Ruby Madden's Blog, page 2

MAID IN SPACE: Part’s 1, 2 & 3

[image error]Hiya Readers!

I’m very excited about this 3-PART story (serial). The inspiration for it hit hard and the story pretty much wrote itself. If I’ve done my job right, your heart will ache for both the Hero and the Heroine. They are both lonely and aching to connect.

RELEASE SCHEDULE

PART/Book 1: 3/26
PART/Book 2: 4/15 – 4/30 (still firming up the date)
PART/Book 3: 5/15 – 5/30 (still firming up the date)

DESCRIPTION: Cameron Duke the Fourth is fleeing Earth to escape all the unwanted attention from the masses. Literally, the world’s most eligible bachelor, he’s had enough of Earth women who only seek his prestige, power and money.

As the sole heir to his family’s businesses, he is the world’s first trillionaire.

Time and time again, Rachel Sioux has opened her heart only to be burned, jilted, dumped and left wanting. What’s wrong with her? So, when she is approached by her employer to interview for the job of a lifetime doing housecleaning work in the most unlikely of places for a very good salary, she hops at the opportunity.

Even if it is in space!

[image error] PART 1 BUY-LINKS:

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INSTAFREEBIE

[image error] PART 2 BUY-LINKS:

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[image error] PART 3 BUY-LINKS Coming Soon!

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Happy Reading!

~ Amber  (Ruby)

PLEASE NOTE: Due to ongoing issues with Amazon not counting pages-read correctly by readers who borrow stories via Kindle Unlimited (KU), I don’t plan to include this story in KU. 

[image error]

CHAPTER ONE

1

Cameron

 

I sighed. Again.

Was no one getting the point? Why I wanted to leave Earth and live in space?

And no, this wasn’t just for a space trip. I was talking about full-on inhabitation aboard a space station all my own.

Unbeknownst to my executive team, I’d already started construction, a long while ago, on my uber secret project, the Duke 4, which was nearing completion and soon, would be ready for me to live in.

                “It can’t be done, it would take years to build it and do you really want to invest in something so expensive?” Jakob asked, an incredulous look on his face.

I snorted. Expensive? Was he kidding me?

                I was Earth’s first and only trillionaire. The word, expensive, meant nothing to me. I could literally afford anything I wanted. Including the most expensive personal space station in existence. It had taken three long years to build and it was nearing completion. I was only just now informing the executives who worked for me that I was about to get on a space rocket-ship and leave Earth. I would continue to lead on key business matters with an emphasis on key. The rest, I was leaving to them to manage.

“Well, it’s been done,” I said, and opened my presentation that showed the first pictures revealed to anyone other than myself. “Here is the Duke 4, my future home. I leave in a month’s time.”

I smiled at all the looks of surprise and even a few mouths that were wide open as I continued the slideshow, revealing my new space quarters. The room went quiet, completely hush with awe.

“What do you think?” I asked my team.

“Why?” Tiffany asked, her eyes genuine with curiosity.

Because, dearheart – I’m sick to death of women like you. Blood-sucking, money-hungry and artificial in every way, down to her tits. And then there was the rest of the human race. No matter my philanthropic efforts that I’d started doing as a young man. As heir to my family’s legacy and immense fortune, I was fed up.

Angry. Jaded.

Not amused…

At age thirty-two, I wanted nothing to do with them. I wanted to hole myself up as far away from them as I could afford.

So, I’d staked several hundred billion into the project, hiring only the best and brightest minds to make it a reality. And there it was, spinning calmly in the vacuum of space. Guaranteed solitude. Other than staff needed to run and maintain, I had every intention of limiting my contact with other human beings to the bare minimum necessary.

“Why not?” I answered. I’d long since decided I’d never reveal my real reasons and let the world believe that I was just an eccentric rich man who wanted to hang out in space.

I’d never seen my executive team so gob-smacked. I was loving it. This was too delicious.

“Any other questions?” I asked.

Frank cleared his throat, a habit of his that told me he disapproved but would pretend otherwise. “Is this a safe place for you, Cameron?”

Safe?

I wanted to snort. No, not likely, but I was willing to take my chances. “As safe is possible at this time,” I said, dismissing his fake concern. The man had never liked me despite being my father’s primary advisor until his dying day.

Sue piped up. “Won’t this hurt investor relations? Our chief in outer space? I’m sure the media will make a hey-day of this. It’s just not done…”

I had to give Sue credit, she was the only one brave enough to challenge me. That was why I was giving her the promotion of a lifetime.

“Sue, how would you like to take the helm? Be the new chief?”

Once again, everyone went silent. I respected, but hated my team. They were the best at what they do and therefore some of the worst you could find in humankind. Ambitious, power-hungry and greedy to a fault. I’d hired every last one of them. Except for Frank. Besides having spent his life working for my Father, Frank had clout, reputation and the largest stake in my family’s many businesses.

Sue, was exceptionally, the worst of them all – which meant she’d be the best at running my business. I hated to admit it, but it was true.

“Are you serious, sir?” She asked, gulping and then beaming a greedy smile as wide as the Grand Canyon.

“Very much so, Sue. I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I think you’re the best candidate. Give it some thought and let me know. Let us know.”

“No need, Cameron. I’d be honored. I accept.”

“Good, then that is settled. Congratulations.”

Once again, the room was struck quiet. I had to admit, it was going just as well, if not better than planned.

“Anyone else with concerns or questions? If you don’t want to discuss here, than you can bring them to me privately, of course. In the meantime, I have a meeting with the head of staff for my new space-home.”

Everyone was looking at one another, waiting. For a room filled with thirteen executives, they were awfully quiet. I knew that the shit-storm was coming and I didn’t care. I was extricating myself from the nightmare I’d been living since I was twenty-two. I’d given a decade of my life to it and I felt as if I’d given it a hundred.

I was the wealthiest individual in the world and I wanted my time back.

The idea had started out as having a home at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, off of the coast of Hawaii but that had proven to be more difficult than the space-home. So, I’d gone the other direction. The ocean-home was still underway, but it was requiring more time. But I’d leave that disclosure for another time.

“Meeting over,” I said, smiling. “Have a good day,” I said, then stood to stroll out of the conference room.

PRE-ORDER > MAID IN SPACE

[image error] Hiya Readers!

Got some good news…

MAID IN SPACE is now available for PRE-ORDER! It’s a 45,000+ words novel with 40 chapters. Guaranteed HEA. I’ve decided to make this Science Fiction Romance novel available at all etailers (storefronts).

Im very excited about this story. The inspiration for it hit hard and the story pretty much wrote itself. If I’ve done my job right, your heart will ache for both the Hero and the Heroine. They are both lonely and aching to connect.

DESCRIPTION: Cameron Duke the Fourth is fleeing Earth to escape all the unwanted attention from the masses. Literally, the world’s most eligible bachelor, he’s had enough of Earth women who only seek his prestige, power and money.

As the sole heir to his family’s businesses, he is the world’s first trillionaire.

Time and time again, Rachel Sioux has opened her heart only to be burned, jilted, dumped and left wanting. What’s wrong with her? So, when she is approached by her employer to interview for the job of a lifetime doing housecleaning work in the most unlikely of places for a very good salary, she hops at the opportunity.

Even if it is in space!

Amazon
B&N Nook
PLAY
iBooks
Kobo

(buy links above are being updated as they publish…)

Happy Reading!

~ Amber  (Ruby)

PLEASE NOTE: Due to ongoing issues with Amazon not counting pages-read correctly by readers who borrow stories via Kindle Unlimited (KU), I don’t plan to include this story in KU. 

Also, the publish date is showing as 3-26-17 but I actually plan to have it published by no later than the end of January.

[image error]

CHAPTER ONE

1

Cameron

 

I sighed. Again.

Was no one getting the point? Why I wanted to leave Earth and live in space?

And no, this wasn’t just for a space trip. I was talking about full-on inhabitation aboard a space station all my own.

Unbeknownst to my executive team, I’d already started construction, a long while ago, on my uber secret project, the Duke 4, which was nearing completion and soon, would be ready for me to live in.

                “It can’t be done, it would take years to build it and do you really want to invest in something so expensive?” Jakob asked, an incredulous look on his face.

I snorted. Expensive? Was he kidding me?

                I was Earth’s first and only trillionaire. The word, expensive, meant nothing to me. I could literally afford anything I wanted. Including the most expensive personal space station in existence. It had taken three long years to build and it was nearing completion. I was only just now informing the executives who worked for me that I was about to get on a space rocket-ship and leave Earth. I would continue to lead on key business matters with an emphasis on key. The rest, I was leaving to them to manage.

“Well, it’s been done,” I said, and opened my presentation that showed the first pictures revealed to anyone other than myself. “Here is the Duke 4, my future home. I leave in a month’s time.”

I smiled at all the looks of surprise and even a few mouths that were wide open as I continued the slideshow, revealing my new space quarters. The room went quiet, completely hush with awe.

“What do you think?” I asked my team.

“Why?” Tiffany asked, her eyes genuine with curiosity.

Because, dearheart – I’m sick to death of women like you. Blood-sucking, money-hungry and artificial in every way, down to her tits. And then there was the rest of the human race. No matter my philanthropic efforts that I’d started doing as a young man. As heir to my family’s legacy and immense fortune, I was fed up.

Angry. Jaded.

Not amused…

At age thirty-two, I wanted nothing to do with them. I wanted to hole myself up as far away from them as I could afford.

So, I’d staked several hundred billion into the project, hiring only the best and brightest minds to make it a reality. And there it was, spinning calmly in the vacuum of space. Guaranteed solitude. Other than staff needed to run and maintain, I had every intention of limiting my contact with other human beings to the bare minimum necessary.

“Why not?” I answered. I’d long since decided I’d never reveal my real reasons and let the world believe that I was just an eccentric rich man who wanted to hang out in space.

I’d never seen my executive team so gob-smacked. I was loving it. This was too delicious.

“Any other questions?” I asked.

Frank cleared his throat, a habit of his that told me he disapproved but would pretend otherwise. “Is this a safe place for you, Cameron?”

Safe?

I wanted to snort. No, not likely, but I was willing to take my chances. “As safe is possible at this time,” I said, dismissing his fake concern. The man had never liked me despite being my father’s primary advisor until his dying day.

Sue piped up. “Won’t this hurt investor relations? Our chief in outer space? I’m sure the media will make a hey-day of this. It’s just not done…”

I had to give Sue credit, she was the only one brave enough to challenge me. That was why I was giving her the promotion of a lifetime.

“Sue, how would you like to take the helm? Be the new chief?”

Once again, everyone went silent. I respected, but hated my team. They were the best at what they do and therefore some of the worst you could find in humankind. Ambitious, power-hungry and greedy to a fault. I’d hired every last one of them. Except for Frank. Besides having spent his life working for my Father, Frank had clout, reputation and the largest stake in my family’s many businesses.

Sue, was exceptionally, the worst of them all – which meant she’d be the best at running my business. I hated to admit it, but it was true.

“Are you serious, sir?” She asked, gulping and then beaming a greedy smile as wide as the Grand Canyon.

“Very much so, Sue. I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I think you’re the best candidate. Give it some thought and let me know. Let us know.”

“No need, Cameron. I’d be honored. I accept.”

“Good, then that is settled. Congratulations.”

Once again, the room was struck quiet. I had to admit, it was going just as well, if not better than planned.

“Anyone else with concerns or questions? If you don’t want to discuss here, than you can bring them to me privately, of course. In the meantime, I have a meeting with the head of staff for my new space-home.”

Everyone was looking at one another, waiting. For a room filled with thirteen executives, they were awfully quiet. I knew that the shit-storm was coming and I didn’t care. I was extricating myself from the nightmare I’d been living since I was twenty-two. I’d given a decade of my life to it and I felt as if I’d given it a hundred.

I was the wealthiest individual in the world and I wanted my time back.

The idea had started out as having a home at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, off of the coast of Hawaii but that had proven to be more difficult than the space-home. So, I’d gone the other direction. The ocean-home was still underway, but it was requiring more time. But I’d leave that disclosure for another time.

“Meeting over,” I said, smiling. “Have a good day,” I said, then stood to stroll out of the conference room.

Amazon
B&N Nook
PLAY
iBooks
Kobo

Sir Cardiff…

My proclivity is her undoing…

Join me for the Re-Release of Master’s Maids as Sir Cardiff!

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A reader’s favorite that I wrote in 2014. It’s been FREE, it’s been in KU and now it will be available WIDE at all retailers.

This story has spanking, orgies, soft BDSM, and one complicated British noble known as Sir Sebastian Cardiff. He has a unique proclivity and pays the women he employs very well for their time and service. All it requires is a sexy maid uniform and the ability to titillate their employer.

[image error]

Celeste is in a dire spot. She needs money to pay the rent and has been fired from her maid job. So, when she is offered a unique arrangement for a generous monthly income, she jumps at the chance despite her concerns.

Her mysterious employer is pulled away from his New England estate to Cardiff, England due to an urgent family matter. He asks Celeste for her help, to play the part of his girlfriend so he can attend his Mother’s funeral with her on his arm.

But things get turned upside down when her life is in danger and he finally has to admit that he cares for her, as more than just a mere plaything. But will he be able to get her back?

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COVER REVEAL >>> ‘Crown of Lies’ by Pepper Winters

Hello Dear Readers!

I’ve got something exciting to share with you… I am an avid Pepper Winters reader. She does DARK ROMANCE like no other! Are  you ready for her next book? Keep Reading…

~ Ruby

COVER REVEAL FOR CROWN OF LIES

A Brand New Erotic Romance Coming Soon From New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters.

BLURB

“I met the man I wanted. But then he vanished and a new man claimed me instead. My father approved, my colleagues congratulated, and behind closed doors, I was bedded by a master.”

Noelle Charlston lived a fairy-tale life: a doting father, a powerful job, and a future blessed with financial security.

However, two meetings with two men changed her happy existence forever. First, she met the man who made her heart sing. Second, she met the man who made her blood quiver.

Noelle’s freedom was no longer hers. It belonged to the stranger her father believed was the perfect match. The stranger who pulled his lies over everyone he touched.

Including her.

The lies he spins, the truth he hides, the mystery he webs—it’s all enough to slowly erode the woman she’d been and turn her into something else.

Until her past collides with her present.

And it’s her turn to lie.

To everyone…including herself.

Add to your Goodreads ‘Want to Read’ list: http://bit.ly/2fhNdcM

Enter MASSIVE GIVEAWAY: http://gvwy.io/5xejb9a

Pre-order on iBooks: http://apple.co/2i2Exbj

Sign up for Release Alerts: http://bit.ly/2cpSLhF

Pepper Winters other books: http://bit.ly/2bUTvgO

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

R18 ONLY

(unedited, subject to change, copyright 2016 Pepper Winters)

* CROWN OF LIES *

“YOU MUST BE Chloe.”

“I am.” The girl who tormented me in high school simpered, tossing her chestnut hair like a high-strung pony. Her green dress complimented the tan she said she’d earned from the Caribbean last week. Her gaze sank into Penn as if he were some prize to be won. A prize she’d very much like to taste.

Penn pulled me into his side, running his hand erotically up and down my arm. “And I believe you know my partner Elle.”

“Wait, partner?” She blinked. “I thought she was with Greg.” Finally her eyes left Penn and locked on mine. “You got two men now, Ding Dong Bell? A little greedy don’t you think?” Her giggle sounded forced and fake.

I wanted to sink into the ground and never reappear.

I waited for Penn to mock the nickname, just like Greg had. But he stood cold and primitive, a velvet purr falling from his mouth. “She only has one. Believe me, all she needs is me.”

I opened my mouth to reply but Penn squeezed me, keeping me silent. His arm was a hot band controlling me and making me wet in equal measure.

The other girls from school slowly looked up from their conversations, paying attention while trying to appear uninterested.

They didn’t fool me or Penn as he smiled his signature sexy smirk and grabbed my chin. His lips planted on mine in a brutal kiss, bruising me, consuming me as his tongue took liberties and his power stole all my remaining breath.

He made me stupid.

He made me proud.

The instant I lost the tension in my spine, he let me go—almost as if he’d kissed me deliberately to keep me out of my head and in my body with him.

“Are you going to tell them the good news, or shall I?” His authoritative tone blended with a dark flirt.

I blinked. “Tell them what?”

I was one step behind. I couldn’t catch up. I’d never been that way before. I’d always been the boss, leading. I didn’t know if I liked being the follower.

“Tell them you’ve decided to let me own you.”

“Wait, what?” Chloe’s mouth hung open. “What does that mean?”

I shook my head, rubbing the sudden goosebumps on my arms. Penn said we were playing a game. And yet I didn’t know the rules or what was expected.

He answered for me again. “We met a few days ago and it was love at first sight.” He dragged me close, his eyes black. “It took some convincing but Elle has agreed to give me a chance.” He glanced at Chloe, filling his handsome face with ardent satisfaction. “She said yes.”

“Yes to what?” Frankie appeared, eyeing Penn from his black shoes to his five o’ clock shadow.

“Yes to marrying me.”

The world screeched to a halt.

What?

I flinched, trying to tear myself from Penn’s embrace.

He held me tighter, his fingers sinking like keys into my arms, turning a lock, keeping me bound to him and useless.

Chloe’s mouth hung open. “Wow, Elle, I never knew—”

“Never knew she was the sexiest woman alive?” Penn snarled with sudden viciousness. “Never knew she worked so damn hard, first for her father and now for thousands of employees around the world? Never knew she was one of the richest women alive? Never knew that she was ten times the fucking woman you’ll ever be?”

Whoa, this was too much. Too fast. Too scary. Too far out of my comfort zone.

Yes to marrying him?

I never agreed to that.

I’d agreed to sex.

Stupid, silly, sensual sex.

And now it’s time to say no.

I tore myself from his embrace, my body shaking. “Stop. That’s not true. Don’t spread such lies.” I stared helplessly at Chloe whose face had turned snow white. “I’m so sorry. Ignore him. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. We’ve only just got together. We’re not engaged. He’s not—”

“What my fiancé here is trying to say—” Penn interrupted. “Is she’s too kind-hearted to rub her success in your face even though you do the same to her. I don’t need to hear stories of what it was like to grow up with you. I see her and I see you and I understand the shadow you made her exist in. But not anymore.”

His teeth flashed as he snarled, “I’m stealing her from you now. From all of you. She’s mine. And it’s a sad loss that you never figured out what an incredible creature you had under your noses the entire time.”

Greg sidled up, hate stares fired at Penn.

“That includes you.” Penn pointed at him. “I don’t know how long you’ve known each other but you fucked up.” He laughed low. “You’ll never get her back because she’ll never be the same once I’ve had her.”

My cheeks turned into flames of hell. I ducked my chin, doing my best to hide. I wanted the club to vanish and Penn to disintegrate into dust.

Words and curses tangled to spew at him but he pulled me from the crowd, away from cringe-worthy declarations, away from high-school trolls and wanna-be boyfriends, and through the nightclub to the fresh air outside.

I managed a few gulps of oxygen before he yanked me down the alleyway between the nightclub and a restaurant and slammed me against the brick wall.

Quicksilver memories of another alleyway and another man once upon a time tried to twist my present with my past, and then it had no power as Penn’s lips crashed over mine and he kissed me.

He kissed me and then he kissed me.

Each swipe of his tongue blasted through my decorum, dragging alive the sexual being inside who’d never been allowed to evolve.

His right hand bunched my dress up my leg. My brain tried to split—to focus on the foot traffic only a few metres away and not on the blistering heat of his fingertips on my inner thigh.

And then nothing else mattered as his touch found my core, pushing against my underwear.

He didn’t ask permission.

He didn’t pull back to see if I was okay with this.

He merely kissed me and fingered me over the lace.

All I wanted to do was to let go. To trust in the magic he created in my blood and allow him to be as arrogant as he wanted. To take charge.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t let him get away with what he’d said. His lies. His verbal telling off to people I had to converse with.

He was far too brash and daredevil for my world.

His mouth kept working mine, dragging a moan deep from my lungs.

I had a second before I drowned under his powerful wave and lost myself. A second and then I would be gone and I couldn’t blame anyone but myself.

So I bit him.

My teeth sank into his lip, not holding back as I did the only thing I could to slow things down and breathe.

He stumbled backward, holding his bottom lip where a bead of blood welled. “Fuck.”

My ribcage rose and fell. I sucked in gasps, giving in to the slight hysteria he’d caused. I held up a shaky finger. “Don’t touch me.”

“Touch you? Fuck, I own you.”

My plait caught like Velcro on the bricks behind me as I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”

His eyes etched with black. “You said yes, remember?”

“Yes to a beneficial sexual relationship. Not to damn marriage!”

He chuckled. “That’s what’s got you afraid? Marriage? I have no intention of marrying you.”

I frowned. “Then why lie about it?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “Why do other people have to know exactly what we do and who we are? Why do they have to hear our truth when they’re so fucking fake themselves?”

I hated that he had a point.

He placed a hand on the brick wall by my head, his body swaying into mine. If he touched me again, I doubted I’d have the willpower to stop him. My clit still throbbed from his touch, the echoing bands of release a phantom cry in my veins.

“Stay back.”

He lowered his head, a tight smile on his lips. “Fine.” Holding his hands up in surrender, he kept his distance but didn’t move away. “What will it take for you to let me touch you again?” His voice dropped to sand and sleet. “Because I really want to touch you again, Elle.”

I shivered, doing my best to keep my thoughts focused and not on the molten heat inside. Having him so close didn’t help. He’d been gorgeous in the club—dappled in strobes and painted in shadows—but out here; out here where the vague lights of apartments and street lamps didn’t dare enter the sanctity of the alleyway, he was cloaked in darkness.

His shoulders strained against the stitches of his suit. His forearms ropy and tanned with his cuffs pushed up. His entire body flexed as he waved a hand with feline grace, hiding the throbbing tension between us, pretending he hadn’t just fired my libido to the point of excruciation.

“I’m not answering anymore of your questions,” I hissed. “Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?”

Sighing heavily, his lips pouted, blood smeared a little to make him seem part vampire. “You already know what I want.”

“But who are you?”

“I’m someone you can be free with.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means you don’t need to be afraid of me.”

I clasped my hands together, seeking comfort from myself. Fighting with a strange man—even one who’d touched and kissed me—in an empty alleyway wasn’t exactly encouraged. “I’m not afraid of you.”

He cocked his head, his throat muscles tight and tense. “Are you sure about that?”

“I’m not sure about anything anymore.”

He ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the strands into a mess. “Isn’t that the point?”

“Stop answering everything with a question.”

“Fine.” He stood tall, his legs spread with dominion. “You said yes to me. I won’t let you take that back. But I will try to ease your mind.” His face tightened as if this game had higher stakes for him than he let on. “I’ll only say this once so listen carefully. I will lie to others about us. I will paint a picture that isn’t true for people who wish to know what we do. I will curse and hurt and do whatever I damn well want, but you have my word on one thing.”

My voice carried on a hesitant whisper. “What word?”

“That I won’t lie to you. What you see from me will be the honest fucking truth. I’ll only hurt you if you want me to hurt you and I’ll protect you even while I do it. Give me yourself, let me take control, and I promise you, you’ll enjoy it.”

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2fhNdcM

Enter MASSIVE GIVEAWAY: http://gvwy.io/5xejb9a

Pre-order on iBooks: http://apple.co/2i2Exbj

Sign up for Release Alerts: http://bit.ly/2cpSLhF

Pepper Winters other books: http://bit.ly/2bUTvgO

About the Author

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

Ho Ho Ho, Bah Humbug…

[image error] It’s the week before Christmas and I’m doing my best to be in the Holiday spirit. But, I have to admit – I’m pretty bummed out.

Maybe it’s the KU Conundrum, maybe it’s because it’s been 2016, maybe it’s because I want to be happy, but the circumstance of my life just doesn’t allow for it?

[image error] A few years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple health issues that have seriously impeded with the quality of my life, my energy level, and the ability to just experience some joy. For a while, the Holiday season was cheering me up, but today – I’m just all bah-humbuged out. Bleh!

[image error] One of the challenges in writing is that it requires inspiration, constant tenacity and a type of determination to see the story through – to the ending. About endings, I’m having a hard time writing them. I have a dozen stories that need to be finished and I think my own life circumstance is dictating my writing mojo.

I just can’t seem to get over the hump. And it’s driving me crazy. But today, I recognized that I can’t foresee my own ending with my ongoing health struggles and in a way, this has paralyzed my writing.

I have writer’s block.

Not sure how I’m going to get over the hump… I keep hoping to wake up with some inspiration, but nope. So, I’m not gonna expect it. Give myself a reprieve and see what happens.

Maybe 2017 will be better. I really can’t imagine it getting worse… Oi!

[image error]

Cheers,

Ruby

 

KU Conundrum Continued…

12-14-16

This BLOG is being written and will be updated by this evening. Thank you for your patience!

[image error]

Paperbacks! Paperbacks! Paperbacks!

[image error] Hello Dear Reader!

I’ve finally started something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while… PAPERBACKS!

The KU Conundrum…

I’m re-assessing how I run my publishing business for 2017 and wanted to share some of my frustrations as an Author.

Recently, many authors have noticed that over the last few months, the pages-read numbers for our eBooks that are borrowed at Amazon and read, have decreased dramatically. Some say it is just a slump resulting from an Election Year. Others say that something is amuck with Amazon’s pages-read reporting system that lets us know how many pages were read for stories that we have enrolled in the KINDLE UNIMITED (KU) program.

Most of my newer titles are enrolled in KU. I like the program, both as a reader and author. I’ve always enjoyed reading for pleasure and I also read for my job as a writer and novelist. I gain inspiration from my fellow authors and love to track my reading via GOODREADS. I like knowing that my readers can opt to borrow a book if they want. It’s a win-win.

 One of the things that has always helped me with my writing business is that I study my own reading behavior and habits. For me, spending $9.99 a month on a subscription plan actually saves me money. That is part of why it was easy for me to be willing, as an author, to put my eBooks into the KU program so that other readers who are members can borrow, read and return.

Up until Oct, Nov, & Dec – I was pleased. But something has shifted and many authors have been left scratching our heads. Our pages-read numbers (how we earn money from the KU program) are seriously decreased. Many of us have been in the indie publishing business for a while now and we are savvy about using reporting and tracking programs to understand the trends. We know when book-buying or borrow-reading tends to be at its best and worst. We plan ahead with publishing dates, marketing & advertising campaigns. Like any business, some times are better than others.

 I review trends from a quarterly approach and the depreciation is significant from the first three quarters of the year. I’m usually able to depend on a certain number of sales and pages-read for a new release. The irony is that I’d rather a reader borrow and read my stories than by them as many are priced at $0.99 initially (I increase prices one month after publication) and I only earn $0.35 from a SALE.

My last two (Her Baller & SHIFTER: Polar Bear, Part 1) have both done poorly despite great reviews averaging 4.5 and higher from about 100 reviewers. Her Baller was published on October 8th and SHIFTER: Polar Bear, Part 1 was published on Nov 1st. They’ve earned about 30% of what I was anticipating. That’s a pretty big decline. For the first time, I didn’t get an ROI (Return on Investment) for the hundreds of dollars that I put into advertising and marketing. This has never happened before.

I have several stories I’m writing currently, to be published in January and February. I’d intended to include them in KINDLE UNLIMITED (KU), but now I’m not so sure… I’ve gone ahead and cancelled re-enrollment for my eBooks that are currently in KU. Most of those will fall out of the program by the end of January.

Part of the issue is that despite many of us reaching out to customer support at Amazon about this concern, we’re getting pretty-much a cookie-cutter response that everything is just peachy! No problems here…

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Thanks for your inquiry. We regularly audit and monitor pages read systems for accuracy. We particularly focus on making sure we have correctly filtered out fraudulent reading activity, while including all legitimate customer behavior. The KDP business team has not found any systematic issues impacting your results.

Please note that, as always, individual title performance can vary and be impacted by a number of different factors such as seasonality, genre trends, series age, etc. We always appreciate the feedback we get from content providers.

~ KDP Executive Customer Relations

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So, I have a favor to ask…

Amazon listens to their customers. They don’t quite seem to value their content providers (writers & authors) as much as they do their customers. Would  you be willing to send an email and express your concern as a reader? Here, I’ll make it easy. Here is a cut & paste letter you can copy and amend:

Dear Jeff & Amazon,

I’m a customer of yours who likes to read and buy and/or borrow eBooks from your website. Over the last couple of months, I’ve heard concerns from authors whose books I read, that they are experiencing an atypical decline, overall, in the pages-read numbers for their stories that are in KINDLE UNLIMITED (KU). 

They’ve shared that they have contacted KDP support and are being provided unsatisfactory responses or cookie-cutter type replies.

It’s important to me that authors are fairly compensated for the work and content they provide. As entertainers, they are important to society and deserve to regarded with respect. I enjoy the books they enroll in KINDLE UNLIMITED and I’m concerned that they will start to pull them out of the KU program. 

Can you please look further into this matter and research it? 

Kind Regards,

Your Name

EMAIL to send to:

jeff@amazon.com; ecr-kdp@amazon.com

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Thank you Dear Readers! I, for one, am glad that 2016 is almost over. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Cheers,

Ruby / Emerald / Maddy / Amber

PAPERBACKS…

For the first time, I’m finally publishing PAPERBACK copies of my novel-length stories. My goal is to keep their cost between $8.99 & $9.99. I will provide a sign-up sheet so that readers can order AUTOGRAPHED copies. The cost will include the price of the book + shipping. I will be accepting payment via PAYPAL. Stay posted!

Master’s Maids & A Christmas Engagement

My best-selling serial is available as a BUNDLE & has a FREE SEQUEL chapter. Available in KINDLE UNLIMITED. Check it out!

SERIAL LIST VIA AMAZON ($6 if you buy all 4 Parts)

or…

BUNDLE ($4 as a bundle)

EXCERPT:
Chapter One

~ 1 ~

~ ~ ~ ~

“Bend over.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, startled by the unusual request.

“Bend over, please.” He asked again, more politely.

I’d never been asked to ‘bend over’ at a job interview, but I’d been asked to do stranger requests in the employ of the wealthy, powerful and eccentric.

I stood and did exactly as he requested. I bent over. I peered over my shoulder. “To your satisfaction, sir?”

“Quite.” He said.

“May I sit down again?” I asked, holding the pose.

“Yes, please.” He said, his eyes no longer glued to my ass. Instead, he was perusing through my references.

“Can you be discreet?” He asked, again not looking at me in the face.

“Yes, of course. It’s part of the job typically.” I answered.

“Can you start next Monday?” He asked.

Thank god!

I needed work badly, this offer was happening just in the nick of time. Rent was due.

“Yes, absolutely.” I said gratefully.

“First, I need you to head to this address, today, for a drug and STD test.” He said matter-of-factly.

“Drug and STD test?” I asked, puzzled.

The drug test I got. But STD’s?

“Yes, have a problem with that?” His gaze was heavy and keen on me, watching me closely.

“Uh – no.” I said, my eyes wide. I was certain I was failing at keeping my surprise to a minimum.

“Good, today. As in, you leave this office and go straight there. Understand?” He said.

“Understood.” I answered.

“If you pass both, I won’t call and I expect you to be ready for work at seven a.m. at this address on Monday.” He pointed to the top of a document. “Only show up if you’ve read the details of the contract and can agree to them in writing. Bring your belongings, maids get room and board. We’ll tend to the details of the arrangement next week. For now, I’ll provide this and you can read. If you have questions, call me.” He said, then slid a document to me on the desktop.

Room and board too? So much for needing to pay rent…

“Thank you. You won’t regret having me in your employ. Good day.” I said, picking up the document.

In the elevator, after exiting the agency, I pulled out the contract and began to read. I noted that the pay was excellent. Better than anything I’d ever been paid before. Then my cheeks began to burn red from blushing. Disbelieving what I’d just read.

I gasped just as the elevator door opened. Those waiting for me to exit so they could enter, looked at me curiously.

I exited quickly and managed to find my crappy car in the parking lot. I got in, turned on the engine to get some heat going and finished reading the contract. Then I re-read it. Then again.

I wasn’t crazy, the terms really did require that I wear a sexy maid outfit, a mask, along with thong, lingerie-like underwear. I also needed to agree to being observed cleaning by the employer, as well as being willing to be spanked on regular occasion by a list of devices that ranged from paddles, his hand, and various kitchen utensils.

Holy shit! WTF?!

So that was why he’d had me bend over. To see if I had a nice ass.

In addition, I would need to take tests to check for STD’s on a monthly basis. Contraction of an STD was grounds for dismissal.

Last but not least, there was a paragraph about the premises having surveillance in all rooms and locations of the private residence and that I needed to be okay that all my ‘life activities’ could potentially be viewed and witnessed by said employer and his security staff. The one exception was the privacy of hygiene and toilette matters in a bathroom.

All this for room and board, maybe fifteen to twenty hours a week of ‘cleaning’ spread out over three to four shifts.  The pay was a flat, five thousand a month. The times that I was to be cleaning were very specific with strict reprimand if I missed a shift and grounds for immediate dismissal.

I should have realized.

Would I do it? Did I want to?

For that kind of money and so few working hours a week, I could go back to school and finish my degree. Was it worth it, being ogled while cleaning? Being spanked? Would I be safe? Was the spanker some creepy, old man? Or some pervy, young man? Either way, I was very hesitant to do this type of job or agree to this kind of work.

He had all my references, I knew nothing about him.

Yet.

 

 

Chapter Two

~ 2 ~

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Eccentric was one word to describe the likes of Sir Sebastian Earl Cardiff. Money older than the history of some countries, his life a private world of caged privilege. His mother’s lineage from aristocratic Russia and his father’s ancestry from Wales in the UK.

Both bloodlines were exceedingly affluent, wealthy and near-royal. But private. Exceedingly private.

He sat by the fireplace, in the library, reading quietly. Anna was cleaning nearby, using the vacuum machine he liked best. The one with the long hose. On her knees, she was bent over and had the hose tucked deep under one of the sofas sucking up dust-balls.

Sucking.

Arousing for him. Oh so arousing…

Sebastian admired the curve of her ass cheeks, peeking out from under her very short maid-skirt. Anna wore the red thong.

For such a flimsy piece of material, it was highly effective. A road-block. Or more importantly, a cock-block.

Her red thong created a barrier. A line to not cross.

It was in the best interest of all involved. If everyone knew the arrangement, the agreement, and the terms of the contract – then it was clean, easy, mutual fun. No harm, no foul.

The women he employed to provide him relief for this specific fetish of his, were more of a collection than actual maids. Not that this mattered much to him or them. Their devoted time and service did matter, however. Hence the strict terms.

In a way, they were his harem. A harem that could pursue their own lives, on their own time, on their own terms as long as they were willing to serve him under his terms.

Pulling himself out of his reverie as Anna was doing an excellent job of enticing his fetish to spring to life, right on schedule.

“Anna.” He said.

“Yes sir?” She responded politely, immediately stopping to answer him.

“Please come here.” He requested.

“Of course, sir.” Anna replied and walked over to him. “On your lap, sir?”

“Yes, please.”

Anna carefully draped herself over his lap and waited. She’d been working for him nearly three years. He only ever touched and caressed her ass, then spanked her, and then dismissed her. Anna had grown to love being requested for a spanking this early in a shift as Sebastian typically would excuse her for the remainder of it.

Today, he used his hand. Which Anna preferred.

At first, she hated the spankings. Found them humiliating and painful. Almost too painful to tolerate at times. Over time, she’d grown fonder of Sebastian and learned to enjoy the pleasure and pain dynamic of a spanking. Once dismissed, she usually found her way to her room where she could then masturbate in private to find her own orgasmic satisfaction at the end of a spanking session.

“Anna, a new maid is going to start soon. May I ask you to help train her to the unique ways of my Manor?” Sebastian asked.

Slap!

Anna let out a small gasp, aroused. “Yes, sir. Of course.”

“Good.” He said softly, caressing her round, reddening bottom. Preparing her for the next spanking.

Smack!

Anna grunted.

The session continued until she felt Sebastian’s erection reach completion underneath the layer of clothing separating them. She felt him spasm as he came. He paused a moment, collecting himself, catching his breath and then politely dismissed her.

Anna stood and left the library and went straight to her room where she pulled off her thong as fast as she could and then turned on her Hitachi magic wand.

As the buzzing vibrations pleased her pussy and clit, she came quickly and with startling need. She thought about dangling over Sebastian’s knee and the feel of his palm against the skin of her ass.

She’d never enjoyed a job as much as this one. Besides, she was almost done with her PhD. One more year of his employ and she’d be one of the most educated maids in the world.