Ranae Rose's Blog, page 18
October 31, 2012
Happy All Hallows' Eve
Halloween has always been one of my very favorite nights of the year. That's probably no surprise seeing as how I love all things paranormal, and fall is my favorite season. :)
I like the idea of dedicating one night a year to thinking about the spirit world, and of course, an opportunity to dress up in a costume is always something I take advantage of. (This year, I'm a pirate.)
One Halloween tradition I have is with my brothers, and it involves The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers. Here's a quote I like from the book:
I also like hearing about old Halloween traditions, even if I don't believe in them. Like this one...
And of course, there's almost nothing I love as much as settling down with a good ghost story on Halloween! I recently posted a list of some of my favorite recommended ghostly reads here.
Some believe that the veil between the spirit world and the world of the living is thinner on Halloween, allowing spirits to walk more easily among us. I'm talking about that at the Books Amour blog, and if you'd like, you can stop by and share your thoughts in a comment, which will include you in the giveaway I'm doing there.
I'm also participating in The Romance Studio's online 'Spookapalooza'. I'm sharing an exclusive excerpt that I chose from Haunted Passions especially for All Hallows' Eve here, and holding a drawing for a signed paperback.
Today, I'm planning to take my son to do a little trick-or-treating (indoors, due to Hurricane Sandy). (I already did my share of grown-up partying this past weekend. ;)
What about you - how will you be spending Halloween? Do you have any Halloween traditions?
And last but not least, my thoughts are with my fellow east coasters, especially those who suffered the worst of Hurricane Sandy. I hope things are restored to normal - or as close to normal as possible - soon!
I like the idea of dedicating one night a year to thinking about the spirit world, and of course, an opportunity to dress up in a costume is always something I take advantage of. (This year, I'm a pirate.)
One Halloween tradition I have is with my brothers, and it involves The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers. Here's a quote I like from the book:
I also like hearing about old Halloween traditions, even if I don't believe in them. Like this one...
And of course, there's almost nothing I love as much as settling down with a good ghost story on Halloween! I recently posted a list of some of my favorite recommended ghostly reads here.
Some believe that the veil between the spirit world and the world of the living is thinner on Halloween, allowing spirits to walk more easily among us. I'm talking about that at the Books Amour blog, and if you'd like, you can stop by and share your thoughts in a comment, which will include you in the giveaway I'm doing there.
I'm also participating in The Romance Studio's online 'Spookapalooza'. I'm sharing an exclusive excerpt that I chose from Haunted Passions especially for All Hallows' Eve here, and holding a drawing for a signed paperback.
Today, I'm planning to take my son to do a little trick-or-treating (indoors, due to Hurricane Sandy). (I already did my share of grown-up partying this past weekend. ;)
What about you - how will you be spending Halloween? Do you have any Halloween traditions?
And last but not least, my thoughts are with my fellow east coasters, especially those who suffered the worst of Hurricane Sandy. I hope things are restored to normal - or as close to normal as possible - soon!
October 27, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Wuthering Heights
“Where does this ship take you, and why must you put an ocean between us?”
He did not answer me, but pressed his mouth to mine instead, bruising my lips with the force of his kiss. He tasted of brine and burnt with a heat that utterly dispelled the chill of the wind and seawater. And beneath the flavour of salt I detected his familiar taste, the one I had dreamt of more than once since his disappearance, though never with such perfect clarity. I would gladly have let the kiss endure forever, stopping for nothing, even if we were pitched over the side and sank to the ocean floor with our lips locked and limbs tangled. But Heathcliff pulled back from me a little, leaving my lips inflamed.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone is staying safe this weekend! My thoughts are with my fellow east-coasters as Hurricane Sandy approaches.
October 24, 2012
The Ghost that Interrupted my Early Writing Sessions and Other Underwhelming Tales of the Paranormal
Lately I've been reading a lot of blog posts about ghost stories. Most of these are marvelously entertaining - tales of ghost ships and spooky old mansions with otherworldly inhabitants. The sort of paranormal stories you expect to hear this time of year.
The sort of place one might expect to be haunted. I must admit, the haunted hallway in my former apartment just doesn't compare.
When I was a kid, we lived in this one house for years - a decently-sized two-story place that was well over a hundred years old and had once been a parsonage. It was not scary or haunted. Nope, not so much as a peep from a ghost or anything out of the ordinary inside its aged walls. But the house's garage (a much more recent structure) was a different story.
Or at least, that's what my brothers and I thought when we were kids. The garage really creeped me out. I hated going in there alone. Sometimes I'd go inside and hear sounds that made no sense, like breaking glass when there was none. And I remember a light fixture swinging back and forth for (apparently) no reason. On these occasions I would hastily sprint in the opposite direction - after all, I didn't want to ride my bike that badly. I remember my little brothers telling me stories of weird, spooky sounds heard in there too.
I'm not saying the garage was haunted. But it was definitely creepy, and at the time I thought it might be. But the point is, it would probably be difficult to get people to take you seriously if you did have a haunted garage. After all, we usually expect historical, atmospheric places to be haunted, don't we? Stately old mansions, maybe aged farmhouses where people lived hard lives and generations lived and died. But you don't see a whole lot of movies made about haunted garages, probably because the idea of a lost soul lurking among bicycles, sacks of bird seed, tubs of outgrown toys and summer pool / lake flotation devices doesn't sound all that horrifying (unless you're 10).
And yet, I bet that somewhere out there, there's a haunted garage. I mean, there are bound to be anti-climactic hauntings in dull places, aren't there? Unless all the ghosts in the world are like "I'm not going in there, it doesn't look like a location out of a horror film or Stephen King novel at all." or "I only haunt places that are at least 150 years old - 50 if it's a hotel that a dead celebrity once stayed at." (Possible term for this: haunt snob. LOL)
Anyway, I am convinced that I've experienced some seriously lackluster hauntings - or at least, something paranormal-y. When I was a college student (and aspiring novelist) I used to rent a crappy townhouse. It had been built in the 70's (which showed) and was the kind of place where one lived because one couldn't afford to live anywhere better. It wasn't glamorous, historical or spooky (unless you were frightened by the aged electrical wiring which could, and nearly did once, lead to a spectacular apartment fire).
Mine was a two bedroom unit, so I had a spare room where I'd set up my desk. I'd sit in there and work on my writing on my laptop. My German Shepherd - a model guard dog - would lay beside my desk chair and we'd be in there for hours, totally silent as I devoted my powers of concentration to figuring out how to string a story together.
Occasionally, we were interrupted. Not by a voice, a vision, or clanking chains and woo-ooo-ooo sounds. Just the soft but clear noise of fabric whipping around the top of the curved staircase - the telltale sound of something rounding the stairs and entering the hallway. We'd hear something coming down the hall, toward the room - my little office - at the end, toward us.
My dog would lift her head, and prick her big ears toward the hallway, her expression serious. And then she'd jump up and head to the door. She'd look up, like she was staring into a person's face, and the hair on her shoulders would rise in a black crest, standing on end as she did her defensive bark, filling the whole place with the sound, like she was trying to keep someone at bay, out of the room.
I remember one time when she kept this up for several minutes. I went and stood behind her, looking out into that empty hallway. There was nothing to look at. But she obviously thought she was defending me against something. And I'd heard someone rounding the stairs and moving through the hall.
And really, even as I stood there, just a couple feet from the place my dog was staring, it wasn't very scary. The room had a big window that the sun hit at that time of day. It lit up the whole room, shining in through my gauzy curtains. It was just strange.
Of course, nobody besides me (and my dog) actually believes that anything was there. If I tell anyone that story, they inevitably say something like "Oh, I bet you had a mouse in your ceiling." And then they give me that look, a glance that dismisses me as an impractical doofus with an overactive imagination.
Because spirits don't walk the halls of income-based apartment complexes. Or at least, if they do, nobody's particularly interested in hearing that when there are ghost ships to be talked about.
But despite the fact that I do have quite the imagination, I like to think that my dog and I aren't have co-delusions. And I've owned her for six years now. I know that when she's inside the house, she only barks if someone comes to the door or tries to break in. We've had mice, and she treats them the same way as spiders - she chases them down and tries to eat them, like it's a game.
Still, I think I'll keep the ghostly contents of my books decidedly more dramatic. Like the headless horseman in Haunted Passions , the Irish family ghosts in Spirited Away or the spirits who aren't afraid to make their presence known in Wuthering Heights . Those sorts of things really do make for better stories, especially when it comes to fiction.
What about you - do you have any underwhelming tales of the paranormal (or possibly paranormal to tell)? I'd like to hear them, and I promise not to roll my eyes and tell you there's a mouse in your ceiling. ;)
The sort of place one might expect to be haunted. I must admit, the haunted hallway in my former apartment just doesn't compare.When I was a kid, we lived in this one house for years - a decently-sized two-story place that was well over a hundred years old and had once been a parsonage. It was not scary or haunted. Nope, not so much as a peep from a ghost or anything out of the ordinary inside its aged walls. But the house's garage (a much more recent structure) was a different story.
Or at least, that's what my brothers and I thought when we were kids. The garage really creeped me out. I hated going in there alone. Sometimes I'd go inside and hear sounds that made no sense, like breaking glass when there was none. And I remember a light fixture swinging back and forth for (apparently) no reason. On these occasions I would hastily sprint in the opposite direction - after all, I didn't want to ride my bike that badly. I remember my little brothers telling me stories of weird, spooky sounds heard in there too.
I'm not saying the garage was haunted. But it was definitely creepy, and at the time I thought it might be. But the point is, it would probably be difficult to get people to take you seriously if you did have a haunted garage. After all, we usually expect historical, atmospheric places to be haunted, don't we? Stately old mansions, maybe aged farmhouses where people lived hard lives and generations lived and died. But you don't see a whole lot of movies made about haunted garages, probably because the idea of a lost soul lurking among bicycles, sacks of bird seed, tubs of outgrown toys and summer pool / lake flotation devices doesn't sound all that horrifying (unless you're 10).
And yet, I bet that somewhere out there, there's a haunted garage. I mean, there are bound to be anti-climactic hauntings in dull places, aren't there? Unless all the ghosts in the world are like "I'm not going in there, it doesn't look like a location out of a horror film or Stephen King novel at all." or "I only haunt places that are at least 150 years old - 50 if it's a hotel that a dead celebrity once stayed at." (Possible term for this: haunt snob. LOL)
Anyway, I am convinced that I've experienced some seriously lackluster hauntings - or at least, something paranormal-y. When I was a college student (and aspiring novelist) I used to rent a crappy townhouse. It had been built in the 70's (which showed) and was the kind of place where one lived because one couldn't afford to live anywhere better. It wasn't glamorous, historical or spooky (unless you were frightened by the aged electrical wiring which could, and nearly did once, lead to a spectacular apartment fire).
Mine was a two bedroom unit, so I had a spare room where I'd set up my desk. I'd sit in there and work on my writing on my laptop. My German Shepherd - a model guard dog - would lay beside my desk chair and we'd be in there for hours, totally silent as I devoted my powers of concentration to figuring out how to string a story together.
Occasionally, we were interrupted. Not by a voice, a vision, or clanking chains and woo-ooo-ooo sounds. Just the soft but clear noise of fabric whipping around the top of the curved staircase - the telltale sound of something rounding the stairs and entering the hallway. We'd hear something coming down the hall, toward the room - my little office - at the end, toward us.
My dog would lift her head, and prick her big ears toward the hallway, her expression serious. And then she'd jump up and head to the door. She'd look up, like she was staring into a person's face, and the hair on her shoulders would rise in a black crest, standing on end as she did her defensive bark, filling the whole place with the sound, like she was trying to keep someone at bay, out of the room.
I remember one time when she kept this up for several minutes. I went and stood behind her, looking out into that empty hallway. There was nothing to look at. But she obviously thought she was defending me against something. And I'd heard someone rounding the stairs and moving through the hall.
And really, even as I stood there, just a couple feet from the place my dog was staring, it wasn't very scary. The room had a big window that the sun hit at that time of day. It lit up the whole room, shining in through my gauzy curtains. It was just strange.
Of course, nobody besides me (and my dog) actually believes that anything was there. If I tell anyone that story, they inevitably say something like "Oh, I bet you had a mouse in your ceiling." And then they give me that look, a glance that dismisses me as an impractical doofus with an overactive imagination.
Because spirits don't walk the halls of income-based apartment complexes. Or at least, if they do, nobody's particularly interested in hearing that when there are ghost ships to be talked about.
But despite the fact that I do have quite the imagination, I like to think that my dog and I aren't have co-delusions. And I've owned her for six years now. I know that when she's inside the house, she only barks if someone comes to the door or tries to break in. We've had mice, and she treats them the same way as spiders - she chases them down and tries to eat them, like it's a game.
Still, I think I'll keep the ghostly contents of my books decidedly more dramatic. Like the headless horseman in Haunted Passions , the Irish family ghosts in Spirited Away or the spirits who aren't afraid to make their presence known in Wuthering Heights . Those sorts of things really do make for better stories, especially when it comes to fiction.
What about you - do you have any underwhelming tales of the paranormal (or possibly paranormal to tell)? I'd like to hear them, and I promise not to roll my eyes and tell you there's a mouse in your ceiling. ;)
October 18, 2012
Alpha Male Blog Hop & Giveaway
Meet three sexy alpha heroes...
What's an alpha male? I think of an alpha male as a take-charge kind of guy. An alpha male likes to be in control, knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go for it. He may scream 'tough guy' on the outside and sometimes he may be a little too bullheaded for his own good, but that's what strong heroines (or co-heroes) are for, right? In my world, alpha males are also brave, loyal and protective. Those traits pretty much sum up what I love about alphas!
When I think of the alpha male heroes I've written, the first to come to mind is usually Jack, the alpha wolf in my Half Moon Shifters Series. But heroes don't have to lead a wolf pack in order to be alpha. A couple of my other alpha male heroes are Brom from my Sleepy Hollow Series and Heathcliff from my BDSM Clandestine Classics edition of Wuthering Heights.
Read on to meet Jack, Brom and Heathcliff - three of my sexiest alpha heroes!
Below, I've introduced three of my alpha male heroes, and included a quote from each. Which quote do you like best - Jack's, Brom's or Heathcliff's? Let me know in a comment - be sure to include your e-mail address - and you'll be included in a drawing for some seriously fantastic prizes, such as...
1st Grand Prize: a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (winner's choice) - International
2nd Grand Prize: $130 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) - International
3rd Grand Prize: A crazily enormous swag pack from contributing authors - US only
My Individual Prize: A signed paperback copy of one of my print titles. (Winner's choice of Hot Ink, Half Moon Shifters Volume 1 or Sleepy Hollow: Haunted Passions and Whiskey Dreams. US & Canada only
Meet some of my most irresistible alpha heroes...
Jack Bryant
Alpha wolf of the Half Moon Pack. Lives in Tennessee's gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains and is a cabin maintenance man by day. Lonely no more when his destined mate, Mandy, wanders into his corner of the woods. Star of Lonely Alpha and True Alpha, the first two books in the Half Moon Shifters Series.
Quote: “Being mates is like being an alpha – either you are, or you’re not and you’re alone. There is no in between.”
Check out the Half Moon Shifters books on Amazon...
Lonely Alpha True Alpha A Taste of Honey
Brom Van Brunt(pictured on the left)
American Revolutionary War veteran, master horse trainer and trader. Lives in post-Revolutionary Sleepy Hollow, NY. Lost his heart on the battlefield but has fallen in love again ... twice. Would do anything for schoolmaster John Crane or local beauty Katrina Van Tassel.
Quote: “Maybe it’s as you say, and there’s some spell on this place – on us. I’ve felt the magic of it tingling in my veins from the first moment I saw you, and I have no desire for it to stop.”
Check out this paranormal ménage series on Amazon...
Whiskey Dreams (M/M - Free Read) Haunted Passions (M/M/F)
Heathcliff
A self-made man with a penchant for dominating his head-strong lover, Cathy, in the bedroom. Knows how to wield a crop and refuses to let anything crush his passion for Cathy, the only person he has ever loved.
Quote: "I would rather disintegrate to dust and exist in only that form than be transformed into an angel if only the dust of my bones might mingle with yours. Such is my love, and it may prove to be my damnation, but it defines me."
Check out Heathcliff's story on Amazon...
Wuthering Heights
* * * * *
Want more chances to win? Try some of the optional extra entry options below for extra entries toward the signed paperback giveaway...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out the other participating authors' Alpha Male Hop posts! There are more chances to win the grand prizes at every post. ;)
www.ranaerose.com
What's an alpha male? I think of an alpha male as a take-charge kind of guy. An alpha male likes to be in control, knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go for it. He may scream 'tough guy' on the outside and sometimes he may be a little too bullheaded for his own good, but that's what strong heroines (or co-heroes) are for, right? In my world, alpha males are also brave, loyal and protective. Those traits pretty much sum up what I love about alphas!
When I think of the alpha male heroes I've written, the first to come to mind is usually Jack, the alpha wolf in my Half Moon Shifters Series. But heroes don't have to lead a wolf pack in order to be alpha. A couple of my other alpha male heroes are Brom from my Sleepy Hollow Series and Heathcliff from my BDSM Clandestine Classics edition of Wuthering Heights.
Read on to meet Jack, Brom and Heathcliff - three of my sexiest alpha heroes!
Below, I've introduced three of my alpha male heroes, and included a quote from each. Which quote do you like best - Jack's, Brom's or Heathcliff's? Let me know in a comment - be sure to include your e-mail address - and you'll be included in a drawing for some seriously fantastic prizes, such as...
1st Grand Prize: a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (winner's choice) - International
2nd Grand Prize: $130 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) - International
3rd Grand Prize: A crazily enormous swag pack from contributing authors - US only
My Individual Prize: A signed paperback copy of one of my print titles. (Winner's choice of Hot Ink, Half Moon Shifters Volume 1 or Sleepy Hollow: Haunted Passions and Whiskey Dreams. US & Canada only
Meet some of my most irresistible alpha heroes...
Jack Bryant
Alpha wolf of the Half Moon Pack. Lives in Tennessee's gorgeous Great Smoky Mountains and is a cabin maintenance man by day. Lonely no more when his destined mate, Mandy, wanders into his corner of the woods. Star of Lonely Alpha and True Alpha, the first two books in the Half Moon Shifters Series.
Quote: “Being mates is like being an alpha – either you are, or you’re not and you’re alone. There is no in between.”
Check out the Half Moon Shifters books on Amazon...
Lonely Alpha True Alpha A Taste of Honey
Brom Van Brunt(pictured on the left)
American Revolutionary War veteran, master horse trainer and trader. Lives in post-Revolutionary Sleepy Hollow, NY. Lost his heart on the battlefield but has fallen in love again ... twice. Would do anything for schoolmaster John Crane or local beauty Katrina Van Tassel.
Quote: “Maybe it’s as you say, and there’s some spell on this place – on us. I’ve felt the magic of it tingling in my veins from the first moment I saw you, and I have no desire for it to stop.”
Check out this paranormal ménage series on Amazon...
Whiskey Dreams (M/M - Free Read) Haunted Passions (M/M/F)
Heathcliff
A self-made man with a penchant for dominating his head-strong lover, Cathy, in the bedroom. Knows how to wield a crop and refuses to let anything crush his passion for Cathy, the only person he has ever loved.
Quote: "I would rather disintegrate to dust and exist in only that form than be transformed into an angel if only the dust of my bones might mingle with yours. Such is my love, and it may prove to be my damnation, but it defines me."
Check out Heathcliff's story on Amazon...
Wuthering Heights
* * * * *
Want more chances to win? Try some of the optional extra entry options below for extra entries toward the signed paperback giveaway...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out the other participating authors' Alpha Male Hop posts! There are more chances to win the grand prizes at every post. ;)
www.ranaerose.com
October 17, 2012
'Tis the Season for Ghost Stories
October is already halfway over. Can you believe it? I've spent a lot of the first half of the month traveling, so it kind of seems like it's just breezed by. I hope the next couple of weeks move at a slower pace, because October is my favorite month. And although I haven't visited any haunted houses or carved any pumpkins yet (though I'll be rectifying that today), I have managed to fit in my favorite fall activity - reading ghost stories.
Okay, so I'm not fooling anyone who knows me - reading ghost stories is a favorite year round activity for me. It's just that it seems extra-appropriate during October - almost as if it would be sacrilege for me not to read any. (Right now I'm reading The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley, which is really good so far, by the way).
Truth is, I can't resist a good ghost story. Can't. And if a book contains ghostly paranormal themes and romance, well then, I'm hooked. It's my nature - I've loved this sort of stuff for as long as I can remember. When I was a kindergartner I used to revel in watching movies like The Halloween Tree and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow over and over (as I was too young to actually read the books they were adapted from). Fast forward a couple years later and I was toting around mysterious books full of paranormal 'true' stories that I'd dug out of musty attics and putting my seven year old mind to work on all those unsolvable cases.
I have always loved the mysterious. I also like the idea of the (mostly) unseen side of our world, of people and feelings and memories existing beyond the rather short phase of existence we call life.
And you've probably noticed that I can't resist writing ghosts into my stories, either. They've been known to make appearances in my novels, especially my historicals.
What about you - do you enjoy a good ghost story? If you're looking for a good, ghostly October read, here are a few recommendations from my bookshelf. (Note - this list includes a variety of books - not just romances. Some are more ghostly than others, but all have their chilling moments and make great October reads. I've put a ♥ beside the books that are romances.)
The Glass Guardian by Linda Gillard ♥ * The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley ♥The Halloween Tree by Ray BradburyLegacy by Jeanette Baker ♥The Widow's Season by Laura BrodieWuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
*I can't recommend The Glass Guardian highly enough. It's hands down one of the best books I've read all year, and you will *love* Heckie, the Scottish WWI soldier ghost, I promise.
Okay, so I'm not fooling anyone who knows me - reading ghost stories is a favorite year round activity for me. It's just that it seems extra-appropriate during October - almost as if it would be sacrilege for me not to read any. (Right now I'm reading The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley, which is really good so far, by the way).
Truth is, I can't resist a good ghost story. Can't. And if a book contains ghostly paranormal themes and romance, well then, I'm hooked. It's my nature - I've loved this sort of stuff for as long as I can remember. When I was a kindergartner I used to revel in watching movies like The Halloween Tree and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow over and over (as I was too young to actually read the books they were adapted from). Fast forward a couple years later and I was toting around mysterious books full of paranormal 'true' stories that I'd dug out of musty attics and putting my seven year old mind to work on all those unsolvable cases.
I have always loved the mysterious. I also like the idea of the (mostly) unseen side of our world, of people and feelings and memories existing beyond the rather short phase of existence we call life.
And you've probably noticed that I can't resist writing ghosts into my stories, either. They've been known to make appearances in my novels, especially my historicals.
What about you - do you enjoy a good ghost story? If you're looking for a good, ghostly October read, here are a few recommendations from my bookshelf. (Note - this list includes a variety of books - not just romances. Some are more ghostly than others, but all have their chilling moments and make great October reads. I've put a ♥ beside the books that are romances.)
The Glass Guardian by Linda Gillard ♥ * The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley ♥The Halloween Tree by Ray BradburyLegacy by Jeanette Baker ♥The Widow's Season by Laura BrodieWuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
*I can't recommend The Glass Guardian highly enough. It's hands down one of the best books I've read all year, and you will *love* Heckie, the Scottish WWI soldier ghost, I promise.
October 13, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Wuthering Heights
We made love in the hay for a while longer, our joining punctuated by more kisses, moans and soft sounds than I could possibly have counted, and my delight ultimately culminated in a peak so intense that I raked my nails down his back and cried out loudly enough to spook the horses housed in neighbouring stalls. Heathcliff found his own satisfaction soon after, spilling himself deep inside me, causing me to feel even more strongly as if I belonged to him, and he to me. Though he withdrew from my body we remained tangled, and spent the rest of the night together in a state of bliss, rising before dawn this morning and carefully removing the hay from each other’s hair before we slipped stealthily back into the house.
When I sat down with this diary an hour ago, I had hoped that giving a full written account of last night’s events would calm my nerves, but now that I’ve finished this lengthy entry, I realise that I hoped in vain. I have given Heathcliff my maidenhood, and with it, what little bit of my heart he did not already possess. I shall not be able to stop thinking of what has happened between us, or to cease wondering when again we shall be alone together, and I shall know him once more as my dominating but tender lover.
October 9, 2012
Hot in Handcuffs Hop Post & Giveaway
Today I'm participating in the Hot in Handcuffs Blog Hop. While I love a good pair of handcuffs as much as the next girl (my husband carries them for a living ;), I actually want to share about a BDSM romance novel that's set in a time before handcuffs as we know them today were actually around.
That novel is Wuthering Heights - I've revisited the beloved classic for Total-E-Bound's Clandestine Classics imprint, retaining all the original text and weaving in my additions to expand the novel's romantic story line. And yes - my edition is an erotic BDSM romance. I view this as a natural manifestation of Heathcliff and Cathy's passionate and devastatingly tumultuous romance. (Oh, come on - do you mean to tell me that if you've read the original you honestly can't imagine Heathcliff wielding a crop?) ;)
I'm sharing an excerpt from Wuthering Heights so you can determine for yourself whether you fancy Heathcliff with a whip in hand. Let me know in the comments section how you like him and you'll be included in a random drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. Be sure you include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win! This giveaway is international and open to anyone who's able to receive and use an Amazon gift card from a US resident.
The romantic story of the destruction caused by the frustrated love of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, set against the moors of England, creates a rare blend of violence, beauty and erotic love.Heathcliff, an orphan, is raised by Mr Earnshaw as one of his own children. Hindley despises him but wild Cathy becomes his constant companion, and he falls deeply in love with her, discovering that he can tame her unruly nature. Their tumultuous but passionate romance is threatened by the Lintons, who are determined to civilize Cathy. She endeavors to be a lady when they are present, but is as wild as ever when they are not – and remains forever untamable by anyone other than her lover, Heathcliff.
When she will not marry him, Heathcliff's terrible vengeance ruins them all-but still his and Cathy's love will not die...
A story of doomed love and revenge with a brilliant new introduction of passion fulfilled.
An excerpt from Wuthering Heights...
Heathcliff must have been similarly afflicted, for he glimpsed my departure and, unbeknownst to me, followed me out of doors. He made his presence known in the stable, giving me a terrible fright by striding into the tack room and laying a hand on my shoulder just as I was reaching for my saddle. “It’s too dark to ride,” he told me. “There’s only a sliver of a moon tonight—try it and you shall cause your mare to break her leg out on the marsh.”He stepped in front of me and my ire rose—to think that he should try to prevent me from relieving my torturous feelings when it was he who caused them in the first place! I told him that I would not ride my mare out onto the marsh, for I was not a fool, and demanded that he remove himself from my way, or else saddle my horse for me.
He had the gall to refuse, and promised that we would ride together in the morning, when our journey would be made safe by the light of the sun.
I assured him that I could not possibly pass the night in my current state, and that I desired escape from the house and the distress he had caused me.
He said he would stay with me till morning, and that we might weather the darkness together. Ignorant of the true meaning of his words and the potential of his suggestion, I succumbed to a rather spectacular fit of temper, furious that he should continue to detain me. Using my fingernails as a cat uses its claws, I struck his chest and shoulders, attempting to make him stumble or shrink away from me so that I might slip by him and seize my saddle.
He did neither, and instead stood as steadfastly as a stone wall, unyielding to my vicious efforts to move him. After a few moments, I began to feel ashamed, for I could see that I had marred his chest with a red furrow that stood out just above the collar of his shirt, which was the only garment he wore on the upper half of his body. At that moment, I made up my mind to abandon him and the saddle, silently vowing that I would ride my mare bareback, under the light of the moon. When I turned on my heel and attempted to escape the tack room, Heathcliff seized me around the waist and pulled me against himself, wrapping me so tightly in his arms that I might as well have been bound by heavy chains.
I shouted for him to release me, but as I struggled, something curious happened—my skin warmed and my every nerve seemed to hum with excitement, as if suddenly brought to a new kind of life by the intimate position I shared with Heathcliff. I continued to writhe, but the friction my motions created became a sort of pleasure in and of itself, and I knew that it had affected a change in Heathcliff too, for I heard him groan and felt him shift against me, pressing something hard against the small of my back. This development sent a shiver of exhilaration down my spine, though at the time, I still possessed only the vaguest of ideas as to what would occur next.
Heathcliff’s intent became clearer when he laid his hands on my shoulders and turned me about so that I faced him. I’d scarcely met his eyes when he pressed me against a wooden beam, pinning me against it with the weight of his own body. The rigid rod tenting the front of his trousers now pushed against my belly, caught betwixt our bodies—a fact I could not help but be aware of. I acknowledged its presence with a breathless gasp, and a thrill of expectation went through me when his dark eyes met mine. I had looked into them many a time, and yet, never had I seen the gleam I saw then, the intensity of which was the cause of my excitement.
“Listen to me, Cathy,” he said. “It’s only the two of us. You must listen to me when it’s only us—you may command me in the others’ presence, but that shall stop when we are alone together.”
I possessed neither the power nor the will to contradict him—not when his gaze held me captive more effectively than his grip, and his body felt so powerful against mine. We had stolen kisses before, and the sensations I’d felt then were much like the ones I experienced as he held me there, his eyes full of promise—promise of what, exactly, I had yet to discover.As I stilled and said nothing, a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. I expected a kiss, or perhaps a tender caress, and was much perplexed when he broached an unexpected and less pleasant subject. “Do you remember when I first came to Wuthering Heights, years ago?” As he spoke, he plucked a familiar instrument from the wall—a riding crop.
“Yes,” I replied. “Of course.”
“Ah,” he said, leaning close to me again, so that his breath warmed my lips when he spoke, “Then you remember spitting at me because you were angry that your father brought me home to you instead of a new riding crop.” He raised the crop he gripped in his hand so that the flap of leather on the end touched my face. Ever so slowly, he stroked my cheek, and the touch of leather against my skin was as gentle as a breeze. I could not reason why, but I quivered with elation, even as guilt assailed me, conjured by the memory he had invoked.
“I was but a child,” I protested, “and that was a dozen years ago.”
“You spat at me and then turned your back. You refused to allow me into your bed,” he reminded me.
“You have spent many nights in my bed since,” I said.
“Years ago,” he replied. “A habit that we quit when we left childhood behind. I have given it some thought and I rather think that it’s a practice we should take up again.”
I’ll swear my heart skipped a beat at the notion of sharing my bed with Heathcliff, and what that would mean now that we were older, our relationship having progressed irrevocably beyond our former bond as childhood playmates. I exhaled as he continued to stroke my cheek with the crop, a rhythmic motion that seemed to promise much more than gentle caresses. “That crop,” I worked up the courage to ask, “what do you intend to do with it?”
“Much,” he replied.
I entreated him to tell me more.
“I mean to drive out every last bit of your worries and your defiance, until I am all you can think about, and my name is the only thing you can shout,” he said. “Would you like that?”I could not deny that his words thrilled me, and told him as much.
He responded by releasing me, leaving me to languish against the beam, eyeing the crop he wielded and the bulge that strained against his trousers. Seeing him in such a state roused something inside me, and inspired in me an admiration that stole my breath away. I felt as if I were seeing Heathcliff not as I had always known him, but as I had always been meant to know him. As I regarded him I considered his words, and at first I thought to protest, but he quelled those intentions with a command I could not deny. “Bend over that saddle,” he said, in a tone so firm that I took a step forward, ignoring my weak knees as I made my way towards the very object that I had been attempting to claw my way to only minutes ago.The saddle rested on a simple wooden rack that extended from the wall, and was at a level that allowed me to bend over it quite easily—an action which brought a pleased expression to Heathcliff’s face. My heart thrilled at the sight of his satisfaction, and I wriggled anxiously against the leather as I awaited the fulfilment of his lofty promise.
Next, he used a long set of driving reins as one might use a rope, securing my wrists and ankles with a couple of knots, so that I was tied fast to the saddle in a way that would prevent me from rising or slipping. Perhaps it is strange, but this caused me to feel secure, rather than trapped—the knots were comforting because he had tied them. When that was done, he raised my skirt and petticoats above my waist and lowered my drawers, exposing my buttocks. I fear I cannot put into words the excitement I felt when his hand brushed across my bare skin—it was the first time he had touched me there, and I had done so sparingly on a few occasions when my own natural curiosity and daring thoughts of Heathcliff had conspired to overwhelm me. I was soon glad of the restraints he’d created for me, for when he caressed my bottom one last time and then rose at last, I trembled with anticipation and might have fallen if he hadn’t secured me.
“My Cathy,” he said as he stood, surveying me.
This endearment only increased my tremors, and my gaze settled again upon the instrument he held in one hand. He gripped it firmly, his hand much more steady than my own quivering limbs as he stepped behind me.
“Count each strike of my whip, Cathy,” he instructed. “Cry out if you wish, cry my name—anything you desire, but don’t forget to count, unless you wish me to stop. I shall continue as long as you persist counting. And if anytime you should stop counting, I shall stop too.”
Wuthering Heights is available from ebook retailers such as...
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P.S.... If you're interested in steamy twists on old classics, you might like my Sleepy Hollow Series -- erotic M/M/F ménage romance with a haunting story line that'll remind you just how close Halloween is. The first book, Whiskey Dreams, is currently free at Amazon, B&N, All Romance, etc...
October 6, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - A Taste of Honey
The khaki pants she wore hugged her ass like a second skin, but somehow still looked classy. He stared, powerless to look away, and gripped the steering wheel as if he were guiding the truck around a gravity-defying hairpin turn instead of sitting in a parking lot with the engine shut off. His attraction to Violet wasn’t going to fade away. In fact, it grew stronger every time he saw her, ratcheting up the tension that simmered constantly beneath the surface of his skin. He couldn’t remember ever getting so worked up over anyone else before, not even when he’d been a teenager and developed several embarrassing crushes. Violet was special, which was exactly why he was holding out instead of wrapping her in his arms and sliding his tongue deep into her mouth in search of tell-tale sweetness.
October 2, 2012
RAW 2012 - Event Recap & Photos
I spent this past weekend in Pittsburgh as an attending author at Lora Leigh's annual Reader Appreciation Weekend, aka RAW. What an awesome event! I got to spend time with some fantastic readers and writers, making new friends and acquaintances while reconnecting with old ones.
And I have lots of pictures to share...
First of all, the author line-up on the official event T-shirt...
I roomed with my fellow paranormal romance author, Carrie Ann Ryan. Here we are in our costumes for the masquerade ball. I (left) went in Regency style like one of my historical heroines (I enjoyed thinking of myself as Cathy from Wuthering Heights!) and Carrie Ann (right) was a dark princess.
RAW wasn't all partying. Though we did get together for drinks & fun whenever we had a chance, and made sure people knew where they could join us. ;)
To be fair, Carrie Ann and I met with readers in the designated room too, not just in the bar. LOL
One of my favorite parts of RAW was the 'author speed dating' event. I loved getting to meet with table after table of so many readers, all of whom were delightful. If you look closely you can see me in the photo above - I'm the person sitting profile on the farthest left (toward the back), with the long dark hair and solid grey dress.
Jayne Rylon casting a spell in the bar! Yes, she and two others dressed up as Harry Potter characters. It was magical. LOL (That's Mari Carr, aka Hermione, in the red on the right.)
Speaking of 'in the bar' (a phrase that always seems unavoidable when discussing writers' & readers' gatherings), our pajama party collided with a bachelor party. Fate? We teamed up to cause lots of mischief. That's me in the grey on the far right and Carrie Ann in the magenta beside me. Also pictured: Jo Carol Jones, Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr and Shayla Black.
Carrie Ann and Joy of Joyfully Reviewed with one of the bachelor party gentlemen. Yes, the sparkly pink riding crop you may have noticed in earlier photos (originally a costume accessory) went just about everywhere with us. That's all I'm saying about that!
The groom-to-be humored everyone by donning the famous Joyfully Reviewed bunny ears.
Back on the dance floor at the pajama party, all the authors gathered for a group photo. I'm in the very center slightly behind & between Dana Marie Bell (black pajamas) and Beth Williamson (pink pajamas).
We wrapped up on Sunday with a book signing. By that point I'd already signed so many things that a pen had actually broken on me, staining my manicure deep purple. LOL I considered it a badge of honor from getting to meet so many lovely readers!
Another favorite moment of mine from RAW - at the book signing I was reunited with authors Emily Cale and Lisa Fox for the first time since this past spring's RT Convention. And this time they got to meet Carrie Ann, too.
Left to right: Emily Cale, Lisa Fox, Ranae Rose, Carrie Ann Ryan
It was actually Carrie Ann's first book signing! She did wonderfully. Here she is with a table full of her books.
Me with avid reader and amazing vocalist Anique (she gave a singing performance at the party the night before and it was incredible) at the book signing.
Carrie Ann and I may have bitten off a little more than we could chew when it came to loading our luggage back up on the final day. We decided to take all our luggage down in one trip on one cart. We were each crushed by the cart a bit in the elevator (as pictured, LOL) and it ended with a little broken glass and fallen rose petals. Don't worry though - no one was hurt and we cleaned up the champagne glass that was the unfortunate casualty of our determination.
And last but certainly not least, here are the lovely ladies we have to thank for such a wonderful weekend. On the far left is Jo Carol Jones, the event planner, and Lora Leigh herself is pictured in the center.
I'll be attending RAW 2013 next October, as will most if not all of the other authors who participated this year. Hope to see you there! I really enjoyed myself and can't recommend this event highly enough.
And I have lots of pictures to share...
First of all, the author line-up on the official event T-shirt...
I roomed with my fellow paranormal romance author, Carrie Ann Ryan. Here we are in our costumes for the masquerade ball. I (left) went in Regency style like one of my historical heroines (I enjoyed thinking of myself as Cathy from Wuthering Heights!) and Carrie Ann (right) was a dark princess.
RAW wasn't all partying. Though we did get together for drinks & fun whenever we had a chance, and made sure people knew where they could join us. ;)
To be fair, Carrie Ann and I met with readers in the designated room too, not just in the bar. LOL
One of my favorite parts of RAW was the 'author speed dating' event. I loved getting to meet with table after table of so many readers, all of whom were delightful. If you look closely you can see me in the photo above - I'm the person sitting profile on the farthest left (toward the back), with the long dark hair and solid grey dress.
Jayne Rylon casting a spell in the bar! Yes, she and two others dressed up as Harry Potter characters. It was magical. LOL (That's Mari Carr, aka Hermione, in the red on the right.)
Speaking of 'in the bar' (a phrase that always seems unavoidable when discussing writers' & readers' gatherings), our pajama party collided with a bachelor party. Fate? We teamed up to cause lots of mischief. That's me in the grey on the far right and Carrie Ann in the magenta beside me. Also pictured: Jo Carol Jones, Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr and Shayla Black.
Carrie Ann and Joy of Joyfully Reviewed with one of the bachelor party gentlemen. Yes, the sparkly pink riding crop you may have noticed in earlier photos (originally a costume accessory) went just about everywhere with us. That's all I'm saying about that!
The groom-to-be humored everyone by donning the famous Joyfully Reviewed bunny ears.
Back on the dance floor at the pajama party, all the authors gathered for a group photo. I'm in the very center slightly behind & between Dana Marie Bell (black pajamas) and Beth Williamson (pink pajamas).
We wrapped up on Sunday with a book signing. By that point I'd already signed so many things that a pen had actually broken on me, staining my manicure deep purple. LOL I considered it a badge of honor from getting to meet so many lovely readers!
Another favorite moment of mine from RAW - at the book signing I was reunited with authors Emily Cale and Lisa Fox for the first time since this past spring's RT Convention. And this time they got to meet Carrie Ann, too.Left to right: Emily Cale, Lisa Fox, Ranae Rose, Carrie Ann Ryan
It was actually Carrie Ann's first book signing! She did wonderfully. Here she is with a table full of her books.
Me with avid reader and amazing vocalist Anique (she gave a singing performance at the party the night before and it was incredible) at the book signing.
Carrie Ann and I may have bitten off a little more than we could chew when it came to loading our luggage back up on the final day. We decided to take all our luggage down in one trip on one cart. We were each crushed by the cart a bit in the elevator (as pictured, LOL) and it ended with a little broken glass and fallen rose petals. Don't worry though - no one was hurt and we cleaned up the champagne glass that was the unfortunate casualty of our determination.
And last but certainly not least, here are the lovely ladies we have to thank for such a wonderful weekend. On the far left is Jo Carol Jones, the event planner, and Lora Leigh herself is pictured in the center.I'll be attending RAW 2013 next October, as will most if not all of the other authors who participated this year. Hope to see you there! I really enjoyed myself and can't recommend this event highly enough.
September 29, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Wuthering Heights
"Love such as the love I have for you—love that is so fierce and all-consuming that it engulfs the core of my being and the essence of my spirit—that is what lasts beyond the grave. I would rather disintegrate to dust and exist in only that form than be transformed into an angel if only the dust of my bones might mingle with yours. Such is my love, and it may prove to be my damnation, but it defines me. I shall never see the heaven they speak of in church—these moors will be my heaven, because I will spend ever after here with you. And if you will not bide eternity here with me, then they shall be my hell. My hopes of salvation rest solely on your shoulders, Cathy.”
Hope you enjoyed the first six I've shared from Wuthering Heights, my Clandestine Classics title, which releases tomorrow. :)
Hope you enjoyed the first six I've shared from Wuthering Heights, my Clandestine Classics title, which releases tomorrow. :)
