipstick Journals about the Virtue of Erotic Spanking. After much research for my erotic historicals, there are a few things I learned about the subject. 

Come on by and see what they are.

Happy New Year

At this time every year, I usually spend a considerable amount of time contemplating all that has happened in the prior twelve months and this year is no exception. 

The difference is, I have so much more to think about, for it has been a banner year in my life. Personally, my family has taken on a bit of a different look and for the better I believe. Happiness is important.

Our home became one of three, when our youngest daughter came back to live with us, to our great joy. With her, came our grandpuppy, Fiona Dahlia.  Oh, yeah, she is a beauty and boy, oh, boy, we didn't realize how much we wanted her in our lives every day. Prior to that, we saw her every month or so. To be greeted every morning by this little joy is something I treasure. Thank you Lindsay, for her!

I realized a beautiful, life-long dream this year - that of being a published author. I have seven contracts in my hot little hands and 2011 promises to produce even more. I'm writing more and better than I ever have. The ideas are never-ending, the stories are waking me in the night to be heard and I am loving every minute.

I "met" some extraordinary writers this year - Keta Diablo, Bryl Tyne and Aleksandr Voinov among those at the very top of my list. Each has given me guidance, mentoring and encouragement. That is priceless when one admires those who deign to spend the time to extend their genius to others. To my writer friends, I extend my deepest gratitude for all you have shared with me.

To my publishers, Noble Romance, Silver and Decadent Publishing, I am so grateful and will work hard to make your faith in me justified.

To the ladies of Red Lipstick Journals, Amy, Margie, Keta, Dena, Kharisma and Dakota, thank you for joining me in our great venture. We've had great fun and the next year will not be any less. Such things we have planned. 

My family has been wonderful this year, putting up with my constant computer time. A girl has never been so lucky!


And to my readers - Bless you all, for without you, I wouldn't have the courage to continue with this dream of writing. To Debbie, Raquel, Mary and all the rest who wait for the next release, I am indebted to you. I will endeavor to always given you the stories you want.  More Sapphire Club stories will be coming in 2011.


Happy New Year, my friends. 


Much Love,
Brita
 

How Fortunate I am

We had a rather quiet Christmas, but I'd be hard pressed to recall a more pleasant one. My sister and her boyfriend came down from North Carolina, as they do every year and that always means Christmas to me. She is very festive, with her Christmas turtlenecks and earrings and her zeal for the holiday, no doubt a genetic trait, left to her by our mother. My daughter, Lindsay, our baby, is here and makin' her Mama proud with the upcoming release of her sweet contemporary, Most Eligible. Her year hadn't been the best, and when she sold her manuscript, it set her on a path she's wanted to be on for a long time.

My husband rounded out those assembled and the five of us had a wonderful time. Mr. A. is a wonderful cook and prepared a feast fit for a kind. Turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rice dressing, gravy and pies galore (courtesy of yours truly). After a filling meal, we played games, laughed a lot and I retired early, to enjoy a good book.

I got some great gifts, not the least of which were numerous gift certificates, which I've already redeemed for e-books, a particular passion of mine. My new acquisitions are loaded on my Sony e-reader and will be read as quickly as I can manage it. All are male/male, with shades of BDSM, a particular favorite genre, as though that was a mystery.

I woke up this morning to a quiet house, which afforded me some writing time, much needed of late. I'm writing something of a departure for me, a contemporary piece for a special submissions call. I also have several works in progress, historical in nature, including the second of my vampire series, Mysterious Moonlight. I've also started another installment of the Sapphire Club series. I'm excited about this one, as it tells Alexander Chilton's story. You will remember Alex from Chocolate, Tea and the Duchess.

Alex was Phillip's lover and will be shown to be a very complicated gentleman, with much more behind those green eyes and handsome mien.

I am looking forward to 2011. I have many things on my plate, some projects that are yet to be started, but when complete, I hope will excited Brita Addams readers.

Of course, there is Red Lip Journals, the erotic blog of which I am so proud to be a part. We have many interesting ideas for the coming year. I am so blessed to be a part of our talented group of ladies that include, Amy Romine, Dakota Trace, Kharisma Rhayne, Keta Diablo, Margie Church, Dena Celeste and Blak Rayne.

All in all, my Christmas was wonderful, with people I love the most. The tree will come down next week and the leftovers will soon be gone. Fortunately, I will still have my wonderful family, who make possible my writing. They never complain when I need the peace and quiet I require to write. They go about their lives and leave me to it, then cheer me on.

How fortunate I am to have these wonderful people in my life. They make that life so worth living.

What are your plans for New Years Eve? I'd love to hear from you.

Love till next time,